2008 Hyundai SONATA problems and owner complaints

GRINDING OF REAR BRAKES BEGINNING AT 37,000 MILES. CAR IS DRIVEN ALL HIGHWAY MILES. BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE AND MECHANIC WAS SHOCKED TO SEE PADS WERE GONE AND ROTORS WORN BEYOND REPAIR. HE SAID FRONT BRAKES SHOULD USUALLY GO FIRST. HYUNDAI CLAIMED PADS SHOULD BE REMOVED AND CLEANED EVERY 15,000 MILES. ASSUMING A CUSTOMER WAS DENYING THE BRAKE PROBLEM DUE TO THE LOW MILES THE LOSS OF BRAKES COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BRAKES AND ROTORS WILL BE CLOSE TO $400 FOR REPAIR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273293 at NHTSA ↗

REAR BRAKES WEAR OUT PREMATURELY CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE JUST HALF WORN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 31,002 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273455 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A VERY LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND PROCEEDING THROUGH IT BY DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE HESITATED SEVERELY AND WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE ROOF AND THE INTERIOR FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PRIOR TO THE FAILU…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233041 at NHTSA ↗

WOULD NOT START, LIGHTS WORKED. TOW TRUCK DRIVER CHECKED BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, SUSPECTED STARTER. TOWED OVER 100 MILES HOME. (CONTACTED HYUNDAI ROAD SERVICE, ONLY TOWS TO DEALER.) CALLED DEALER TO CHECK IF COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. INFORMED IT WAS NOT. TOWED TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO CHECKED CHARGING SYSTEM AND FOUND ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY GOOD, BUT STARTER WAS BAD. REMOVED AND INSTALLED A NEW HYUNDAI STARTER. RE THE AMERICA'S BEST WARRANTY 60/000-100,000: ONE WOULD THINK THAT HYUNDAI WOULD HAVE COVERED THIS REPLACEMENT WITH ONLY 52 MILES OV…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,052 miles reported. Look up ODI 10472840 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE IT WAS NOT INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10594253 at NHTSA ↗

CARS VALVE COVER AND OR TIMING COVER LEAKS ON THE ALTERNATOR CAUSING THE ALTERNATOR TO BE "SOAKED WITH OIL "(DEALERS WORDS). AT ANY TIME THEREAFTER THE ALTERNATOR COULD FAIL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL AND CAUSING INJURY. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR BUT IS REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR IN THE 07-12 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ UNDER RECALL WITH THE SAME ENGINE DESIGN AND THE SAME ALTERNATOR PLACEMENT. I HAVE 2 CARS AN 08 AND AN 07 SONATA THAT BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY DOES HYUNDAI WANT TO RECALL THE VERACRUZ AND NOT THE HYUNDAI WITH THE SAME …

Owner-reported narrative. 41,620 miles reported. Look up ODI 10622087 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT DIMMED. THE PASSENGER WEIGHED 105 LBS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG REMAINS OFF BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND MADE A NOISE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A TORQUE CONVERTER SHUTTER THAT WAS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A FUEL ECONOMY FEATURE AND THE REPAIR WAS NOT …

Owner-reported narrative. 186 miles reported. Look up ODI 10217127 at NHTSA ↗

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10226048 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION WITH A 30FT MOUND/RAILROAD TRACK. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE, ENOUGH TO DEEM THE CAR A "TOTAL LOSS", YET NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, I SUFFERED PHYSICAL INJURIES TO TOP HALF OF BY BODY BY LITERALLY SLAMMING INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND WINDSHIELD. HAD MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MINIMAL INJURIES TO MY BODY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10290185 at NHTSA ↗

2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER STATES DISCONTENT WITH DENIAL OF A ONLINE COUPON, UNRESOLVED THUMPING, VIBRATION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. IN ADDITION THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER/CLICKER IS TOO QUIET. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE THUMPING AND VIBRATION OCCURRED WHEN HE WOULD DRIVE AWAY AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT OR IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 4-6 HOURS. AFTER DRIVING 3-5 MILES, THE THUMPING WOULD GO AWAY, BUT NOT ENTIRELY. THE THUMPING AND VIBRATION WAS FELT IN THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE TIRES THAT CAME …

Owner-reported narrative. 257 miles reported. Look up ODI 10318624 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REFUELING, FUEL SPEWED FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FUEL PURGE CANISTER AND FUEL TANK FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10551506 at NHTSA ↗

THERE IS NO SHUTOFF WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK. ONCE THE TANK IS FULL OR APPROACHING FULL, GASOLINE FORCEFULLY SPEWS OUT AND DOUSES THE INDIVIDUAL WHILE HOLDING THE NOZZLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10554424 at NHTSA ↗