2003 HYUNDAI SONATA Electrical System Problems

Airbag light came on and stays on. Pulled a code that pointed to the wiring in the passenger seat. Moved wiring around and made sure connectors were properly plugged and the light went away for maybe a week. Light is back on again. Removed seat bolts to gain better access, used tubing and electrical tape to straighten any kinked wiring I could find underneath passenger front seat, disconnected and reconnected connections. Airbag light blinked once and still remains on with the code still pointing to the passenger seat wiring. Apparently this issue has been reported many times in online forums with no meaningful response from the company though this clearly affects proper airbag deployment.

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON, MEANING THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THEY WILL NOT DEPLOY. INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. THIS IS APPARENTLY DUE TO WIRING UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT STRETCHING AND PINCHING FROM MOVING THE SEAT ITSELF AND WHEN THINGS ARE PLACED UNDERNEATH THE SEAT THAT MAY DISTURB THE WIRING. I KNOW IT IS THE WIRING UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT DUE TO CHECKING THE TROUBLE CODE AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE ISSUE FOR A COUPLE WEEKS BY GINGERLY MOVING THE WIRES UNTIL THE LIGHT WENT AWAY. NOW I CAN'T GET THE LIGHT TO GO AWAY NO MATTER WHAT METHODS I TRY. CAN'T FIND A REPLACEMENT SET OF WIRES NOR CAN I LOCATE WHICH WIRE SPECIFICALLY IS BEING AFFECTED TO TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE MYSELF. I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF PEOPLE MAKING THIS SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYING ON. THIS NEEDS A RECALL...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILED AND THE BRAKE SENSORS WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,967.

MY NEIGHBORS INFORMED ME THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE STUCK ON. ONE OF THEM RESEARCHED AND READ THAT IT MAY BE THE M48 STOP LAMP SWITCH. WE FOUND THE PLASTIC BACKING PORTION FROM THE CONTACT PLATE THAT PUSHES THE SWITCH IN. IT WAS BROKEN IN PIECES AND LAYING ON THE FLOOR MAT BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL. HE REPLACED IT WITH SOMETHING THAT IS TEMPORARILY DOING THE JOB. I WILL BE TAKING MY CAR INTO THE HYUNDAI DEALER NEXT WEEK TO HAVE THIS FIXED. THEY WILL ALSO BE REPLACING MY GAS TANK THAT GOT PUNCTURED WHILE THEY WERE REPLACING THE VALVE-CANISTER CL, CANISTER ASSY., AND VALVE-PURGE CONTR. BACK IN FEB. 2014 WHEN I COULD NOT EASILY GET FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THE FUEL ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS WELL FROM ALL OF THE PEOPLE I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET SEARCHING FOR RESOLUTIONS TO THE SAME PROBLEM WITH...

CAR QUITS RUNNING WHEN I PUT FUEL IN IT, I HAVE TRIED CHANGING FUEL PUMP ,FILTER NOTHING WORKS WAS GOIN DOWN THE FREEWAY CAR DIES FOR NO APPARENT REASON CAME SO CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS IN FAST MOVING LANE. SO I PULLED OVER AND TOOK AROUND 10 MIN, FINALLY STARTED. STOP ATGAS STATION TO FILL UP WITH GAS HAD TO SET FOR 30 MIN BEFORE MY CAR WOULD START , I NEED TO NO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT . *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON, WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST BUT NOW STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALER TO CHECK TO SEE IF THE SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS INTERMITTENT. ALSO THE ANTENNA HAS NOW STOPPED GOING UP AND DOWN. *TR

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINS ON ALL THE TIME, PER HYUNDAI NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AS IT IS CAUSED BY THE CABLE AND HARNESS ASSEMBLY WHICH WEARS OUT. IT STARTED AS INTERMITTENT BUT NOW NEVER TURNS OFF. WHEN INTERMITTENT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT FIXED AS IT NEVER WAS ON WHEN TAKEN TO DEALER. IT STARTED DURING THE NEW CAR WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT DID NOT REMAIN ON UNTIL IT WENT INTO EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEN THEY SAID IT WOULD COST BETWEEN 700 AND 1200 TO REPLACE, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT APPARENTLY DISABLES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THEY SAY IT IS A "MAINTENANCE ITEM", SUBJECT TO NORMAL WEAR SUCH AS WIPER BLADES. EXTENDED WARRANTY CONTRACT EXPLICITLY STATES EVERY THING COVERED BY NEW CAR WARRANTY IS INCLUDED. CABLE AND HARNESS IS NOT IN THE LIST OF EXCLUDED OR MAINTENANCE COVERAGE. *TR

CAR LOOSE POWER MOMENTARILY WHILE DRIVING, DOES NOT SHUT OFF. DEALER CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

CAR HAS JUST OVER 62,000 MILES AND HAS HAD ALL MAINTENANCE COMPLETED ON TIME. LEAVING THE GYM I UNLOCKED MY DOORS USING THE REMOTE AND GOT IN. I STARTED THE CAR AND FIDDLED WITH THE RADIO FOR A COUPLE MINUTES BEFORE PULLING OUT. WHEN I GOT ON THE ROAD THE LOCKS ALL LOCKED (AS IF I HAD PRESSED THE REMOTE LOCKING BUTTON!). I PRESSED THE "UNLOCK" BUTTON ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR PANEL, ONLY TO HAVE THE ALARM GO OFF AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS COME ON AS I DROVE DOWN THE ROAD. I PULLED OVER AND USED THE REMOTE TO LOCK THE CAR BACK AND UNLOCK IT AGAIN, AND THE ALARM STOPPED. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND IT WILL NOT START. THE ENGINE WILL NOT EVEN TURN OVER OR TRY TO TURN WHEN I TRY TO START. THE DOME LIGHTS STAY ON SO I KNOW IT'S NOT THE BATTERY...

I BOUGHT MY HYUNDAI USED BECAUSE OF ALL THE GREAT RATINGS IT GOT. IT HAD ABOUT 30,000 MILES ON IT. NOT OLD AT ALL FOR ME. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK MY CAR TO DEALER IT WAS BECAUSE OF BACK WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT STAYING ON, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR TWO DAYS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS FIXED BUT ON MY WAY HOME THE CRUISE CONTROL STILL DID NOT WORK. TWO DAYS AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR, THE CRUISE CONTROL MYSTERIOUSLY STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND MY CAR STARTED TO ACT UP AND WAS HESITATING WHILE DRIVING. I HAD IT TOWED TO HYUNDAI AND IT WAS KEPT FOR TWO DAYS AGAIN. I ALSO LET THE DEALER KNOW AT THAT TIME THAT THE CAR HAD ISSUES AND WAS ACTING UP, TOLD...

THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DOING OK FOR A LITTLE WHILE. THEN.... I TOOK THE CAR TO GET THE YEARLY INSPECTION DONE AND IT FAILED. THE BACK PASSENGERS BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON NON- STOP. I AM GOING TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN. THE BACK BRAKE LIGHT IS ON WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVING BUT WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKES THE SECONDARY LIGHT IS SUPPOSE TO COME ON AND MAKE IT BRIGHTER. THE LIGHT BULB IN THE BRAKE AREA HAD BOTH LOW AND HIGH LIGHT ON. I CHANGED OUT THE BULB TWICE THAT DAY THINKING MAYBE THE BULB IS BAD. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PART THAT HOLDS THE BULB IT LOOKED BLACK LIKE IT WAS BURNING. STILL THE TWO LIGHTS STAYED ON. I TALKED TO MY FRIEND IN MICHIGAN WHO IS A MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME IT SOUNDS AN ELECTRIC PROBLEM. THEN THE CAR ALSO STARTED TO DIE...

TWO WEEKS AGO I DROVE DOWN THE STREET TO THE STORE, WAS IN THERE FOR ABOUT 15 MIN AND WHEN I CAME OUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAVE LEARNED AND NOW OWN MY OWN JUMPER CABLES. I ASKED SOMEONE TO JUMP IT FOR ME. THEN I DROVE TO THE LIGHT AND WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN THE STEREO WENT OFF, THEN THE CLOCK WENT OFF, THEN THE LIGHTS IN THE DASH WENT OUT, THEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN OUT, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING THOUGH. AS SOON AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I STARTED TO DRIVE EVERYTHING STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I GOT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND TURNED IT OFF. WAITED A FEW MINUTES TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT STARTED.

ONE MORNING THE CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEYLESS REMOTE, I UNLOCKED IT WITH THE KEY, THEN WENT TO THE STORE AND LOCKED IT. CAME OUT OF THE STORE THEN I UNLOCKED IT WITH THE KEY AGAIN AND STARTED DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. ABOUT 5 MIN INTO THE DRIVE, MY DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED. AT THIS POINT I WAS A LITTLE SHOCKED BECAUSE MY DOORS NEVER LOCK. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ALARM STARTED TO SOUND. I WAS VERY AFRAID THAT THE CAR WOULD LOCK UP. I FINALLY KEPT PRESSING THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE KEY RING AND IT SHUT OFF. NO PROBLEMS TILL AFTER WORK. THE CAR DOOR UNLOCKED WITH THE ELECTRIC UNLOCKER, AS SOON AS I GOT IN THE ALARM WENT OFF AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I STARTED PRESSING THE BUTTON AGAIN, THE ALARM WENT OFF. NO PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A WEEK, TOOK IT TO...

PURCHASED 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA BRAND NEW. DEFECTIVE RADIO REPLACED 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. BATTERY DEAD AFTER 2 YEARS AND 8,500 MILES. NO REASON. BATTERY REPLACED BY MYSELF. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN IN AUGUST OF 2006. REPLACED AGAIN. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN ON DECEMBER 30TH 2006. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP STATED THE BATTERY WAS BAD. REPLACED AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE. I SAID THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRAINING 3 BATTERIES WITH LESS THAN 10,00 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE RADIO!?! AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RADIO AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE THE RADIO RAN OUT OF WARRANTY 5 MONTHS PRIOR! I BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL WRONG WITH THE CAR AND I DO NOT THINK I CAN TRUST THE VEHICLE NOW.*JB

RADIO DISPLAY GOES OUT FREQUENTLY. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ RADIO STATION FREQUENCY. HAVE TO CONSTANTLY TAP ON THE RADIO NEAR THE DISPLAY TO GET IT TO FUNCTION FOR A SHORT TIME. NOTIFIED THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIO WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THE WEEK BEFORE. SERVICE TECH SAYS HIS SONATA DID THE SAME THING. *JB

AFTER DRIVING MY CAR AND SHUTTING ENGINE OFF FOR AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR ELEVEN TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION MY CAR LOST POWER, ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. CAR WOULD HAVE TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THREE ALTERNATORS AND ONE BATTERY. THEY IS A MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. HYUNDAI WILL NOT REPLACE THIS LEMON. CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW. *NM

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE WIRING PROBLEMS, AND FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO DEALER TWO OF WHICH CAR DIED WHILE IDLING AND WAITING FOR GREEN LIGHTS. *NM