2003 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
249 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 8/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 65,253 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2003 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2003 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“The problem is that the air bag is on and doesn't go away. I had it check and there is no code for it so they don't know what is cause that. I need a answer because i need to have inspect and is not going to pass.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Sonata
“The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while self-inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the subframe was extremely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 177 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 74,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,000 and 125,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V171000.
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 2003 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2003 Hyundai Sonata drew 249 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 2003 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata are airbags (45 complaints), body & structure (39), and electrical (22).
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Hyundai Sonata problems around 74,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,000 and 125,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.