2009-2010 Hyundai Sonata

davesev6

I was thinking that the alternator may not be handling the load from the car at idle. Any idea what the standard voltage from the alternator is supposed to be at idle so that I can check it with the multimeter?

wcw1

I just had the CD Changer replaced in my 2007 Sonata. Is the radio tuner separate from the Changer. The reason I ask is all my radio stations were still programed in the radio and I am wondering if they truly replaced the changer. It had an intermittent error problem so I can't tell if they replaced it or not. I also assume that the front trim is not part of the radio/changer assembly.

Any help greatly appreciated.

backy

I have known some service techs to check the radio pre-sets before they perform maintenance that will wipe them out, then restore them afterwards. I was always impressed whenever a shop went that extra step. It's possible that is what happened here.

Or the changer is separate from the radio and they didn't have to touch the radio presets.

wcw1

Sorry for the mis-post. I accidentally posted in the 2009-2010 section.

wcw1

Well, I got the answer. The radio/CD changer comes as one unit. The beige face plate is even part of the unit. So I know the dealer did not replace the unit even though they billed Hyundai for a new one under warranty. All of the presets would be gone. I put a small pencil mark on the face plate between two buttons and it is still there. I did this because I have had problems with this dealer before. This six CD Infinity radio sells for about $740.

I have called Hyundai corporate and filed a formal complaint.

newowner10

I would expect 13.2 volts if you do not have a large load on the electrical system.
A easy check is the headlights should get dimmer when you turn the engine off.
I did not read you original post to know why you believe the alternator is bad. If you tune the radio to a spot on the AM dial that does not have a station it you here a whiling sound I would suspect the alternator more.

backy

Hoo-boy, they are in trou-BLE.

I suppose this is the last time you will see this particular dealer? To help other owners out, which dealer is this?

eyendall

I am trying to decide between the V4 and V6 engines. I am a conservative driver and don't need a "sporty" feel but do want to go comfortably up hill and down. Car will be used mainly for highway cruising and long distance travel e.g. across the Rockies. What do you recommend? Will I be happy with the V4's performance? I am happy with the price but don't want to be left with regret for not going the extra mile and buying the V6. The fuel efficiency difference does not appear to be that significant to me.

A different question: I am in Canada. Hyundai Canada does not list on its website the SE V6: it does list the GLS V6. US sources say the GLS has been discontinued and include a SE V6. I am confused.

Thanks.

jnrus

On my invoice statement for the 2010 V-6 Sonata Limited I just purchased, it states the V-6 engine is american made. Anyone know who makes the Sonata V-6? I'm curious since my V-6 looks like a Chrysler Product In layout and location of attached parts. Any guess who makes it and if it is made to Hyundai design and specs or is it a Chrysler design and specs?

backy

Hyundai makes the 3.3L V6 at its factory in Alabama. It is a Hyundai design.

backy

If the FE difference of the I4 vs. V6 isn't significant to you, and you don't mind paying more upfront for the V6, I'd go with the V6 if I were you. IMO the only major reason for not going with the V6 is FE. There's a little higher maintenance costs on it, but you will probably appreciate the extra power going over the mountains.

hyundaiguy4

does anyone get a gasoline smell in there 2009 sonata when they drive it that is intermittent? My 2009 Sonata has had this problem from the beginning, I have complained many times but every time i take it in to the dealer they find nothing wrong. I thought i was crazy but now my wife and my kids some times smell it.
Just wonderind if anyone else had this problem?

jlindh

Has anyone overfilled the gas tank?

hyundaiguy4

no
its just a faint smell buts its enough to drive us crazy

joe1998

We just bought a new Sonata GLS yesterday. When we drove it home and parked it in the garage, we all sensed strange smell in the garage. It is from the car. I did not sense it when I was driving. There was no smell inside the car. The strange smell is not from new car paint. It is different. The smell is like rubber burning. We tried to find the source of the strange smell (the tires, under the hood, etc.). But we could not find the source.
This morning, the strange smell is gone (or we can not sense it because it is too weak), but we can still sense the smell from new paint. I called the dealer. I was told it is normal for a new car. Did anyone here have similar experience? Thanks.

davesev6

Just wondering if you might have gotten the undercoating for rust proofing when you got the car. If that stuff gets on the engine or muffler it can smell kind of rubber/oil like when it burns off.

backy

Yes, it is normal for a new car--most likely sealants on exhaust etc. burning off. It's especially noticeable for cars that come from overseas--there's a sealant applied to the underbody to inhibit rust on those.

joe1998

Thank you very much, backy and davesev6. I appreciate your explanations.

laflair

I guess I am joining that group of members that has a pull to the left at highway speeds. I took my car into the dealership and they made some toe adjustments that did not help and may have actually made the pull even worse. I am headed back on Feb 12th to have them look at it again and to fix two other issues. One is static coming thru the stereo ( radio or Ipod ), and the sunroof liner sticking to the sunroof when I open/close the sunroof. For both issues, they ordered new parts (liner and stereo) the last time I was there.

My car has had the pull since day 1. It has 7000 miles now. Has anybody successfully resolved this issue? I have read most of the posts here and nobody appears to have fully resolved this problem. I love the car otherwise.

norm1701

It has been a year and the pull to the left is not resolvded. dealer has done three alignmnets. The dealer has now told me that it is obviously not the alignment and there is nothing else they can do for me

michaelscai

Does hyundai have vin number on the transmission? I am looking at a 2010 Sonata might have a transmission replaced due to an accident, is there a simple way to tell?

wallybaba2

I bought the I-4 engine for my sonata and have been quite pleased with the power output from it. I also have a manual tranny. After the 1200 mile "break-in" period, I did a complete fluid swap to Amsoil lubricants(engine and tranny) I saw a fuel mileage increase of 20%. I hope this has helped. Enjoy your car.

wallybaba2

have you swapped the two front tires(side to side)? that helps in some cases. also, if you go somewhere else for an alignment, have the shop set the left front toe a little more positive then the specifications say, and have them set the right front toe to 0.00 spec.

dovid2

I would think if it were an alignment issue, the front tires would be badly (and irregularly) worn after 7000 miles. On other threads, people have talked about having all the suspension bolts retorqued. You might mention that to the dealer. At least it wouldn't cost him anything.

norm1701

tieres are good....sorry for dumb question,....any way you can guide me to those threads?

dovid2

I did find where we had discussed this in December:
There's a search box at the bottom of each page; I put in 'pulling' and found a thread from August. Put 937 in the 'Go to message' box and you'll find it. Good luck.

Still, if it's not alignment, and you're going to the dealer, why not ask them to try that? As I said, it doesn't cost them anything since no parts are involved.
I'm sure you've had the tires rotated, right? If not, maybe it's a bad tire.

lisann

lisann

The alarm on my 2010 Sonata has been going off for over three hours now. Every time it starts, I click the remote to turn it off. I have no idea what 's wrong -- it's never done this before. It is driving me nuts, and it's a Saturday, so there's really not much I can do. I thought about removing the fuse, but I'm not sure which fuse it is. (All the labels for the fuses are abbreviated.) Can some one help? My neighbors are hating me!

newowner10

Did you try another key to see if that effects your problem.

greatlakesjr

Appreciate all the information in this forum. We are looking for a replacement car for our '98 Honda Accord. If I had my druthers, I'd go for an Elantra or Corolla for the gas mileage (I drive the sedan 90% of the time back and forth to work), however, my wife is pining for a Camry type size sedan for the extra room. I just discovered the Sonata and see the EPA fuel estimates are pretty generous compared to Camry/Accords. Then I found a used one locally: 2009 GLS with 45,000 miles in great shape. They want $10,900 which seems like a pretty good price. Any thoughts on the MPG and the price of this specific deal?

Thanks!

backy

That seems a tad high for that many miles, but in the ballpark if the car is in exceptional condition with clean Carfax and good rubber. Also, does the car have the "Popular Equipment Package", which includes a power driver's seat and other amenities? If so, the price is more reasonable. If not, I would definitely work on the price.

Another car to check out if you haven't already, since you are looking for good fuel economy in a mid-sizer, is a used Fusion or Milan I4. I've found those do great in FE, especially on the highway where I've gotten 37 mpg in both a Fusion and Milan. They probably won't have any bumper-to-bumper warranty left at this kind of price, but they have been reliable.

greatlakesjr

There IS a Power Driver's Seat along with Keyless Entry and Power Sunroof (wouldn't really care about that though) among a few extras. 16" wheels too but that may be standard, I'm not sure. It is also the 4-cylinder model with auto transmission. The tires seemed kind of worn (this is a new car dealer) and probably would need to be replaced. CarFax is $34.95 for one record or $44.95 for five (seems to have gone up quite a bit since my last car search in 2003) so I'll wait until I'm farther along in the process.

I agree about the Fusion. I like the looks and the reputation it has. It's a nice option to have in our selection process.

Thanks for the reply...

backy

Ask the dealer for the Carfax report. They probably have an "unlimited" subscription. If they won't show it to you, beware.

osaka75

Also, if this is a new car dealer, $10,900 is the starting price. I'm sure you can negotiate lower than that.

sduff68

I was going to buy a cocoa exterior cocoa interior Sonata LTD with NAV from Alexandria Hyundai. They called me to explain that the car had been damaged and there was a scratch on the bottom of the rear left fender near the rear left bumper.

It was actually a deep gouge. I asked them to take a few hundred off my new car and to repair the damage. They weren't going to replace the bumper, just grind it down and repaint it, and they refused to take anything off the car.

So I left and went to Fairfax Hyundai and got the car I actually wanted (silver with cocoa interior) and saved about 20.00 per month in the process.

Bottom line...you really need to thoroughly check out a car before you leave the lot. Fortunately this dealer was honest and admitted the damage.

billward

Sorry to be a bit late in the conversation, but the mere fact it has the sunroof automatically means it has the PEP2 package (which includes PEP).

If the car is clean and well maintained, and the CARFAX is good, that's not an unreasonable price by anymeans, though like folks said, I'd try to get it down to 10 even or so.

killerk

Hey, guys.
Excuse me if this Q has been posted earlier, but I'm so busy at the new job that I have noooo time to follow this wonderful forum.

I cracked the passenger side mirror casing in half while backing into the garage. Fortunately, the mirror and the motor are intact. And I epoxied the case back together for now.

The dealer says that the whole unit has to be replaced and it also requires a paint job. The quote was ~$430!!!

Questions:
1. Can it be replaced by a somewhat handy person?
2. If so where can I get the parts?
3. And is the paint job really needed?

greatlakesjr

I guess I was a day late and a dollar short as the listing is gone now. Oh well. Just saw another ("certified") GLS 2009 with half the miles (23K) that I liked (in blue) but listed at $14,900. I'd think I could knock 10% of that, no? Or go for new (2010) with no miles. Really, really liked the interior space. Trunk is huge. Don't want to drive one yet though until wife is with me.

LASHAWN

You can order the parts from your Hyundai dealer and have someone else install the mirror for you. It will have to be painted though as new mirror comes in not painted.

backy

Since you can get a NEW 2010 GLS for around $15k today, the 2009, which could be 2 years old by now, should be a lot less than $14.9k. I've recently seen very nice 2009s with the power seat and moonroof package in my area with lifetime powertrain warranty in addition to the remaining Hyundai warranty for under $12k.

greatlakesjr

Whoa! Where's you area? I'm in Mid-Michigan. I will have an opportunity to look in the Columbus, OH area next weekend during a trip we have planned.

I usually tag the Fitzmall.com site to review the lowest prices on New and the best I see on the GLS there is around $15,700 or so.

Thanks for your input. That will certainly keep me looking for less than what I'm finding at the moment. Might also consider the Elantra for the slightly higher MPG.

backy

I am in the Twin Cities. You should do a search around your area, as far as you are willing to drive, or around Columbus since you will be there. That is easy to do with the auto search engines e.g. AutoTrader (available at Edmunds.com) and cars.com. For example, I just did a search for 2009 Sonatas with less than 40k miles and under $12k and found 23 within 500 miles of me (easy day's drive). One example is a GLS auto, powder white pearl, with 33k miles in Traverse City for only $11.2k. Another in Davison with 37k miles for $11.8k. So look around. Then if you want that car you already found, you can print these listings and use them as leverage to negotiate. The car you found has lower miles and is certified, but you should still be able to get some off their asking price. If not, you have some other options out there in Michigan.

The Elantra may give you slightly higher FE, but my experience is the price of used ones, especially the desirable SEs with ESC, is pretty close to that of Sonatas, so unless you really want a smaller car, IMO the Sonata is a much better buy.

greatlakesjr

The wife is rathery picky about colors so I'm limited. No silver, no white, no maroon but khaki, blue, gray pass the test.

What does certified get me? Is that only at Hyundai dealers?

I got a lesson about what ESC was in my visit to the dealer yesterday. I guess it's a pretty useful safety feature. The guy also explained that they added an extra gear to the Sonata in '09 so the mileage should ramp up over any '08 and earlier.

Thanks. I think we'll lean towards the Sonata for sure and new or used will depend on the deal and the difference in price. The population of used Elantras are MUCH lower than Sonatas.

backy

The Hyundai Certified warranty comes in two flavors I think, at different prices. The cheaper version gives you back the powertrain warranty for 10 years/100k miles (from the initial in-service date), and I think (confirm this with the dealer) it is transferrable. You also get roadside assistance for that same period (it's only 5 years on new Hyundais). Then there's a more expensive option that extends the bumper-to-bumper coverage to 10 years/100k miles.

The dealer is right about the 2009 Sonata; the I4 models got the 5-speed automatic then. (V6s have had the 5AT since 2006.) Also the 2009 got an overall update for 2009, including a new interior which IMO is much nicer than 2006-8.

BTW.... the dealer who has the car you are interested in doesn't have to know about your wife's opinion on colors--you could still use those other ads as negotiating leverage. The less you tell the salesperson about things like that, the better.

greatlakesjr

That's good information. I will travel to Columbus tomorrow. I see a couple '09's with mileage in the mid-teens (asking $14,999) which means quite a bit of warranty left. I figure about 15,000 less miles is worth about $1,000 more than a similar 30K car. Thoughts?

Wife wants to look at Fusions as well but I'm leaning Hyundai at this point.

Thanks

theref

Look the thread for buying experience
you can get a NEW 2010 Auto GLS for $14000 depending where you are willing to travel (eg NYC)

greatlakesjr

Most of the recent discussion over there has been about the 2011 models but a few were on the 2010’s. I see one (pretty sure all GLS auto) got as low as $13,982 and some of the other decent prices were between $14,895 and 16,000. The one lowball would take plenty of work and hard to get so I’m thinking more along the other range would be more realistic. And with my poor negotiating skills, it would be along the higher end of that range. Add in travel costs for some of those deals. For some reason, dealers in Michigan, despite the worst economy in the nation, don’t seem to be among the lower priced options that I’ve seen. So, a 2009 @ mid-teens mileage, I’m thinking might be decent for about $13,500, about $2,500 less than a brand new option. No?

osaka75

I don't know how low you can negotiate the price of a used 2009 but I certainly second the idea to also look at new 2010 models. When there's a change in generation for a model, the previous one becomes much easier to negotiate on if you can locate what you want but I think there are plenty of 2010s out there. Good luck and report back.

backy

I don't know how low you can negotiate the price of a used 2009...

Why do you think it's not possible to negotiate the price of a used car? I do it all the time. :confuse:

greatlakesjr

I'm thinking he's saying how low you can go with the price not if they can be negotiated at all.

I realize every case will be different but do you start (low) with a set % off their asking price? I haven't purchased a car in seven years and have never purchased new. I don't enjoy the game at all so I'm more likely to give up and walk away than try to get ultra low (which could be a strategy in itself I suppose).