2009 Hyundai Sonata Driver assistance Problems

Passenger seat belt doesn’t click in. Miss fire Poor acceleration Exhaust leak Power lost Mechanic can’t find the problem Check engine light on

NHTSA ID

11715187

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

Once the car gets slowed down and reaches 20 mph of speed by applying the brake or not. It gives a sudden jerk, which causes immediate reduction in speed.

NHTSA ID

11714094

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS SON WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK AT THE CAR WASH, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP THE PARKING BARRIER HITTING THE VACUUM MACHINE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED HOWEVER THE VACUUM MACHINE WAS DAMAGED ALONG WITH THE FRONT BUMPER WAS CRACKED AND SCRATCHED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT RICK CASE (180 SATELLITE BLVD DULUTH GA, 30096) WHERE NO FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,000.

NHTSA ID

11398722

Incident

Feb 4, 2021

Mileage

142,000 mi

WAS DRIVING ON ACCESS ROAD AND THE ESC OFF LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STARTED TO STALL- UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. HAD TO PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD ON WURZBACH PARKWAY. TOOK IT TO SHOP AND HAD CAM SHAFT, CRANKSHAFT SENSORS REMOVED AND REPLACED. HAD $700 OF OTHER WORK DONE AND CAR WORKED GREAT FOR 2 WEEKS. UNFORTUNATELY TODAY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM ESC OFF LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. LUCKILY I GOT TO SAFETY BUT COULD'VE BEEN KILLED IF I WASN'T SO LUCKY... PRETTY RIDICULOUS PROBLEM TO HAVE ESPECIALLY AS SO MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM...

NHTSA ID

11364712

Incident

Oct 16, 2020

Mileage

152,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE REVERSING, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY ACCELERATED AND STRUCK A LIGHT POLE. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TIRES WERE SPINNING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND DROVE NORMALLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11282526

Incident

Nov 20, 2019

Mileage

180,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL ON JULY 27, 28 2019 THE ESC LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL DRIVING SOUTH ON I 75 AND LATER ON THE STREETS. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING THE CAR IT DROVE ALONG OK. DURING OUR RETURN TRIP, THE CAR STALLED AGAIN DRIVING NORTH ON I 75 , AND WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ONLY SECONDS BEFORE A 18 WHEELER PASSED US WITHIN LESS THAN A FOOT BETWEEN US. ALL FIVE US COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WE WERE LUCKY TO FIND A NATIONAL REPAIR SHOP OPENED ON A SUNDAY WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR( THE CAR HAS 54,000 MILES ) . THE PART WAS REPLACED AND AFTER 4 HOURS WE WERE ON OUR WAY, MINUS $400 PLUS DOLLARS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS CONTINUES TO BE AN UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM -THAT THIS SENSOR MUST BE RECALLED- AND THE PUBLIC MADE AWARE OF THE DANGER.

NHTSA ID

11241318

Incident

Jul 28, 2019

Mileage

54,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. ALSO, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND STALLED, BUT WAS ABLE TO RESTART. ADDITIONALLY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO HERITAGE HYUNDAI TOWSON (801 YORK RD, TOWSON, MD, 877-387-5495) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

NHTSA ID

11231017

Incident

Jun 14, 2019

Mileage

113,000 mi

STALLS RANDOMLY AND INTERMITTENTLY ANYTIME AND AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAPPENS WHILE CRUISING ON A FREEWAY OR STOPPED ON A LIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11207118

Incident

May 12, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED TWO BROKEN LEGS, A BROKEN ANKLE, AND SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE VEHICLE USING THE JAWS OF LIFE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 15535396. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11190292

Incident

Feb 1, 2019

Mileage

81,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE "ESC OFF" LIGHT ILLUMINATES FOR NO REASON. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, NORMAL SURFACE STREETS, AND HAS OCCURRED WHILE BRAKING. POWER STEERING GOES OUT RANDOMLY DURING TURNS WHILE ON CITY STREETS OR HIGHWAYS. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO TESTED THE POWER STEERING AND FOUND NO ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE PUMP IS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE STEERING, WITH A RECALL ISSUED, ON 2008 AND 2011 SONATA MODELS, HOWEVER THE 2009 MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. ON THOSE RECALLS THE COMPUTER CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE POWER STEERING CONTROL UNIT HAD BECOME DAMAGED AND MADE THE VEHICLE MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN POSSIBLY CAUSING A WRECK. STEERING ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING OVER THE YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11160973

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

90,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON. IT DOES SO RANDOMLY, BUT FREQUENTLY WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11114412

Incident

Jul 29, 2018

Mileage

207,741 mi

MY BRAKE LIGHT STOP SWITCH BROKE INTO PIECES WITH NORMAL USE SO THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF. MY FRONT BRAKE HOSE SPRUNG A FLUID LEAK THAT MADE THE BRAKES FULLY STOP WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF A DRIVE. THE FRONT BRAKE HOSE SPLIT AND CRACKED PREMATURELY CUASING THE BRALE FLUID TO EMPTY OUT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT STOPPING THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS EVENT HAPPENED DURING A DRIVE. MY ESC LIGHT IS ON BIG PROBBLEM IM ASSUMING. MY PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AS WELL BOTH INDICATE ARE OFF AND NON WORKING.

NHTSA ID

11113718

Incident

Jun 1, 2018

Mileage

140,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES THEN IT WILL ONLY LET ME 'COAST' ABOUT 5MPH.

NHTSA ID

11111155

Incident

Jul 6, 2018

Mileage

61,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE "ESC OFF" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD NOT ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE FORWARD WHEN DEPRESSED AND THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. PACIFICO HYUNDAI IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11103074

Incident

Jun 6, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY, STRAIGHT ON A LEVEL ROAD ESC OFF LIGHT CAME ON. OCCASIONALLY TURNS OFF BUT MOSTLY STAYS ON. CARS AROUND 95000 MILES AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA I HAD AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND NEED TO CALL IN AN ELECTRICIAN.

NHTSA ID

11083288

Incident

Apr 1, 2018

Mileage

95,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRICAL MODULE IS DEFECTIVE BY AUTOZONE,. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE USUAL STUFF LIKE OIL AND ANTIFREEZE AND OTHER FLUIDS. BUT ALL OF THEM WERE OK. WE TRIED TO LEAVE AGAIN WITH NO SUCCESS. WE HAD NO POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT WHEN WE TRIED TO PRESS THE GAS NOTHING WOULD GO. SO WE STOPPED THE CAR WAITED FOR A WHILE AND THEN THE CAR STARTED. WE COUNTINUED OUR TRIP CAREFULLY, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. AFTER WE ARRIVED TO OUR DESTINATION I WENT TO AUTOZONE TO CHECK THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE ELETRICAL AND CPU MODULES ARE DAMAGED. THAT OF COURSE HAS ME A LITTLE WORRIED. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR SO IT COULDNT BE FOR THAT REASON.

NHTSA ID

11055849

Incident

Dec 19, 2017

Mileage

99,000 mi

ESC LIGHT ILLUMINATES ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED AND CANNOT BE TURNED OFF BY DEPRESSING THE SWITCH, THIS ALSO SEEMS TO DISABLE THE CRUISE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

11041092

Incident

Oct 23, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

THE ESC LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR JERKS AS THIS HAPPENS. ONCE IN THIS CONDITION, THE CAR RUNS EXTREMELY ROUGH AND WILL EVEN STALL WHEN STARTING FROM A FULL STOP (STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION). DURING ONE OCCURRENCE, THE CAR WOULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 25 MPH WHEN GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE. I CAN'T TURN OFF ESC; PRESSING THE SWITCH IS IGNORED. IF I TURN OFF/ON THE CAR, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GO AWAY FOR A WHILE.

NHTSA ID

11025076

Incident

Sep 20, 2017

Mileage

260,000 mi

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH MY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). THE "ESC OFF" INDICATOR LAMP BECOMES ILLUMINATED WHILE I AM DRIVING. I AM UNABLE TO TURN IT OFF BY PRESSING THE ESC BUTTON. WHEN THE ESC OFF INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED, THIS ALSO CAUSES THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT FUNCTION, CREATING THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11023588

Incident

Sep 14, 2017

Mileage

86,500 mi

ESC LIGHT WILL COME ON AT VARIOUS TIMES AND ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF. WILL GET CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY WITH THIS BUT NOT ALWAYS. THIS MAY OCCUR GOING 20 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS OR GOING 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. NO RHYME OR REASON FOR IT GOING OFF. MAY BE DRY OR WET PAVEMENT WARM OR COLD OUT. HEN ENGINE DIES AT HIGH SPEED MAY START BACK UP UPON DECELERATION OR MAY NEED TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. SOMETIMES RESETS UPON RESTARTING THE FIRST TIME BUT OTHER TIMES IT TAKES A FEW TIMES OF TURNING ENGINE OFF THEN ON.

NHTSA ID

11020562

Incident

Jul 5, 2017

Mileage

180,000 mi

THE ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON AND PUSHING THE ON/OFF SWITCH DOES NOT PUT IT OUT. IF I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RE START, THE DASH LIGHT GOES OUT. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS USUALLY HAPPENS GOING 30-40MPH AND I FEEL A SLIGHT JERK IN THE CAR THEN IT COMES ON. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AROUND 60MPH. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS 07/12/17 DRIVING AROUND 30MPH.

NHTSA ID

11005904

Incident

Jul 12, 2017

Mileage

106,000 mi

WE PURCHASED A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA FROM VOSS HYUNDAI IN CENTERVILLE, OHIO ON 5/21/2009. ON 10/14/14 WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN 'IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL' WHICH STATED THAT THEY CHANGED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH BECAUSE IT COULD BE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSE SEVERAL PROBLEMS, ONE OF WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) LAMP AMONG OTHER THINGS. EIGHT DAYS AGO OUR ESC LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND TOOK THE CAR TO VOSS THIS MORNING ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT I WOULD BE CHARGED $103 TO EVEN FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, NOT TO MENTION THE CHARGES FOR ACTUALLY FIXING A SAFETY RECALL PROBLEM WHICH I AM SURE WOULD BE EXPENSIVE. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SAFETY PROBLEM RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS RECALL WORK. THEY MAY HAVE REPLACED A PERFECTLY GOOD BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A FAULTY ONE. THIS CAR HAS 12,875 MILES ON IT AND WE ONLY USE IT OCCASIONALLY. IT IS IN A GARAGE AT ALL TIMES AND THIS MORNING WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN OUT IN RAIN. WE HAD NOT BOUGHT A NEW CAR IN MANY YEARS AND BOUGHT THIS ONE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT 10 YEAR WARRANTY ON IT. APPARENTLY I SHOULD HAVE SAT IN THE SHOWROOM AND ASKED TO READ THE FINE PRINT ON THEIR WARRANTY BEFORE BUYING IT. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM WITH ALL MODELS OF HYUNDAIS. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED STABILITY AND STEERING PROBLEMS RELATED TO THIS DEFECT IN DESIGN OR PARTS WHICH COULD EASILY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. WE REALLY LIKED THE CAR UNTIL THIS HAPPENED, THE DEALERSHIP 'NOT SO MUCH' NOW. I REALLY THINK THAT HYUNDAI SHOULD ADMIT THAT THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY FOR THE MANY OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING THIS HAPPEN TO THEM, NOT JUST A $10 BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AFTER A $103 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE.

NHTSA ID

11003282

Incident

Jun 28, 2017

ESC LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY SOMETIMES ENGINE HESITATION IS INVOLVED. THIS HAPPENS AT VARYING SPEEDS, VARYING OPERATING TEMPS, AND VARYING WEATHER/TEMP CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ID

10935588

Incident

Dec 16, 2016

Mileage

67,518 mi

THE LIGHT TURNS ON AND YOU TRY TO PUSH THE SWITCH TO IT BACK ON BUT IT DOES NOTHING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. THE FIRST I HAD SOME SENSOR REPLACED BUT ITS BACK ON DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN

NHTSA ID

10926005

Incident

Nov 14, 2016

Mileage

160,000 mi

MY ESC & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND CAR STALLS AND SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING ON STREETS AND THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ID

10916206

Incident

Sep 1, 2016

Mileage

11,000 mi