2005 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 165 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2005 reports, 26 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 27 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lightingJul 21, 2009
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFT OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.
ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.
Campaign 09V280000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
11 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Engine, Dec 19, 2023
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.
Service brakes, Engine, Jul 9, 2018
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.
Engine, Jul 9, 2018
EVER TIME I PRESS THE BRAKES HARD THE ENGINE TURNS OF COMPLETELY
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 21, 2014
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. *TR
Engine, Jul 16, 2014
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". *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Aug 4, 2013
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. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 20, 2012
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. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 18, 2008
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. *TR
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Oct 6, 2006
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 - *NM
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 28, 2006
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. *JB
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Visibility, Electrical system, Dec 22, 2005
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. *NM