Model year record

2008 Hyundai Sonata

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 561 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 13V354000

Suspension: rear

Component
Suspension: rear
Manufacturer
Hyundai Motor Company
Vehicles affected
364,502
Reported to NHTSA
2013-08-12
Owners notified
2013-10-10

Defect description

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.

Safety risk

Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.

Recall campaignNHTSA 13V113000

Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch

Component
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Manufacturer
Hyundai Motor Company
Vehicles affected
1,712,336
Reported to NHTSA
2013-04-01
Owners notified
2013-04-22

Defect description

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Safety risk

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

Recall campaignNHTSA 08V161000

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
Hyundai Motor Company
Vehicles affected
393,308
Reported to NHTSA
2008-04-10
Owners notified
2008-06-02

Defect description

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 393,308 MY 2006-2008 SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH FEATURES AN OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG IS DISABLED TO PREVENT INJURIES TO A CHILD THAT MAY RESULT FROM A RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG INFLATION DURING A CRASH.

Safety risk

MISCLASSIFICATION OF A SMALL STATURE ADULT AS A CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAY CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG TO NOT INFLATE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT MERITS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND MAY RESULT IN INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL VERIFY THAT THE OCS DOES NOT PROPERLY RECOGNIZE A PROPERLY SEATED ADULT OCCUPANT. AFTER VERIFICATION, DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND SHIP IT TO AN EVALUATION AND REPAIR FACILITY. THIS FACILITY WILL EVALUATE AND REPAIR OR REPROGRAM THE SEAT CUSHION AND OCS AS NECESSARY. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MAY 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags12076,000 mi
Visibility6749,000 mi
Engine49113,000 mi
Electrical system3186,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)3075,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic3025,000 mi
Visibility/wiper3059,000 mi
Unknown or other2286,000 mi
Service brakes2173,250 mi
Exterior lighting1892,300 mi
Seat belts1875,000 mi
Vehicle speed control1435,029 mi
Air bags: frontal137,800 mi
Power train10116,630 mi
Structure: body990,000 mi
Suspension990,000 mi
Seats862,600 mi
Steering7142,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module650 mi
Fuel/propulsion system4105,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission4186 mi
Service brakes, electric436,012 mi
Tires4257 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems426,000 mi
Equipment345,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling290,000 mi
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch267,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline228,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch2
Structure: body: door237,003 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger1
Back over prevention13,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition: switch172,600 mi
Electrical system: wiring: rear compartment/trunk143,000 mi
Equipment adaptive/mobility158,597 mi
Exterior lighting: turn signal: flasher unit1257 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control1
Latches/locks/linkages188,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: lock155,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter110 mi
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1170,000 mi
Structure193,678 mi
Structure: body: trunk lid135,000 mi
Structure: frame and members146,000 mi
Structure: frame and members: underbody shields184,000 mi
Wheels123,226 mi

The 2007 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2009 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.