2004 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
288 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 8/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 106,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2004 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2004 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“There is a recall on the 2004 hyundai sonata nhtsa vehicle safety recalls recall number 09v124000 but, hyundai says my car miss by 2 weeks cut off is nov. 20 2003, my vehicle date is dec. 19 2003”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sonata
“Front sub frame rusted. Crack in the sub frame near the right front wheel. Car has 70,000 miles on it. Danger of subframe breaking and control arm disconnect.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sonata
“My air bag light came on when i was driving, the light will not go off, until i turn the car off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 212 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 92,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 57,446 and 124,263 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
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 2004 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2004 Hyundai Sonata drew 288 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 2004 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Hyundai Sonata are suspension (56 complaints), body & structure (48), and airbags (46).
At what mileage do 2004 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Hyundai Sonata problems around 92,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 57,446 and 124,263 miles.
Does the 2004 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2004 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.