Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

kwonc71

One of my neighbor bought GLS golden Sonata, and I saw a silver v6 one at detail shop for window tinting. I see more and more Sonatas on the road, more than new Accord or new Camry. If new Camcord sells way more than Sonata, Y am I not seeing those cars around here. Maybe Sonata sold more in North West?

credulus

Just as a reference for all of you Sonata GL or GLS 4-cylinder owners . . . my 2006 Elantra GLS gets around 19 to 20MPG in town with its 2.0L Inline-4 with 4-speed automatic. So, it's no great shakes either!

This is totally city stop and go driving over the past 4 months, including driving during the coldest months here in central Illinois. It's my wife's car, and she drives it back and forth to work each day. I, too, calculate gas mileage the old fashioned way using a calculator and the trip odometer reading.

We're looking at buying another Hyundai, a Sonata GLS at the end of the year, but haven't decided on the 4-cylinder or the V6.

mackabee

Hi! I sell Toyotas and have owned them since 1981. I have been following Hyundai for the last couple of years as they are on the way to becoming a formidable competitor to Toyota, Honda, and Nissan and may blow Nissan out of the water. I know for a fact Toyota has been keeping a close eye on Hyundai. Having said that, a cream puff 06 Sonata LX V6 with just over 5k miles was traded a week ago on an 07 Camry. I've had the chance to look this car over inside an out with a fine tooth comb and am very impressed with the quality of build and fit and finish. So impressed in fact that I'm thinking of buying it for myself as I can get an awesome deal on it since I work for the dealership. Those of you that own one or have owned one in the past, how good are these cars? How's the reliability in terms of frequency of repairs, durability and dependability? Having owned nothing but Toyotas and a few Hondas and Nissans for my kids I'm hesitant about jumping ship and getting this car. However after what I've just said it is very tempting. Your thoughts?

Mackabee

samiam_68

The question I would be asking is WHY did someone trade in an '06 Sonata for an '07 Camry? What was so unacceptable about that car that they took a huge depreciation loss to trade up?

mamamia2

I'd be more curious to know why would anybody elect to trade a cream puff 06 Sonata LX V6 with just over 5k miles -- for an '07 Camry....

backy

Maybe they just had to have that 268 hp so they could hunt down some Bimmers.

acronis

"I'd be more curious to know why would anybody elect to trade a cream puff 06 Sonata LX V6 with just over 5k miles -- for an '07 Camry.... "

Who knows? maybe the better interior? maybe they just had a change of heart? Fell in love with a frumpy, fugly designed car? Seriously though I think that the Sonata has to get a better looking interior. That's the one weak area of that car.

I think Hyundai should transplant the new Elantra's interior into the Sonata. By the way I wonder if they traded V6 for V6? Macabee never said.

wolverinejoe80

new camry just came out, so you won't see many of them yet. i spotted 1 so far.

anyway, i'm seeing tons of sonatas in maryland. i probably see 10-15 sonatas a day. also, i'm seeing more and more azeras as well.

bobad

I'm very suspicious of that entire post. Most dealers would whack their salesmen for buying a competing name plate.

stockmanjoe

Just about all dealers now sell just about every make there is out there - through their used car sales. They tend to make alot more on used cars than new, actually.

I have marveled at just the opposite. The dealers could care less what make of car you buy as long as you buy it from them!

tinatina

No, Mackabee is a legit. poster. He has been on the Toyota threads for years. Dealers would not whack their salesmen for buying a competing name plate, just look at the employee parking lots at dealers and you will see a wide array of makes/models. He asks many of the same questions I have about a 2006 GLS V-6 that I am interested in buying.

bobad

One of the first things one should ask their salesman is "what do you drive". If they drive anything other than the brand you are shopping for, then you have an extra negotiating advantage.

Apologies to Mackabee. I was joking anyway.

tinatina

Well what about the reliability/dependability on the 2006 models. I could not find CR latest ratings on overall reliability.

ray_h1

"Those of you that own one or have owned one in the past, how good are these cars? How's the reliability in terms of frequency of repairs, durability and dependability?"

I can't speak for the 2006 Sonatas, but my 3 1/2 yr. old base model '03 Sonata V6 (previous generation 2.7L) has only had one warranty claim - a defective interior dome light switch. I consistently get 21-22 mpg, city and 32 mpg highway - in both cases with the manual AC set to arctic blizzard cold. Are there better cars? Yep. There're worse, too. Toyota's got more to be concerned about with Honda nipping at its heels than Hyundai. Nissan should be very worried, though. If you follow through with purchasing that '06 Sonata trade-in, be aware that the 10 yr./100,000 mile powertrain warranty does not carry any transfer provision to subsequent owners. You would "only" carry the remainder of the 5 yr./60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper.

backy

You won't find CR reliability stats for the '06 Sonata until next year; it's too new. So you can either wait a few years for the car to build a track record for reliability, or you can go by Hyundai's overall track record, which has improved significantly in the past 5-6 years.

haggard

Also new to this board. Maybe Macabee needed a more functional back seat. This car is so great in so many ways, and I can't pull the trigger on a good deal because I have a third child who would have to ride the hump. Why would they go to all that trouble and expense of remaking this car and then cut out a whole segment of the market? Any chance on them fixing this for '07?

backy

What car in this class has a more comfortable middle rear seating position? I haven't found one yet that I'd want to ride in for any length of time. But my 10-year-old daughter is just fine "riding the hump" of my Elantra, a smaller car than the Sonata, for trips up to 3 hours.

billmd

I purchased an 06 Sonata GLS V6 with sunroof etc back in September 05. My purchase decision was based primarily on the interior room, gas mileage, looks and warranty in that order. After seven months and 9000 miles I still feel that I could not have made a better choice. The comfort level of the car is extraordinary. My gas mileage is consistently at 24-25 mpg in mixed rural driving. I have had no warranty issues and the car just feels like its getting better and better.

rhduke00

I own a 06 Sonata GLS 4 cyl which I bought at the end of Dec 2005. The only problem with this car is it's so enjoyable to drive that I spend most of my free time driving it. Consequently, I've put 7300 miles on it and have had it for only 3 1/2 months. Previously, I had a 2001 hyundai accent LX which I bought new in Feb 2001. The accent was in very good condition when I traded it in at 67,000 miles and the dealer quickly re sold it. My wife bought a 2000 accent LX new in Aug 2000 and put 100,000 miles on it before selling it to my daughter in Sep 2005. My daughter's been driving it as a work car since last Fall and hasn't had any problems either.

mamamia2

Good to know.... As a matter of fact, Consumer Report has been giving Hyundai cars good reliability marks in the past 4-5 years, almost as good as those for Japanese cars. Actually the Accent has been a better car during the 2000 model year than the Sonata of that year....

haggard

Well, you are right about this class not offering great back seats, but the Camry and, to a lesser extent, Accord both have a flatter and more symmetrical middle seating area. Hyundai went out of their way to make theirs elevated and narrowing from rear to front. Really just a stupid attempt at styling, which I'm betting has cost them more than just my business. Still a really great vehicle, and if I only had two kids, the car would be in my driveway already.

blnewto

Now that spring is here, I want to do something about the sunlight that comes through the untinted windows on my Sonata. Some of you have had the glass tinted and I know there are products like shades, etc. for sale at auto supply stores. Which products have you used? Any recommendations?
We just had our windows tinted (as we do for all our vehicles). We have them use the same shade that's used in the factory for the rear SUV windows, not sure of the exact tint spec, but we just told them we wanted the same shade that's used from the factory for the new Ford Explorers' back windows. It looks great and isn't too dark for night time driving.

blnewto

Here's a copy of my previous message, just wanted to know if any other member here has had these recall issues? And we just got back from another 1000 mile trip and got 25 city/30Hwy and we drive 75-80 on the Hwy and have the tires at 40PSI
Seems there's a few recall items that our 06 Sonata GLSV6 requires. Just got the slip in the mail yesterday and it needs the following:
T15 PCM Reprogramming
T18 Cupholder
T19 Door Handle

Anyone else get one of these or know any details?

BTW, we absolutely love this car w/ NO problems and 6000 miles~and are getting 30 MPG hwy 24 city w/ our silky-smooth V6

krika

The only thing I HATE about Sonata is the lack of Seek Track button on the steering. Its absolutely ridiculous to not have it. I just came back from a short 400 mile trip and realized how stupid it was to not have that control. I felt its need a lot of times before. But now I am all the more disappointed. At highway speeds of 65-75 mph even a split second distraction (to change the track on the dash) can prove risky. So I was wondering is there ANY way to change the program of the buttons on the steering. Is it under computer control or is it only electrical? The best thing would be to program such that the MODE button can toggle between Seek Track and Volume and the other two buttons can be used to change - Track or Volume. Any ideas/comments?? I get a very poor mileage, but I don't care about it. Its nothing compared to the frustration of reaching out to the dash to change the track.

dan42

Another reason why I am holding off to see if they make these type of changes to the 07 Sonata. Hard to tell but it looks like they enhanced the radio steering wheel controls for the new 07 Elantra.

choe13

that was white in v6. All i got to say is that this car and white were meant to be. Gorgous on this car.

They need to create a british racing green and mustard color options

mackabee

Why should it matter what your salesman or sales lady drives? How is that an extra negotiating advantage? I don't get it. Dealers don't care what their employees drive as long as they sell cars. Most of our management staff drive leased BMW's since we also have a BMW store. Me I'm just a down to earth frugal guy that likes to get the most bang for my buck without sacrificing quality. Hyundai is on the right track and since this Sonata would be a great deal for me I wanted input. Thanks.
Mackabee

snakeweasel

Why should it matter what your salesman or sales lady drives?

It boils down to confidence, why should I get something that the salesman will not drive? While its not really important that the salesman drives the same model but should drive the same make. In other words a salesman who doesn't drive the make that he is selling isn't showing continence in his product.

Think about it, would you hire a cook who wouldn't eat their own cooking? Hire a painter who won't paint their own house?

blnewto

I'd be more inclined to believe a dealer who said he drove something other than what he's selling. It's almost too convenient for a salesman to say he drives the car he's selling, as he could tell you most anything to get you swayed into feeling better about the "deal". I'd have no problem buying a car from a salesman that didn't own the make that I was interested in. The salesmans' job is to seal the deal, so in my past experience I take most of the salesmans' "advice" at face value and realize that he's just "doing his job".

pat

Um, "will not drive" seems a little harsh.

Car salespeople are as entitled as the rest of us to choose what to drive. Everyone's own individual circumstances contribute to one's own personal preferences, and when you get down to the bottom line, there is no reason why one's profession should dictate life choices of any sort.

I drive what (ever it is that) I drive. It has no more to do with what I do here in the Forums than what a car sales person drives has to do with what he/she does for a living.

Let's move on.

tenpin288

a salesman who doesn't drive the make that he is selling isn't showing continence in his product.

In my area there are a number of multi-brand (2 or more under the same roof or on the same lot) dealerships and in most of them, the salespeople are responsible for selling more than one brand under each roof. The dealership I bought my 04 Hyundai Sonata and my now-traded 01 PT Cruiser from sells Hyundai, Chrysler and Jeep under the same roof (the same group also sells Toyota, Scion, BMW, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury at 2 other locations). The salesman I work with, a good friend, sells Hyundais, Chryslers, and Jeeps there, and he drives a Chrysler. I still trust him to sell me a Hyundai or any car the auto group carries at a good price. It's all about trust, customer service and training on the product, which unfortunately too many salespeople either ignore, neglect, or never receive!

snakeweasel

Car salespeople are as entitled as the rest of us to choose what to drive.

Granted I am not saying they are not. What I am saying is that its not saying much when the salesman doesn't use the product s/he is selling. Of course thats within reason, I don't expect someone who sells semi trucks to drive a semi. But I would expect a Toyota salesman to be driving a Toyota, otherwise the one nagging question is why not?

Again I ask would you hire a cook that doesn't eat their own cooking?

pat

And if I don't own a car and rely on public transportation I can't/should not be a host here??

This is not worth arguing - a car salesperson is as entitled as the rest of us to make personal choices. A person has a profession that provides an income to support him/herself and family. That profession does not dictate every single other choice made in the person's private life. It doesn't in mine, and I doubt seriously that it does in yours. In any case, this has nothing to do with our subject.

As I said - we need to move on. We are talking about the Sonata here, not what salespeople should or should not drive. That's their business, just as it is your business what you drive.

snakeweasel

And if I don't own a car and rely on public transportation I can't/should not be a host here??

Who said or implied that? I certainly didn't.

This is not worth arguing

True its not, but all I am saying is as a consumer why should I buy something that the salesman can but doesn't use? To me as a consumer it is extremely important if the salesman selling me the product uses something else.

pat

My point was that you seem to be saying if someone's profession doesn't mirror their personal choices, you can't trust them. I say that makes no sense at all.

There are plenty of chefs who choose to eat others' cuisine, trust me. I happen to know several.

Again - this is way off-topic. Do you have comments about the Sonata you can make here? They would be very welcome!

747pilot

I have not gotten any recall notice on my Sonata yet (06 LX V6). What is your build date?

Mine was built November of 05 and purchased March of 06. Some of the earlier models had some minor recalls but I believe the later models had the revisions done during assembly. If yours was built earlier in 05 then perhaps thats why you got a recall notice and others have not?

Anyways all the recalls sound pretty minor so just get them done during your next oil change appointment.

acurattle

Here's a copy of my previous message, just wanted to know if any other member here has had these recall issues? ...
Seems there's a few recall items that our 06 Sonata GLSV6 requires. Just got the slip in the mail yesterday and it needs the following:
T15 PCM Reprogramming
T18 Cupholder
T19 Door Handle

You got no responses on your post probably because nobody else here got that notice. I have not received one, nor was I able to find any info at all about the three specified items in the Hyundai Service or NHTSA websites. Google searches were fruitless as well. No TSB's, no recall notices, nothing. Can you post a link to a copy of the slip you got?

bman900

A week ago I noticed a very strong smell inside my 06 Sonata LX, like rotten eggs or dumpster smell. This odor has been present for over a week, and it is most noticable after the car has been parked for a while. I am pretty sure it is the car, not the environment since it has been parked in different locations over the last week. My only thoughts are maybe this is emissions related. The vehicle has approx 8500 miles and is 8 months old. Any suggestions?

mamamia2

Ususally that kind of smell is a sign of a bad Catalytic Converter.

747pilot

The problem is most likely caused by fuel with a very high sulpher content. Have you switched brands recently? Many cheaper fuels sold at discount places have a higher sulpher content and can cause a nasty rotten egg smell in many cars. You might try switching to a quality name brand fuel and see if it goes away. It might take a couple of tanks though. If it does not go away then something might be wrong with the emissions system.

BTW, my father drives an 01 Toyota Camry that has done this from day one. Dealer says its normal :lemon:

bman900

I will try a different brand of fuel just to see.... Thanks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a problem with the emissions. This smell is horrific!

johnm1

Call Sams Club Auto purchace program they will copntact particapating dealer

ray_h1

The "rotten egg" odor is hydrogen sulfide gas - a dead give away of high sulfur content gasoline. Avoid unbranded convenience store pump gasoline. Now that the price of gasoline is rising again, it's becoming tempting again for independent distributors and wildcat truckers with access to a tank trailer to bring in product from Mexico, some of which is both high sulfur content and fully leaded, catalytic converter destroying rotgut. Getting back to the sulfur content, it burns, but isn't harmless to the engine. All engines "blow" a small percentage of combustion byproduct past the piston rings and into the oil sump. The hydrogen sulfide and water (water is one byproduct of hydrocarbon combustion) blowby combine under heat to form sulfuric acid in the oil, and, over time, it accumulates to a troublesome concentration which will prematurely deplete your oil's protective additives and corrode the precision machined sliding engine parts.

blnewto

Our build date is Sept.12th, 2005. Just got back from the dealer and here's the printout details. BTW, only 1 of the three recalls was corrected, as parts had to be ordered (which were ALREADY supposed to be ordered)for the remaining two recalls.
Recall T15 on PCM Reprogramming "Complete"
Cupholder flap replacement
Part#84623-3K500-C
Replace Front Outside Door Handle
Part#82652-3K000-U1C

I'm just a bit curious as to what was reprogrammed. I picked the car up at lunch when the techs were gone so I wasn't able to find out the details. I'll try to find out more later on

maggee

I bought my sonata (lx v6 deep water blue!) beautiful. I had it in for its first oil change and had noticed a hesitation in the engine, but the dealership put it on the computer tinkered and now it runs great!! i had a sunroof visor put on - sharp! :P

gibi

Thanks for the input, it seems pretty good now.Just a little concerned that they had to off set the alignment to get it to work> Is this OK??

kwonc71

Offset to make it work?
I know that there is no perfect alignment (Ideal) because after all, a person has to tight and lose bolts and nuts to adjust it.
However, I have not heard "Offset to make it work" yet tho.
Either your tires or suspension has problems. It's more likely one of your tire has problem.

I remember when I put new tires on my 2000 Sonata, ride got bouncy at 50-60 MPH. They re-balanced it 3 times, still had problem. A manager at American tire company concluded one tire was out of round, and gave me a new one.

If your car feels drive straight, I would not worry about it, but you want to check your tires often to make sure no premature wears.

BTW, I worked at Hyundai and Kia After Service Center in Korea. In Korea, there are no dealerships. You go buy a car at Hyundai or Kia's direct stores. If a car has problems with in warranty, you take it to the shop has contract with those manufacturers. They call that an After Service Center. I also have Korean certification of Engine repair like ASE in here, even though I did not worked on engines,I worked as Auto-body tech for 5 years before I come to USA. Often, dealership people think I'm too picky about little stuff. I can see little tiny imperfections that other people won't notice. I think it has something to with my old job.

Sometimes, when I take car in to show problems, they say "It's normal". I laugh at them so hard.
My 06 Sonata's alignment problem was same thing. A mechanic drove aroud the dealership for 5 minutes, and said it's fine. I told him I worked as mechanic in Korea, and I will take car to another dealership. Then, they sent the car to alignment shop, got alignment fixed.

slm1

Can you explain what the idle vibration is or comes from. I have always wanted to ask someone who really know about the Hyundai quirks. I have a 2005 gl 4 cylinder sonata made in korea.

black_tulip

True its not, but all I am saying is as a consumer why should I buy something that the salesman can but doesn't use?

Because his preferences lie in another direction? Maybe I sell Landrovers but prefer small sports coupes? I can certainly use a Landrover but choose not to because of personal reasons, which has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the product.

Anyway, I came here to relate the story of my reluctant Sonata test drive as Hertz did not have anything on their lot except that car. I was really surprised. The handling, while not as crisp as that of the rivals, was fairly good. No argument with the pickup and cabin comfort. Only thing disappointing was gas mileage. I drove 300 miles and had to fill up 13 gallons before returning. Overall, I think this is a winner, especially given the price and the warranty. But, till the reliability is proven, I will still be on the sidelines...

snakeweasel

Because his preferences lie in another direction?

Maybe, but why does his preference lie in another direction? If he doesn't have enough confidence in the product he is selling to use it then why should I?

I drove 300 miles and had to fill up 13 gallons before returning.

Well thats 23 MPG, may I ask what type of driving were you doing? Also which engine did it have?