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2005 Hyundai Sonata

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Hyundai Sonata do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 161.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

128 reports with mileage · 37 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

26 crash reports2 fire reports19 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

17 reports
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80,000 miles · Jul 20, 2010
Exterior Lighting

I HAVE REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS TWICE IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. NOW BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. THE FUSE IS FINE AND THE BULBS ARE FINE. I FOUND RECALL ON OTHER MODELS OF SONATAS FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM OF BRAKE LIGHTS BUT HYUNDAI SAYS THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THEY SAY THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT NEGO…

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I HAVE REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS TWICE IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. NOW BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. THE FUSE IS FINE AND THE BULBS ARE FINE. I FOUND RECALL ON OTHER MODELS OF SONATAS FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM OF BRAKE LIGHTS BUT HYUNDAI SAYS THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THEY SAY THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT NEGOTIATED IN THE RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10344289

Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2010
Exterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS BLOW OUT APPROX. EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ANY REASON FOR THIS. AUTO PARTS PERSONNEL STATE THAT HEADLAMPS SHOULD LAST FOR YEARS. LAMPS IN THE 2005 SONATA HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES PER YEAR. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING HEADLAMP FAILURES. …

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LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS BLOW OUT APPROX. EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ANY REASON FOR THIS. AUTO PARTS PERSONNEL STATE THAT HEADLAMPS SHOULD LAST FOR YEARS. LAMPS IN THE 2005 SONATA HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES PER YEAR. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING HEADLAMP FAILURES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 SONATA. REPLACEMENT LAMPS ARE VERY WEAK UNLESS SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR ULTRA NIGHT VISION LAMPS ARE USED, BUT THEY ARE ABOUT $50 FOR A PACK OF TWO. THAT IS AT LEAST $150 TO $200 PER YEAR FOR LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS. DOES ANYONE HAVE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN JUNE 2005. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10341413

10 miles · Mar 4, 2010
Exterior Lighting

MY 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS VERY WEAK LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE CAR HAS BEEN BRAND NEW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10316769

75,000 miles · Sep 21, 2009
Exterior Lighting

1)NO CHANGES OR EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THIS CONCERN. 2)HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT. IT USUALLY STARTS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN ONTO THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS EVERY MONTH IF NOT MORE. 3)THESE BULBS ARE PURCHASED BRAND NEW. DEALER STATES NO RECALL. I REPLACED THE BLOWN PASSENGER BULB ON …

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1)NO CHANGES OR EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THIS CONCERN. 2)HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT. IT USUALLY STARTS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN ONTO THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS EVERY MONTH IF NOT MORE. 3)THESE BULBS ARE PURCHASED BRAND NEW. DEALER STATES NO RECALL. I REPLACED THE BLOWN PASSENGER BULB ON A TUESDAY, IT BLEW OUT TWO DAYS LATER AND THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE BLEW OUT; WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROAD TRIP LATE AT NIGHT! NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED. SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME OCCURRENCES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10284741

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2008
Air BagsElectrical SystemExterior LightingCrashInjury

THE 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY AND RECALLED, CLOSE TO THE 2006 RECALLS. WE OWN A COMPANY AND HAVE PURCHASED OVER 12 TO 14 HYUNDAIS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE SONATA GLS 2005 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, SEATBELT RESTRAINT, THE FRONT TIRES ARE CLOSER TO THE BACK & NOT CENT…

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THE 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY AND RECALLED, CLOSE TO THE 2006 RECALLS. WE OWN A COMPANY AND HAVE PURCHASED OVER 12 TO 14 HYUNDAIS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE SONATA GLS 2005 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, SEATBELT RESTRAINT, THE FRONT TIRES ARE CLOSER TO THE BACK & NOT CENTERED ON THE WHEEL WELL (HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE PURCHASED, BUT THEY DO NOT CORRECT.), HAVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS & THAT UNIBODY TYPE FRAME & SO ON. IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE A TRUCK LEFT THE TAIL GATE DOWN & A LADDER HIT THE WINDSHIELD, THE CAR WAS THEN PARKED, TURNED OFF , THE KEYS TAKING OUT OF THE IGNITION & THEN BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE CELL PHONE THEN PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE DOOR TO GET OUT INFER ALL THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TO LOCK UP & CAN NOT BE PULLED OUT TO WEAR. HYUNDAI STATES THAT THIS IS NOT WARRANTED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DEPLOYED AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. HYUNDAI HAD A GREAT WARRANTY 10 YEARS AGO. THEY DO NOT STAND UP TO THEIR WARRANTY AS BEFORE & I HAVE FOUND THAT SOME OF THE WARRANTY HAS CHANGED. I HAVE SWITCHED TO TOYOTA. HYUNDAI HAS DONE NOTHING SO FAR TO CORRECT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10237787

15,000 miles · Jul 25, 2008
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS REPEATEDLY EXPERIENCED FAILURES WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ON NINE OCCASIONS, SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY NUMEROUS DEALERS, BUT NONE OF THE TECHNICIANS COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE O…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS REPEATEDLY EXPERIENCED FAILURES WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ON NINE OCCASIONS, SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY NUMEROUS DEALERS, BUT NONE OF THE TECHNICIANS COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OR PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA ODI #10235742

81,000 miles · Sep 24, 2007
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

HEAD LAMPS AND FOG LAMPS BURN OUT ALL AT THE SAME TIME, POSSIBLE SHORT IN WIRING. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10204028

Official recalls

1

09V280000 · Exterior Lighting

Jul 21, 2009

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFT OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.