1999 HYUNDAI SONATA Electrical System Problems

DT: CONSUMER OWNED A 1999 HYUNDIA SONATA. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS OVERHEATING. THEY FLUSHED RADIATOR, CLEANED THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, AND REPLACED THE COOLANT. ALSO, PUT A NEW DRAINING PLUG IN THE RADIATOR. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COOLING FAN. THIRTEEN DAYS LATER ON 6-28-05 WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT A STORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD HIM THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS NO EXPERT IT WAS THE BATTERY THAT BLUE OUT. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT IT WAS THE COOLING FAN THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE BATTERY WAS STILL PARTIALLY THERE AND THE COOLING FAN MELTED. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM IT WOULD BE UP TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. THE CONSUMER SAID THAT HE COULD NOT EVEN GET A FIRE MARSHAL TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE FIREMEN THAT CAME TO PUT FIRE OUT DID MAKE A REPORT. TO THE BEST OF THE CONSUMER'S KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE. *AK *TT

Mileage: 127,647

THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

Mileage: 80,808

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD STAYED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND DIDN'T RESTART FOR 2 DAYS. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. *AK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON THREE TIMES SINCE THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION, IT HAD TAKEN THREE ATTEMPTS TO START. AFTER THE CONSUMER PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE SHOP, IT HAD LEFT THE CONSUMER STRANDED. *SC *JB

Mileage: 45,000

CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL AND HIT A SOLID BARRIER AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG MODULE. THE DEALER ALSO PERFORMED RECALL 02V105000 RELATED TO THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS ROUTING. THE REAR DEFOGGER BUTTON FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE A/C AND DEFOGGER WERE INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL HEAD. THE OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRRORS WOULD NOT MOVE RIGHT OR LEFT. DEALER FOUND BREAK IN WIRING IN RIGHT KICK PANEL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CANISTER PURGE VALVE. * PH *AK *TS

Mileage: 49,961

RECALL# 00 V 259 001/ENGINE STALLING: THIS RECALL WAS DONE IN NOVEMBER 13,2000. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE 2 LITER V-6 ENGINE IS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY AT LOW SPEED. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND BOTH STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS DONE, AND ANY OTHER REPAIR WOULD BE AT THEIR COST. REQUESTING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER TO SEE IF THIS COULD BE A RECALL REPAIR FAILURE. *AK

Mileage: 70,000

THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST THE PASSENGER FRONT SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO POOR WIRE CONNECTION TO THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR EACH TIME BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *YH

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE WOULD START TO JERK. WOULD NEED TO DOWNSHIFT TO COMPENSATE FOR JERKING. WOULD STALL OUT INTERMITTENTLY. GUAGES WOULD STOP WORKING. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. MECHANIC DID NOT TEST DRIVE VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE WOULD START TO JERK. WOULD NEED TO DOWNSHIFT TO COMPENSATE FOR JERKING. WOULD STALL OUT INTERMITTENTLY. GUAGES WOULD STOP WORKING. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. MECHANIC DID NOT TEST DRIVE VEHICLE.*AK

VEHICLE REPAIR LOG STATES THAT VEHICLE'S BATTERY SHORTED OUT. *TT

VEHICLE REPAIR LOG STATES CAR EXHIBITS A NO START CONDITION. *TT

VEHICLE REPAIR LOG STATES CAR EXHIBITS A NO START CONDITION. *TT

THE TRANSMISSION SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, I HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH DEALER STATED DIDNT EXIST UNTIL IT WENT OUT COMPLETELY. MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WITH MY BRAKES, THEY FAIL FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE DRIVING, I ONCE HIT A PARKED CAR BECAUSE I HAD NO BRAKE PRESSURE WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL AND PUMPING. HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE IN TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES, YET DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHUNG WRONG WITH MY BRAKES, I HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP EVERYTIME I BRING MY CAR IN FOR ALL THE OTHER REPAIRS. MY AIRBAG WIRING IS FAULTY AND HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES WHICH I FEEL IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MY ENGINE STALLS OCCASIONALLY IN MID TRAFFIC FOR NO APPARENT REASON, YET THE RECALLED PART THAT CAUSED THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED. DEALER OFFERS NO EXPLANATION AND SAYS CAR IS FINE.*AK

CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION WITH GREY SMOKE IN PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. CURRENTLY, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS TIGHT.*AK

ALTERNATOR WENT OUT WHICH MADE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO GO OUT. ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS NOT WORKING, ALSO, ABS BRAKES AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHTS KEPT BLINKING. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. DEALER REPLACED ALTERNATOR.*AK

ALTERNATOR WENT OUT WHICH MADE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO GO OUT. ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS NOT WORKING, ALSO, ABS BRAKES AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHTS KEPT BLINKING. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. DEALER REPLACED ALTERNATOR.*AK