2005 Hyundai Sonata

WHILE CHANGING MY OIL ON THE WEEKEND, I NOTICED SEVERE CORROSION FAILURES WITH THE FRONT SUBFRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). ONE AREA WAS IN FRONT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND ANOTHER AREA IS BEHIND THE CONTROL ARM. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SUBFRAME WILL FAIL AT ANY MOMENT AND THE CONTROL ARM WOULD BE FREE TO MOVE ANYWHERE. THIS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I SEE THIS PART HAS ALREADY HAD A RECALL FOR 2001 TO 2004 HYUNDAI SONATAS WHICH IS THE SAME BODY AND FRAME STYLE AS THE 2005 VEHICLE. RECALL #09V124000.

MY HYUNDAI SONATA 2005 IS VERY UNSAFE! THE WHOLE FRAME OF THE CAR IS ROTTED OUT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND MY TIRE BLEW! A NICE MAN DRIVE OFF FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF HIGHWAY CAME AROUND TO PUT A SPARE ON. I TOOK THE CAR GOT A NEW TIRE AND ALIGNMENT. THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER MY WHOLE STERLING WHEEL IS TURNED TO LEFT AND CAR IS PULLING HORRIBLY TO RIGHT AND MY RIGHT TIRE IS BENT IN. I TOOK IT IN TO GET CHECKED ASAP. THEY LOOKED AT IT AND TO MY UTTER BELIEF MY CAR IS ROTTED OUT! UNSAFE ! I FEEL THIS IS A REAL ISSUE FOR HYUNDAI! THERE ARE MANY DRIVERS OUT THERE WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND HYUNDAI IS DOING NOTHING TO HELP! YOU MADE THESE VEHICLES. NOW PLEASE HELP US DRIVE SAFELY WITH OUR FAMILIES! SO WE CAN GO TO OUR JOBS AND CONTINUE RAISING OUR FAMILIES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING SOON. I START A NEW JOB AUGUST 27 2019. I WILL NEED A SAFE CAR I AM A DEPENDABLE, RELIABLE , NANNY. SO YOU SEE I DEPEND I MY SAFE VEHICLE FOR ALL MY LITTLE LOVES I'M MY CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. STAND BY YOUR HYUNDAI NAME AND DO SOMETHING GOOD. HELP US PLEASE. THANK YOU. REMEMBER IT WAS YOUR MANUFACTURING THAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN! SO PLEASE HELP. ( NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW LONG THOSE HOLES AND ROTTED OUT FRAME WERE LINGERING) UNTIL ALL THIS WENT WRONG WITH TIRES...

THE ENGINE CRADLE AND BOTH REAR UPPER STRUT MOUNTS ARE CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ITS DRIVER, OCCUPANTS, AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. IT WILL NOT PASS THE ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA SAFETY INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME (THE OWNER) AT LEAST ONE LARGE HOLE IN THE CRADLE (SILVER-DOLLAR SIZED) AS WELL AS LONG THREE-FINGER WIDE HOLES IN THE UPPER REAR STRUT MOUNTS. (THIS IS SIMILAR TO A PROBLEM THAT I ENCOUNTERED IN 2010 IN MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA (REAR SUSPENSION ONLY IN THAT CAR), REPORTED TO THE NTHSB AND SUBSEQUENTLY RECTIFIED BY HYUNDAI USA.) MOREOVER, THIS IS SIMILAR TO PROBLEMS CITED IN ROBERT D'ELIA V. HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY AND HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA AND RECTIFIED IN A SUBSEQUENT SETTLEMENT AND RECALL. THIS CONCERNS A CAR WITH 100XXX MILES ON THE ODOMETER. CAR WAS UNDERCOATED BY DEALERSHIP AT POS. DRIVEN EXCLUSIVELY IN A SALT-BELT STATE. N.B. - THE 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA SUB-FRAME IS IDENTICAL TO THE 2002 - 2004 SUBFRAMES.

I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC TO CHANGE OIL ON 1/9/2018 AND HE DISCOVERED A BIG HOLE (BIGGER THAN THE FIST-SIZE) ON THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE SUBFRAME UNDERNEATH THE CAR DUE TO RUSTING AND SEVERE CORROSION (PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED PICTURE FOR MORE DETAILS). THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. HE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ME TO GO TO THE DEALER AND HAVE THIS FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT AFTER THAT, I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR DOESN'T HAVE A WARRANTY AND IT IS NOT UNDER RECALL BASED ON THE VIN, SO THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I GOT THE SAME ANSWER FROM THE DEALER AT HYUNDAI DAVIS IN NJ. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND 2 RECALLS ISSUED BY HYUNDAI FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE STARTED IN 2009 WITH THE NHTSA RECALL ID # 09V124000 (INCLUDING 1999-2004 HYUNDAI SONATA) AND ANOTHER ONE IN 2013 WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 13V354000 (INCLUDING 2006-2010 SONATA). HOWEVER, HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICES CAN'T PROVIDE ANY EXPLANATIONS WHY 2005 SONATA IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TWO RECALLS. ACCORDING TO THE NEWS ONLINE, 'THE RECALL, LIMITED TO AMERICA'S SO-CALLED "SALT BELT" STATES, IS CENTERED AROUND POTENTIALLY EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME DUE TO WINTER ROAD SALT APPLICATIONS. IF UNNOTICED, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MAY SEPARATE FROM ITS MOUNT.' 'ROAD SALT AND WATER CAN ENTER PORTIONS OF THE REAR CROSSMEMBER, LEADING TO CORROSION OF THE CROSSMEMBER STEEL. THIS MAY LEAD TO DETACHMENT OF ONE OF THE REAR CONTROL ARMS. CONTROL ARM SEPARATION MAY SUDDENLY CHANGE THE REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AFFECTING THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.' IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE THE CAR, HOWEVER, CURRENTLY, I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON HIGHWAY TO WORK ON A DAILY BASIS SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY CAR I HAVE.

DIRECT REPLY - LETTER FROM SENATOR BROWN INQUIRY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT REGARDING HYUNDAI RECALL. *SMD 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONSUMER STATED DURING A MAINTENANCE CHECK, THE MECHANIC FOUND THE SUB-FRAME UNDER THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE KNOWN AS THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS BADLY CORRODED TO THE EXTENT THAT SIGNIFICANT METAL IN THE SUB-FRAME WAS GONE; PERHAPS MORE THAN 50% GONE AT ON E LOCATION. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE CONSUMERS MODEL YEAR. HOWEVER, A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR OTHER YEARS. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 09V124000. *JB

LETTER FROM SENATOR PORTMAN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, HIS DAUGHTER NOTICED SOME UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS AND NOISE WHILE DRIVING. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THE SUB-FRAME UNDER THE FRONT END ALSO CALLED THE CRADLE, WAS BADLY CORRODED TO THE EXTENT THAT SIGNIFICANT METAL IN THE SUB-FRAME WAS GONE;PERHAPS MORE THAN 50% GONE AT ONE LOCATION. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THE VERY PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IT DIDN'T APPLY TO THE 2005 MODEL. HYUNDAI REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR, STATING THE MODEL WAS NOT COVERED. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 09V124000. *JB