2001 Hyundai Sonata Transmission Problems

Your airbag warning light turns on when you start the engine, and the seat belt in the rear-left seat won't fasten properly. Both of these are safety system issues that need attention. A mechanic will need to scan the airbag system for fault codes and inspect the seat belt mechanism for damage or wear.

WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STAND STILL,( STOP SIGN, STOP LIGHT, ETC. ) THE CAR FREQUENTLY HESITATES BEFORE IT STARTS MOVING, WHICH MAKES IT DANGEROUS NOT KNOWING IF YOU ARE GOING GET ACROSS A STREET BEFORE TRAFFIC GETS TO YOU. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN MANY TIMES TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM. BUT THEY HAVE DONE MANY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE HESITATION. I SEE FROM OTHER BULLETINS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUTTER AND PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STREET. AFTER INSPECTING, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXLE HAD BROKEN BECAUSE IT HAD RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 75,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

ONGOING PROBLEM WHERE MY CAR JERKS AND THE RPM'S GO UP TO 4-5 BEFORE MY CAR WILL EVEN MOVE IN WHICH CASE I AM THROW FORWARD DUE TO THE GEARS NOT SHIFTING. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! *TR

RE- 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA I WAS ON WAY TO WORK GOING 93 NORTH TOWARDS BOSTON 1 EXIT AWAY FROM WORK WHEN I WENT OVER 3 SMALL BUMPS ON HIGHWAY NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, YET MY TIRES FELT AS IF THEY WERE NOT STABLE I WAS ONLY GOING 60 SLOWED DOWN TO 30 TOOK OFF RAMP 1 BLOCK AWAY FROM WORK, THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED AT A CROSS STREET INTERSECTION TO TAKE A RIGHT. I PROCEEDED THEN I FLEW FORWARD IN MY CAR. MY CAR STOPPED SHORT FOR A SECOND I THOUGHT I HIT MY SHIFTER IN NEUTRAL OR REVERSE, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE, I WAS IN DRIVE. PUT CAR IN PARK IT MADE A SEARING UNGODLY SOUND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR JUST AS TWO MEN CAME RUNNING OVER TO HELP ME. WE NOTICED THE TIRE COMPLETELY AGAINST INSIDE WHEEL FRAME. I JUST HAD A RIM REPLACED NOT EVEN 1 MONTH AGO AND NEW BRAKES AND TIRES YET I WASN'T SURE WHAT THIS TIRE LIKE THAT MEANT. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I SEEM TO BE HAVING TO REPLACE SO MANY THINGS, ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD AFTER TOWING CAR TO FIRESTONE THAT MY WHOLE CAR UNDERCARRIAGE FRAME SUBFRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AND THAT THE AXLE IS SNAPPED AND MAY EVEN HAVE DAMAGED TRANSMISSION I CALLED HYUNDAI TO PUT A COMPLAINT IN. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE A RECALL ON MY CAR WHEN THEY LOOKED UP MY CAR BY THE VIN YET I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. THEY SEEMED QUITE CARING AND EMPATHIC TO MY SITUATION, YET THE LAST QUESTION THEY ASKED ME, BLEW ME AWAY. CHRISTINE THE OPERATOR FROM HYUNDAI ASKED ME ONE MORE QUESTION MS.__ WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO GET OUT OF THIS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT A QUESTION, I ASKED IF I SHOULD GET A LAWYER, AND WAS IT AN VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY RECALL SHE SAID THAT HYUNDAI PUT THIS RECALL INTO EFFECTS AFTER THE COMPANY REALIZED AND FOUND THAT THEY MAY HAVE A DEFECTIVE CORROSIVE SITUATION, YET ON THE WEB THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED FIRST THEN DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SHE SAID RECALLS STARTED IN JULY OF 09 AND ARE STILL BEING ISSUED TO DATE, SHE SAID SHE'D MAIL ME A PACKET TO FILL OUT AND SEND BACK -OH JOY!! CANT WAIT. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER SHE DROVE THE 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA WITH 56715 FAILURE MILEAGE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SWITCHED INTO THE NEXT GEAR SLOWLY. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT, OR DROP OUT OF GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOLD IT IS THE INPUT SPEED SENSOR. COMMON FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS ERRATICALLY AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE INPUT SPEED SENSOR OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

I GOT MY CAR IN 2002 IT IS A 2001 SONOTA. WHEN YOU PUSH THE GAS TO PULL OUT IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC THIS CAR DOESN'T WANT TO GO! I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL CAR ACCIDENTS WHEN I TELL THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY TELL ME NOTHING IS WRONG! ALSO IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS YOU WILL SEE THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON THAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IN ITS SELF. *NM

THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON CAUSING A DOWN SHIFTING AFTER A BANGING IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. IT WAS A SENSOR THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RUNNING GEAR. WITHOUT IT THE CAR DOES NOT DRIVE. THAT IS PART OF THE RUNNING GEAR. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY 231.00. IF I CAN NOT DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE RUNNING GEAR. *JB

WE PURCHASED A 2001 SONATA. WE HAD IT THREE WEEKS AND THE COOLANT SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW,JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT(50000.) WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE SENSORS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS CRAZY. THIS CAR GIVES US MORE TROUBLE THAN OUR OTHER CARS THAT HAVE DOUBLE THE MILES. I AM SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SUCH PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY YOU RAISED THE MILEAGE ALLOWANCE ON THE NEWER ONES. I WILL NEVER BUY ONE OF THESE CARS AGAIN!*AK

MY SANTA FE LX-AWD REAR DIFFERENTIAL WHICH ALSO COULD BE DEFINED AS REAR AXLE WAS TOTALLY FAILED AND ALL THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEAKING AND THE WHOLE THING NEED TO BE REPLACE. MY CAR IS 87K MILE WHILE HYUNDAI SERVICES DEALER STATED THAT THIS PART IS COVERED UNDER THE 5/60K BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I STILL BELIEVED THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY; WHICH IT IS 10/100K MILES. WHEN I GO INTO MOST WEBSITES TO SHOP FOR THIS PART THEY MOSTLY RELATED TO THE POWER TRAIN PARTS. THE DEALER EXPECTED ME TO PAY NEARLY $2400 FOR JUST THIS PART TO BE FIX. THIS IS NOT INCLUDED LABOR YET. THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO AFFORD TO PAY FOR THIS PART AND OF COURSE NOT TO MENTION ABOUT LABOR....I SERIOUSLY FEEL THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN 10/100K WARRANTY INSTEAD OF 6/60K WARRANTY. SINCE THIS IS PART OF A TRANSMISSION TURNING THE TRANSAXLE TO THE REAR BECAUSE OF MY CAR IS AWD! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BUT THE PART IS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE FOR ANYONE TO AFFORD TO PAY ANOTHER $3K TO FIX IT. I FEEL TO POINT THAT I RATHER SAVE MY $3K RIGHT NOW AND BUY A USE ACCORD/CAMRY TO DRIVE. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT HERE IS TO ASK NHTSA TO HELP ME VERIFY THE CONDITION OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL/REAR AXLE ON MY 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LX AWD TO SEE IF THE PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER BUMPER TO BUMPER OR UNDER POWER TRAIN. AS YOU CAN SEE YOUR PART SELECTION IS ALSO STATED POWER TRAIN: REAR DIFFERENTIAL UNIT. I WAS HOPING FOR A RECALL THEN THAT WOULD BE GREAT OR CHECK AT THE PRICE POINT OF THE PART. IT IS TOO EXPENSIVE ($2400) JUST THIS PART ALONE. *NM

THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS JUMPING OUT OF GEARS, THE DEALER REPLACED A MODULE. *JB

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.*JB

DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS PHANTOM NEUTRAL CONDITION WHICH HYUNDAI IS AWARE, NO REPAIR AT TIME. (9/24/02)DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.*SCC

CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE FOR 4 MONTHS AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS TAKEN INTO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC KEPT IT FOR 38 DAYS. SINCE THEN TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT 3 MORE TIMES. *AK

ON APRIL 28, 2001 I AND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A LONG GRADE AT 35 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR. TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE THE ROAD CURVES TO THE RIGHT AND AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHEN I CAME AROUND THE CURVE I SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS GREEN AND PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE IN ORDER TO GET UP THE APPROACHING UPGRADE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. TANSMISSION HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL ALTHOUGH THE SHIFTER STILL INDICATED THAT I WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL. I HAD TO MANUALLY SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR. TWO DAYS LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND, AFTER THREE DAYS, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WOULD MAKE NO REPAIRS. ON FRIDAY MAY 4, 2001 I WAS CONTACTED BY THE HYUNDAI REGIONAL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THE MATTER WITH MY VEHICLE. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE VEHICLES "ADAPTIVE LEARNING" FEATURE THAT CAUSED THE SHIFT AND THAT WHAT I EXPERIENCED WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE NEW CAR I OWN WAS DESIGNED TO SHIFT AND STAY IN NEUTRAL WHEN IT IS IN A SITUATION WHERE ACCELERATION IS NECESSARY. BOTH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTUER CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT THERE IS NOTHING THE MATTER WITH THE VEHICLE AND REFUSE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS. ALSO, ONE WEEK BEFORE THE INCIDENT , MY WIFE AND I WERE ON THE SAME ROAD AND THE VEHICLE DID NEARLY THE SAME THING. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT AFTER ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO OF STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ITSELF BACK FROM NEUTRAL INTO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP.*AK

FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. IT WOULD FAIL TO REMAIN IN CORRECT GEAR. SOMETIMES CAN SLIGHTLY PUSH, AND WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 900 MILES. *AK