1999 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- Fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 23rd out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (36 complaints, 29%), typically at around 105,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 3 fires, 23 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 124owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Hyundai Sonata problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 36 | 29% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 31 | 25% | 59,750 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 23 | 19% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 14% | 123,184 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 11% | 71,313 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 9% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 5% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 5% | 104,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 5% | 51,434 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 4% | 63,481 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 3% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 193,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Hyundai Sonata recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension
Problem: 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, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the front sub-frame on the vehicles, and may result in thinning or perforation of the sub-frame steel. The corrosion is frequently visible and often discovered during inspection or routine maintenance, and owners may also hear noises or notice tire misalignment and steering pull. If these signals are undetected or unheeded, the corrosion may progress and the forward mounting of the lower control arm may detach from the sub-frame.
Risk: If that happens, the vehicle may lose drive power to the wheels, and the front wheel may make contact with the fender or wheel well, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
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 incorporates additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front sub-frame does not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the sub-frame and will treat the sub-frame with rust-proofing material to stop the corrosion process. This procedure will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during april 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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 connector which mount to the adjustable seat cushion assembly. This condition only relates to the side impact air bags and could prevent air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur.
Risk: Non-deployment of the srs side impact air bag could increase the risk of injury during a side impact crash.
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 vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags
Problem: 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 seat cushion assembly. This condition only relates to the driver and/or passenger seat-mounted side impact air bag(s).
Risk: This condition could prevent seat mounted side impact air bag deployment during an accident where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the srs side impact air bags could increase the risk of injury during an accident where side impact air bag deployment is intended.
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 27, june 3, june 10, june 17, june 24, and july 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: 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 a result of engine vibration transmitted to the maf sensor connector wiring harness.
Risk: This condition can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will re-route the maf sensor connector wiring harness.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front sub-frame corrosion (EA08016) — opened Aug 21, 2008, closed Apr 20, 2009, led to recall 09V124000.
- Front sub-frame corrosion (PE08029) — opened Apr 22, 2008, closed Aug 21, 2008.
- Improper frontal air bag performance (DP03001) — opened Mar 26, 2003, closed Aug 1, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving home from work on jan 30th, 2015 and the car started pulling to the right. The next day, sat the 31st, i jacked up the right front of the car to see why the car steered to the right. I found the lower wheel assembly attachment to the frame had come loose. That was because the frame…
After removing the drivers front wheel i noticed the control arm attachment point severely rusted, & the sub frame cracked ready to break. I know about the recall. Unfortunately nebraska along with other states were not included. This car was well maintained by the original owner, & driven very…
L was stopped on traffic on high way ,and some one, hit me on the back ,the guy was so fast problem more than 75 mph ,than my car float 20 foot ,and hit the car on my front and my air bags did not deploy or open , so the question is hyundai sonata 1999 usually have this problem , ???? *tr
The sub frame/k frame on my 99 hyundai sonata rusted out causing my driver side rear tire and passenger side rear tire to face outwards almost coming off and damaging my left control arm. I heard a loud pop and couldn't figure out what it was then realized the steering wheel was cocked at 180. I…
I was pulling in a shopping center turning the steering wheel to the right, i heard a loud bang and got out of car, the drivers side wheel was caved in, had car towed to mechanic, he said the subframe was completely rusted and broke away from the car, and i was lucky that i wasn't going at a higher…
Other Hyundai Sonata years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sonata | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Sonata | 17 | 0 |
| 2024 Sonata | 46 | 1 |
| 2023 Sonata | 87 | 2 |
| 2022 Sonata | 94 | 3 |
| 2021 Sonata | 134 | 4 |
| 2020 Sonata | 180 | 4 |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | 0 |
| 2018 Sonata | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 766 | 3 |
| 2016 Sonata | 727 | 6 |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,153 | 9 |
| 2014 Sonata | 750 | 7 |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,916 | 9 |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,558 | 8 |
| 2011 Sonata | 3,377 | 14 |
| 2010 Sonata | 345 | 2 |
| 2009 Sonata | 460 | 2 |
| 2008 Sonata | 425 | 3 |
| 2007 Sonata | 696 | 5 |
| 2006 Sonata | 1,047 | 9 |
| 2005 Sonata | 165 | 1 |
| 2004 Sonata | 202 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | 6 |
| 2002 Sonata | 320 | 7 |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | 3 |
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | 4 |
| 1999 | 124 | 4 |
| 1998 Sonata | 49 | 1 |
| 1997 Sonata | 49 | 2 |
| 1996 Sonata | 23 | 1 |
| 1995 Sonata | 66 | 2 |
See all Hyundai Sonata problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Hyundai Sonata a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sonata model years, the 1999 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.