Clunking sound when turning corners, took to mechanic, sub frame rotted through. Unsafe to drive.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sonata years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
Unknown Or Other complaints
6 reportsRUST UNDERNEATH ENGINE PART OF BODY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE I THINK THIS METAL SUPPORT BREAK ANYTIME WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN
"TAKATA RECALL" I THOUGHT I NEEDED A NEW INNER TIE ROD ON MY 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN I WENT TO THE SHOP THE MECHANIC TOLD ME YOU HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS. " YOUR SUB-FRAME ON THIS CAR IS RUSTED OUT AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE." WITH THAT INFORMATION, I CALLED THE HYUNDAI SUPPORT NUMBER, THEY GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER, I TH…
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"TAKATA RECALL" I THOUGHT I NEEDED A NEW INNER TIE ROD ON MY 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN I WENT TO THE SHOP THE MECHANIC TOLD ME YOU HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS. " YOUR SUB-FRAME ON THIS CAR IS RUSTED OUT AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE." WITH THAT INFORMATION, I CALLED THE HYUNDAI SUPPORT NUMBER, THEY GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER, I THEN WENT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TO GET AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS AND TO SEE IF HYUNDAI WOULD REPAIR THE SUBFRAME. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT HYUNDAI CORPORATION REFUSED TO PAY ANY GOODWILL MONEY TO FIX THE CAR BUT THEY DID TELL ME, " OUR ADVICE: " IS TO NOT DRIVE THE CAR, IT IS UNSAFE." THIS IS NOT A MECHANICAL ISSUE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT FIND ANY RECALLS FOR 2005 SUBFRAME, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HYUNDAI KNEW THEY DID HAVE A SLEW OF SONATAS THAT HAD A SERIOUS SUBFRAME CORROSION PROBLEM. IN MY BIT OF RESEARCH, THERE HAS BEEN A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE SONATAS AND THE SUBFRAME ROTTING OUT, ALL DIFFERENT YEARS AND MILEAGE AND AGE THAT HYUNDAI DID REPAIR THE CARS THAT I FOUND ON EDMONDS.COM AND ON THE INTERNET.
TAKATA RECALL SUBFRAME IS ROTTED. MECHANIC ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE IT AS IT IS VERY UNSAFE. CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT
I OWN A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY BECAME HARD TO CONTROL, AS IN IT STARTED PULLING EXTREMELY HARD TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE STEERING WHEEL COCKED TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO GO STRAIGHT. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP THINKING IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT - BOTH FRON…
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I OWN A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY BECAME HARD TO CONTROL, AS IN IT STARTED PULLING EXTREMELY HARD TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE STEERING WHEEL COCKED TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO GO STRAIGHT. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP THINKING IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT - BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE TILTED IN AT THE TOP - WHAT I FOUND OUT WAS THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED IN HALF. IT SEEMS VERY SHADY TO ME THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR EXCEPT 2005. THIS IS THE SAME MODEL AS THE 2004 AND IT WAS MANUFACTURED THAT YEAR AS WELL. *ALSO, THE TRIM ON THE CAR, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE, IS CONSTANTLY COMING OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THE SILVER TRIM AROUND THE PASSENGER WINDOW FLEW OFF ON THE TOLLWAY. THE DRIVER'S WINDOW TRIM CAME OFF DUE TO ICE - IT WAS REPLACED BY A BODY SHOP, BUT LATER FLEW OFF ON THE TOLLWAY AS WELL. THE TRIM ON ALL FOUR DOORS IS NOW BOLTED ON AS THAT KEPT FALLING OFF TOO. *ALSO, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST RIGHT ABOVE THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD TO THE POINT THAT IT WILL SOON BE RAINING IN MY CAR.
I JUST FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO HOLE RUSTED THRU SUBFRAME.
Official recalls
109V280000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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