2001 Hyundai Sonata Steering Problems

Your car's frame has severe rust and corrosion that caused the rear tire rod to break while you were driving on the highway at high speed, resulting in loss of control and two 360-degree spins. Hyundai acknowledged a frame recall in 2009 but didn't contact you until after this incident in 2016. The dealership estimates the frame damage costs more than the car's value, and the service manager indicated this is a widespread problem affecting multiple vehicles.

Your car's front subframe broke due to corrosion, causing the axle to fall apart while you were driving. This is a serious structural failure that affects your ability to control the vehicle. Repair will likely require replacement of the front subframe and axle assembly.

While driving, your car's driver-side CV axle became disconnected from the transmission, leaving you stranded. Upon inspection, you discovered the subframe underneath was severely corroded and had deteriorated. This appears to be a known issue affecting this model year with existing recalls available.

I WAS DRIVING AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES MY HYUNDAI RIPPED THROUGH 2 TIRES. LUCKILY I FIGURED SOMETHING WAS UP AND WAS TAKING BACK ROADS WHEN THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED PARTS OF THE RUBBER FROM THE TIRES WERE IN THE ROAD. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AND APPARENTLY THE CRADLE SUB FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED APART CAUSING THE ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ISSUES. I AM IN THE SALT BELT STATES SO IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RUST/CORROSION RECALL 089. I UNDERSTAND IT HAS MANY MILES BUT IT WAS RUNNING REALLY WELL UNTIL THIS AND SHOULD BE COVERED IN THE RECALL. *TR

HYUNDAI WONT PAY FOR THE TIRES THAT HAD TO BE REPLACES MANY TIMES OR A CAR TO DRIVE WHILE MINE WAS IN THE SHOP ITS THEIR FAULT THEIR LACK OF QUALITY BUILD OF THE CAR. THE DEALER IS FIXING THE FRAME DUE TO THE RECALL NO CHARGE TO ME BUT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR NEW TIRES AND A CAR TO DRIVE TILL MINE IS FIXED AND TO REALINE AFTER I JUST FEEL THAT'S UNFAIR.. IT ALL SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THE RECALL.. I WONT OWN ONE AGAIN. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS USED 2001 SONOTA FROM A LOCAL GUY WHO REBUILDS CARS FOR RESALE. I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT CAME WITH A SALVAGED TITLE. HOWEVER, I WAS ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO OPERATE. SIX WEEKS, 4,000 MI. LATER I HIT A POT WHOLE ON MY STREET AND DAMAGED THE STEERING. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND DISCOVERED THE R-SIDE SUB-FRAME WAS BROKEN DUE TO CORROSION. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLOWING A VEHICLE THAT HAS A POSSIBLE R-SIDE SUB-FRAME RECALLED, TO NEVER GET FIXED AND PLACED BACK ON THE ROAD? FORTUNATELY, IT BROKE AT A LOW SPEED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS V6 IN 2002 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FROM IT, BUT THIS IS THE WORST SO FAR. MY CAR STARTED JERKING TERRIBLY WHEN I HIT ANY KIND OF BUMP OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT AND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. I HAD SOMEONE LOOK UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND NOTICED THE FRAME WAS ROTTING, THEREFORE I WAS DRIVING IT TO MY MECHANIC AND AS I PUSHED THE BRAKE TO STOP, THE RIGHT/FRONT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME/AXLE. THERE WAS CORROSION ON THE FRAME AROUND THE AXLE. I CALLED HYUNDAI AND THEY GAVE ME A CLAIM # AND SAID SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME WITHIN 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS, SO WE WILL SEE. *TR

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008, I BROUGHT IN MY 2001 GLS V6 HYUNDAI SONATA TO BALISE HYUNDAI OF CAPE COD IN HYANNIS, MA. MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 166,500 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. I WAS LOOKING TO GET A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR REPLACED. DURING THEIR DIAGNOSTICS, WITH THE CAR ON A LIFT, THEY NOTICED TWO THINGS. ONE, A POWER STEERING LEAK WAS OCCURRING MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF A CORRODED POWER STEERING LINE NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME. TWO, IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE SUSPECTED HOSE FAILURE, THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH ON TWO SIDES OF THE PIECE. THE MAIN HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME IS FIST-SIZE OR LARGER AND THE SECOND IS NOT GOOD. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME ISSUE WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND WARNED ME OF WHAT COULD HAPPENED SHOULD IT FAIL. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES THAT REPLACING IT COULD BRING. THEY TOLD THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME DRIVING OFF THE LOT WITH THE CAR WITH THE SUBFRAME IN THAT CONDITION BECAUSE IT COULD GO AT ANY TIME. WHEN THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS TO MY CAR, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY MIGHT DO THE SERVICE ON THE SUBFRAME FOR FREE. THEY HAD TO GET APPROVAL FROM A REGIONAL REP OR SUCH PERSON. HOWEVER, AS OF TODAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE DEALER. TODAY, I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO REPLACING THE SUBFRAME AND FINDING THE PART. WHEN I DID A YAHOO! SEARCH FOR "SONATA SUBFRAME", I CAME ACROSS THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM. I, THANKFULLY, HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE OR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, YET. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLED, ON FIVE OCCASIONS. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FINAL TIME, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS A ROTOR IN THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR THAT WAS DENTED. THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS REPLACED. ALSO, A PUDDLE WAS NOTICED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS A RUPTURE IN THE POWER STEERING LINE AND THE LINE WAS REPLACED.

I HEARD A REPETITIVE CLICKING SOUND AND TURNED MY RADIO OFF TO LISTEN. THE NOISE DIDN'T CHANGE WHEN I SLOWED DOWN AND I RESUMED MY NORMAL SPEED OF 60 MPH. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR SLOWLY & GRADUALLY BEGAN PULLING TO THE LEFT. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE AT ALL AND WAS MOVING INTO THE SHOULDER AND MEDIAN BETWEEN THE HIGHWAYS. I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES BUT THE CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING. I HAD NO STEERING OR BRAKES AND WAS HEADING TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT 60 MPH. I HIT THE END OF A GUARD RAIL AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THESE CARS ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE! WE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM W/IT HESITATING WHEN IT TRIED TO SWITCH GEARS & THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIX. AND THE DRIVER WINDOW WOULD NOT STAY IN THE TRACK AND SHUT PROPERLY.*AK

MY HUSBAND SWERVED SLIGHTLY TO MISS A COYOTE, THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE ROCKED BACK AND FORTH AND THEN ROLLED. IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY HUSBANDS EXTENSIVE DRIVERS TRAINING WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, I FEEL THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE ENDED TRAGICALLY. I ASKED MY HUSBAND IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING HIS DODGE PICK-UP TRUCK OR MY CHEVY IMPALA IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, HE ANSWERED NO-WAY! I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY OF THIS. THERE WAS NO WARNING POSTED IN THE VEHICLE, NOR ON THEIR WEBSITE. WE HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO PERHAPS COULD NOT CONTROL THE SUV IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. THANK YOU, I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED BEFORE BUT I FELT THIS NECESSARY IN CASE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN NUMBER FOR THIS VEHICLE AS IT WAS TOWED AWAY AND TOTALED. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED IT, I HOPE WE CAN RE-COUP OUR DOWN-PAYMENT! THANK YOU AGAIN,[XXX], [XXX], CA [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).