2000 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability

378 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 8/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 116,947 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2000 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

378Complaints
8/100Trouble index
4Recalls
108,000Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2000 sits among all Sonata years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Body & structure 113 complaints (30%) · typically ~116,947 miles
“I have a 2000 hyundai sonata with severe subframe rusting which was discovered when car was inspected. I was told that my car is not inspectable.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sonata
Suspension 65 complaints (17%) · typically ~120,000 miles
“The paint on the car has come off going through the car wash. The front end squeaks. The windows would not go up or down the rear view mirror stopped working. The radio turns off/on at random. The check engine light turns on/off at random. Dt”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sonata
Airbags 44 complaints (12%) · typically ~65,500 miles
“Consumer is still having problems after recall has been performed on the vehicle. Recall#01v34700 air bag light srs. City motors 700 east hwy20 michigan city, in 46360. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sonata
Electrical 41 complaints (11%) · typically ~94,000 miles
“There was an erratic operation when the accelerator pedal is applied. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. The horn malfunctioned, the door(s) closed by themselves, and when the vehicle was driven pass the 40 mph mark, the transmission operated as if were catching up. Scc”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sonata
Engine 33 complaints (9%) · typically ~73,899 miles
“Consumer states vehicle would stalls or cut off while driving, vehicle been to dealer on three occasion and the problem reoccurring. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sonata
Transmission & drivetrain 19 complaints (5%) · typically ~72,000 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 237 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 108,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 74,400 and 140,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (4)

SUSPENSION 09V124000 2009

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…

AIR BAGS 02V105000 2002

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…

AIR BAGS 01V347000 2001

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…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 00V259001 2000

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

FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION EA08016 opened 2008, closed 2009

Led to recall campaign 09V124000.

FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION PE08029 opened 2008, closed 2008

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2000peak 79 in 20082022

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2000 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

The 2000 Hyundai Sonata drew 378 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 8/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).

What are the most common 2000 Hyundai Sonata problems?

The top reported problems for the 2000 Hyundai Sonata are body & structure (113 complaints), suspension (65), and airbags (44).

At what mileage do 2000 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?

Owners most often report 2000 Hyundai Sonata problems around 108,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 74,400 and 140,000 miles.

Does the 2000 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

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.