2003 Hyundai Sonata from North America - Comments

1) CD player was unpredictable about which discs it would play. After about 3 years it would not play anything.

2) Cassette player held converter for IPod attachment - would not eject the cassette and then mangled it.

3) The 'chrome' paint (actually a thick aluminum foil type covering over plastic) has pealed off the grill and door handles, twice.

4) The moon roof randomly gets stuck in the open position, then randomly closes.

5) The fog lights fail on such a frequent basis I don't even bother to replace them anymore (bulbs are about $20 each)

6) For a compact car, the fuel economy is awful -- has been since day 1.

I test drove a standard roof sedan, then the salesperson offered me a 'deal' on a moon roof version, which I bought it. The moon roof mechanism lowers the passenger compartment ceiling height and makes it very uncomfortable for me -- a 5 foot 10 inch height person.

The cars ONLY good points are -- the 6 cylinder has nice acceleration, and it looks good standing still.

How much to the gallon were you getting out of interest??

In the UK a car this size is an average size family saloon, not a compact, surely this is the case in the states as well?

I've seen the Ford Focus and Honda Civic saloons in the US, surely these cars are termed as compacts, not a Sonata?

By the way, I used to sell Kias in the UK, the last shape Magentis was essentially a re-badged Sonata, and while I thought they always drove OK the trim was very tacky, although mechanically they were good, you do get what you pay for I'm afraid though!

What a horrible vehicle this is! I currently have an 02 Sonata and I will never have another. I have put over $2600 worth of work into it in the last year alone.

The entire electrical system's faulty, and once I have one thing repaired, something else goes wrong. This car is a bonafide money pit. It still needs a new steering rack and an air bag computer, which I can't afford at this point in time. It'll be somewhere in between $400-500 including labor.

I'm deathly afraid of the steering rack snapping on the highway, and by the time I'm able to afford it, it'll be too late anyway. As a matter of fact, the car is getting junked today.