Faults:

The engine had an oil leak at 5493 miles. The dealer replaced the oil pan gasket.

The brakes started pulsating at 5634 miles. The dealer replaced both front brake rotors.

A slight brake pulsation returned at 13537 miles. The dealer checked the brakes and told me that they were OK.

The brake pulsation continued to get worse and I returned it to the dealer at 20048 miles. The dealer replaced both front rotors again.

Beginning at about 25400 miles, when the brakes were applied at highway speeds, there was an intermittent burning smell coming from the left rear wheel. The dealer found no problem.

There was a transmission leak at 25453 miles. The dealer replaced the transmission fill gasket.

There was a transmission leak at 26738 miles. The dealer removed the transmission and replaced the transmission gasket.

The brakes began pulsating again, and at 33463 miles the dealer replaced both front rotors for the 3rd time, and replaced both rear rotors which he said were badly scored.

At about 43000 miles, while I was driving from Maine to Florida, the brakes started pulsating again and a noise started coming from the left rear wheel. When I arrived in Florida I took the car to a Hyundai dealer who told me that my left rear wheel was ready to fall off of the car. He replaced the left rear hub assembly at 43927 miles.

The brakes started pulsating again, and at 51535 miles both front rotors were replaced for the 4th time.

General Comments:

The seats in this car are the most comfortable of any car I have ever driven. I do mostly long distance highway driving and have found that I can drive for 5 or 6 hours between gas stops without my back getting tired, or feeling uncomfortable.

The location of knobs, switches, and controls are exceptionally good, and there's plenty of leg room.

Visibility is outstanding.

Gas mileage on the highway ranges from 28-31 mpg.

The car came standard with Michelin MXV4 Energy tires. These tires are rated for 40000 miles. I currently have about 52500 miles on them. They have worn evenly and still have about 1/3 of the usable tread remaining. I expect to be able to keep these tires for another 8000-10000 miles. They're extremely quiet at all speeds and give the car a firm comfortable ride.

The car handles well on the highway. When going through curves on rough roads it had a tendency to hop around a bit, but still handles very well.

When I originally was considering buying this car, I test drove one with an automatic transmission. I found it to be sluggish and underpowered. When I drove it with the 5 speed it seemed much more responsive. I would not have bought it with the automatic transmission.

When it isn't getting its' brakes or wheel hubs repaired it's a comfortable car. All of the repairs were done under warranty. After I purchased the car I was notified by Hyundai that the engine didn't have the horse power that they advertised. As a way of "apologizing", The good news was that they extended the bumper-to-bumper coverage to 6 years or 72000 miles. The bad news is that the car appears to need it.

I recently wrote to the Hyundai Customer Concerns department in California detailing the on-going brake rotor problems. I asked them to either find and fix the reason for my brake problems, or give me another car... it never hurts to ask. About a week after receiving my letter I got a call from the NE regional manager and have an appointment to bring the car in to the dealer. I'm interested to see what they come up with, and what Hyundai is willing to do if they can't find the reason for the rotor failures.

Faults:

CD player failed.

Storage bin top came loose.

Battery failed at 12,000 miles.

It has axle whine at speeds under 40 mph.

General Comments:

I bought this car in June 2000 with 2800 miles on it from the original owner who had to sell it because he needed a bigger vehicle.

I really love this car! I have 54,100 miles on it now, and it has been extremely reliable.

When the CD player and battery failed, the dealer promptly replaced them no questions asked.

What I really like about the car is the power and torque range of the 4 cylinder engine and the smoothness of the automatic transmission. The engine is smooth as silk, makes a beautiful sound at all speeds, and has great power. It can go 80 mph at 3200 RPM with almost no effort.

Plus, the driver's seat is extremely comfortable!

Fuel economy is very good. I get 22 in town and 28-20 on the road.

The CD/radio with six speakers provides excellent sound.

In addition, I am very impressed with the car's handling. It sticks to the road like glue and is very tight going around corners.

Overall, I feel that the Sonata is an excellent value especially since it costs $4000-$5000 less than an comparably equipped Accord or Camry.

I will definitely buy another Sonata.