Your vehicle report
1999 Hyundai Sonata
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 124
- Received Aug 1999 to Feb 2015
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through24 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on17 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes8 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #09V124000Hyundai is recalling 188,282 my 2001-2004 sonata and my 2001-2004 XG300 and XG350 vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front sub-frame on the vehicles, and may result in thinning or perforation of the sub-frame steel. The corrosion is frequently visible and often discovered during inspection or routine maintenance, and owners may also hear noises or notice tire misalignment and steering pull. If these signals are undetected or unheeded, the corrosion may progress and the forward mounting of the lower control arm may detach from the sub-frame.
- Recall #02V105000On certain passenger vehicles, an intermittent condition that leads to the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag warning light illumination could result from motion of the side impact air bag wiring harness and side impact air bag wiring harness connector which mount to the adjustable seat cushion assembly. This condition only relates to the side impact air bags and could prevent air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 3 fires, 23 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 11 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 22 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 124 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 24 | 19% | – | NHTSA recall #09V124000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 17 | 14% | – | NHTSA recall #01V347000, #02V105000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 6.5% | – | NHTSA recall #02V105000 |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 4.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 3.2% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 3.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 3.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 3.2% | – | NHTSA recall #00V259001 |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 4 | 3.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 2.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #09V124000April 16, 2009188,282 vehicles affected
suspension
Hyundai is recalling 188,282 my 2001-2004 Sonata and my 2001-2004 XG300 and XG350 vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front sub-frame on the vehicles, and may result in thinning or perforation of the sub-frame steel. The corrosion is frequently visible and often discovered during inspection or routine maintenance, and owners may also hear noises or notice tire misalignment and steering pull. If these signals are undetected or unheeded, the corrosion may progress and the forward mounting of the lower control arm may detach from the sub-frame.
If that happens, the vehicle may lose drive power to the wheels, and the front wheel may make contact with the fender or wheel well, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will measure the thickness of the front sub-frame and inspect the front sub-frame for corrosion damage and, if necessary, the front sub-frame will be replaced with a new sub-frame that incorporates additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front sub-frame does not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the sub-frame and will treat the sub-frame with rust-proofing material to stop the corrosion process. This procedure will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during april 2009. Owners may contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #02V105000April 9, 2002145,355 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
On certain passenger vehicles, an intermittent condition that leads to the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag warning light illumination could result from motion of the side impact air bag wiring harness and side impact air bag wiring harness connector which mount to the adjustable seat cushion assembly. This condition only relates to the side impact air bags and could prevent air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur.
Non-deployment of the SRS side impact air bag could increase the risk of injury during a side impact crash.
Remedy
Dealers will more securely fasten the side impact air bag wiring harnesses and connectors to the vehicle's front seat cushion frames. Owner notification began may 28, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #01V347000November 6, 200186,513 vehicles affected
air bags
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag warning light could illuminate due to motion of the side impact air bag wiring harness and side impact air bag wiring harness connector that mount to the adjustable seat cushion assembly. This condition only relates to the driver and/or passenger seat-mounted side impact air bag(s).
This condition could prevent seat mounted side impact air bag deployment during an accident where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the SRS side impact air bags could increase the risk of injury during an accident where side impact air bag deployment is intended.
Remedy
Dealers will more securely fasten the front seat side impact air bag wiring harness and connectors to the vehicle's front seat cushion frames. Owner notification will occur in six mailings on may 27, june 3, june 10, june 17, june 24, and july 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #00V259001September 11, 2000165,977 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring
Vehicle description: some Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5 liter V-6 engines and all elantra model vehicles may have experienced intermittent low-speed engine stalling, which could occur if the maf (mass air flow) sensor electrical signal is interrupted as a result of engine vibration transmitted to the maf sensor connector wiring harness.
This condition Can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will re-route the maf sensor connector wiring harness.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Hyundai Sonata.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN