2009 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
612 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Other leads the reports, typically around 86,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“While driving, the esc off light comes on. It does so randomly, but frequently while highway driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
“The brake light switch is not functioning/broken causing the brake lights to stay on and esc button is not functioning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
“While driving the esc and check engine light comes then it will only let me 'coast' about 5mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
“The front valve cover gasket leaked oil down to my alternator, causing it to malfunction and making my transmission shift awkwardly.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
“There is a transmission problem with hyundai sonata 2009, anytime the car is accelerated the transmission box gets stuck which could lead to safety hazards.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
“The door handle came of the back door, i have never known the door handle to just come off the door of a car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 475 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 43,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151.…
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe,…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 13V354000.
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 2009 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata drew 612 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2009 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata are other (106 complaints), brakes & stability (99), and electrical (77).
At what mileage do 2009 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Hyundai Sonata problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 43,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.