2000 Hyundai Sonata GL review from North America

We own a 2000 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L, had 51,000 miles 2.5 years ago, drove fine except it shuts down while driving.

The driver's side window will not shut, squeaking from rear wheel, wheel bearing, tachometer gauge/meter pin doesn't move, driver's side headlamp shuts off.

Heater switch doesn't move to hot, so during the winter we didn't have enough heat inside the car, and we froze most of the time driving. After one day, I tried to move it past halfway between the cold and the hot, and I heard a snap and the switch became useless.

I went there for them to figure what's wrong, so last summer at 73,000 miles, it failed inspection due to a rotten front sub-frame.

It had battery and brake light on, and it stalled numerous times on the way to dealer for the repair.

New alternator and belt, cos the belt was missing chunk and subframe. Ordered the heater switch and all were installed. Went to pick up the car - the power-steering belt broke as soon as I started the car on the dealer's parking lot.

Installed a new belt, then had to come back within 2 days days cos the steering was hard to steer, and they had ordered and installed a wrong switch to operate the heater. They said the belt needed to be tightened and ordered the right switch.

A couple of days later the engine light shows up: p0171: system too lean bank 1. They said they checked the exhaust manifold and it had a crack, then it was replaced with a new one. Wrong, the light came back, went back to the dealer, charged me for diagnostic fees again, over 75 bucks, and installed the heater switch.

On my way home I found the heater switch doesn't go far enough to get the hot heat I needed. Came back the next time, guess what, car spits out the same code, they told me that's as far as the heater switch can go, and the code was never fixed.

So I installed 2 new O2 sensors. Code came back. Fuel filter, code is back again. Air filter and this time, yup, you thought the problem is gone, wrong, came back again. Changed spark plugs, back again.

Water pump, timing belt, idle tensioner, now the car will lose acceleration power and shakes and feels like it's trying to drive and stall at the same time, and wonderfully, another code shows up 303/304/305: plug misfire, and was soaked with oil so a gasket cover or something like that was installed.

Now guess what, code p0171 is back on it again. I have two other vehicles, and both are way older and have more mileage than this Hyundai, and we have not spent much on them like we have on this car.

At this time I am fed up with Hyundai and planning never to buy Hyundai again. I will stick to my Honda Prelude and my Plymouth Grand Voyager.

There has got to be something Hyundai motors should be doing for me, right? I mean for almost a year I am having the same problems continuously and the irony is that, I have never heard of a car that drives fine and just having a sub-frame installed, which suddenly spits p0171, cracked exhaust manifold, alternator and the belt, power steering belt.

Then they tried to tell me the air compressor is bad and needed to be replaced, after I told them there is squeaking in the engine compartment and it's coming from the belt; they didn't believe me, I had to send the car for the belt to be adjusted, then the noise went away.

And as for the heater, I had to get under the console and fixed the problem myself.

Now as frustrated as I am, I am going to replace the MAF (mass air flow) sensor to see if the light goes away, then the car has got to be sold as soon as it's fixed, and never Hyundai ever like I have said. I am gonna stick to Honda or Toyota next time I buy a vehicle.

I hope Hyundai motors starts building a more reliable car like Honda and Toyota, even though I think my American made Plymouth Grand Voyager is more reliable than this 2000 Sonata.

The only good thing I like about this car is the speakers, the paint job/color and it's comfortable inside, less noise is heard from outside, but I hate it cos it leans/rows too much on corners. I probably feel that way cos I drive a Prelude, and the Hyundai is not even close to the pleasure I get from my Prelude...

Will never recommend this car for anyone reasonable, and will never ever buy Hyundai again. Period.