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Expensive Hyundai Sonata repairs by problem area

Engine (38%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (11%)

Brakes and Traction Control (11%)

Suspension and Steering (21%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (16%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (1%)

Other (0%)

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Chart based on 89 repairs.

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Hyundai Sonata repair cost distribution

$2500+ (28%)

$1000 - $2499 (72%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (0%)

< $100 (0%)

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Chart based on 65 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

66960 mi

C $1000

VCM on engine intake failed and was replaced. Just outside of 100,000 warranty

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69950 mi

US $1400

Undiagnosed ignition coil problem caused check engine light to unpredictability go on and off.

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70000 mi

US $1300

Large areas of chipping paint on 4 panels of car. No cause for chipping, paint just started coming off.

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125000 mi

US $5000

Long block replaced due to recall

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21200 mi

US $1052

After Hyundai tried to gank me for 4 new tires and did NOT check for the cause of the premature/uneven front tire wear, I took it to Firestone. They found the Driver Side Wheel bearing was shot at only 20,000 miles!

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63000 mi US $1100	AC compressor failure
135000 mi US $500	Compressor clutch valve

119000 mi US $500	Steering was lose. Replaced bushing that dealer had in stock.
122000 mi US $2500	Slipping between gears Engine failed. Dealer reports water in the fuel. Unable to repair
125000 mi US $700	Starter failed. Required replacement
133000 mi US $300	Fuel pump was replaced

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77000 mi US $8000	Main bearing failure required replacement of entire engine.
111000 mi US $2000	Transmission pump

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52000 mi US $1400	Had to replace the steering column and intermediate shaft.
77000 mi US $585	The brake drum was failing

26000 mi

US $3700

Engine missing when started early in morning. No dealer. Fuel additive added thinking water in system. On freeway engine smoothed. Called dealer 100mi away. Told safe to drive. Injector clogged, spark plug burned off. All njtrs & plug repl. Dealer said safe 2 drive 2 destination 300mi. Slight miss @ low rpms. OKC dealer found 2 leaking valves. Took 3 days 2 get new valves & entire week for repair! OKC dealer said valves defective and had nothing 2 do with injector problem.

82000 mi

US $600

Battery bad. Jumped it & car went into limp home mode. Dead battery messed up turbo computer wastegate settings. What's the deal!!! Dead battery results in $600 repair! Becoming very discouraged with this car!

44640 mi

C $3300

turbo - blown - replaced

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74400 mi

C $1200

replace left front inner tie rod & perform alignment carbon buildup, throttle body cleaning

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46000 mi US $250	Carpet was falling apart. Dealer claimed this was "wear and tear" and that parts of the carpet "appeared to be melted". Nobody has smoked in the car or put anything hot on the carpet. Mfr paid for carpet but dealer made me pay labor.
116000 mi US $1100	Heater core failed catastrophically, steam and coolant in cabin

21000 mi

US $1399

Would not start. Jumpered to start. alernator bad, dead battery, Starter sticking, Bendix stuck.

114000 mi US $1400	I needed to replace the entire rack and pinion assembly.
126000 mi US $490	Replaced Front brake rotors and pads. Flushed and refilled the brake fluid.

118420 mi C $1000	steering shaft(s), clock spring all needed replacement due to deterioration and imminent failure of the steering system
120900 mi C $300	Clockspring bad again. 3rd clockspring in a little over 1yr. Starting to think if some other root behind the problem.

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56000 mi US $150	broken valve stem on left rear tire, snapped in threads. needed dealer b/c couldn't just fix stem, needed new TPMS sensor too - only dealer could "activate" the TPMS to the car...
67000 mi US $1000	driver's rear caliper stuck and ground down the pads on that wheel only. worked the caliper and replaced both rear rotors and pads. drive belt needed replaced per dealer as it was "worn and cracking". I replaced the drive belt, and it was worn of course, but it was not cracking at all. switch for ESC braking system replaced under recall
70800 mi US $440	Accessory Belt tensioner needed replaced - was squeaking after putting new belt on. failure to start reliably, but idle was ok, getting some misfire codes. cleaned throttle body plate and car has worked normally since.

10540 mi

C $1000

Malfunctioning GPS

66000 mi US $152	Driver rear door handle not functional possibly due to lost screw or part that fell inside door and was unretrievable. Door handle assembly replaced. Driver rear door handle not functional possibly due to lost screw or part that fell inside door and was unretrievable. Door handle assembly replaced.
87000 mi US $761	leaking axle replaced; replaced driver's door window master switch not working; replaced front passenger door window & lock switch (non-electrical - plastic button dysfunctional), replaced right-hand door latch with actuator
92300 mi US $1035	Starter failed; towed and new installed by dealer - labor & parts $487 oil pan had been leaking; replaced and new installed by dealer - labor & parts $450

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37820 mi C $200	1 lower ball joint
61380 mi C $800	Rear brakes complete wt calliper due to poor work at green and Ross previously
63240 mi C $3000	fan/drive belt

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188450 mi US $200	I've been getting very poor mileage. The shop checked the ECU(?) and found nothing. They changed the spark plugs and I'm waiting to see if there's any improvement after driving at least a half tank of gas.
89000 mi US $1200	Bank 1 cat converter

48000 mi US $135	I got my air conditioning recharged at Jiffy Lube.
76300 mi US $325	I needed the throttle sensor replaced and the software reprogrammed.
120000 mi US $225	My (middle of the car) upper armrest storage bin latch was broken. I had the latch replaced so I could close my armrest.
155000 mi US $550	Needed new alternator
170000 mi US $1150	New rear bushings New front brakes and aftermarket rotors
179000 mi US $318	New tires
185000 mi US $170	Had new rear brake pads installed
186000 mi US $900	Solenoid and arm for transmission
199000 mi US $300	Needed a new power window switch for driver’s window.

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40000 mi US $130	The brake calipers were sticking and not releasing causing intermittent squealing when driving. The brake pads had to be replaced to correct the problem.
107000 mi US $2000	Continued problems with a hard downshift. Dealer determined the transmission needed to be replaced. Since it was just barely out of warranty Hyundai split the cost of the replacement and provided a rebuilt transmission and I paid for the labor to install it.

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48160 mi US $1317	Clutch, pressure plate & throwout bearing replaced. Flywheel refaced. Dealer says lining just wore out. I purchased the car as certified pre-owned with 25K on the odometer and the clutch never felt quite right and has a much different feel now. Clutch, pressure plate & throwout bearing replaced. Flywheel refaced.
52268 mi US $255	Replaced front crank seal and resealed oil pan. Replaced front crank seal and resealed oil pan.

155000 mi C $1400	shocks replaced
179800 mi C $500	Emissions failure

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59000 mi

US $59700

Car brought back for original issue with popping noises either coming from the front or rear end while making low to moderate speed turns. Dealer was unable to fix issue, saying that one of the wheels were bent, which it wasn't.

50000 mi

US $3500

Catastrophic engine failure of unknown origin. Repair estimates more than $3500

89000 mi US $140	Replaced tie rod bushings. A/C not cooling sufficiently.
92000 mi US $1600	replaced strut kit and shock absorbers
95000 mi US $150	Lower strut mounting too loose Evacuated and refilled Freon and oil

114000 mi US $3487	Head gasket leaked, water pump leaked, Idler pulley failed, valve cover leaked oil, rear brakes needed pads and rotors,
118000 mi US $325	The window regulator on the passenger side failed

28620 mi C $280	Car idled rough during a warm engine stat-up. Revved high briefly also exhaust smoke noticed. Car made a metallic noise during start-up. Dealer found no problems. Car has been running fine since. Brakes serviced. Intermitent squeal backing
72520 mi C $115	Partial, both rear wheel seizure due rusty backing plates, lack or no maintenance of the parking brake shoe assemblies and poor adjustments made by a local shop 2 years ago. This had resulted in poor fuel economy and lack of engine power. Common problem.
76040 mi C $635	Fuel either spills-out or is literally "thrown-out" towards the fuel pump operator during full tank fill-ups when pump detects a full tank and stops filling. Still, inadequate cabin heat! Previous reported repairs under Factory Warranty included the malfunction of the temperature regulating damper door. Dealer had found a missing clip. Dealer replaced thermostat and coolant this time.
79360 mi C $279	Right front window would not stay up. Window regulator replaced.
92380 mi C $2000	Catastrophic loss of brake hydraulic pressure due to a rusted brake line at the rear of the vehicle near the fuel tank that ruptured. Needed new brake lines through-out and new fuel lines in the area where the rotted out brake lines located. Rear brake pads worn-out. Replaced pads and rotors. While the car was on the hoist I showed the Technician about the calipers seizing-up and that this has been a long time problem. Many reports about rear brakes on theses cars.
101060 mi C $575	Upper right front strut mount had separated from strut unit. Strut replaced. Oil pan, transmission pan and timing belt front cover leaking motor oil. Total repair costs would be over $2,600. The worst leak was due to the oil pan and was replaced. The other two leaking components were not repaired/replaced since the car will be sold. I was quoted $360 for the transmission pan replacement and around $2,250 to repair the leak at the the timing belt cover. The timing belt cover had been previously repaired around 3 years ago.
101680 mi C $400	Transmission oil pan replaced. Oil pan and front timing chain cover not done at this time.
101680 mi C $1600	Oil pan and front timing chain cover replaced.

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107000 mi US $1250	Replaced valve cover gasket that the dealer replaced less than a year ago. I believe this was a dealer issue that wasn't properly repaired the first time. Under warranty. Replaced upper control arms. (Making noise). This was not a mandatory repair in that the car was still safe to drive but just noisy. Replaced all 4 shocks. lasted 107K. Great OEM parts.
110800 mi US $512	replace power steering pump. This was found because of a leak.

66300 mi US $500	Rear brake lines rusted through and needed replaced.
76900 mi US $600	Fuel pump seal wore out resulting in check engine light. No performance hit but repair required the removal of my back seats.
90000 mi US $425	Dead starter
103000 mi US $2500	Rusted front struts replaced Cylinder head gasket replaced

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65000 mi US $850	Random stalling. MAF and throttle body replaced. Dealer claimed K&N air filter damaged them. K&N tested parts, found no defects, probably only needed to be cleaned. K&N refunded repair cost, seeking settlement with Hyundai of Wesley Chapel.
86000 mi US $1300	Replace defective dual mass flywheel. Submitting repair to Hyundai for 100K mile, 10 year drive train warranty.
90000 mi US $245	Front. Replaced brake pads, rotors and flush brake fluid.

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79200 mi US $300	Rear brake piston seized, replaced calipers and rotor.
93200 mi US $1575	Rear wheel bearings, calipers and pads

160000 mi

US $3700

Engine blew out and car would not start at all!

63000 mi US $1100	Airbag warning light always on Passenger Occupancy Sensing system not working properly. Not sensing presence of passenger.
67000 mi US $3321	Airbag system complete replacement
124000 mi US $571	fuel pump assembly was replaced due to loss of electrical connection of connector inside of fuel tank
157000 mi US $300	door window regulator {power window)
160000 mi US $800	corroded brake line
159000 mi US $1500	brake calipers replacement due corrosion

18300 mi US $525	The brake lines burst due to rust and had to be replaced.
23300 mi US $1600	the total air conditioning system needed to be replaced.

79000 mi

US $15000

evaporative emissions

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78000 mi

US $1050

Window switch Starter Suspension rods

174400 mi

US $3000

Replaced tranny

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44020 mi C $210	windshield washer pump stopped working - replaced. trunk wouldn't latch and stay closed. Trunk latch mechanism replaced.
74780 mi C $2300	Strut insulator, timing cover seal kit, drive belt, control arm & ball joint, plus numerous other minor repairs/replacements to avoid costly labor to get to the same area in the near future. Additional $200 for those 'pre-emptive' repairs.
99820 mi C $491	Lost A/C fluid due to hole in condenser. Replaced condenser - then recharged.

101000 mi

US $1100

Replaced right front upper and lower control arms, 4 shocks and shock mounts, and the brake pedal ESC/ABS switch.

28000 mi

US $3000

Timing chain broke & blew the engine; oil changed every 3k ml. Had oil change 5 days before this @ Tarbox Hyundai RI - was told no current problems w/car. Ordered used engine online & had private service station replace it.

11000 mi US $200	Vibration at high speeds.
14200 mi US $100	Check Engine Light on...replaced 1 Oxygen Sensor. After getting car back, next day, check engine light blinking. Car towed to dealer. Per dealer replaced a second Oxygen Sensor.
26000 mi US $1900	Replaced an internal part in the transmission (forgot the part name) that the dealer had only seen fail one time and that was on a brand new car.

118100 mi US $3000	Engine mount
168 mi US $500	steering pump replaced alternator replaced

34720 mi

C $64500

higher reving,idles rough,sputters. code retrieval,$89.99,fuel supply system $87.00,throttle $302.90,Parts $324.42,labour $246.59,taxes $74.23.Total $645.24

98000 mi

US $1176

noise from engine compartment got louder. after weeks of driving check engine light came on. flexplate rivets had loosened. dropped transmission to replace flexplate. there is a service bulletin on this.

88300 mi US $1621	airbag passenger seat mat defective & unrepairable resulting in no functional air bags for car; have to replace seat
90000 mi US $1500	After having passenger seat replaced approx 4000 miles ago for defective seat sensor which disabled air bag system, replacement seat had same defect and has to be replaced. $1550 for a seat. 100s of complaints reported for this to NHTSA.

64000 mi US $900	Electronic throttle assembly and related electronics
77000 mi US $475	Harmonic balancer replaced. Earlier complained to the Service as 'loose belt', but 'could not reproduce'.
93000 mi US $200	Suspension damage?, steering pulling left at 70MPH. Dealer can not pinpoint the broken part in the suspension, nor can they adjust anything. Randomly changing bits would become too expensive, so no repairs...
104000 mi US $1300	Power steering rack cylinder leaking. Replaced the whole rack w/ a new one.
105000 mi US $150	leaking valve cover replaced

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67000 mi

US $1500

Changed clutch since it was manual tranny. Replaced entire clutch.

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153300 mi

C $1300

Replace brakes including rotors and pads and front calipers

78900 mi US $150	I replaced both front disc rotors and brake pads. I replaced rear brake pads. Rotors were in good shape. Air bag light on dash will not turn off due to bad sensor in front passenger seat. Refused to pay $1500.00 to repair. Will live with it.
105000 mi US $1900	cam shaft gear replaced. Also timing chain

112000 mi US $164	When trying to start the car it would turn over but not start. After 7-8 attempts I was able to get it going and the engine light turned on. Deposits of carbon and sludge from the PCV system get into the throttle body. Cleaned throttle body.
149000 mi US $900	They replaced the manifold.
162000 mi US $400	Lower ball joints replaced.
165000 mi US $825	Rear calipers seized. Replaced them and rear rotors and pads.
124500 mi US $1300	All pads/roters and two callipers
210000 mi US $610	Brake line under gas tank

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71000 mi US $150	wheel bearing noisy
75000 mi US $1200	Compressor went out

150200 mi US $220	right outer tie rod end badly worn. replaced, and alignment.
162000 mi US $1000	Hole in manifold/catalytic assembly. Replaced.
174000 mi US $1500	Tie rod end failed while driving. Lost all steering and brakes. Luckily was the right side so the car came to a stop on the shoulder instead of crossing the centerline into oncoming traffic. Very very bad situation. Mechanic said he suspected possible severe but hidden damage to the transaxle and warned of likely very expensive future repair as a result. We opted to salvage the car instead of the $1500 for repairs. Not happy!

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173000 mi US $350	Had crank position sensor and timing belt replaced
179900 mi US $1300	Crankshaft sensor had to be replaced for the second time in less than 6 months. Valves were replaced because oil pump sprocket was left loose causing bent valves.

62000 mi US $770	Increasing frequency of rough idle/misfire problem, finally threw code, replace EGR, replaced spark plug wires and coil packs as preventative measure.
85000 mi US $711	A/C stopped blowing cold. Shop said compressor had failed, replaced it and recharged system.
93000 mi US $1000	Left front brake making grinding noise upon application. Mechanic said caliper was stuck and needed rebuild. Asked if it could be due to car sitting for 3 months and they said yes. Also replaced pads. Mechanic noted front struts were leaking and needed replaced.

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96200 mi US $100	A crank shaft sensor was out, causing mistiming on engine. Car would stall and die. This might have been caused by an old timing belt problem (which was also replaced, but not listed above - routine maintenance). Sensor replaced. All good.
123400 mi US $300	One of the engine mounts had deteriorated and needed to be replaced.
154000 mi US $1750	RPM sensor had broken off. There was other damage as well and required the entire timing system to be replaced including the main timing belt. Front axles replaced.

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76000 mi US $900	replaced air conditioner compressor. AC had not worked in a few years.
78000 mi US $500	gearwheel right control arm bolt rusted loose. replaced control arm
85000 mi US $200	Air condition system recharge. it had drained completely and was not cooling . Had the system checked thoroughly for any leaks none found. the air condition fluid was refilled properly.
90000 mi US $1100	Timing belt

170000 mi US $220	coolant replaced and AC charged found leak in compressor. estimate $1,400 debating whether it is worth to get it done with the high mileage.
178000 mi US $1000	Total AC assembly with timing belt kit and water pump replaced
179000 mi US $235	Passenger side fan was replaced for $235 by Craig Radiator

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119600 mi US $120	Self-Replaced both driver/passenger cv axles.
123000 mi US $490	Power steering pump squealed every time I started. And would cause steering failure every so often when attempting to steer while squealing.
141000 mi US $1235	Replaced timing and driving belts due to squeak caused by worn belts. Engine hard to start and rough idle. Conducted Fuel Induction Service to include replacing of spark plugs. Rough idle remained following service, although car ran better. Owner diagnosis: Worn engine mount.

115000 mi US $1100	coolant leak, replaced water pump and timing belt
115000 mi US $700	replaced rusty brake lines

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107000 mi

US $700

alternator dying due to valve cover gasket leaking oil onto alternator. alternator and valve conver gasket replaced. front struts replaced.

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93000 mi

US $1600

Head job due to broken timing belt. Did not replace timing belt at recommended 60K.

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Expensive Hyundai Sonata repairs by problem area

Hyundai Sonata repair cost distribution

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