1999 Hyundai Sonata Body & Structure Problems

Your car's sub-frame (K-frame) rusted completely through, causing both rear tires to angle outward and nearly separate from the vehicle while also damaging the left control arm. You heard a loud pop and discovered your steering wheel was turned 180 degrees, forcing you to drive home at 10 mph with a burning rubber smell. The sub-frame will need to be replaced or welded, and the suspension components will need inspection and repair.

While driving slowly out of a parking space at 5 mph, your engine cradle fell down, which broke the control arm and damaged the axle. This caused your steering wheel to only move right, and when you shifted into reverse, the car also moved only to the right. You noticed the axle bushing, CV boot, and grease on the ground. A mechanic found that corrosion on the engine cradle caused it to fail and drop. Repair will require replacing the corroded engine cradle, control arm, axle, and related suspension components.

Your car's lower control arm separated from the frame on the front passenger side while turning a corner, which damaged a new tire and fender. This is a serious structural failure that could cause loss of control while driving. The control arm will need to be reattached to the frame and inspected for damage, and the tire and fender will need to be replaced.

After you had your car repaired for a recall involving the front suspension sub-frame, your vehicle started pulling side to side and won't drive straight. The manufacturer refused to cover the cost of an alignment to fix the problem. This alignment issue likely resulted from the recall repair work.

After taking your 1999 Hyundai Sonata to the dealer for a suspension recall repair, your car no longer drives straight and pulls sharply to one side when you brake. The manufacturer has refused to pay for a wheel alignment to correct the problem. This happened at 154,000 miles.

Your car's motor cradle (the metal support structure that holds the engine) has rusted through and needs to be replaced. The shop discovered this during a routine oil change. This appears to be a common issue with this model year. Replacing the motor cradle is a major structural repair that requires removing the engine and installing a new support frame.

1999 HYUNDAI SONATA. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AND THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR COLLAPSED DUE TO RUSTED SUB FRAME WHICH BROKE THE AXLE AND CONTROL ARM. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS KILLED, BUT THIS WAS AN ALARMING INCIDENT I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE WITH ANY CAR. THIS IS DANGEROUS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR

SEVERE RIGHT SIDE SUBFRAME RUST PROBLEM ON A 99 HYUNDAI SONATA NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM . *TR

ENGINE CRADLE (PART OF FRAME WHICH SUPPORTS FRONT SUSPENSION) RUSTED THROUGH ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. FRAME FAILED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES PER HOUR. THIS FAILURE DAMAGED CV SHAFT. TOTAL REPAIR BILL WAS $1,270.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA. FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS, THE CONTACT FELT THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. ON NOVEMBER 11, 2008, WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT 5 MPH, THE FRAME DETACHED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BENT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRAME AND TIRE BOLTS WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 119,000.

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY HYUNDAI SONATA 1999 WITH 61000 MILES AND SUDDENLY THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED. HE WAS PARKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WE CALL A TOW TRUCK AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE NEVER EVER EVER SAW A FRAME WITH SO MUCH RUST AND CORROSION NOT EVEN CARS OLDER AND MUCH MILES THAN MINE. THE FRAME HAVE HOLES ALL OVER. WITH ALL THE EXTREME CORROSION AND RUST THE RIGHT SUB FRAME IS BROKEN IN HALF. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW ME AND MY CHILDREN DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO DRIVES THAT CAR. AFTER THE MECHANIC SAW MY CAR WE CALLED ANOTHER TOW TRUCK AND WE SENT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I'M WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND SEE IF HYUNDAI WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DAMAGE THIS IS CAUSING ME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT CAR IS DEFECTED. IN THE MEANTIME I DON'T HAVE A CAR WHICH GIVES A LOT PROBLEMS TO ME AND MY FAMILY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS TO THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE FRONT SUBFRAME NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. UPDATED 11/24/08 *CN UPDATED 11/26/08. *JB

HYUNDAI SONATA 1999 RIGHT SIDE SUB FRAME RUSTED AND CAR BECAME NON DRIVABLE, TOOK CAR TO CROWN HYUNDAI ST PETE FLA FOR OIL CHANGE, DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH, AND ADVISED TO CONTACT HYUNDAI AMERICA FOR REPAIR AUTHORIZATION AT 1-800-633-5151 DID THIS, CURRENT CASE #54326 CAR AT DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR REPAIR AUTHORIZATION FROM HYUNDAI AMERICA. *TR

FRONT SUBFRAME PREMATURELY RUSTED AND VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO USE. *TR

I FOUND THAT I COULD HARDLY CONTROL THE STEERING OF MY CAR, AND THE TIRES WERE SQUEALING EVEN WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. I GOT THE CAR TO A SHOP AND WAS TOLD AND SHOWN THAT THE SUB FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH, MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. I HAVE CONTACTED USED PARTS DEALERS ALL OVER NY, NJ AND MA AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS PART IS IN HIGH DEMAND FOR MY MODEL CAR, BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR. DESPITE THIS, HYUNDAI DEALERS TELL ME IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR 10 YEAR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. IT IS A 9 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 85,000 MILES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP AND IT BEGAN PULLING SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO MY MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRAMES ON HYUNDAI SONATA VEHICLES, AND THAT MINE EXHIBITED THE SAME KIND OF PROBLEMS THAT OTHERS HAD REPORTED. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY I WAS NOT TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY, AS I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRAME WAS BADLY RUSTED AND. IN HIS WORDS, "THE FRAME WAS SO BAD I COULD NOT GET BOLTS OUT OF CONTROL ARM, HAD TO CUT FRAME APART AND PRESS OUT BUSHINGS, REPLACE SWAY LINK." THE CONTROL ARM WAS BARELY ATTACHED AFTER THE FRAME FAILED. HE REPLACED THE COMPLETE CROSSMEMBER ASSEMBLY (PART #'S 62405-38101, 54561-38000, 265-2197) AND SUGGESTED I FOLLOW UP WITH HYUNDAI, SINCE THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE REPAIRS WERE FINISHED ON 7/2/2008. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI, PROVIDED ALL THE INFORMATION THEY REQUESTED AND I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME WITHIN A WEEK. I HAVE TALKED WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES, AND EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT WHY I HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED YET. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CARS REPAIRED BY HYUNDAI, OR BEEN REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS, AND PROVIDED ONE PERSON'S CASE NUMBER AS AN EXAMPLE. AS OF 8/6/2008, I HAVE YET TO TALK TO THE SAME PERSON TWICE AT HYUNDAI, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED. THE CASE NUMBER WITH HYUNDAI'S CONSUMER DEPARTMENT IS 3340021. *TR

TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION THERE WAS A RUSTED HOLE IN THE FRAME THAT WENT ALMOST COMPLETELY THROUGH THE FRAME. I WAS TOLD THAT HYUNDAI WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND TRADED IN THE OLD VEHICLE, AND WAS ONLY GIVEN THE MINIMUM AMOUNT FOR A JUNK VEHICLE INSTEAD OF THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AT NIGHT, THE CONTACT SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID RUNNING A RED LIGHT. AFTERWARDS, SHE NOTICED THAT SHE COULD NO LONGER PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS RUSTED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER THOUGHT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE AND THEY FAXED PAPERS TO THEM, BUT THE CONTACT HAS YET TO RECEIVE ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 136,000.

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR TIRE WEAR AND SQUEAKING/RUBBING NOISE ISSUE. THE SERVICE STATION THAT CHECKED IT OUT, NOTICED THE FRONT PART OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE CRADLE/SUBFRAME. THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE/SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED OUT SO BAD THAT THE CONTROL ARM JUST RIPPED APART FROM IT. ONLY DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE IS TIRE WEAR, BUT COULD OF BEEN WORSE IF NOT CAUGHT IN TIME. *TR

SAME ISSUE AS EXISTING CASE # PE08029 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY WHEN PASSENGER SIDE FRONT ENGINE CRADLE SUPPORT CRACKED AND CAR BECAME UNDRIVABLE. *TR

LAST FALL, DRIVING ALONG, ALL WAS FINE, GOING ONLY 15 MPH, HIT SMALL BUMP, CLUNK, THE FRONT FRAME BROKE. THE ENGINE CRADLE AS IT IS COMMONLY CALLED HAD RUSTED AND BROKEN THROUGH ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEAR THE FRONT WHEEL. THE CAR SITS UNDRIVABLE STILL TODAY. CONTACTED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS - THEY WERE NO HELP. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA, AND I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A WHEEL-BEARING PROBLEM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR A WHEEL BEARING I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY THAT IT COLLAPSED THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE "A FRAME. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THE DEALER WANT $ 1700 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE CRADLE. THIS IS PURELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR 1999 CAR LITERALLY FALLS APART. THE CONSUMERS OF THIS BRAND WERE SHORTCHANGED. A CAR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 8 YEARS. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET HYUNDAI MOTORCARS TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SERIOUS INJURIES OCCUR AND TO COMPENSATE THOSE HARD WORKING FOLKS THAT HAVE LOST USE OF THEIR CARS. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD WAS HIT AND THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL NOT TO WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS ROTTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE RIGHT WHEEL PASSED OVER A SMALL DIP IN THE ROAD, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS LIFTED UP, AND IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WHERE THE CONTROL ARM WAS ATTACHED HAD RUSTED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, WHO SUGGESTED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED, WHO INFORMED THE FRAME WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE REMAINED INOPERABLE AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE THE FRAME SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE VEHICLE'S 100000 MILE WARRANTY.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL AREA. UPON INSPECTION OF THE WHEEL, THE WHEEL WAS OBSERVED TO BE ANGLED SLIGHTLY INWARD. THE TREAD ON THE TIRE WAS ALSO WORN TO THE POINT OF PRESSING THE TREAD INWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED, AND HAD FRACTURED DUE TO THE RUST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED.

THE BARS, IN THE CONSUMER'S 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA, THAT HOLD THE MOTOR UP WERE RUSTED THROUGH ON ONE SIDE AND CRACKED AND RUSTED ON THE OTHER SIDE . *TS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE RUST PROBLEM. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA( VIN# KMHWF35V5XA04162) ON SOUTH AVENUE IN STATEN ISLAND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF.DEALER SAID THE CAUSE WAS CRACKED K FRAME, THEN LATER UPON ASKING FOR DAMAGE ESTIMAT SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO BENT K FRAME. SINCE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED DECIDED TO TAKE CAR TO MY OWN MECHANIC. UPON EXAMINATION HE SHOWED METHAT THE K FRAME WAS NEITHER CRACKE NOR BENT, IT WAS SIMPLY RUSTED THROUGHOUT AND THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY JUST FELL OFF WHEN THE RUST COULD NO LONGER HOLD IT TO THE FRAME.CALEED BACK BOTH DEALE AND CORPORATE HYUNDAI NOT ONLY FOR REDRESS BUT ALSO TO EXAMINE FOR DEFECT THAT COULD RESULTING INJURY TO OTHERS IN SIMILAR SITUATION. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANT FOR THE K FRAME AND THAT ANY PROBLEM WHETHER DUE TO ROT, RUST, OR OTHERWISE WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THEY WOULD NOT SEND ANY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO EXAMINE THE CAR PERIOD.IF THIS INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH, HYUNDAI'S REFUSAL TO EVEN TAKE A TIME OUT TO SEE IF THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM INDICATES A CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS WHO MAY BE DRIVING SAME MAKE AND MODEL. THE CAR IS ATILL INTACT AND AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER YOU MIGHT ADVISE ME TO DO WITH IT. PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS I CAN'T LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS FOREVER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ANNETTE HYLAND