Hyundai · Sonata · 2009
2
Recalls
459
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata has 2 recalls and 459 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: service brakes (41 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
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 of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.
Remedy Status
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.
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, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Remedy Status
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.
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
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.
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 then check engine light comes on. Brake lights were staying on even when vehicle is shut completely off. ABS and ESC lights stay on consistently and never turn off. Vehicle brake switch was replaced at Carolina Hyundai of high point, NC. So break lights have been repaired. They had to order the stop switch lamp replacement for recall as it was never done and will be fixed in next week. 3 door handles fell off and cannot open the rear driver side door at all. Window electric system won’t let windows go up and down and had to make a latch pull string to open driver door. Passenger door will not open at all and no handle and is a dangerous situation. Break switch not being replaced would have cause an electrical fire and is a complete dangerous vehicle even after being inspected less than a week ago
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 charging system, the engine can shut off, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 getting fire from overheating rotors or increasing the risk of a crash because of an unusable brake system. This incident has repeated over time from 2017 till 2025 inducing big spendings for fixing brakes
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 of the impact was received from the front passenger side. The other divers speed was unknown. None of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered injuries to the head and the lungs when she impacted the steering wheel. The contact was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. The contact's daughter was in a coma and had brain trauma and a punctured lung. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The other vehicle owner was injured as well, the extent of his injuries was unknown. There was no property damage. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
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. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V426000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
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 perform this function potentially increasing the force experienced by the occupants and the and other parts of the vehicle. It can also cause increased risk of debris and shrapnel. During a collision the cracked dashboard may break apart more easily causing sharp or jagged pieces to become projectiles inside of the cabin these fragments can pose a serious injury risk to occupants. It can also result in an impaired airbag deployment. Many vehicles have airbags in the dashboard a severely cracked dashboard could obstruct or improperly deploy airbags for example the air bag may not fully deploy reducing its effectiveness and the dashboard may puncture or otherwise interfere with the airbag as it inflates creating additional safety hazards. Cracks may expose sharp edges or materials under the dashboard which could harm occupants during a collision, especially in areas where passengers may come into contact with the dashboard. A cracked dashboard could also cause a compromised electrical system dashboards house numerous electrical systems, sensors and controls cracks could indicate underlying damage to these components. In a collision these systems may fail or behave unpredictably which could further reduce safety features. Cracked dashboards present a significant risk during a collision and should be addressed by the manufacturer promptly to ensure its customer safety.
5/18/24 in the afternoon, driving the car on freeway. the car lost power. AC stopped. Heat and check engine lights came on. Pulled car to shoulder. Driver’s window was foggy. Smoke coming from front. Exited the car. Flames seen underneath front of car and passenger compartment. Smoke worsened and within minutes 10 foot high flames engulfed the car. Fire department had to extinguish the flames. And California Highway Patrol blocked off several lanes. The vehicle totally was incinerated. I filed a police report number 240518LA2144. I do not have the report yet. It is not ready. It was filed with the California highway patrol.
Vehicle sat in driveway for one week while on cruise. The day of return the sonata caught on fire without any person touching the car for one week. Brother who’s house it was at was woken by neighbors at 7sm. Home had minor damage, but it could of been bad if it was in someone’s garage. Fire started in engine and console. Fire department could not find out a reason. Car was totaled. Had to rent a car to get home that was 2 hours away. Never had an issue with this vehicle in the 12 years I owned it.
I see that the manufacturer has an "Open Service Campaign" on their Sonata's shark fins. I've taken mine to the local dealership and they want a min. $700 to replace the shark fin. It just came off somewhere (a couple of years ago) and, now, my car has to be jumped off if I let it sit more than two days. I have had it inspected by the dealer and an individual garage. No one would tell me what was draining my battery. I am a senior citizen and fear I will get stranded on the road somewhere. The missing fin lets water into my car, soaking the carpets, etc. Finally, it was suggested that the car cover I keep on it touches the exposed fin components and that's what was draining my battery. It seems that the manufacturer was aware enough of this faulty part to want to prevent complaints by voluntarily replacing problematic parts (thus the service campaign). And, there are a lot of videos on YouTube from DIY folks who've suffered through replacing the shark fins (many different models) themselves. It seems, however, the manufacturer only notified dealers with said "open service campaign," not the public, as in a proper Recall process. That way, they get to make more money off the public when the part falls off? Please advise how one might get the dealers to do the right thing. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. After calling AAA, the technician determined the vehicle had run out of gasoline however, the instrument panel was reading a half tank. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the instrument panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 184,500.
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that in February 2022 there was an unknown recall campaign for the Stop Lamp Switch replacement and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that the failure ha reoccurred, and the warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
Valve cover gasket leaks and oil leaks on to the alternator which can cause the alternator to fail and the battery to not maintain a charge and the car can stall and then not start. This is the same exact problem problem that is in your recall on 2007-2012 Veracruz Recall number 20V705000 & 14V415000 And 2007-2009 Santa Fe vehicles have the same issue and Service Campaign 936 SB-10058931-4495 (TSB# 15-01-031).
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact pushed the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of her father. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the local dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer then diagnosed that the gasoline needed to be pumped out. The repair was completed; however, the failure recurred. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been at the dealer for 3 months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The dealer stated the car needs a new engine.
Passenger outside door handle fell off a couple years ago. Today the internal mechanism for the driver's side door broke so door will not open from the inside.
The sunroof detached from the vehicle at highway speed. The sunroof was not open or otherwise in operation when it detached. A mechanic concluded that the adhesive holding the glass to the sun roof assembly failed. The sunroof assembly was completely intact after the incident and did not appear to be damaged.
My door handles are breaking off. I was climbing in and out from my passenger seat..now my passenger and rear passenger door handles have broken off in the same day. I have no way in my vehicle now except through the window that I had to take off track to slide down to crawl in and out..im in a loss for words. This is humiliating.
Car was making a loud ticking noise while running and increased when accelerating. Also would shut off while accelerating. Auto shop ran a diagnostic and said there is a rod bearing failure.
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was jump-started and driven to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata has 2 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 459 owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata are service brakes (41 reports), service brakes, hydraulic (30 reports), structure (28 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 2 recalls on record for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.