2010 Hyundai Sonata Transmission Problems
19 owner-reported transmission complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (19)
Your 2010 Sonata was supposed to have a stop lamp switch replaced under a safety recall to prevent shifting out of Park without pressing the brake pedal. Even after the dealer claimed to install the replacement part, your vehicle still shifts out of Park without braking in any key position or with no key at all. Hyundai has refused to fix this remaining safety issue, claiming the car is too old and out of warranty. This repair will likely require diagnosis and replacement of the brake interlock system components to restore the safety feature that prevents unintended gear shifts.
Parts you may need:
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Your transmission jerks or lurches roughly when you slow down or come to a stop. This happens during downshifts as the transmission changes to a lower gear. The issue may require transmission fluid inspection, filter replacement, or internal transmission service to resolve the rough shifting behavior.
Parts you may need:
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ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING. SOMETIMES, THE CAR LOSES ITS POWER WHEN THAT HAPPENS IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. ACTING AS IF THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ONGOING FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND HAD GOTTEN WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PRIORITY HYUNDAI IN CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA THREE TIMES FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER RESET THE COMPUTER CONTROL VALUES AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MAY NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 10419964. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS THREE TIMES. REPLACED ROTORS FRONT AND REAR. REPLACED CALIPERS ON REAR AND REPAIRED THE FRONTS. 87000 HIGHWAY MILES. TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFT FROM NEW. DEALER STATES THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY TROUBLE LIKE THIS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 22 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED HEAVILY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
SOME TIMES I HAVE A HARD DOWN SHIFT SOMETIMES I DON'T THE TRANSMISSION WAS SUPPOSE TO BEEN REPLACE BUT TWO YEARS LATER ITS DOING THE SAME THING. *TR
DELAYS IN ACCELERATION LINKED TO A COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION, SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THERE MAY BE A 2 TO 3 SECOND LAG IN ACCELERATION DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING OR TRANSMISSION. *TR
WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD AND I DECELERATE DOWN THRU 20 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS ABRUPTLY CAUSING A JERKING MOTION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY AN AUTO MECHANIC WHO RESEARCHED IT THAT THERE WAS AN ACTUAL RECALL BY HYUNDAI FOR THIS ISSUE. HE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THAT HYUNDAI INSTALLED COMPUTER CONTROL EQUIPMENT FROM AN OLDER MODEL IN THEIR 2010 SONATAS AND THIS RESULTED IN A FAILURE IN PROPER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COMPUTER AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION'S SOLENOID, CAUSING THE ABRUPT DOWN SHIFTING AT 20 MPH WHEN CAR IS COLD. ONE LAST NOTE: WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED OCCURRING, IT WOULD CAUSE THE "FIX ENGINE" LIGHT TO COME ON, BUT THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED FOR ABOUT THE LAST THREE WEEKS. THE ABRUPT DOWN SHIFTING WHEN COLD STILL OCCURS CONSISTENTLY, ALWAYS RIGHT AROUND 20 MPH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LAMP WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE HAD EXHIBITED STALLING FAILURES. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, SHE HAD TO ENGAGE THE SHIFT RELEASE IN ORDER FOR THE SHIFTER TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE COVER OFF OF THE SHIFT LOCK BUTTON AND DEPRESSED IT USING A PIN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,640.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FURTHER, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 28,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL WOULD GO TO FLOOR AND BECOME STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME RESISTANT WHEN CHANGING GEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS SCHEDULED TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER FOR THE FOURTH TIME OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAD NOT GIVEN THE CONTACT A REASON FOR THE CONSISTENT FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
HYUNDAI SONATA 2010 V6 SEDAN ROLLS BACKWARDS ON INCLINE WHEN IN DRIVE. BASICALLY GOES INTO FREEFALL IN TIME IT TAKES TO PUT FOOT FROM BRAKE TO ACCELERATOR. ALSO STEERING IS VERY SWIMMY. TEND TO OVER OR UNDER STEER AND LOTS OF SWAY IN CHASIS WHEN TURNING OR CHANGING LANES AT HIGH SPEEDS ON FREEWAY. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND TOLD IT IS THE WAY IT IS DESIGNED. SOUNDS FLAWED TO ME. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM PARK, TO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT DISPLAY READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHERE UPDATES WERE PERFORMED ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE UPDATES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 08/22/11*LJ UPDATED 3/08/2012 *LN
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE VEHICLE ON AN INCLINE. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF THE KEY WAS REMOVED WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER IN THE DRIVE POSITION. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE INCLINE INTO ANOTHER PARKING SPACE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 3,500.
THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN MY 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS BEEN HAVING ABNORMAL ISSUES SINCE MY DATE OF PURCHASE. FIRST IT WAS JUST STALLING WHEN DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH FROM REVERSE AND FIRST GEAR; NOW IT IS PRIMARILY FROM FIRST GEAR. TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD YOU MUST DRAG THE CLUTCH AND PUSH THE ACCELERATOR CAUSING AN ODD CLACKING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR, OR SOMETIMES IT HAS A SQUEALING OR RUBBING SOUND AND THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD AND THERE IS A BURNING SMELL. TODAY, WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AS THOUGH IT WAS ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN AND I WAS BARELY TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TWICE WITH COMPLAINTS OF THE ABNORMAL PERFORMANCE, THE FIRST TIME AT 809 MILES, AND THE SECOND TIME AT 1794 MILES , AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE COMPLAINT. *TR
I WAS BACKING UP SLOWLY WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE GAS. I WAS ABOUT TO PUT IT INTO FORWARD GEAR WHEN IT SUDDENLY LURCHED BACKWARD. *TR