1999 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
187 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 6/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 105,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1999 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1999 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“I have a 1999 hyundai sonata. Today i took it in for an oil change and they noticed that the motor cradle is rusted out and needs to be replaced. In looking through the internet i have discovered that this is a consistent problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sonata
“Noise like a helicopter is in the back seat,to dealer and wheel bearing are gone,parts unavaiable the second time(02/01) sec to backorder,same problem again 02/02)check engine light on sec to a cam sensor,sesor replaced, at 70mph lite come on and car stalls next is airbag light come on after seat…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 98 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 95,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 61,000 and 125,633 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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,…
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…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, AN INTERMITTENT CONDITION THAT LEADS TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION COULD RESULT FROM MOTION OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MORE SECURELY FASTEN THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESSES AND CONNECTORS TO THE VEHICLE'S FRONT SEAT CUSHION FRAMES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COULD ILLUMINATE DUE TO MOTION OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR THAT MOUNT TO THE ADJUSTABLE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MORE SECURELY FASTEN THE FRONT SEAT SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND CONNECTORS TO THE VEHICLE'S FRONT SEAT CUSHION FRAMES. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL OCCUR IN SIX MAILINGS ON MAY…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SOME SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5 LITER V-6 ENGINES AND ALL ELANTRA MODEL VEHICLES MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOW-SPEED ENGINE STALLING, WHICH COULD OCCUR IF THE MAF (MASS AIR FLOW) SENSOR ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INTERRUPTED AS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL RE-ROUTE THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V124000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 1999 Hyundai Sonata drew 187 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 6/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 1999 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Hyundai Sonata are body & structure (37 complaints), airbags (31), and engine (23).
At what mileage do 1999 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Hyundai Sonata problems around 95,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 61,000 and 125,633 miles.
Does the 1999 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.