Photo: IFCAR / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
2009 Hyundai Sonata: common problems and reliability
An average Sonata year.
460 owner complaints, most about service brakes. 2 recalls.
Should I buy a 2009 Sonata?The 2009 Hyundai Sonata has 460 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are service brakes and electrical system.
Safety record for the 2009 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2009 Hyundai Sonata vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Sonata years only. How we score it
Is 2009 a good year for the Sonata?
Across the 30 Sonata model years we track, complaint volume runs from 29 (1996) to 3,472 (2011). With 460 complaints, the 2009 Sonata sits above the model's median of 223.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2009 Sonata
exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Campaign 13V113000Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
suspension:rear
Campaign 13V354000Hyundai 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.
What owners say across generations
Sentiment is sharply divided by generation and powertrain, creating a high-risk, high-reward ownership profile.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Sonata. See the full Sonata owner picture and every model year.
Typical used price
Used Sonata listings typically run $10,598–$20,175.
Other Sonata model years
Compare every Sonata year side by side to see how 2009 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Sonata against its rivals
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