Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Hyundai Sonata, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Structure88
- Suspension63
- Air bags51
- Steering24
- Electrical system23
- Service brakes, hydraulic21
- Fuel system, gasoline20
- Engine and engine cooling16
- Unknown or other11
- Wheels11
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 54 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 10 2002 Sonata vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 8 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Hyundai Sonata failed the safety check 2.13% of the time — 6% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 108,340 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
13 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 16 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
17 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 235,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
23 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.6–11.5 L/100 km (about 20–22 mpg US), CO₂ 244–265 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonata · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 8.7 | 10.6 |
| Sonata · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.3 | 9.4 | 11.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Hyundai Sonata.
| 2009148 25 May 2009 | Other On certain vehicles, repeated use of an interior door handle may wear the chrome plating on the upper edge of the handle. This may result in a crack or separat… |
| 2009123 23 Apr 2009 | Structure On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador),… |
| 2004130 13 Apr 2004 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the fuel tank assembly valve may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll… |
| 2003170 14 Jul 2003 | Brakes On certain vehicles, if the T125/70D15 compact spare tire is installed on any wheel position, the ABS feature will not operate and the ABS warning light will il… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 82 MODEL YEAR 2002-2003 SONATA VEHICLES. REPEATED USE OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE MAY CAUSE WEAR OF THE CHROME PLATING. IF THE TOP EDGE OF THE HANDLE HAS VERY THIN CHROME PLATING THAT PORTION OF THE PLATING MAY WEAR AWAY MORE EASILY THAN MORE THICKLY PLATED AREAS AS THE DOOR HANDLE IS USED. THE WORN CHROME PLATING ON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE HANDLE MAY RESULT IN A CRACK OR SEPARATION BETWEEN THE CHROME PLATING ON THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD SURFACES OF THE HANDLE, WHICH MAY FORM A SHARP EDGE.
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 91,350 MY 2002-2003 HYUNDAI SONATA VEHICLES. REPEATED USE OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE MAY CAUSE WEAR OF THE CHROME PLATE. IF THE TOP EDGE OF THE HANDLE HAS VERY THIN CHROME PLATING, THAT PORTION OF THE PLATING MAY WEAR AWAY MORE EASILY THAN MORE THICKLY PLATED AREAS AS THE DOOR HANDLE IS USED. THE WORN CHROME PLATING ON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE HANDLE MAY RESULT IN A CRACK OR SEPARATION BETWEEN THE CHROME PLATING ON THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD SURFACES OF THE HANDLE, WHICH MAY FORM A SHARP EDGE.
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.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY" A VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE ROLLS OVER AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES CONTAIN A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE WITH A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED WERE TO ROLL OVER, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS), IF THE T125/70D-15 COMPACT SPARE TIRE IS INSTALLED ON A FRONT WHEEL POSITION, THE TCS MAY INADVERTENTLY ACTIVATE BEGINNING AT SPEEDS OF 20 MPH.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG SATELLITE SENSORS MAY BE TOO SENSITIVE TO SOME LATERAL ACCELERATIONS THAT ARE NOT CAUSED BY SIDE IMPACTS TO THE VEHICLE, SUCH AS FORCEFULLY SLAMMING A DOOR CLOSED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 2002 Hyundai Sonata: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635830 | A CONDITION MAY EXIST WHERE THE FRONT DOOR GLASS DOES NOT RAISE PROPERLY OR WILL NOT STAY FULLY CLOSED AND / OR DOES NOT LOWER PROPERLY. *TT |
| 633896 | SUBJECT REGARDING SATELLITE SENSOR REPLACEMENT. *JG |
| 633853 | SUBJECT REGARDING REAR STABILIZER BAR BUSHING REPLACEMENT-NOISE REPAIR PROCEDURE. *JG |
| 633828 | SUBJECT REGARDING MANUAL CORRECTION FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0125 DIAGNOSIS. *JG |
| 633826 | SUBJECT REGARDING SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1372 DIAGNOSIS. *JG |
| 633816 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE SHIFTRONIC DIAGNOSIS. *JG |
| 633814 | SUBJECT REGARDING SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRE HARNESS ROUTING CAMPAIGN. *JG |
| 633803 | SUBJECT REGARDING SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRE HARNESS ROUTING. *JG |
| 633785 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE HARSH AND/OR DELAYED SHIFTS. *JG |
| 633775 | SUBJECT REGARDING BATTERY AND BATTERY COVER CHANGE. *JG |
| 633770 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE RPM FLUCTUATION - CRUISE CONTROL CABLE ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE. *JG |
| 633764 | SUBJECT REGARDING SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0125 DIAGNOSIS. *JG |
| 633762 | SUBJECT REGARDING CHANGE OF FRONT STABILIZER BAR BUSHING, BRACKET AND CLAMP. *JG |
| 633759 | THIS BULLETIN INVOLVES INFORMATION RELATING TO A CHANGE IN THE REAR DRUM BRAKES TO REDUCE BRAKE SQUEAL/SQUEAK NOISE. *JG |
| 631486 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE HARSH OR DELAYED PARK-REVERSE OR PARK-DRIVE ENGAGEMENT. *SLC |
| 631418 | CONCERNS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE SHIFTRONIC DIAGNOSIS. *YH |
| 631411 | INFORMATION REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES LIST. *YH |
| 631405 | INFORMATION ON FULL AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIAGNOSIS. *YH |
| 629503 | VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A HARSH OR DELAYED PARK-REVERSE OR PARK-DRIVE ENGAGEMENT IN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. *SLC |
| 628953 | SUBJECT REGARDING 2-3 SHIFT FLARE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS. *TT |
| 623767 | INFORMATION REGARDING TEMPERATURE DISPLAY. *YD |
| 622994 | INFORMATION REGARDING TEMPERATURE DISPLAY. *YH |
| 10251285 | This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades. |
| 10247189 | This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services. |
| 10235566 | Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE LACERATION HAZARD
FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION
FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION
TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation