Worst 2008 Hyundai Sonata Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbags
Visibility
Engine Problems
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2008 Hyundai Sonata.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 119 | 9 | — | 81,062 mi | |
| Visibility | 67 | — | — | 51,301 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 48 | — | 5 | 103,707 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 30 | 1 | 3 | 80,479 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 30 | — | — | 78,507 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 30 | — | — | 26,515 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 30 | — | — | 68,788 mi | |
| Brakes | 21 | 2 | — | 83,114 mi | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 18 | — | — | 77,932 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 17 | — | — | 90,583 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 14 | 6 | — | 44,755 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 13 | 1 | — | 27,880 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 9 | — | 2 | 113,826 mi | |
| Body Structure | 9 | — | — | 95,227 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 9 | 1 | — | 95,401 mi | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 8 | — | — | 70,137 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module | 6 | — | — | 56,687 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 6 | 1 | — | 104,293 mi | |
| Fuel System | 4 | — | 1 | — | |
| Automatic Transmission | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Defects | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Other Equipment | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Engine & Cooling | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Structure:Body:Door | 2 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2008 Hyundai Sonata. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2008 Hyundai Sonata
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~2,076,838 vehicles.
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.
Hyundai 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.
Other Hyundai Sonata Years
2008 Hyundai Sonata — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2008 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
What are common problems with the 2008 Hyundai Sonata?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2008 Hyundai Sonata?
How safe is the 2008 Hyundai Sonata?
Does the 2008 Hyundai Sonata have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2008 Hyundai Sonata?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Hyundai Sonata reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2008 Hyundai Sonata
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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