NHTSA Complaint #10495861 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

1) TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM LIGHT INDICATES LOW TIRE PRESSURE. 2) DRONING NOISE COMING FROM REAR TIRES. THE TIRE PRESSURE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 2-WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR USED FROM A LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. WHEN DRIVEN LOCALLY, THE PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT EVERY 2-TO-3 WEEKS (APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES). WHEN I DRIVE ON OUT-OF-TOWN TRIPS, THE TROUBLE OCCURRENCE VARIES FROM ABOUT EVERY 150 TO 700 MILES. I CHECKED THE TIRES WITH A TIRE GAUGE AND IT INDICATES THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT TIRE (SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY TIRE HAVING THE PROBLEM) HAS ONLY 25 PSI OF PRESSURE. I INFLATED THE TIRE TO 35 PSI AND CONTINUED MY TRIP. THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON A COUPLE MORE TIMES DURING THIS PARTICULAR TRIP. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS FOUR NEW TIRES, AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS, HOWEVER IT HAS MOVED TO THE DRIVER-SIDE REAR TIRE (THIS MAY BE THE RIM THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ON THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT. THE DEALER HAS CHECKED THE TIRE AND RIM AND HAS NOT FOUND ANY PROBLEMS. I HAD THE ISSUED CHECKED DURING A RECENT TRIP BY AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AND THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE OR RIM. THEY ALSO HAD TO PUT AIR IN THE TIRE AND SPECULATE THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE TPMS SINCE THE TIRE IS ACTUALLY LOOSING AIR WHEN IT HEATS UP. PLEASE NOTE NITROGEN IS USED IN THE TIRES. MY SON NOTICED THE DRONING NOISE ON A PARTICULAR OUT-OF-TOWN TRIP. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME IN THE VEHICLE, AND HE NOTED THE NOISE RIGHT AWAY. THE TIRES HAD PLENTY OF TREAD AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. THE ISSUE WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE (I BELIEVE THEY WERE THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES).