2003 Hyundai Sonata recalls and problems

THE MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTIFICATION AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.THE RECALL AFFECTS 91,202 MY 2002-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JANUARY 28, 2002, THROUGH MARCH 22, 2003.THE VEHICLE RECALL POPULATION WAS DEFINED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S USE OF A NEW SUPPLIER FOR THE CHROME PLATING PROCESS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2002, AND A PRODUCTION CHANGE IN MARCH 2003 TO IMPROVE ADHESION OF THE PLATING TO THE DOOR HANDLE.VEHICLES BEING RECALLED REPRESENT 59 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MY 2002-2003 PRODUCTION, BUT ACCOUNT FOR 91 PERCENT OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RECEIVED.THE PROCESS CHANGE FOR MY 2002 VEHICLES RESULTED IN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS (1200 PERCENT ON A PER UNIT RATE BASIS).MY 2003 VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MARCH 2003 PRODUCTION CHANGE SHOWED A SIMILAR DECLINE IN THE COMPLAINT RATE.BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 14, 2009, HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER, INC (HYUNDAI) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT HYUNDAIIS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL OF MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 20, 2003 THAT ARE REGISTERED AND OPERATED IN THE FOLLOWING SALT BELT STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN.HYUNDAI IS RECALLING THE VEHICLES TO REMEDY A CONDITION WHERE INTERNAL CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME MAY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AT THE FORWARD MOUNTING POINT AND/OR SEPARATION OF THE AXLE FROM THE TRANSAXLE.THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR VEHICLE DISABLEMENT. THE SUBFRAMES WILL BE INSPECTED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES USING A PROCEDURE DEVELOPED BY HYUNDAI TO MEASURE METAL THICKNESS.PARTS WITH PERFORATIONS FROM CORROSION OR WITH METAL BELOW THE SPECIFIED THICKNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH REDESIGNED SUBFRAMES.IF THE MINIMUM METAL THICKNESS IS MET, DRAINAGE HOLES AND RUST PROOFING MATERIAL WILL BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING SUBFRAME. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA REVEALED THAT 98% OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WERE FROM VEHICLES EITHER ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES. SIMILARLY 99.7% OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS WERE FROM VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR OPERATED IN SALTBELT STATES.ODI IDE…

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE), PE05-059, BASED ON NINE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES.THE ALLEGED VALVE STEM FAILURES OCCURRED ONLY AFTER TIRE REPLACEMENT FROM THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) TIRE (MICHELIN 205/65R15 ENERGY MXV4 PLUS) TO A NON-OE? AFTERMARKET TIRE.NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE AFTERMARKET TIRES ALLEGED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES WERE DETERMINED TO BE AFTERMARKET TIRES PRODUCED BY BRANDS OF MICHELIN GROUP (BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL).MICHELIN ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 MAKING RETAILERS AWARE OF A POTENTIAL WHEEL COVER INCOMPATIBILITY WITH BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/AAND TOURING T/A PRO SERIES TIRES THAT COULD CAUSE WHEEL COVER MOVEMENT AND IN EXTREME CASES TIRE VALVE DAMAGE. MICHELIN HAS, ADDITIONALLY, REDESIGNED THE BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL TIRES ALLEGEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VALVE STEM FAILURES, AS OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF CALENDAR YEAR 2006. THE PREVIOUS DESIGN VERSION OF BOTH TIRES IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.NO COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO ODI FOR TIRES MANUFACTURED AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE REDESIGNED TIRES.THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL ATTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED …