10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,146 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Hyundai Sonata electrical problems

electrical problem

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2009 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #53

Jul 202023

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I see that the manufacturer has an "Open Service Campaign" on their Sonata's shark fins. I've taken mine to the local dealership and they want a min. $700 to replace the shark fin. It just came off somewhere (a couple of years ago) and, now, my car has to be jumped off if I let it sit more than two days. I have had it inspected by the dealer and an individual garage. No one would tell me what was draining my battery. I am a senior citizen and fear I will get stranded on the road somewhere. The missing fin lets water into my car, soaking the carpets, etc. Finally, it was suggested that the car cover I keep on it touches the exposed fin components and that's what was draining my battery. It seems that the manufacturer was aware enough of this faulty part to want to prevent complaints by voluntarily replacing problematic parts (thus the service campaign). And, there are a lot of videos on YouTube from DIY folks who've suffered through replacing the shark fins (many different models) themselves. It seems, however, the manufacturer only notified dealers with said "open service campaign, " not the public, as in a proper Recall process. That way, they get to make more money off the public when the part falls off? Please advise how one might get the dealers to do the right thing. Thank you.

- Abita Springs, LA, USA

problem #52

Nov 012022

Sonata

  • miles
Valve cover gasket leaks and oil leaks on to the alternator which can cause the alternator to fail and the battery to not maintain a charge and the car can stall and then not start. This is the same exact problem problem that is in your recall on 2007-2012 Veracruz Recall number 20V705000 & 14V415000 And 2007-2009 Santa Fe vehicles have the same issue and Service Campaign 936 SB-10058931-4495 (TSB# 15-01-031).

- Addison, IL, USA

problem #51

Sep 302021

Sonata

  • miles
We purchased this vehicle used 9/2022. A week later it began to jump upon accelerating and slowing down. We took it in and they said it was the power train control module and our warranty would not cover it. So it would cost us around $1600. We can-??t afford that. We have only driven it a few times since. We were parked in front of a curb and the car accelerated us into a curb. Now, the ESC OFF, ABS, and engine light are illuminated. This is not a. It also wear and tear issues, as I-??ve seen many others posting similar experiences. Our car is an -??09 with almost 90,000 miles on it.

- Mattoon, IL, USA

problem #50

May 242021

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

All car systems flashed and car went completely dead. Nothing worked. First time it happened mechanic said alternator and battery had to be changed. A year and a half later exact same thing happened and again new mechanic says the alternator needs to be changed. BIG SAFETY ISUUE AS CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY WITH CARS GOING ALL AROUND ME TRYING TO AVOID ME. This is Second time the alternator has to be replaced with only 2000 miles on the car after the alternator was replaced the first time.

- Fairfield , CT, USA

problem #49

Oct 162020

Sonata

  • 152,000 miles
Was driving on access road and the ESC off light came on and the car started to stall- unable to accelerate. Had to pull to side of the road on wurzbach parkway. Took it to shop and had cam shaft, crankshaft sensors removed and replaced. Had $700 of other work done and car worked great for 2 weeks. Unfortunately today while driving home from ESC off light came on and car was unable to accelerate. Luckily I got to safety but could've been killed if I wasn't so lucky... pretty ridiculous problem to have especially as so many people are reporting the same problem...

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #48

Jan 282020

Sonata

  • 145,000 miles
Car won't start, not even making sound of ignition. This happened 3-4 times and today its totally shut off. Battery looks good and radio, lights and all working fine but car not starting at all. I read online and looks like this is common problem for all Hyundai Sonata 2008-2011 cars.

- Jersey City, NJ, USA

problem #47

Jan 192020

Sonata

  • 96,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Check engine light is on. Hecu internal failure. Active dtc present: C1237 primary pressure sensor signal. Sensor failure inside the ABS control cycle. Values at pressure sensor changed from 0.3 bar to 78.0 bar; no change in supply voltage. Supply voltage constantly at 14V. Hyundai has mentioned that there are no active recalls and that this part is life threatening if it fails - but since the warranty has expired they are shying away. Online there are several known issues with hyndai and hecu. Specially for models before 2009. Its hard to believe that Hyundai is not aware of this problem and seems like they are avoiding their responsibility and playing with human life. Would appreciate if the government can do something.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #46

Jun 142019

Sonata

  • 113,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the electronic stability control indicator illuminated while driving 60 mph. Also, the vehicle jerked and stalled, but was able to restart. Additionally, the accelerator pedal failed to respond when it was depressed. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who referred the contact to heritage Hyundai towson (801 york rd, towson, md, 877-387-5495) where it was diagnosed that the crank position sensor needed to be replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 113,000.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #45

Jan 012019

Sonata

  • 100,000 miles
The alarm will sound randomly while driving or parked. We are not sure what is going on. It happens dozens of times a day and alarms my teenage driver. The button is not pushed, nothing is touching the car. Just random. We want this fixed because it is a safety concern, especially when she is driving and the alarm goes off for no reason.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #44

Jul 062018

Sonata

  • 61,000 miles
While driving the ESC and check engine light comes then it will only let me 'coast' about 5mph.

- Chipley, FL, USA

problem #43

Dec 192017

Sonata

  • 99,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata recall. I was told that the electrical module is defective by autozone, . we were driving down the highway when all of a sudden the engine light came on. We pulled over to check the usual stuff like oil and antifreeze and other fluids. But all of them were ok. We tried to leave again with no success. We had no power. The engine would turn over but when we tried to press the gas nothing would go. So we stopped the car waited for a while and then the car started. We countinued our trip carefully, but the check engine light was still on. After we arrived to our destination I went to autozone to check the problem. They said the eletrical and cpu modules are damaged. That of course has me a little worried. We have only had the car for a year so it couldnt be for that reason.

- Logan, UT, USA

problem #42

Aug 172017

Sonata 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 80,248 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While the vehicle was stationary, the steering wheel and the ignition switch seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to tysinger Hyundai in hampton, Virginia to be repaired, but the dealer could not find the cause of the failure. In addition, the dealer stated that a locksmith would need to unlock the ignition. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,248. Updated 10/18/17

- Hampton, VA, USA

problem #41

Apr 252017

Sonata

  • 85,000 miles
This is my second official complaint about this. I drove through a large puddle and the battery light came on, the car slowed down but recovered after the light went off. I have looked around and many Hyundai customers, with different models and years complain of the same issue. Is anything being done about this yet? or do drivers have to die first. Please help us. -[xxx]previous complaint # 10954232 information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Coram, NY, USA

problem #40

Jul 162012

Sonata

  • 75,000 miles
Several driver side door electronics malfunctions. Lock button does not respond when trying to lock doors. Gas cap opener does not work. I have to manually open my gas cap through the trunk. Window auto close button not responsive most of the time.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #39

Dec 042016

Sonata

  • 146,000 miles
Check engine light code reads intake valve circuit has low voltage. Noticed reduced gas mileage economy and poor engine performance.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #38

Nov 242016

Sonata

  • 146,000 miles
Front engine valve cover gasket leaked oil onto alternator causing it to become damaged, which led to poor transmission shifting and then complete loss of all electrical power.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #37

Jun 262014

Sonata

  • 145,000 miles
Front engine valve cover gasket leaked oil onto alternator causing it to become damaged, which led to poor transmission shifting and then complete loss of all electrical power.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #36

Oct 272016

Sonata 6-cyl

  • 143,000 miles
Car started as usual and I was driving on a city street getting ready to get on the highway. All of a sudden the car would only go about 20 mph and reach 1000 RPM. It died shortly thereafter on the highway frontage road. All of the lights for ABS, brakes, check engine etc. Came on but the emergency flashers would not work so I had to keep pumping the brakes so nobody would run into the back end of my car. It would not restart so I had to have it towed to the dealer. Dealer stated valve cover gasket had leaked oil onto the alternator and ruined it. That in turn ruined the battery. Car was repaired for $1400 including the tow and a rental car. After looking at Hyundai recalls, I noticed the one for the 2009 vera cruz (NHTSA# 14V415000) in which 61,122 units were recalled for this same problem. In researching the affected valve cover gasket, I found the same one was used on my 3.3L engine that was listed as defective on the 3.8L vera cruz engine. If that part was defective on that vehicle, why was the scope of this recall not extended to cover all possible vehicles that could be affected? I would like the cost of repairs refunded to me since Hyundai obviously knew this part was defective but didn't issue a recall to cover all affected vehicles.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #35

Oct 082016

Sonata

  • miles
On 10/08/2009 my 209 Hyundai Sonata went into an unintended acceleration. As soon as I put the car into drive it began to accelerate. The brakes did not work and I was able to shift into neutral. I was on a narrow dirt road with little limited options as to where to steer the vehicle. I missed a boulder, garage, and tree before hitting the side of a house. The ambulance was called and I was transported to the local emergency room. I had a concussion, fractured knee along with a number of bruises and abrasions. The emts told me how lucky if was since the air bags did not deploy.. an internet search, including your website, notes these problems going back several years. Toyota had the same problem and did a recall. My injuries will exceed the limit of my insurance and I will have to purchase a car. I know how lucky I was to walk away. I am sure others had more serious injuries and higher expenses. What does it take to force Hyundai to do the right thing?

- Topsham, ME, USA

problem #34

Jun 162016

Sonata

  • miles
The power side window button is floppy it just stays down and you have to pull it back up manually its like the spring is broken. The HVAC motor blower doesn't always blow I have to mess with the knob to get the heat or ac to work.

- Enola, PA, USA

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