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Hyundai Sonata Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • ricomdricomd Member Posts: 2
    Ok, thanks, been very frustrating
  • exjagonrexjagonr Member Posts: 3
    I just started to have the same problem with my 2009 Sonata. I have almost 39000 miles on it. It is around 10 degrees today and the downshift is very hard right before I come to a stop. I will make sure I tell the dealer about the calibration. This forum has been awesome!!! Thanks
  • corvairmavencorvairmaven Member Posts: 4
    Interesting reading. Thanks. I've had some as yet 'undiagnosed' issues with the trans on my 09. The abrupt shift (2 to 3) upshift is an intermittand lag-then-hard shift. Also, has anyone noticed on back roads the trans drops into 5th between 38 and 42 then the car lugs, instead of downshifting when accelerating from there? On mine, I have to really put my foot in it to get it to find the right gear. Also, does anyone get a pulsing sensation at highway speeds? (75 - 80)
  • killerkkillerk Member Posts: 55
    My 09 4-cylinder Limited started having 2 -> 1 hard downshift starting about 6 wks or so. But once it warmed up after driving around 5~10 min, it'd go away.

    The downshift seemed more severe on colder mornings.

    I waited till yesterday to bring it b/c it was time for the e-oil change.
    They did the TCM flash (b/c I told them I saw it mentioned on Edmunds ;) ) and told me to leave the car overnight so that they can simulate the cold start. But they still noticed the hard downshift this morning.

    So they said they are going to reflash with software for 2010 models as recommended by Hyundai. And they'll try to simulate the cold start again tomorrow am.

    Will let you know how it goes, but I'm a little worried abt putting the software designed for 2010 models onto my 09 Sonata. Do both 09 and 10 have the same tranny???
  • darwinyohdarwinyoh Member Posts: 3
    I had the same issue with my 09 sonata. My car started having the problems around 26k miles. I brought it into the dealership and they they reset the transmission computer. Everything was fine for about 1000 miles but now im starting to have the same problem again. Anyone experiencing the same?
  • darwinyohdarwinyoh Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2010
    Anyone that has a 09 sonata transmission issue please reply to this posting. I plan on writing Hyundai an official letter if this problem can not be fixed. I also recommend others to do the same.
  • killerkkillerk Member Posts: 55
    edited March 2010
    I p/u my 4-cyl 09 Lmted on Friday evening after work. And so far so good.
    But I see that darwinyoh (#159) was only good for 1,000 miles after the update.

    My Svc Mgr told me that 09 update didn't resolve the issue.
    So they were on the phone w/ Hyundai Tech Support on Thu to manually "force" the 2010 software onto TCM.

    The thing that I don't understand is why is this happening all of sudden?
    I put on around 14K miles (15 months) before this started to happen.
    Thx.
  • efd1978efd1978 Member Posts: 3
    My Hyundai dealer is telling me I need the following done to my car. It is a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with approx 40,000 miles. 2.4L 4 cylinder. I drive to work 33 miles one way on the highway and 33 back home. Not much stop and go, not much city driving etc>>>

    1. Says my transmission fluid is contaminated – found to be dirty and they recommend completed transmission fluid exchange.
    2. Recommend top engine cleaner
    3. Found brake fluid to be dirty/contaminated and they must perform brake system flush exchange – the last time I went in for service prior to this one they told me I needed my brakes fluid flushed because they used a alcohol based brake fluid and it absorbed moisture out of the air and that is why the brake fluid needed to be exchanged.
    4. Power steering fluid is dirty / contaminated and they must perform a complete power steering fluid exchange

    Now this is not the first car I have owned (it’s the 9th). I am almost 50 and have owed a Subaru hatchback, Chevy’s (3 Malibus and a Caprice) Dodge Colt, Mercury Capri, Oldsmobile Achieva – out of all of these vehicles – many driven to or over 100,000 I have never had so many contaminated/dirty fluids nor have I ever changed the transmission fluid. Is it just me or are they full of ****? Or maybe I just should not buy a Korean made vehicle since they seem to be awfully delicate.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Any chance of taking the car to another mechanic, one you trust, for a 2nd opinion? It's possible the trans fluid is "dirty" after 40k miles--but what does the manual say about change interval? I am doing my Elantra at 30k intervals, but for me that is four years and a lot of city driving. Similarly for brake fluid--shouldn't be bad after only 1-2 years, although some manufacturers e.g. VW recommend brake system flush every 2 years. Steering fluid? I don't recall ever doing a power steering fluid exchange on any car (including 3 Hyundais).

    Engine cleaner? IMO that is bunk. Today's gasolines have cleaners in them.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Check your manual. With that kinda of driving you probably should take care of the transmission fluid change at about 60k miles. The other fluid changes are dealer recommended services not manufacturer recommended services. I have a 2006 Sonata LX and I just changed my trans fluid at 66k miles, 40k miles is a little to early even for a 4cyl.
  • newowner10newowner10 Member Posts: 227
    This guy is ripping you off. How did he determine the contamination of the Fluids?
    What does the owners manual say. I use to do all of these things but it depends on how long you are going to keep the car. I would keep all of the records and such once the car has over 100K miles it just goes to an auction. If the transmission fluid is that contaminated they should be rebuilding the transmission for you under the warrenty.
  • efd1978efd1978 Member Posts: 3
    thanks for your post. I did check the owners manual - believe me. I am always skeptical when it comes to taking my car to the dealer. Just wanted some feedback. I use to ask my dad this kind of stuff and get his input but he passed in Dec, but I know what he would have said. "they are full of ****". Have a nice day!
  • efd1978efd1978 Member Posts: 3
    That what I was wondering. "How did he determine the contamination of the Fluids? "
    I have not let them do any of the work. I went in for an oil change and they hit me with all this other stuff. I told them "just change the oil". I wondered the same thing about the contamination. If the fluids are "contaminated" then I guess I should go back to american made cars - never had all this "contamination" when I was driving Chevy's. LOL
  • darwinyohdarwinyoh Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2010
    I took my car in for the third time yesterday and i had no luck once again. I even did a test drive with the technician and the problem occurred during the drive. He said that he has done everything he can do. I suggested he get on the phone with hyundai and tell them about the issue and demand them fix it. He said because of hyundai trying to cut cost, etc, he would get in trouble because this is not yet a serious problem. The problem does not effect any of the other components and it has not been seen to ruin the transmission completely yet. So basically we 09 sonata owners have to take things into our own hands. I plan on sending hyundai a letter, if they dont reply, soon i will continue to call them, demanding for a fix. If your unsatisfied with your transmission and are having the same problem please email me and be part of the movement. Thank you. darwinyoh@yahoo.com
  • pajamabikerpajamabiker Member Posts: 6
    When going down a long hill, I guess the transmission is shifting in to neutral, the rpm's drop to idle speed.

    Then the transmission slams hard back into gear.

    I'm getting ready to make an appointment for my 2009 Sonata V6 with 14k miles.

    Has anyone experience this problem?
  • takethedontstakethedonts Member Posts: 8
    Absolutely PJBiker. Bought a used 09, 6-cyl sonata and that is my biggest complaint.

    I can re-create the violent downshift pretty consistently by letting the car coast down a hill slighty above 40 and 50mph where the tach falls to around 1K-1.5K rpm. Lightly touching the brakes to slow a bit causes the car to violently downshift and the entire vehicle shudders as is if the transmission will fall out of the car.

    Have not gone to a dealer yet, but will be making appt after reading this forum. I do not have the 1-2 upshift issue that all others describe. Car performs very well on acceleration, very powerful especially after 4K rpm.
  • pajamabikerpajamabiker Member Posts: 6
    I took it into the dealer and, naturally it wouldn't do it for them.
    No error codes. No metal fragments in the fluid.
    They said to bring it back sometime & they would check again
  • dan360dan360 Member Posts: 1
    yes, darwinyoh, we just started experiencing this harsher downshift upon decellerating and particularly when braking while driving in town. We will be taking our Sonata today on about a 200 mile trip to a much larger town, so will be doing much more 'mixed' driving today. Will report back soon...
  • crash49crash49 Member Posts: 4
    My car has less than 15,000 miles and I have to have my transmission replaced....I am beyone angry!
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    edited June 2010
    Yes, sh*t happens and the best of cars can have unexpected problems but the important things are these....are you paying anything?, did you get a loaner car? do you have to do anything but drop it off and pick it up when done? Why be angry, be thankful that warranty takes care of everything.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,147
    Yes, bad things can happen to any car, but I understand the frustration. Cars cost a lot of money. When you fork out that kind of dough, the customer does so in anticipation that they're buying a product with quality parts, and with quality manufacturing. Having such a major failure so early in the car's life is bound to rock the owner's confidence that both of those are true.

    And regardless of how well they're taken care of by the manufacturer under the warranty, it's still a major inconvenience. I have yet to see anyone who, upon experiencing a major component failure in the first year or two of a vehicle's life, has had the attitude, "huh, no big deal."

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  • larry651larry651 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    We just purchased a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with 23k miles. Having the same issue going down hill. Took it to dealer they could find nothing wrong so they say. Rpms drop low and then kicks back in making a hard hitting sound.
  • takethedontstakethedonts Member Posts: 8
    Well, larry651 makes about two dozen people (including me - V6) on this forum complaining in the last 3 months about Sonata 09 transmission problems, mostly with the harsh downshift at various speeds. My son's been driving my vehicle and he says it happens to him regularly.

    The major hurdle is you have to re-create the problem for the dealer which has proven very difficult. Probably the only way to accomplish that is to voluntarily give your vehicle to a Hyundai service manager or technician to drive for several days in exchange for a loaner...unlikely in the average dealership.

    In general dealers will blame dirty transmission fluid, computers, flash this, flash that, "couldn't recreate the problem" but in the end they just don't have a fix for what appears to be some type of defect. It will eventually cause the tranny to fail...I just hope it happens within 60K (used warranty).

    IF anyone makes progress on diagnosing this issue please share with all of us. Good luck to all.
  • crash49crash49 Member Posts: 4
    I started with the hard down shift issues. Took the car to dealer twice and was told the car is learning my driving habits. I told then I thought I saw a TSB that addressed the issue; they said they have never heard of there being one and all they could do was reset the system. That seemed to do the trick but then I started hearing a humming noise coming from the engine area. Again two trips to the dealer before they finally said there was a TSB that addressed the issue and I would have to have my solenoids replaced. I had the solenoids replaced and they called to tell me the noise was louder so Hyundai said to put a new transmission in. Next day the engine light comes on and the dealer told me not to worry about it. I ignored their advice and immediately drove the car to the dealer. By the time I got there the engine had over heated and was making a loud knocking noise. A few days later they replaced the transmission. I was told it would be a new transmission but they put a rebuilt in. The dealer can't understand why I am upset over the fact that they botched the solenoid replacement and caused my engine to overheat and then put in a rebuilt transmission.... I only have 15,000 miles on the vehicle!
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Seems to me that that dealer service department drop the ball. First, by not checking to see if their in fact was a TSB out for your particular concern and not repairing the vehicle properly. If I were you I don't think I'd be able to trust them to perform an oil change on my car.
  • socalmdsocalmd Member Posts: 1
    Transmission starting slipping. I drained the transmission fluid and added new fluid, also adding some Lucas oil to it. I bought a transmission filter and tried replacing it but was unable to find where the filter is. Some models have the transmission filter located just under the air filter housing. This is not the case on my vehicle. I bought the Haynes Manual and it doesn't have any other location specified.

    Anyone know if 2004 sonata has a transmission filter?

    Anyone know how I can find a detailed diagram online showing the inside/outside of my transmission?
  • pajamabikerpajamabiker Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2010
    Took my car to a different dealer.
    They too said that they couldn't recreate the problem but they said they re programed the transmission's computer.
    The car seems to be better.
    I have taken it down hills where it hard shifted before and its acting ok.
    Hope it stays that way.
    I'm getting ready to take it on a long trip on the interstates through mountains.
  • takethedontstakethedonts Member Posts: 8
    PJBiker, that's good news the computer re-program seems to have improved performance. Was there any specific update/flash that you had done or just a "reprogram" in general? I'll request the same procedure and see if it helps.

    Let us know if the downhill shift problem stays away after more driving. Appreciate the feedback. TTD
  • pajamabikerpajamabiker Member Posts: 6
    Don't know exactly what they did.
    I work, a lot!
    Told my wife how to drive down a hill near the dealership with a tech in the passenger seat.
    Instead she handed the keys over to the service tech & waited for them to return.
  • pajamabikerpajamabiker Member Posts: 6
    Took the car on an extended trip.
    This time I moved the shifter to the right, locking it in gear, when I went down the long hills.
    That worked, but I have to remember to shift back at the bottom of the hill.
    New thing.
    Now the car shifts hard at lower speeds, like coming to a stop!
  • jvecchittojvecchitto Member Posts: 2
    HelIo Group:
    First time poster here. To start, I am the original owner of a 2003 Sonata V6 GL. I have 148K miles on it. I recently was experiencing a hesitation of in the automatic transmission when going over 60mph. The engine light then came on shortly after. Brought the car to my mechanic, he connected it to the computer and it stated "torque converter" and some other odd codes he did not hear tell before. He told me to bring it to the dealer so they can give me a better diagnosis. They came out the "torque converter", misfire cylinder in 5 and 6. I had the dealer replace this converter. When I went to pay, its states "solenoid + harness" replacement ($782.00) on the bill. When I ask the clerk why it does not say torque converter he states it was the same thing. What do i know?? He did state the car needs a tune and it was time for the timing belt and water pump to be replaced; their quote: 800 for tune up and 900 for timing belt and water pump. Had to hold off on those repairs to $$. When I drove it home the still was hesitating going over 60mph. I figured it was the misfiring. I brought to my mechanic to do the other needed service for half the price. Well to my dismay the car still has a gear transition problem. Brought it back to the dealer and they called me and said I now need a new transmission The quote was 3k-factory refurbish 0 miles with a 1 year warranty. I am very upset with all of this!! I don't know what to do. Should I just buy a new car or have the transmission replaced. Any thoughts?... Comments?? Thanks
    Jay
  • jvecchittojvecchitto Member Posts: 2
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    we owned a 03 Sonata V-6, bought new 11/02. It had less than 200 miles when the transmission would lock up in 2nd (automatic) and the check engine light would come on. We would slowly drive it to the dealer where they would hook it up to the computer (not like in the olden days when they had to take things apart to diagnose the problem). and it would show a code. They would replace parts and it would be ok for awhile. After the transmission locked up 4 times we called Hyundai Corp. (we let the dealer know we were doing that since they did go out of there way to try to fix it). A rep came from Hyundai and gave the dealer the ok to replace the transmission. It had less than 4,000 miles. We ended up trading that car in for a 05 Elanta GT with MT. On 7/26 while having that serviced we ended up trading it for a '11 Venetian Red 6MT Sonata. Excellent car after 4,000+ miles. Personally I would trade it. Our elantra had 100,000+ miles.
  • hyundailemonhyundailemon Member Posts: 4
    Violent downshift experienced at 55 mph. Had this car 2 weeks & tranny started leaking. After much fighting, tranny replaced then violent downshit so many times it even did it to 1 of the svc techs AND threw a code! They replaced the computer. What a nightmare this car has been! I want to give it back to them! It has 7,000 miles on it & is 7 months old.
  • hyundailemonhyundailemon Member Posts: 4
    My 2011..yes 2011 only lasted 2 weeks! It's now 7 months old...has been in the shop a total of 48 days...had new transmission & new computer & I want to scream! I want to give it back! Hyundai Motor America is a nightmare to deal with! This car has cost me personal expenses...time...stress...& it a is a Huge Deal to me! 3get the warranty....I would rather have a reliable car!
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    edited October 2010
    sounds like what happened to our 03 sonata. It would make a noise, lock up in 2nd and the check engine light would come on. The transmission was finally replaced at less than 4,000 miles. We then traded the car for a 05 elantra with manual transmission. It had over 100,000 problem free miles when we traded it for the 11 sonata with manual transmission. It now has almost 8,000 problem free miles (knock-on-wood). The dealer we bought these cars from is excellent and they did go out of their way to be helpful. The 03 sonata was 2 days old with less than 100 miles when the transmission locked up the first time. They also reprogramed the computer
    My mom's 08 honda accord's transmission locked up and was replaced under warranty. The car had less than 10,000 miles.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Why were you dealing with Hyundai Motor America in the first place? The vehicle is under warranty, you should not have to fight with anybody over anything. You should have had a loaner vehicle while yours was being repaired. Sounds to me like the service team at that dealer dropped the ball.
  • sassyscribesassyscribe Member Posts: 1
    I purchased my 2011 Sonata on June 7, 2010 and since then it has been in the shop 3 times due to the transmission slipping into 1st gear while driving. The indicator shows "D" for drive, however, the rpm's are up to 5 & 6 at 40mph. I am not a car person, but I know enough to know that when my car does a hard jerk then remains in 1st gear w/o shifting at all, then I know that I have a transmission problem.

    I have taken it to the dealer 3 times and its unfortunate that they are not able to find anything on the computer chip, yet they always reset the chip back to factory specs. Here in the state of MD it has to be 4 times to qualify for a lemon, which is what I think I have. It is also unfortunate that this issue has only ever happend when I am in the car alone...I would love for someone to be in the car with me to witness and feel what I do. :(
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    edited November 2010
    It sounds like what happened to our 03 sonata. It would make a wierd noise, lock up in 2nd (even tho it was in drive) and the check engine light would come on. The first time it happened the car has less than 100 miles. The dealer would hook the car up to the computer which would show a code. They would replace that part. It would be good for awhile and then do the exact same thing again. After the 4th time we told them we wanted to call hyundai customer service. (the dealer was excellent and did go out of their way to be helpful). Hyundai sent someone to look over our car and they authorized a transmission replacement. We did finally trade the car in for a 05 elantra with manual transmission. We traded that car in with over 100,000 problem free miles on 7/27 for a '11 sonata also with MT. It now has 8,000+problem free miles (knock-on-wood)
  • metsjetsfanmetsjetsfan Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 Sonata. 3 weeks old with 2100 miles. On Monday I was driving at 45 mph and the car shutters, makes a loud clunking noise. It slipped out of gear. I stop and the transmission is not shifting correctly. I had it towed to the dealer and they tell me that its working fine and they cannot replicate the problem. They did say there was a error code in the history and that they needed to replace a sensor. 3 days and still no car back. At least the dealer gave me a loner.

    I urge everyone to report this problem to the NHTSA. Maybe we can get a recall going on this problem.

    You can report is online at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/online.cfm
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Why would you want to report this problem? Do you plan on reporting every problem you have with your car? If their is not a high volume of cars exibiting the same concern as yours at around the same mileage, than why start something that's probably a simple fix under the vehicle's warranty.
  • takethedontstakethedonts Member Posts: 8
    Lashawn, why report it?...because this one thread with 195 responses, on this one site has at least 2 dozen owners expressing dissatisfaction with Sonata transmissions in general. That's just the owners who are frustrated enough to seek out this one site.

    Read past messages about how the fix is NOT simple. They include everything from resistant dealers who cannot re-create the intermittent problems, to flash codes that don't solve the problems, to fully replaced transmissions. Various years, various models, no consistency EXCEPT for problematic transmissions on Sonatas. That's why someone might report it - obviously Hyundai doesn't report it internally or they'd utilize a better transmission.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Yeah, but we're talking about a brand new car with 2000 miles on it. That's something that particular dealer should handle and if they can't, then get corporate involved. Let them keep the car for a few days until they can duplicate the issue. Can't fix something that you can't prove is broken. Right? I work at a GM dealer and there was one customer that came in with an issue similar to this and it took us 4 days with numerous test drives to finally duplicate the problem. The owner was understanding because he knew it was a intermittent issue. Now if your dealer can't handle it to your expectations, then maybe you need to report them. But you have to be understanding if they are unable to duplicate your concern, especially if it's an intermittent concern not a constant concern.
  • pauliestreichpauliestreich Member Posts: 1
    I too have recently been noticing something similair happening in my car. I have an 09 sonata 4 cyl with 41k miles. At first i thought it was my breaks catching as I noticed it when breaking but then I realized it was a hard downshift that manifests when breaking. What happens is when slowing down the car bucks on the downshift. It doesnt happen everytime and some bucks are stronger then others. Seems to me it happens more when the car is not as warmed up.
    I took it to the dealer yesterday to have it checked. The dealer told me there has been no recalls and no reported issues. They checked it and told me they felt it when taking a test drive. (I didn't witness the test drive) They told me there was a computer update for the cars transmission system that they applied to my car. Then told me I should have a transmission flush done for 200 dollars. They said this could be contributing to the hard downshift. I said no to the transmission flush. On the ride home I did notice a slight buck but so far today (50 mile commute) the car has run smoothly with no hard downshifts.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    You should definitely have the transmission flush done by your next service. You'll see a big difference. If I'm not mistaken, at least for the v6 models, the owners manual says to have transmission serviced at 60k miles and I think it is 45-50k miles for the 4cyl. Check your manual.
  • dml1969dml1969 Member Posts: 1
    hey dave,

    i'm looking for the link to the .pdf file above ...

    http://sonata.jerrystout.us/tsb/tcm_calibration_update.pdf

    can you send it to me?

    thanks,

    dave
  • braves11braves11 Member Posts: 1
  • walkerbwalkerb Member Posts: 2
    Hi, just wondering if this issue has been resolved? Did you have the transmission flush and did it solve the problem? This is the same exact problem I am having with my car. I *thought* it was the brakes catching somehow. The dealer said brakes checked out fine, and there is no problem. I assured them there is indeed a problem, but the service manager gave me the "sure, ma'am. there is a problem" speech. I felt like an idiot. I described it exactly as you did, except, as I said, I thought it was the brakes. How could they have test driven my car and NOT felt the bucking/slipping?
  • jlindhjlindh Member Posts: 282
    How could you have let them test drive your car and not ridden along? That's car owner 101 knowledge.
  • walkerbwalkerb Member Posts: 2
    I had no idea you COULD go along with them when they drive your car. Also, sadly, I am a working person and the repairs were made during the work day. Lesson learned though. I will insist on it when I bring my car in to have the radio replaced next week. There is power to it, but no sound.
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