2003 Hyundai Sonata

THE MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTIFICATION AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.THE RECALL AFFECTS 91,202 MY 2002-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JANUARY 28, 2002, THROUGH MARCH 22, 2003.THE VEHICLE RECALL POPULATION WAS DEFINED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S USE OF A NEW SUPPLIER FOR THE CHROME PLATING PROCESS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2002, AND A PRODUCTION CHANGE IN MARCH 2003 TO IMPROVE ADHESION OF THE PLATING TO THE DOOR HANDLE.VEHICLES BEING RECALLED REPRESENT 59 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MY 2002-2003 PRODUCTION, BUT ACCOUNT FOR 91 PERCENT OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RECEIVED.THE PROCESS CHANGE FOR MY 2002 VEHICLES RESULTED IN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS (1200 PERCENT ON A PER UNIT RATE BASIS).MY 2003 VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MARCH 2003 PRODUCTION CHANGE SHOWED A SIMILAR DECLINE IN THE COMPLAINT RATE.BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 14, 2009, HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER, INC (HYUNDAI) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT HYUNDAIIS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL OF MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 20, 2003 THAT ARE REGISTERED AND OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING SALT BELT STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN.HYUNDAI IS RECALLING THE VEHICLES TO REMEDY A CONDITION WHERE INTERNAL CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME MAY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AT THE FORWARD MOUNTING POINT AND/OR SEPARATION OF THE AXLE FROM THE TRANSAXLE.THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR VEHICLE DISABLEMENT. THE SUBFRAMES WILL BE INSPECTED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES USING A PROCEDURE DEVELOPED BY HYUNDAI TO MEASURE METAL THICKNESS.PARTS WITH PERFORATIONS FROM CORROSION OR WITH METAL BELOW THE SPECIFIED THICKNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH REDESIGNED SUBFRAMES.IF THE MINIMUM METAL THICKNESS IS MET, DRAINAGE HOLES AND RUST PROOFING MATERIAL WILL BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING SUBFRAME. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA REVEALED THAT 98% OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WERE FROM VEHICLES EITHER ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES. SIMILARLY 99.7% OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE FROM VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES.ODI IDENTIFIED 105 REPORTS OF LOWER CONTROL ARM DETACHMENT AND/OR AXLE SEPARATION FROM THE TRANSAXLE THROUGH ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT INFORMATION AND CONSUMER INTERVIEWS.ONE HUNDRED THREE (103) OF THE 105 INCIDENTS INVOLVED VEHICLES IN STATES COVERED BY THE RECALL.IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, HYUNDAI ALSO NOTED IN THE APRIL 14, 2009 LETTER THAT MY 2001 THROUGH 2004 XG300 AND XG350 WERE ALSO BEING RECALLED AS THEY WERE MANUFACTURED WITH SUBFRAMES SIMILAR IN DESIGN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.BASED ON HYUNDAI'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE), PE05-059, BASED ON NINE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES.THE ALLEGED VALVE STEM FAILURES OCCURRED ONLY AFTER TIRE REPLACEMENT FROM THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) TIRE (MICHELIN 205/65R15 ENERGY MXV4 PLUS) TO A NON-OE? AFTERMARKET TIRE.NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE AFTERMARKET TIRES ALLEGED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES WERE DETERMINED TO BE AFTERMARKET TIRES PRODUCED BY BRANDS OF MICHELIN GROUP (BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL).MICHELIN ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 MAKING RETAILERS AWARE OF A POTENTIAL WHEEL COVER INCOMPATIBILITY WITH BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/AAND TOURING T/A PRO SERIES TIRES THAT COULD CAUSE WHEEL COVER MOVEMENT AND IN EXTREME CASES TIRE VALVE DAMAGE. MICHELIN HAS, ADDITIONALLY, REDESIGNED THE BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL TIRES ALLEGEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VALVE STEM FAILURES, AS OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF CALENDAR YEAR 2006. THE PREVIOUS DESIGN VERSION OF BOTH TIRES IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.NO COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO ODI FOR TIRES MANUFACTURED AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE REDESIGNED TIRES.THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL ATTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.

The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at Valvoline for a service appointment, the contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the subframe assembly and additional unknown parts were not included in the recall repair. In addition, the contact was informed that the recall could not be performed because other repairs were needed prior to the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ID

11743571

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

Mileage

170,000 mi

The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic, the mechanic discovered severe corrosion on the suspension. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that due to the severe corrosion, the recall repair could not be performed. The mechanic at the dealer described the vehicle as being unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000

NHTSA ID

11685113

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

Mileage

58,000 mi

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 09V124000 NHTSA Action Number: EA08016 Recall calls for repair or replacement of front sub-frame, due to corrosion. Local dealer responded, “ . . . we will not be able to perform recall”. I was told the corrosion was too far gone to repair. They refuse to replace the defective part.

NHTSA ID

11675456

Incident

May 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, the mechanic informed the contact that the front subframe was severely corroded. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to a recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the subframe needed to be replaced; however, the repair could not be covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension) because the parts had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11596969

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while self-inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the subframe was extremely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,425. The contact stated that no assistance has been offered from the dealership from which the vehicle was purchased from.

NHTSA ID

11533052

Incident

Nov 20, 2022

Mileage

69,425 mi

Airbag light came on and stays on. Pulled a code that pointed to the wiring in the passenger seat. Moved wiring around and made sure connectors were properly plugged and the light went away for maybe a week. Light is back on again. Removed seat bolts to gain better access, used tubing and electrical tape to straighten any kinked wiring I could find underneath passenger front seat, disconnected and reconnected connections. Airbag light blinked once and still remains on with the code still pointing to the passenger seat wiring. Apparently this issue has been reported many times in online forums with no meaningful response from the company though this clearly affects proper airbag deployment.

NHTSA ID

11421937

Incident

Jun 22, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED. THE CONTACT PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND THE CRANKSHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,922. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB

NHTSA ID

11396614

Incident

May 26, 2019

Mileage

45,922 mi

YOU CAN NOT FILL GAS TANK PASS HALF WITH OUT THE SMELL FILLING THE CAR .THE BACK SUSPENSION WHEN YOU GO OVER 40 TALES FROM SIDE TO SIDE .THE CAR WAS ON THE HIGHWAY .

NHTSA ID

11362935

Incident

Mar 15, 2010

Mileage

150,000 mi

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.

This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.

This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.

Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.