While driving home and negotiating an ordinary turn onto our residential street, we heard a loud popping sound. We immediately pulled over and discovered that the driver’s-side rear wheel was leaning inward substantially. Upon inspecting the suspension, I discovered that the cylindrical bushing attachment on a rear suspension control arm had fractured, allowing the suspension connection to separate. I subsequently walked back to the location where the noise occurred and recovered the detached metal fragment. The fracture surfaces exhibit distinctly different coloration, suggesting that part of the fracture may have existed for some time before the final separation. Of greater concern, upon inspecting the corresponding suspension component on the passenger side, I discovered a substantial crack along what appears to be the same fracture path as the failed driver’s-side component. Both sides appear to exhibit a common structural weakness. The failure occurred during ordinary driving without a collision or known impact immediately preceding the event. A similar failure at highway speed could cause a serious crash, injury, or death. I understand Hyundai previously conducted rear lower control arm replacement Service Campaign TP3 for certain 2011–2013 Sonata vehicles. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether this failure is related to a known defect or represents a broader safety concern. Photographs of the failed driver’s-side component, recovered fragment, and corresponding passenger-side crack are available. The vehicle and recovered fragment are being preserved for further inspection. I request that this incident be reviewed as a potential safety-related structural suspension defect.
Hyundai Sonata ball joint problems
210 of the 16,121 owner complaints about the Hyundai Sonata describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 210
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,800
- typical mileage
- 112,000
By model year
Often reported together
Pulling 12Grinding brakes 12Harsh shifting 7Knocking 5Airbag light 5Check engine light 4ABS 4Power steering loss 3
What owners say
The contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her husband was driving, the vehicle stopped independently. Upon inspecting the vehicle, it was observed that the front subframe had detached. A bystander assisted the driver in moving the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a detached front subframe, right front axle, right front control arm, and front sway links. The contact was informed that the front subframe replacement was covered under a recall; however, the detached right front axle, right front control arm, and front sway links were not covered under the recall repair. The contact received notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
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.
Oil consumption was ridiculously high, changing oil/topping off oil constantly. Car would not accelerate over 30 mph without sputtering and rumbling. I had mechanic diagnose bad sparks plugs due to sitting in oil from leaking. After I had them repaired/replaced the car drove great for 1 day, then decided to die in the middle of a busy intersection while I had my teenage son in the car with me. My son and I had to PUSH it out of the busy intersection onto a side street to get out of the way! I had it towed to Hyundai dealer who said the spark plugs were bad and that the fuel pressure sensor and gdi pump were faulty and needed replacement. Left front lower control arm/ball joint assembly also requires fix. To the tune of $3000 + . It’s been at dealer for past few months until I can afford the repairs including the 2nd diagnostic and tow it took to get it to dealership.
There is a recall for the rear lower control arms for the 2006 Hyundai sonata getting rusty and not performing. My car was taken in for an alignment and the mechanic said he isn’t able to make the toe match up to be in good driving standards. I tried reaching out to a Hyundai dealership and they checked the VIN and said they couldn’t do anything about it because my car isn’t in a certain part of the United States. If I don’t get this fixed soon the mechanic said my when could fall out of alignment and cause some serious damage to me or someone else.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud bang and scraping sound coming from the vehicle. The ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the control arm and suspension had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and slowing for a right turn, the contact heard an abnormal popping sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact was in the middle of the turn when the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the engine was still running, but the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact turned off the vehicle and observed that the passenger’s side control arm had detached and fallen onto the street. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the entire front end was extremely corroded. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension). The failure mileage was approximately 204,000.
The contact's grandson owns a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds and driving over a bump in the roadway, the rear end of the vehicle started fishtailing from left to right. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the tie rod and control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.
I have a 06 sonata 2.4l that had rear control arms rotted out plus the subframe. And my esc light is on not really sure what to wit that. But my car is down now due to rear control arms needed replaced.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while making a turn at 10-15 MPH, the contact heard a loud bang and scraping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that the rear crossmember had detached. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the lower and upper control arm bolts were severely corroded; however, the contact was not yet informed of what needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle had previously been repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V354000 (Suspension); however, the failure occurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Elantra vehicles manufactured November 12, 2010, to March 31, 2011, and Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to February 28, 2010, originally sold in, or currently registered in, 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 may corrode the front coil springs, possibly resulting in the coil springs fracturing.
- Risk
- If a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front coil springs, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed on November 17, 2015. The recall began on January 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑671‑3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 133. Note: Vehicles that were previously registered in salt belt states but are currently registered elsewhere are eligible to be inspected and repaired.
Recall number 15V629000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, 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 and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.
- Risk
- Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1‑800‑633‑5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.
Recall number 13V354000 · Recall details
Suspension
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 09V124000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: shock absorber
- What is wrong
- One or both of the rear suspension lower spring seats are not securely attached to the shock absorber and can slide lower onto the shock absorber than intended. The rear spring would no longer function to support the vehicle body at its normal height.
- Risk
- Loss of rear spring support can increase the potential for a vehicle accident if it occurs while the vehicle is moving.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicle to determine whether the rear shock absorbers are from the suspect production. If the shock absorbers are from the suspect production, the shock absorber/spring seat assemblies will be replaced.
Recall number 95V163000 · Recall details
Questions about the Hyundai Sonata ball joint
Which Hyundai Sonata years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (38 complaints), 2000 (28 complaints) and 2002 (24 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Hyundai Sonata?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,800 (median of 21 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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