2004 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- About as many complaints as other years 17th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 202 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 17th out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (56 complaints, 28%), typically at around 105,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 2 fires, 32 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 202owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 56 | 28% | 105,000 | “sub frame” (25%) | — |
| Structure | 47 | 23% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 46 | 23% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 8% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 6% | 132,161 | — | — |
| Wheels | 13 | 6% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 12 | 6% | 58,723 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 6% | 85,496 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 5% | 43,750 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 4% | 15,692 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 3% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 2% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% | 74,723 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 2% | 61,589 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 65,440 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 36,258 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 74,933 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 77,928 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 122,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Hyundai Sonata recalls (1)
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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
2004 Hyundai Sonata GLS front sub frame (K Frame) has rusted out but I guess for certain VIN numbers there was a recall. Mine has the same issue and has caused suspension issues with the control arms and axles, subframe has snapped due to rusting in Michigan.
On February, 16th 2026, I took my vehicle into the Automotive shop for an oil change. They inspected the car as well and they found that the front passenger side of the vehicle subframe has a substantial amount of the metal rusted through. The file attached was a photo of the repair invoice from…
I got this car a Hyundai sonata 2004 about 2 to 3 years ago. At first I didn't notice the problem until a couple months into me having the car I was on the freeway and it suddenly felt like I was out of control of my car and the back end was like swerving like I was pulling a trailer. And ever…
My 2004 sonata which was manufactured 05/07/04. has front frame corrosion exactly like the 089 safety recall that hyundia issued already for 1998-2003. My car was manufactured a few months later and they are denying the repair because it doesnât fall in their production dates.
I currently own a 2004 Hyundai Sonata with a severe sub-fame deterioration, Unfortunately it does not fall under the so called salt belt states, That being said I don't know how Kansas does not fit that especially north east Kansas. Wondering if there's some way that they could reconsider on this…
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 | 179 | 4 |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | 0 |
| 2018 Sonata | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 765 | 3 |
| 2016 Sonata | 727 | 6 |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,151 | 9 |
| 2014 Sonata | 749 | 7 |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,915 | 9 |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,557 | 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 | 202 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | 6 |
| 2002 Sonata | 319 | 7 |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | 3 |
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | 4 |
| 1999 Sonata | 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 2004 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners most often report suspension, structure, air bags problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 56 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.