FaultScore

2005 Hyundai Sonata engine problems

11 of the 217 complaints about the 2005 Hyundai Sonata are about the engine — 5% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 51,456 miles.

A

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 6 54.5%
Engine 2 18.2%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 2 18.2%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 1 9.1%

Engine & Cooling across every Hyundai Sonata year

1993 12 0.2%
1999 23 0.5%
2000 33 0.7%
2001 25 0.5%
2002 22 0.4%
2003 17 0.3%
2004 10 0.2%
2005 11 0.2%
2006 74 1.5%
2007 49 1.0%
2008 50 1.0%
2009 62 1.2%
2010 29 0.6%
2011 1,011 20.0%
2012 579 11.5%
2013 776 15.4%
2014 323 6.4%
2015 640 12.7%
2016 463 9.2%
2017 400 7.9%
2018 223 4.4%
2019 94 1.9%
2020 30 0.6%
2021 35 0.7%
2022 24 0.5%
2023 29 0.6%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Gallipolis, OH

ENGINE

My car's engine cradle, cross member or subframe is rusted out and the OEM replacement for my VIN number won't fit it correctly I'm getting really upset because this could be dangerous for me and my two young kids. I've already paid the mechanic $600 for the replacement part when it really only costs $450 at the most and the two he has ordered before have both been either too big and it says that it is the correct replacement part. What is going on?!!! If something isn't fixed soon and something happens to me or my kids there is going to be a lawsuit.

NHTSA complaint #11560872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 176 miles Marietta, GA

ENGINE

EVER TIME I PRESS THE BRAKES HARD THE ENGINE TURNS OF COMPLETELY

NHTSA complaint #11110150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 170,000 miles Marietta, GA

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE LEFT OR RIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE TO GET IT TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

NHTSA complaint #11110223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 142,000 miles Albuquerque, NM

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. TRIED PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL TO RELEASE IT, CAR STILL ACCELERATED. BRAKES DID LITTLE GOOD. WAS ABLE TO DOWN SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, THEN INTO NEUTRAL AND UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO CUT THE ENGINE. SOME PROBLEM HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON TRYING TO GET IT OFF THE FREEWAY OFF RAMP. WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY IN A PARKING LOT WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE.

NHTSA complaint #10614958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 51,456 miles BEL AIR, MD

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING IN A HEAVY RAIN THE ENGINE BEGIN MISSING AND SLOWING DOWN. BECAUSE OF THE RAIN TRAFFIC WAS RUNNING AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I DRIFTED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY (I 95). AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS THE ENGINE RESTARTED , BUT WAS STILL MISSING BADLY I COULD ONLY GET TO APPROX. 20MPH. EACH TIME I STOPPED THE ENGINE WOULD STOP. USING THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. THE NEXT MORNING I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT. I OPEN THE HOOD JUST TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING VISIBLY WRONG. I CHECKED THE AIR FILTER AND FIND THAT IT WAS FULL OF WATER. WITH WET FILTER OUT AND THE WATER REMOVED FROM THE FILTER HOUSING THE CAR RUNS WITH OUT A PROBLEM. I CAN'T LOCATE WHERE THE AIR INTAKE IS TO SEE IF THERE IS PART MISSING ETC. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPEN. THE DEALERS ANSWER FOR THIS PROBLEM "DON'T DRIVE IN HEAVY RAIN".

NHTSA complaint #10610990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Miami, FL

ENGINE

I HAVE NOT OWNED MY 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA FOR ONE YEAR YET AND IS EXPERIENCING A CONFUSING TIME WITH ONE SET OF THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING NOT WORKING AT ALL, THE FUSE WERE CHECKED SO I WAS TOLD THAT IT MAY BE THE SWITCH, ALSO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THE POWER DOORS ALWAYS LOCK THREE OUT OF THE FOUR DOORS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF EVERY OTHER WEEK THE CODE SAYS ITS A OXYGEN SENSOR. THE LIGHTING IT RESTRAINING ME FORM DRIVING AT NIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10533513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 96,000 miles Colchester, CT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I WAS DRIVING HOME JUST LIKE EVERYDAY FROM WORK. ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I GOT OFF THE HIGH WAY IT FELT LIKE MY CAR WAS AN AIRPLANE TRYING TO TAKE OFF.. WELL IT TURNS OUT I HAVE A BAD MOTOR. THERE WERE NO SIGNS NO NOTHING. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A WORST PLACE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY WHERE NEAR THE MILEAGE THAT I SHOULD FOR MY MOTOR TO JUST GO.

NHTSA complaint #10489352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Philadelphia, PW

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2005 HYUNDAI SONATA, ENGINE IN THIS CAR WAS MEANT TO BE IN THE ELANTRA WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER AND LIGHTER CAR, BUT WHEN PUT 4 CYLINDER ENGINE IN A SONATA WHICH IS A HEAVER AND LARGER CAR, EVEN THOUGH ENGINE OPERATES TO THE SPEC, OTHER PROBLEMS ARE EVIDENT WHICH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER FAILED TO TELL THE CONSUMER, NOW THIS CAR IDLES SO BAD IT IS WORSE THAN A TRUCK WHEN CAR IS IN DRIVE AND STOPPED AT LIGHT ETC.

NHTSA complaint #10215353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 18,000 miles Kingston, PA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS OR COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT STALLED AGAIN AFTER IT WAS SLOWED DOWN TO 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHICH IDENTIFIED CAUSE CODE #15 AND REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL ASSEMBLY, WIRE REPAIR TIME (MAJOR), COIL ASSEMBLY, IGNITION COIL ADD SCAN TOOL OPERATIONS. A YEAR LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER SERVICE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. UPDATED 10/25/2006 -

NHTSA complaint #10170101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Canoga Park, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED IN 12/2005 FROM A NON-HYUNDAI DEALER. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE CAR PERIODICALLY DID NOT SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. IT SHUDDERS FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN GOES OFF. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND HAVE BEEN TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER MORE THAN 3 TIMES WITH THIS COMPLAINT BEGINNING FEBRUARY/2006. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CAR VIBRATES/REVS UP WHEN AT A RED LIGHT. THIS IS VERY IRRITATING SINCE THE VIBRATION ALSO GOES THROUGH TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAUSES MY ARMS AND HANDS TO VIBRATE ALSO. INITIALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF THIS WAS NORMAL - HOWEVER I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY OF THIS WHEN I RENTED THE SAME TYPE OF CAR LAST YEAR. THEN I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A LOOSE ENGINE MOUNT. I THEN HAD TWO EXPERIENCES WITHIN ONE WEEK WHERE THE CAR DID NOT START - LIGHTS, RADIO, A/C STILL CAME ON - BUT THE CAR DID NOT START. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FIRST TIME, THEY CHANGED A RELAY AND THE SECOND TIME, AFTER KEEPING THE CAR FOR ONE WEEK THEY CHANGED THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX. I HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STARTING SINCE, HOWEVER THE VIBRATION IS GETTING WORSE, THE CAR STILL DOES NOT SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY, AND NOW IT REVS TO THE POINT THAT THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS TRYING TO PULL OFF BEFORE I TAKE MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. I PULLED A CAR HISTORY REPORT THAT REVEALED THAT THE CAR FAILED EMISSIONS, HAD A LEFT DOOR REPLACED, AND HAD A STARTER ASSEMBLY REPLACED. NONE OF THIS WAS DISCLOSED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE CAR HISTORY REPORT PROVIDED BY THE SELLING DEALER - OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHEN I QUESTIONED A RESIDUE BEHIND THE RADIO STATION DISPLAY PANEL, I WAS TOLD BY THE SELLING DEALER THAT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE AAA INSPECTION SINCE THEY SOMETIMES TAKE DOWN THE DASHBOARD.

NHTSA complaint #10163834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10 miles Chattanooga, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

BOUGHT 2005 HYUANDI ON 12/8/04. EXPERIENCED VIBRATION ON 12/9/05 TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP IN CLEVELAND TENNESSEE, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG, BUT THEY THOUGHT THAT THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE MOTOR IN CAR NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. TOOK CAR BACK 3 DAYS LATER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM VIBRATION, THEY SAID THAT THE BOLTS NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED AGAIN. TOOK THE CAR BACK ON THREE OTHER OCCASIONS AND THEY CONTINUED TO TIGHTEN THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE ENGINE IN THE CAR. FINALLY A REPRESENTATIVE WAS CALLED IN TO LOOK AT THE CAR HE HAD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE CAR TO HAVE A VIBRATION WHEN SITTING STILL AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. ALSO, HE SAID THAT THE BOLTS NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED THAT HOLD THE ENGINE IN.

NHTSA complaint #10145894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Hyundai Sonata problems

← Full 2005 Hyundai Sonata report