2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited 4 Cylinder from North America

Summary:

Would buy it again in a second!!!

Faults:

None so far.

General Comments:

One of the best cars I've ever owned. All 2009 Sonatas were upgraded from 160 to 179 horsepower, resulting in excellent acceleration.

The price of the car was fantastic, especially with the $3500 factory and $1500 owner loyalty rebates.

The car rides smoothly on the highway and blacktop roads. A little rough on residential city streets.

I'm very satisfied with the 31 (city/highway) and 36 (highway) MPG gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd August, 2009

19th Oct 2009, 16:54

A few months ago, I purchased a 2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited with V6. I had done a lot of research and as the owner of three consecutive Toyota Camrys, it took a lot to convince me to change. Whenever I ran across someone driving a Hyundai product, I asked them about their experiences and those invariably were very positive. Still, I was not really sold on the idea of owning a Hyundai and was all set to buy a 2007 Camry with 40,000 miles and some nice features such as a sunroof.

Then I happened to compare what I was getting with a 2009 Limited and there was no comparison - the new Limited was actually cheaper than the used Camry, and with a great warranty I made the leap. Since then I have been driving the car for several months and see little difference with the Camry, except for the fact it is thousands cheaper with attractive buyer incentives (at least on the 2009 Sonata - don't know about others) and has lots more standard features.

The V6 is very peppy and I'm getting about 22-26 mpg in town and 26 to 30 highway. I thought about the 4-cylinder and opted for the V6 since I live in the mountainous Pacific Northwest. The handling is great and the ride very smooth and generally quiet. The suspension is a bit harsh over rough pavement, but I attribute that to the low-profile 17-inch tires, and from what I've read, Hyundai's attempt to provide a firmer suspension to enhance handling. I will change those out for better riding tires when appropriate.

All in all a great car. My only real complaint is that the V6 sounds and feels best around 85 mph, and I really don't want to pick up any speeding tickets.

In reply to 19th Oct 2009, 16:54

7th Mar 2012, 15:58

My 2009 Sonata 2.4L has some of the same issues.

There is a tinny/rattling sound when I accelerate - it sounds like the exhaust manifold or exhaust system.

The front suspension "clunks" over minor bumps (sounds as if the struts are bottoming out, but they aren't).

I also have the knocking noise when the engine is cold. But I don't think it is the engine itself, but more like a pump of some kind, since the knocking is consistent, no matter the engine speed.

I have an auto transmission, so I do not have your clutch problems, but the auto does shift erratically.

Not all these things are smack-face when you buy the car new... some you realize after you have the vehicle for a month.

2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 2.4 from North America

Summary:

The interior room of this vehicle is ample, but the reliability is a concerning matter

Faults:

Engine skipped and died at 1205 miles.

Check engine light repeatedly comes on.

Clutch system has failed repeatedly.

Exhaust system is rattling.

Engine is knocking when cold.

Roadside assistance was canceled for excessive towing to dealership.

Cruise control intermittently fails.

Suspension transmits noise through the vehicle.

General Comments:

The vehicle has been plagued with problems concerning the engine and clutch systems. The check engine light will come on just after jerking at highway speeds, while every attempt to solve the problem has been met with misfire codes on long trips.

The clutch system has failed several times in the ownership of the vehicle, each time the transmission had to be removed to resolve. For some reason the system becomes overpressured and blows the slave cylinder. The only way to resolve this is to remove the transmission. To date the Master cylinder, slave cylinder (4 times), reservoir hose, and lines have been replaced. To date the engagement point has been changing constantly after every stop.

The exhaust has developed a 'tingy' rattle under acceleration, it sounds like the inner core has let go.

When the engine is cold and at a steady 2100rpm, the engine produces a rattling / knocking noise that can be heard throughout the car. The oil has been changed every time by Hyundai dealerships.

Unfortunately the Hyundai Roadside Assistance program will only cover two (2) tows per year, and after having the clutch replaced four times it was canceled.

For some unknown reason, the cruise control will not work intermittently. This problem has no effect on the drivability.

The suspension transmits road noise and bumps loudly through the cabin at low speeds. Although the noise goes away as your speed increases, the noise at lower speeds feels like something is failing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th March, 2009

22nd Nov 2009, 01:19

Seriously, either you're bad mouthing Hyundai or Ford/GM/Chrysler/Toyota/Honda employs you.

For the problems you've stated, some are really serious issues and you're continuing with the car? Any car owner would've requested a replacement for a deliberately-badly-constructed car.

There has to be a certain logic even when you're trying to criticise a car, yours is just over board.

Nope, I'm not a Hyundai employee.

22nd Mar 2010, 14:14

Sounds like you got a lemon. It happens. Notice the vast majority of Hyundai Sonata reviews for '09 are favorable on this website!

23rd Mar 2010, 15:11

Clutch issues? Hate to tell you that CAN be your fault. People are quick to blame the car though. If you go through a clutch every 50,000 miles, you should be driving an automatic people.

As for road noise, well it's a Hyundai, not a Mercedes. What did you expect?

Engine's knocking? Maybe the gas your using has to low an octane level. Using extremely cheap gas isn't always the best thing for your car.