KnownCarProblemsHome › Hyundai › Sonata › 2002
2002 Hyundai Sonata Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 320 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Hyundai Sonata, most often about the body and structure (28% of complaints, typically around 105,000 miles). It is 14th of 27 Sonata model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2002 Hyundai Sonata problems
Body and structure
88 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 105,000 miles. Parts named most often: frame and members, body.
2002 Hyundai Sonata right passenger side wheel went sideways while driving at full speed. Luckily no one was seriously injured but the car will need to be repaired. I believe Hyundai should be responsible for repairs. From reading information online this seems to be a very common problem.
I had my 2002 Hyundai Sonata in to repair a power steering line that had rusted out and was leaking when the shop discovered that the cradle had a fist sized hole in the right side of the cradle.
Suspension
63 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 129,000 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear, subframe/mounting bracket.
After having increased difficulty controlling the car, I took it to my tire dealer for an alignment and was told that they could not help me because the frame was "broken" and was shredding my rear tires. I called Hyundai corporate and was told that there was a recall on the subframe and was advised to take the car to…
Tl contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a recall remedy repair under NHTSA campaign id number 09v124000 (suspension). The subframe had excessive damages and corrosion. During the recall service repair the technician detected the front lower…
Air bags
51 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 67,500 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
I have a Hyundai Sonata 2002. The 'airbag' light has been on constantly for over 4 years. Just recently I want to sell the car and started to look up how to fix this problem, since I could never afford it before. I found out that thousands of other Hyundai Sonata owners are having the same problem, and that the air…
Airbag light was coming on and remaining on at certain times. Car was brought into Hyundai dealership in march 2007. We were informed that the airbag would not deploy in the event of an accident and was not covered since the warranty had expired. The vehicle had never been in an accident and the airbag had not ever…
Brakes
26 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 29,500 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, pedals and linkages.
Front disc brake rotors we have two 2002 Hyundai sonatas, model gls 6 cylinder. Both cars have had ongoing problems with front rotors warping and having difficulty braking to an emergency stop. The dealer has replaced rotors on each vehicle once, and within an 18 month period, the problem re-occurs.
During inspection dealership informed the consumer of corroded front/rear brake rotors. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Fuel system
25 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 96,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery.
Fuel tank has split in half due to poor welding. Seems to be very similar to the issue with 1998 Hyundai Sonata. 3-4 gallons of gas leaked onto the ground within a few hours.
The contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. While attempting to refuel the vehicle, the fuel tank failed to accept the fuel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor an independent mechanic. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Steering
24 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 104,500 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist, linkages.
2002 Hyundai Sonata failed at 6 MPH turning a city street corner. The axle and ball joint fell off, taking the right front wheel with it. This car was 'repaired' a few years earlier when it was recalled for undercarriage rust. They sprayed a rubberized coating on the undercarriage, and told me I was good to go! We all…
Steering problem. The car would difficult to turn and then it would steer fine. This went on for a couple of days. I moved the car one morning and there was a bolt on the ground which looked as if it was from the car. Had the car towed to a repair shop. The diagnosis was the bolts on the rack and pinion were loose and…
Electrical
23 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 75,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, instrument cluster/panel, wiring.
- the contact stated that while driving the 2002 Hyundai Sonata at 45 MPH the vehicle lost power without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after waiting approximately ten minutes. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic ,who advised the contact that the failure was due to the crank sensor, cam sensor…
On november 30, 2020 after shopping in food store, starting the cat and coming out of a parking lot and driving the car forward, I smell something burning. Stop & open the front hood and saw smoke coming out of the air filter housing and started to burn. Somebody helped and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.…
Engine
21 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 60,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system, exhaust system.
Vehicle stalled out while driving at 45 MPH. Consumer pulled over to the side of the road, tried to start the vehicle, and it would not start. Vehicle was towed, and the timing belt was found to be defective.
I own a 2002 Hyundai Sonata which has severe passenger side engine cradle rust. It would not pass vehicle inspection. The mechanic has suggested welding the frame to "bandage" the problem. I have read the other stories from owners of the same car and believe something should be done before there are deaths related to…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2002 Hyundai Sonata recalls
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A sharp edge could lacerate or otherwise injure a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Dealers will repair the chrome plated interior door handle free of charge. The recall began on september 16, 2009. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-787-999-3333.
Full defect summary
Hyundai is recalling 82 model year 2002-2003 sonata vehicles. Repeated use of the interior door handle may cause wear of the chrome plating. If the top edge of the handle has very thin chrome plating that portion of the plating may wear away more easily than more thickly plated areas as the door handle is used. The worn chrome plating on the upper edge of the handle may result in a crack or separation between the chrome plating on the inboard and outboard surfaces of the handle, which may form a sharp edge.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: This may inflict laceration injuries to anyone using the door handle.
Fix: Dealers will repair the chrome plated interior door handle free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during june 2009. Owners may contact hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Full defect summary
Hyundai is recalling 91,350 my 2002-2003 hyundai sonata vehicles. Repeated use of the interior door handle may cause wear of the chrome plate. If the top edge of the handle has very thin chrome plating, that portion of the plating may wear away more easily than more thickly plated areas as the door handle is used. The worn chrome plating on the upper edge of the handle may result in a crack or separation between the chrome plating on the inboard and outboard surfaces of the handle, which may form a sharp edge.
Suspension
Risk: If that happens, the vehicle may lose drive power to the wheels, and the front wheel may make contact with the fender or wheel well, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will measure the thickness of the front sub-frame and inspect the front sub-frame for corrosion damage and, if necessary, the front sub-frame will be replaced with a new sub-frame that incorporates additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front sub-frame does not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the sub-frame and will treat the sub-frame with rust-proofing material to stop the corrosion process. This procedure will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during april 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance ce
Full defect summary
Hyundai is recalling 188,282 my 2001-2004 sonata and my 2001-2004 xg300 and xg350 vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front sub-frame on the vehicles, and may result in thinning or perforation of the sub-frame steel. The corrosion is frequently visible and often discovered during inspection or routine maintenance, and owners may also hear noises or notice tire misalignment and steering pull. If these signals are undetected or unheeded, the corrosion may progress and the forward mounting of the lo
Fuel system: storage
Risk: Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" a valve on the fuel tank assembly may not close properly. If a vehicle rolls over and the fuel tank assembly valve is not properly closed, fuel spillage may occur.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began on june 30, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Full defect summary
Some passenger vehicles contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
Wheels and tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
Risk: Inadvertent activation of the tcs will cause automatic application of the brake at the wheel where the compact spare tire is installed. Inadvertent brake application could cause overheating and damage to the brake, and may prevent the vehicle from being driven at speeds above 20 MPH, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the spare tire with a new larger diameter t125/80r-15 compact spare tire and a new tire pressure label will be installed on the driver's door to provide information applicable to the t125/80r-15 compact spare tire. Vehicles produced from november 15, 2002 through december 16 2002, already contain t125/80r-15 compact spare tires, will only require new tire pressure labels. Owner notification began june 30, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyu
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a traction control system (tcs), if the t125/70d-15 compact spare tire is installed on a front wheel position, the tcs may inadvertently activate beginning at speeds of 20 MPH.
Air bags: side/window
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of a SRS side impact air bag when a side impact crash has not occurred could increase the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the side impact air bag satellite sensors. Owner notification began july 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles, the supplemental restraint system (SRS) side impact air bag satellite sensors may be too sensitive to some lateral accelerations that are not caused by side impacts to the vehicle, such as forcefully slamming a door closed.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Interior door handle laceration hazard
Summary
The manufacturer has issued a safety recall notification as a result of this investigation.the recall affects 91,202 my 2002-2003 subject vehicles produced from january 28, 2002, through march 22, 2003.the vehicle recall population was defined by the manufacturer's use of a new supplier for the chrome plating process beginning in january 2002, and a production change in march 2003 to improve adhesion of the plating to the door handle.vehicles being recalled represent 59 percent of the total my 2002-2003 production, but account for 91 percent of the consumer complaints received.the process change for my 2002 vehicles resulted in a dramatic increase in complaints (1200 percent on a per unit ra
Front sub-frame corrosion
Summary
In a letter dated april 14, 2009, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc (hyundai) notified NHTSA that hyundaiis conducting a safety recall of model year (my) 1999 through 2004 hyundai sonata vehicles manufactured prior to november 20, 2003 that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin.hyundai is recalling the vehicles to remedy a condition where internal corrosion of the front subframe may lead to separation of the lower
Front sub-frame corrosion
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation, pe08-029, on april 22, 2008, based on 40 consumer complaints alleging front sub-frame corrosion in model year (my) 1999 through 2002 hyundai sonata vehicles.complaints describe severe corrosion of the vehicle sub-frame in the area where the right-front lower control arm is attached.in some vehicles, sub-frame corrosion has caused complete or partial detachment of the control arm, resulting in wheel collapse or separation. In response to odi's information request letter for pe08-029, hyundai provided owner complaints, field reports, and warranty claim data for approximately 197,906 my 1999 through 2002 subject vehicles s
Tire valve stem failures
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe), pe05-059, based on nine consumer complaints of tire valve stem failures.the alleged valve stem failures occurred only after tire replacement from the original equipment (oe) tire (michelin 205/65r15 energy mxv4 plus) to a non-oe? Aftermarket tire.ninety-eight percent of the aftermarket tires alleged to be associated with the tire valve stem failures were determined to be aftermarket tires produced by brands of michelin group (bf goodrich and uniroyal).michelin issued a technical bulletin on september 15, 2005 making retailers aware of a potential wheel cover incompatibility with bf goodrich traction t/aand tourin
Questions about the 2002 Hyundai Sonata
- What are the most common problems with the 2002 Hyundai Sonata?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: body and structure (88 complaints, typically around 105,000 miles); suspension (63 complaints, typically around 129,000 miles); air bags (51 complaints, typically around 67,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2002 Hyundai Sonata have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 7, 2009 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2002 a bad year for the Hyundai Sonata?
- It is 14th of 27 Sonata model years by number of complaints, with 320 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.