2009 Hyundai Sonata problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (50) · Engine (37) · Vehicle Speed Control (31)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Sonata model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
374 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Suspension:rear 2013-08-12 · campaign 13V354000 · 364,502 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District
Risk: Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch 2013-04-01 · campaign 13V113000 · 1,712,336 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, m
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Service bulletins (64)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DL · Other
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 vehi
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DCS · Other
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
Exterior Lighting 2025-11-06 · 25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 64 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-04 · Suspension“my 2009 hyundai sonata was taken to the hyundai of lincolnwood dealership on may 19th. the certified technician formally diagnosed severe structural corrosion on both front and rear subframes (engine cradles), declaring the vehicle completely unsafe to drive. the dealership is withholding the vehicle under safety custody but refuses to provide a lo…”
2026-02-03 · Vehicle Speed Control“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 …”
2026-01-28 · Vehicle Speed Control“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. …”
2026-01-06 · Unknown Or Other“brakes seize up while driving and then cannot move the vehicle. this causes a dangerous situation while driving and then breaks lock up and cannot move car even though vehicle is on and then stopped for a stop light. car must then be turned off and sit for about 30 minutes so it can unseize and when that happens, you can then resume driving and the…”
2025-09-03 · Engine“oil leak on alternator engine leaking oil from the front cylinder bank’s valve cover or from the valve cover’s gasket onto the alternator. an unknown amount of oil damaged the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system warning lamp and disablement of the charging system. if the vehicle is continually driven with a disabled …”
2025-09-03 · Engine“engine leaking oil from the front cylinder bank’s valve cover or leaking from the valve cover’s gasket onto the alternator. a sufficient amount of oil could damage the alternator resulting in illumination of the charging system warning lamp and disablement of the charging system. if the vehicle is continually driven with a disabled charging s…”
2025-09-03 · Service Brakes“brake calipers are getting stuck often damaging the rotors and pads. this happens even for new calipers and rotors that won't last more than one year after replacement. the parts were original from manufacturer. the rear and front brakes were randomly getting stuck on one wheel after a period of using brakes. this put the vehicle in danger of ge…”
2025-02-28 · Air Bags · 140,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owned a 2009 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 45 mph, the vehicle was turning the corner. it was unknown if any warning lights were illuminated. as a result, the vehicle was t-boned by a vehicle that was turning the corner, then crashed and the vehicle came to a stop at an unknown location. most …”
2024-12-27 · Unknown Or Other“excessively cracked dashboard. the entire dash in my 2009 hyundai sonata is cracked and a replacement has been denied by hyundai usa. a cracked dashboard could cause reduced structural integrity. the dashboard is a structural component designed to help absorb and distribute some of the forces in a collision. cracks can compromise this ability to p…”
2024-12-11 · Steering · 151,000 mi“the contact owns a 2009 hyundai sonata. the contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel suddenly became stiff and failed to turn in either direction. no warning light was illuminated. the contact stated that an appointment was scheduled with the dealer to inspect the vehicle. the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.