2008 Hyundai Sonata Body & Structure Problems

FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE AND FRONT PASSENGER'S DOOR HANDLE HAVE FALLEN OFF. TO GET INTO CAR TO DRIVE ANYWHERE I MUST CLIMB THROUGH CAR FROM BACK SEAT. RECALLS DO EXIST FOR LATER YEARS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL.

THIS EVENING AT OUR LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL WFLX I SAW A STORY ABOUT HYUNDAI SONATAS'S DOOR HANDLES FALLING OFF.THIS LADY HAD ALL 4 OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES BREAK OFF. THE NEWS STATION SAID HYUNDAI TOLD THEM THIS IS AN ISOLATED CASE. NOT TRUE. I HAVE REPLACED ALL OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES AND TWO OF THE INSIDE HANDLES ON MY VEHICLE. JUST LIKE THE ONE THE NEWS SHOWED. MY SISTER IN LAW WHO LIVES IN JACKSONVILLE FL. HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SO IT'S NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. FIRST TIME MY DOOR HANDLE BROKE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER (NAPLETON'S HYUNDAI) AND IT COST ME $600 TO GET IT FIXED. SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN FIXING IT MYSELF. GUESS WHAT, THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF AGAIN. THIS WILL BE MY 5TH TIME FIXING THE DOOR HANDLES. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. IF YOU NEED A PICTURE I CAN UPLOAD ONE TOMORROW. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, MY DRIVER-SIDE INNER DOOR HANDLE BEGAN TO BECOME LOOSE AND POP OUT. IT IS STILL PARTIALLY FUNCTIONAL SO THAT I CAN OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. THE OTHER DAY, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF WHEN I WAS OPENING THE CAR DOOR. I NOW HAVE TO ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. NOTHING TRAUMATIC HAPPENED TO CAUSE THIS, AND I DON'T USE EXCESSIVE FORCE ON MY DOOR.

EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE SHEARING OFF. LEFT REAR DOOR HANDLE CAME OFF ON 4/24/2016. RIGHT FRONT DOOR HANDLE CAME OFF TODAY 11/29/2016. HANDLES BOTH CAME OFF WHEN I PULLED ON THEM TO OPEN THE DOOR. NO UNUSUAL FORCE INVOLVED. HANDLES ARE COMPLETELY PLASTIC. SHEAR POINT IS NARROW PIECE WHICH CONNECTS HANDLE TO INTERIOR CONNECTOR TO DOOR LATCH. I HAVE NEVER BEFORE HEARD OF CAR DOOR HANDLES FAILING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CROSS MEMBER OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REMEDIED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V354000 (SUSPENSION). INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CROSS MEMBER ON THE VEHICLE, THE TECHNICIAN APPLIED A WAX COATING TO PREVENT CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR BECAME INOPERABLE AND FAILED TO OPEN USING THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE FOUND LYING ON THE GROUND WITH PLASTIC EXTENSION THAT ACTIVATES DOOR LATCH BROKEN--HAD FALLEN INSIDE DOOR. THREE WEEKS LATER, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL FAILURE. PURCHASED REPLACEMENTS FROM LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER IN EACH CASE. THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A SYSTEMIC DESIGN FAILURE. OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO INABILITY OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO OPEN DOOR FROM OUTSIDE IN CASE OF OCCUPANT INCAPACITATION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE, THE DRIVER'S SUNVISOR DROPPED DOWN FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND PARTIALLY BLOCKED MY FORWARD VISION. SUBSEQUENTLY THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO REFUSED TO STAY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. WHEN I CONSULTED WITH THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS 4 MONTHS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I THEN CONTACTED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND RECEIVED A CASE NUMBER AND WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY DID NOT APPLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I COULD HAVE THE PARTS REPLACED AND APPLY TO THEM FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT THAT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT I WOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE PARTS OR THE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE SINCE SEEN A HYUNDAI TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR 2008MY HYUNDAI SONATA SUNVISOR REPLACEMENT (SERVICE CAMPAIGN T97) DATED NOVEMBER 2009 WHICH STATES THAT IT APPLIES TO THE WESTERN,SC, AND SOUTHERN REGIONS ONLY. SINCE IT'S DESCRIPTION STATES "ON SOME 2008 SONATA VEHICLES, THE SUN VISOR MAY NOT STAY IN THE STORED (UP) POSITION. THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES THE SERVICE PROCEDURE TO REPLACE THE SUN VISOR ASSEMBLIES." APPLICABLE PRODUCTION DATE RANGE, MARCH 6, 2007 TO JANUARY 10, 2008. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT JANUARY 02, 2008 THIS WOULD APPLY IF I LIVED IN ANY OF THOSE STATES (WHICH I DO NOT). SINCE THIS A NOT ONLY A DEFECTIVE ASSEMBLY BUT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, I FAIL TO SEE WHY THIS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO ONLY THOSE REGIONS AND NOT TO ALL AREAS. AT THE VERY LEAST IT SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ISSUE EVEN PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

TRIED TO OPEN DRIVERSIDE DOOR HANDLE COME OFF IN MY HAND 3 MONTHS AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP NEVER HEARD OF PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE BREAKING. *TR