1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA08016 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

I OWN A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA AND WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE FRONT SUB FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS RUSTING THROUGH, PRESENTING A SEVERE SAFETY RISK TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. THERE IS CURRENTLY A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SHOWING FOR THE 2001-2004 MODEL FROM YOUR INVESTIGATION. SHOULDN'T THE 1999 BE INCLUDED DUE TO IT HAVING MANY COMPLAINTS DUE TO THIS CORROSION ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN MARYLAND AND OWNED IN VIRGINIA FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT ALSO HAS BEEN IN OUT OF VIRGINIA FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS WHERE SALT IS APPLIED TO ROADWAYS LIKELY CONTRIBUTING THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO MAKE THE REPAIR. *TR

Mileage: 189,200

VEHICLE HAD DEVELOPED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, AND I SCHEDULED AN ALIGNMENT. THE MORNING BEFORE THE SCHEDULED ALIGNMENT, I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO GO TO WORK WHEN THE RIGHT INNER CV JOINT DISINTEGRATED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED SEVERE SUBFRAME CORROSION RESULTING IN THE CONTROL ARM MOUNT SEPARATING FROM THE SUBFRAME, CAUSING THE CV JOINT TO FAIL AND THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE. NHTSA AND HYUNDAI ISSUED A RECALL IN 2009, CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V124000. HOWEVER, THE STATE I RESIDE IN (NEBRASKA) IS NOT LISTED AS A "SALT BELT" STATE AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. NEBRASKA DOES INDEED USE SALT ON THE ROADS, AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAULT AND POTENTIAL RESULTS MATCHES EXACTLY WITH THE RUST AND CORROSION ON MY VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME AND THE RESULTS. I BELIEVE IT LIKELY THAT THERE ARE OTHER MOTORISTS IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA WHO ARE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS HIDDEN AND POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS FAULT. THE HYUNDAI DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO HELP ME SO FAR WITH A FAULT RESOLUTION PER THE RECALL. *TR

Mileage: 135,150

VEHICLE HAD DEVELOPED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, AND I SCHEDULED AN ALIGNMENT. THE MORNING BEFORE THE SCHEDULED ALIGNMENT, I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO GO TO WORK WHEN THE RIGHT INNER CV JOINT DISINTEGRATED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED SEVERE SUBFRAME CORROSION RESULTING IN THE CONTROL ARM MOUNT SEPARATING FROM THE SUBFRAME, CAUSING THE CV JOINT TO FAIL AND THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE. NHTSA AND HYUNDAI ISSUED A RECALL IN 2009, CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V124000. HOWEVER, THE STATE I RESIDE IN (NEBRASKA) IS NOT LISTED AS A "SALT BELT" STATE AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. NEBRASKA DOES INDEED USE SALT ON THE ROADS, AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAULT AND POTENTIAL RESULTS MATCHES EXACTLY WITH THE RUST AND CORROSION ON MY VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME AND THE RESULTS. I BELIEVE IT LIKELY THAT THERE ARE OTHER MOTORISTS IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA WHO ARE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS HIDDEN AND POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS FAULT. THE HYUNDAI DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO HELP ME SO FAR WITH A FAULT RESOLUTION PER THE RECALL. *TR

Mileage: 135,150

I HAVE A DEFECTIVE SUBFRAME ON A 1999 SONATA PURCHASED NEW IN IOWA AND DRIVEN THERE FOR 4 YEARS. IT HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT ON THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE CAUSING STEERING CONTROL ARMS AND DRIVE AXLE TO BREAK LOOSE FROM VEHICLE AND MAKING VEHICLE INOPERABLE. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER HYUNDAI RECALL CAMPAIGN 089. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 09V124000. I AM GETTING NO RESPONSE AS TO IF THEY WILL COVER THIS DAMAGE AND REPLACE SUBFRAME FROM THE LOCAL DEALER TAMIAMI HYUNDAI IN NAPLES, FL AND HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER 3 TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND IT WOULD HAVE ROLLED. NEVER SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE WAS TOLD OF THIS RECALL AND THEY CURRENTLY STATE THE VIN OF THE VEHICLE IS NOT BEING SHOWN IN THE RECALL LIST, BUT IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN IOWA SO IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED. *TR

Mileage: 129,500

ON 1 OCT 2009 MY SON WAS DRIVING HIS 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS FROM HIS HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP HIS SISTER AT THE DAYCARE JUST DOWN THE ROAD. UPON PULLING INTO THE DAYCARE PARKING LOT HE HEARD A LOUD SOUND AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY. HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND GOT OUT TO SEE IF HE HAD HIT SOMETHING OR TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. UPON INSPECTION THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE A-FRAME HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT OF THE SUB FRAME OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING IT TO BREAK COMPLETELY OFF. THANKFULLY HE WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED OR IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR EVEN FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. UPON RESEARCH IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V124000 THAT ADDRESSES THIS SAME ISSUE, HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE IT DOESN'T COVER A RECALL OF THE 1999 MODEL AND WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT [email protected] OR AT 813-451-6532. I?M HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY FOR ANYONE THAT DRIVES THIS VEHICLE AND I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY RECALL CAMPAIGN AS THIS VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY TITLED IN MISSOURI. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

I NOTICED MY LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION ON MY 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS SQUEAKING LOUDLY WHILE DRIVING CITY SPEEDS. MY MECHANIC NOTICED RUSTY AREA AROUND SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM, ETC. LABELED IT AS A PRIORITY REPAIR FOR SAFETY REASONS. I PREVIOUSLY HAD THE COMPLETE REAR WHEEL HUB REPLACED BECAUSE OF CORROSION A FEW YEARS AGO, TOO. I HAVE NOT GONE TO A HYUNDAI DEALER YET SO I'M NOT SURE HOW TO PROCEED FROM HERE. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE GETTING MISALIGNED AND THE CAR KEEPS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. FINALLY TOOK THE TIRE OFF AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SUB-FRAME IS RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH WHERE ALL THE SUSPENSION ATTACHMENTS ARE BARELY HOLDING IN ITS PLACE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE ISSUE AT THIS MOMENT DUE TO ITS REPAIR COST VS WHAT THE VEHICLE IS WORTH. *TR

JUST EVERYDAY DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK, THE USUAL SPEED BUMPS ( TAKEN AT NORMAL SPEEDS FOR SAID SPEED BUMPS) THE STEERING PULLS TO THE RIGHT, SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE IS AT AN ANGLE INSTEAD OF PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD. THE K-FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT AND CAUSED THE FRONT LEFT SPINDLE TO BEND, MAKING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE. *TR

Mileage: 110,000

1999 HYUNDAI SONATA FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WAS SEVERED FROM FRAME WHILE MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS A NEW DIVER, WAS DRIVING, FRAME WAS BADLY RUSTED. CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE 6 MONTHS AGO TO HAVE FRONT STRUTS REPLACED AND DEALER DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM OR THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING THIS IN OTHER SIMILAR CARS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS I CAN SEE THAT THESE CARS HAVE A PROBLEM AND NEED TO BE PULLED FROM THE ROAD BEFORE SERIOUS HARM COMES FROM THIS ISSUE. HYUNDAI SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 96,000 MILES AND HYUNDAI IS REPLACING THE SUB FRAME UNDER WARRANTY, BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY ARE NOT TELLING ANYONE PRIOR TO FAILURE AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *TR

Mileage: 96,000

DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION BROKE LEAVING WHEEL HANGING AND INOPERABLE. COULD NOT MOVE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC LANE. UPON INSPECTION BY THE REPAIR FACILITY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT RUST TO THE SUB FRAME AND RELATED BOLTS CAUSED THE FAILURE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING FASTER. *TR

Mileage: 129,542

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 5-10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED. SHE COULD NOT REMEMBER IF SHE WAS ACCELERATING OR BRAKING AT THE TIME. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AS IF AN ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE FRAME UNDER THE VEHICLE ROTTED AND CAUSED THE AXLE TO SLIP. THE SHOP REPAIRED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT FRAME RAIL, REASSEMBLED THE SUSPENSION, AND REINSTALLED THE AXLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,900. UPDATED 01/29/08 UPDATED 01/29/08 *TR

Mileage: 73,800