Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Hyundai Sonata submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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 .
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V178000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. *TT *TR
TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR OIL CHANGE, FRONT BRAKES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT... WAS TOLD TECH WOULDN'T TOUCH EVAP CANISTER OR PURGE VALVE BECAUSE FUEL LINES WERE TOO CORRODED IN THE VICINITY OF THE NEEDED REPAIR THAT THEY MAY FRACTURE... THIS CAR IS ONLY 12 YEARS OLD... COINCIDENTLY MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HAD A 2004 HYUNDAI XG350L IN WHICH THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL LINES WERE CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT THEY WERE LEAKING AND SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE D/T THE COST OF REPAIRS... I TOO AM NOW FACED WITH REPLACING MY VEHICLE D/T HIGH REPAIR COSTS... I HAVE DRIVEN MANY AUTOMOBILES, OF NOTE A 1967 VW BEETLE (DURING THE YEARS 1997 THRU 2002) IN CHICAGO WITH THE SNOW AND SALT AND NEVER HAD ISSUES WITH CORROSION OF ANY LINES AND I DID ALL THE WORK ON THAT CAR! IT WAS CLEAN... WHAT MATERIALS IS HYUNDAI USING FOR IT'S FUEL LINES AND FUEL TANKS THAT THEY ARE CORRODING/RUSTING OUT... MY CAR, THE 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA WAS 100% GARAGE KEPT!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GASOLINE SPILLED OUT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WHILE REFUELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY VALVE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V178000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
IN 2005, I PURCHASED A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. AFTER PURCHASING MY CAR, I FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD A RECALL ON THE FUEL VALVE THAT THE COMPANY HAD TO RE-INSTALL. THIS RECALL INFORMATION WAS NOT ON MY CARFAX REPORT. LATER, THE MANUFACTURER HAD A RECALL ON INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES THAT PEELED AND CUT HANDS. THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO WRAP MY HANDLES WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE; AFTER MY OBJECTION, THEY INSTALLED THE SAME RECALLED HANDLES. I'VE HAD MY INTERIOR HANDLES REPLACED THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DIDN'T MAKE THE HANDLES OUT OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL AND CHOOSES TO REINSTALL THE SAME RECALLED HANDLE. ON NOVEMBER 22ND, I WENT TO CAPITOL HYUNDAI TO HAVE THEM REPLACE THE RECALLED FUEL VALVE, AND INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. A SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT ONCE THE COMPANY REPLACES ANY RECALLED ITEMS THE FIRST TIME, IT IS THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THEM IF THEY FAIL AGAIN. SURELY, THIS CANNOT BE CORRECT! RECALLS DO NOT EXPIRE AND AS LONG AS THE OWNER HAS THE VEHICLE, THE MANUFACTURER/DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE IF THEIR MATERIALS ARE CONTINUOUSLY FAILING TO MEET SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. WHAT ARE FOLKS MAKING PAYMENTS OR CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE NOW SUPPOSED TO DO? DRIVE AROUND IN A DANGEROUS VEHICLE? BE IT 1 TIME OR 1 MILLION TIMES, I WANT CAPITOL HYUNDAI TO INDEFINITELY HONOR THEIR RECALLS--AT THEIR EXPENSE. *TR
I WAS INFORMED THIS VEHICLE HAS A ONE-WAY SAFETY VALVE IN THE FUEL FILLER NECK THAT WHEN WORKING PROPERLY WILL PREVENT FUEL FROM ESCAPING SHOULD THERE BE A ROLL OVER. THIS VALVE MUST BE STUCK IN THE PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION SINCE IF CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTION WHEN FUELING THE CAR. WHEN FUELING THE CAR, FUEL DOES NOT FLOW PROPERLY AND ONLY ACCEPTS HALF GALLON AT A TIME BEFORE THE FUEL HANDLE SHUTS OFF. THEN I MUST WAIT FOR THE GAS IN THE FILLER NECK TO DROP BEFORE I CAN CONTINUE TO FUEL VEHICLE AND THEN CONTINUALLY REPEAT THIS PROCESS. THOUGH VERY TIME CONSUMING TO FILL IT UP, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE VALVE DOES NOT OPERATE AS DESIGNED. I WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST OVER $600 TO REPLACE THIS VALVE AND I WOULD THINK IT SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE CONSUMER HAS NO CONTROL THAT WOULD INFLUENCE THE VALVE'S PROPER FUNCTIONALITY. *TR
I WAS HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IN ANNAPOLIS, MD. THEY REPLACED THE VALVE-CANISTER CL, CANISTER ASSY., AND VALVE-PURGE CONTR. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, THE ISSUE HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. I TOOK IT BACK AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT OTHER PARTS THEY MAY HAVE REPLACED BECAUSE I NEVER AGAIN RECEIVED ANY PAPER WORK. WHEN I PICKED IT UP AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO PUT GAS IN IT, BUT IT WAS LEAKING FUEL ALL OVER THE ROAD AFTERWARDS. THEY HAD PUNCTURED A HOLE IN MY GAS TANK WHILE WORKING ON IT. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY A MONTH & FOUR TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THIS ALL RESOLVED. AND THEN ON AUG. 4, 2014 I FILLED MY GAS TANK UP & FUEL STARTED LEAKING IN THE DRIVEWAY AGAIN. WHATEVER THEY PATCHED THE HOLE IN THE GAS TANK WITH INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT, HAD BLOWN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ON AUG. 5, 2014. WHEN THE NEW SERV. MNGR. FINALLY AGREED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE ON AUG. 12, 2014, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS IN FACT THEIR FAULT & THAT HE WOULD ORDER A NEW GAS TANK & IT WOULD ARRIVE IN 3-5 BUSINESS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE ALL OF THE PARTS THAT I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR BACK IN FEB. I TOLD HIM THEY ALREADY REPLACED THEM & HE SIMPLY SAID OK & SCRATCHED THEM OFF THE ESTIMATE OF WHICH HE WILL NOT PROVIDE ME A COPY OF. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY STILL HAVE NOT REPLACED THE GAS TANK. I EMAILED THE SERV. MNGR. & COPIED THE CEO YESTERDAY HOPING THIS MIGHT INCITE A RESPONSE. THE ASSIST. SERV. MNGR. EMAILED ME THIS MORNING & ASKED ME IF I COULD DROP IT OFF NEXT WED. I TOLD HIM I HAD 2 APPT.'S THAT DAY & COULD ONLY DO SO IF THEY COULD PROVIDE ME WITH A VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS WELL FROM ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET SEARCHING FOR RESOLUTIONS TO THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR HYUNDAI'S. *TR
CAR QUITS RUNNING WHEN I PUT FUEL IN IT, I HAVE TRIED CHANGING FUEL PUMP ,FILTER NOTHING WORKS WAS GOIN DOWN THE FREEWAY CAR DIES FOR NO APPARENT REASON CAME SO CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS IN FAST MOVING LANE. SO I PULLED OVER AND TOOK AROUND 10 MIN, FINALLY STARTED. STOP ATGAS STATION TO FILL UP WITH GAS HAD TO SET FOR 30 MIN BEFORE MY CAR WOULD START , I NEED TO NO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT . *TR
I WAS INFORMED THIS MODEL HAS A SAFETY VALVE IN THE GAS FILLER NECK THAT WILL PREVENT THE GAS FROM LEAKING OUT SHOULD THE VEHICLE OVERTURN. MY VALVE MUST BE STUCK IN THE PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION SINCE I CAN ONLY FILL THE GAS TANK EVERY ONE-THIRD OF A GALLON BEFORE THE GAS DISPENSER SHUTS OFF. THEN I HAVE TO WAIT 10 SECONDS FOR IT TO SEEP INTO THE TANK BEFORE I CAN CONTINUE TO PUMP. FILLING MY 17 GAL TANK TAKES ABOUT 10-12 MINUTES WITH MOST OF THE TIME JUST WAITING FOR THE GAS TO SEEP INTO THE TANK. HYUNDAI WANTS OVER $600 TO REPAIR. UNACCEPTABLE SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. *TR
LIKE MANY OTHER COMPLAINANTS, FOR THE PAST MONTH, I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS FILLING UP MY GAS TANK. AFTER ONLY 1 GALLON OR LESS, THE PUMP AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF AS IF THE TANK IS FULL. IT HAS TAKEN ME APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES JUST TO PUT 1/4 TANK OF GAS IN MY VEHICLE. WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED, GAS OVERFLOWED AND SPILLED ON MY SHOES, MY CAR, AND THE GROUND. THINKING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS PUMP, I WENT TO A DIFFERENT GAS STATION AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IN VIEWING FORUMS THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW FOR THIS CAR MODEL. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR GAS TO OVERFLOW ONTO A PERSON AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A FIRE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. *TR
WHEN TRYING TO FUEL VEHICLE THE NOZZLE WILL CLICK OFF AT 1 OR 2 GALLONS. I HAVE TO REPEATEDLY TAKE THE NOZZLE OUT AND KEEP TRYING TO REFUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN WHICH THEY DROPPED THE GAS TANK AND DID SOMETHING. I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND WENT TO REFUEL AND THE SAME PROBLEM STILL EXIST. JUST OUT OF MONEY. I SEE THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
FUELING PROBLEMS. ON NEAR EMPTY FUEL TANK THE FUELING HOSE WILL AUTO SHUT OFF AFTER 1 TO 2 GALLONS. I HAVE TO REPEAT START THE FUELING AND IT AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF AFTER ENTERING A GALLON OR TWO. HAVE TO GAUGE WHEN TANK IS NEAR FULL WHICH CAN CAUSE A FUEL SPILL IF OVERESTIMATING AND NOT BEING FILL IF UNDERESTIMATING. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AT PUMPS THAT HAVE THE NEWER NOZZLE. THIS IS THE FIRST SUMMER FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE HEAT WITH THE NEWER NOZZLES..
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REFUELING, FUEL WOULD SPILL OUT FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR EVEN IF THE FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL LINES WERE TOO SMALL TO ALLOW THE FUEL TO ENTER THE FUEL TANK. AS A RESULT, THE FUEL SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL THE VEHICLE, GASOLINE WOULD SPEW BACK OUT FROM THE FILER NECK AND ONTO THE GROUND. SHE WAS ABLE TO FUEL SMALL AMOUNTS AT A GIVEN TIME HOWEVER, IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN THIRTY MINUTES TO FILL THE FUEL TANK TO CAPACITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN 2005 WHERE THEY PERFORMED REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V178000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY) HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 160,000.
ONE DAY, WHILE FUELING MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA, THE PUMP CLICKED OFF AFTER 1 GALLON. FROM THEN ON, IT WOULDN'T LET ME FILL MORE THAN 1 OR 2 GALLONS WITHOUT CLICKING OFF. SINCE THAT DAY, THIS PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME I REFILL AND EVERY TIME MY TANK IS NEAR EMPTY OR HALF EMPTY, SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. *TR
I OWN A 2003 SONATA THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I HAVE AN EMISSION LEAK THE MACHINE SAYS. I NEED HELP HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANY ONE ELSE. ALSO MY GAS PROBLEMS, WHEN PUTTING GAS IN MY CAR THE GAS CAP CLICKS AS IF THE TANK WAS FULL WHEN TALKING TO LOCAL DEALER ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS QUOTE PRICES!!!!!!!!! NO EXPLANATION OF WHY THESE THING ARE HAPPENING. *TR
THE CONSUMER BELIEVES HE RECEIVED POOR SERVICE FROM THE DEALER WHILE HAVING RECALL REPAIRS DONE BECAUSE THE DEALER DIDN'T PROVIDE HIM WITH A LOANER VEHICLE. *NM RECALL# 04V178000. *SC
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FUEL SPILLAGE AS DESCRIBED IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE/FMVSS301 RECALL 04V178000. BUT THIS OCCURRED NOT IN A ROLL OVER SITUATION, BUT WHEN FILLING THE FUEL TANK WITH FUEL AT THE GAS STATION.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .