There are 12 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2005 Hyundai Sonatain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALWAYS ILLUMINATED, WHICH DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO SHUT OFF. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HUB CAP AND SWITCHED THE WIRES IN ORDER TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. HUB HYUNDAI OF KATY (877- 773-4656, LOCATED AT 17007 KATY FWY, HOUSTON, TX 77094) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING RECALL AND TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPPEDS OR SWITCHING THE VEHICLE OFF, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ALLEN TURNER HYUNDAI (6000 PENSACOLA BLVD, PENSACOLA, FL 32505 (850) 479-9667) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STOP LIGHT SWITCH WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) ONLINE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCULED IN THE RECALL AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 146,050.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNOCCUPIED AND PARKED, ALL OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE LIGHTS DID NOT DIM UNTIL THE CONTACT REMOVED THE BRAKE LIGHT FUSE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHTS THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THE HIGH BEAMS CONTINUED TO FUNCTION, BUT THE LOW BEAMS FAILED SPORADICALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE BULBS, BUT DID NOT DISCOVER ANY TYPE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. *TR
I HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, AS I PRESSED ON ACCELERATOR, I FELT IT GO DOWN UNDER MY FOOT, THUS HITING THE RIGHT REAR BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED IN JANUARY. 2012. I WAS TURNING INTO MY PARKING SPOT, AND I HAD SOFTLY BRAKED. AND AS I PRESSED ON THE ACCELEATOR, AND LIKE THE FIRST TIME, I FELT THE ACCELERATOR GO DOWN BENEATH MY FOOT, WITHOUT PRESSING TOO HARD. I RAN INTO MY APARTMENT, AND CAUSED A GOOD DEAL OF DAMAGE TO IT.AS WELL AS MY CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD AN INCIDENT SINCE, BUT I REMAIN SCARED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I TOOK VEHICLE TO OXMOOR HYUNDAI, IN LOUISVILLE, AND COULD NOT FIND FIND ANYTHING WRONG, AND I HAD TO PAY JUST UNDER $100.00 TO TELL ME THIS. AND MY AUTO INSURANCE WENT UP DRASTICALLY. *JS
I HAVE REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS TWICE IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. NOW BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. THE FUSE IS FINE AND THE BULBS ARE FINE. I FOUND RECALL ON OTHER MODELS OF SONATAS FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM OF BRAKE LIGHTS BUT HYUNDAI SAYS THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THEY SAY THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT NEGOTIATED IN THE RECALL. *TR
LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS BLOW OUT APPROX. EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ANY REASON FOR THIS. AUTO PARTS PERSONNEL STATE THAT HEADLAMPS SHOULD LAST FOR YEARS. LAMPS IN THE 2005 SONATA HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES PER YEAR. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING HEADLAMP FAILURES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 SONATA. REPLACEMENT LAMPS ARE VERY WEAK UNLESS SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR ULTRA NIGHT VISION LAMPS ARE USED, BUT THEY ARE ABOUT $50 FOR A PACK OF TWO. THAT IS AT LEAST $150 TO $200 PER YEAR FOR LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS. DOES ANYONE HAVE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN JUNE 2005. *TR
1)NO CHANGES OR EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THIS CONCERN. 2)HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT. IT USUALLY STARTS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN ONTO THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS EVERY MONTH IF NOT MORE. 3)THESE BULBS ARE PURCHASED BRAND NEW. DEALER STATES NO RECALL. I REPLACED THE BLOWN PASSENGER BULB ON A TUESDAY, IT BLEW OUT TWO DAYS LATER AND THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE BLEW OUT; WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROAD TRIP LATE AT NIGHT! NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED. SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME OCCURRENCES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS TURNED OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE BULBS WERE CONSTANTLY CHANGED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000.
MY 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS VERY WEAK LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE CAR HAS BEEN BRAND NEW. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026