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.
I put the car in reverse while parked in a parking lot, when I put the car in reverse, the car took off at a high rate of speed striking one vehicle and continued at a high speed in reverse about 20 or 30 feet also hitting a return cart station, knocking it over and the car still proceeded to crash into a large parked pickup truck causing significant damage to the truck and also my vehicle. The brakes would not stop the car. The car finally stopped after the hard impact with the truck. My car has been deemed a total by my insurance.
While passing a vehicle traveling approximately 40 mph in a 50mph zone, my 2008 Hyundai Sonata experienced 'sudden unintended acceleration' approaching a speed of 65-70 mph. Even after applying firm continuous pressure on brake pedal was unable to slow vehicle down. While continuing to apply pressure to brake pedal, I shifted automatic gear shift into neutral and was able to gradually coast onto the shoulder of the road. When vehicle came to a complete stop. The engine was still running at a very high RPM and sounded as if it were a jet airplane taking off. Turned ignition off and let car sit for 1-2 minutes while I contemplated 'now what?' was unable to put car in park, so started car in neutral. Was able to move gear shift to drive and carefully drove car home. Called Hyundai corporate office next morning (Monday August 31, 2020) to report my frightening and very dangerous experience. Then called my local Hyundai dealer to report and request they come and pick the vehicle up as I did not feel it was safe to drive.
Today my ABS light went on and the brakes became rock hard could not press down on them. Then I parked the car checked all fluids and belts, turned the car on again the ABS light turned off. Started to drive tried accelerating from 25mph to 30mph then ESC light went on locked my brakes tried driving to park in a safe place as soon as I parked the car and turned it off a bad smell and lots of smoke came out of my front tires and rear tires. Got car towed breaks are ok my mechanic pressed the ESC button off and now breaks are soft. I believe there is a malfunction that you should look into that will cause a recall. Also TPMS light randomly goes on and off. Tire pressure again is fine. Please consider looking into this. It"S the only car we"ve had for about 9 years and now my daughter drives it to school. Safety please!! thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
On two separate occasions, the vehicle accelerated with no warning. The first occurred sat September 30. I filled my car with gas and was pulling into a parking place when the vehicle accelerated without warning causing the vehicle to almost crash through a restaurant wall. The second was October 14, when I pulled into my garage, I put my foot on the brake to stop and with my foot on the brake, the car unexpectedly accelerated and hit my freezer. I read several articles on the internet where this is not a rare occurrence.
I tps was on it was -12 outside I was making a left turn at a low speed and I I tried to turn because ahead of me were 2 cars the car did not wanted to break or slowdown. I try to.hrwk but the car was accelerating it did not want to stop. I had to turn my hazard light on as soon that I felt the car not wanting to stop. I notice the rim was going high even though I was trying to.break. I had to pull to the side of the road tried to.put on the emergency break but the car didn't want to.stop so I can put on break. I had to keep.pulling on the emergency break finally it stop I put it on P. turned the car off waited 5 minutes to turn the car back on and it seems fine now. But I was really scared what if I was was on the express way going fast and can't break. Ever since that day I been driving really slow and cautious.
- Hammond, IN, USA
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I was driving South on I25 in Colorado near denver. The car was on cruise control, going approximately 55 mph. I saw a bus a couple of hundred yards away. The bus was either stopped or going very slowly. I applied the brakes and my 2008 Sonata would not go out of cruise control. I tried canceling cruise control and braking and car remained in cruise control. At the last moment, I tried the emergency brake as I crashed into the back of the bus going about 55 mph. I nearly died. I couldn't breathe for 20 seconds. I have fractured ribs and fractured bones in my back. The car is totaled. It looks like a squashed accordion.
I purchased a certified used Hyundai Sonata 2008 a few months ago and we decided to test it on a long drive. We changed the oil, filled up the tank and making sure that we have everything we need we took off to boston (MA) a 750 mi drive from columbus (oh) for a family reunion. On our way back the ESC off light came up causing an instant loss of acceleration and a dead gas pedal. I learned that if I turned off the car the light went away and I could drive for another 10-15 min until the light came up and we had to pool over again. We drove 10-15 miles at the time all the way home praying that I would not have to pool over in a construction area where there was no place to pool over and traffic would have to stop until I would restart my car. It was nerve wrecking because I had to stop very often in the middle of nowhere during the night without knowing if the next restart will work again. My wife and our 11 months old were in the car with me and I all I wanted was to get them home safe.
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact attempted to shift gears, but the vehicle would not shift gears. The contact then had to apply the brakes to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for a diagnosis. The dealer was unable to diagnose a failure. The manufacturer refused to look into the failure. The failure and current mileages were 30,000. Updated 09/07/2012
While driving our vehicle the throttle had stuck, I pulled on the floor mat as I was applying the brakes thinking this was the problem. This was not the case as the car wasn't slowing down. I popped the throttle with my foot hoping this would free up the throttle, which just made the problem worse. I placed the car in neutral and shut the engine off, kept applying the brake until I safely got the vehicle to stop. I had the dealership look into the problem that same day to find out that the computer chip had failed. I don't want this to happen to anyone.
I had a terrifying experience and near/miss this morning. My 2008 Hyundai Sonata (limited edition) car suddenly accelerated for no reason as I was exiting an expressway doing 65 mph! I couldn't stop the car! my foot was slammed on the brake and I felt/smelled the brake, but the car kept accelerating. I flew through a stop sign at the top of the exit ramp, blowing my horn, whipped around the curve to a street on the right, nearly hitting 4 cars before I finally threw the car into neutral. My car has cruise control, but I don't use it. I was very shaken up, but miraculously, no accident. I had the vehicle towed to the Hyundai dealer, and the technicians cannot find anything wrong with it. I won't drive that car again in its current condition. No way. I was terrified. This was clearly a case of sudden unintended acceleration. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, and I've been driving for 30 years.
After slowing down around a corner and slowing down to park, my engine surged and the car jumped a 6" curb and was stopped by a large bush. I also had my brake down. This occurred on the university of notre dame campus and was reported to notre dame security.
The contact owned a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that they experienced a sudden acceleration in the vehicle. While attempting to pull into a parking space the vehicle surged forward. The contact tried to use the brakes to stop the vehicle, to no avail. A crash occurred and the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was traveling 25 mph. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 30,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. While driving 2 mph out of a parking space, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and crashed into a building. There were no injures. The current and failure mileages were 19,000. Updated 3/12/10 the consumer stated when the air bag deployed, it struck her in the chest. Updated 03/04/10. The consumer stated she was pulling into a parking space at 1-2 mph with her foot on the brake, when the engine surged with a great roar and the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a wall. Updated 05/06/10
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The contact was driving approximately 65 mph on normal road conditions and without warning, the speed reduced while pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal; followed by no power response. The driver was able to drive into the emergency lane. The engine was shut off and restarted. The vehicle resumed normal operation. The failure continued to occur intermittently at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician repaired the vehicle and stated that the failure was contributed to the throttle control sensor. The contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 15,000.
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- Waco, TX, USA