Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
'm asking for a letter stating that the ABS braking system will be activated no matter if one, two, three,or all four wheels go through a small puddle. It does not say it in the manual. The reason I'm asking is my son was involved in a car accident ,which the right front and right rear tires passed through a small puddle. The ABS braking system was then activated. The road was dry except for this small puddle.my son traveling behind another car , when he noticed that the driver in front of him was taking a right. My son then proceeded to apply pressure to the brakes but he could not stop. A small puddle from melting snow and ice had accummilated the night before,caused me to slide. Fearing that he might hit the car in front of him , he tried to go over the curb. The driver in front of him was making a right hand turn. My son slid into the right side of the car anyway. …
I heard a repetitive clicking sound and turned my radio off to listen. The noise didn't change when I slowed down and I resumed my normal speed of 60 MPH. After a few seconds the car slowly & gradually began pulling to the left. I was unable to steer the vehicle at all and was moving into the shoulder and median between the highways. I tried to apply my brakes but the car was not responding. I had no steering or brakes and was heading towards oncoming traffic at 60 MPH. I hit the end of a guard rail and the air bags did not deploy. These cars are not safe to drive! We also had a problem w/it hesitating when it tried to switch gears & the dealership was unable to fix. And the driver window would not stay in the track and shut properly.
While backing out of my driveway brake peddle went to the floor and leaked out fluid through a steel rusted brake line on driver side , I had the steel line replaced, a month later same incident thank god it happened again only the opposite side the brake line leaked . If this happened in an emergency stop I May not have been able to share this .
While traveling at 30/35 MPH approaching and intersection where the light was red I applied the brakes I did not stop and went into the intersection and struck a ongoing vehicle. Airbag deployed, no injuries in other car, I was injured, car is totaled. Why won't the car stop? Help, I got a ticket, the car failed me I didn't fail.
2001 Sonata/Hyundai jumps forward when foot is on brake. Hit a car last week twice. Dealer cannot duplicate problem, so they cant fix it. Dangerous vehicle. Advised me not to drive vehi cle, but they can't fix it. What shall I do??? Help...marie pierce thanks.
Complete failure of brake system due to rust and corrosion of brake lines. The 2001 Hyundai Sonata lines came apart due to rust. Reported incident to Hyundai consumer affairs and was told it would be covered under recall notice dated: 4-14-09 id# 09V124000 action# ea08016, which included quality issues with cars suspension due to rust and corrosion. Was notified by dealer today that Hyundai was not covering the defective brake lines, because it was not specifically called out in the recall. Fortunately, my son and I were in a parking lot when the brake failure occurred, pedal went all the way to the floor and fluid leaked out of the brake line, which had rusted through. I'm not sure of the scope of this defective, but obviously had we been on the freeway this could have been a life or death experience. Thankfully god was watching over us. …
Hyundai Sonata 2011 push button start. I am the original owner of the vehicle. Yesterday I went into my car and proceeded to start my car. I had to push the start button three times before actually started up. This happened twice within 2 hours. 5 days prior my vehicle had been to the Hyundai dealership for the recall on the stop lamp switch. An existing recall (NHTSA campaign number: 13V113000) indicates that for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata the stop lamp switch May not function correctly. They ,the dealership, performed the service and replaced the stoplamp switch. As result my car is experiencing intermittent switch point contact with the push-button start feature. This is crazy.
I bought my 2001 Hyundai Sonata less than 2 years ago. Since that time I have had to replace both window motors, front and rear brakes, timing belt and all tires. I would have thought that a brand new car would be trouble-free (that's why I chose Hyundai, because of the great warranty) however, it appears that is not the case. My car recently broke down on my way home from work, had to be towed and was in for repair for a week (timing belt), which was a huge inconvenience and expense for me. I am now looking for a suitable trade-in for my Hyundai and would not recommend one to friends and family members.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the underbody of the vehicle was rusted and caused fifty percent of the brake line was rusted. The dealer diagnosed that as a result of the under body rust, both the brake lines and the fuel lines were corroded. The dealer was in the process of repairing the under body, brake and fuel lines. The manufacturer assisted with the repair of the under body only and denied assistance with repairing the brakes and fuel lines. The failure and the current mileage was 162,000.
While driving, thr vehicle jerked to a stop. It was discovered that speed sensor was defective. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the manufacture will not accept responsibility. The brakes had worn away, one brake pad was missing, there was a loud grinding sound in the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle refused to shift when turning corners. The service dealer found it nessasary to replace the rear oxygen sensor and found that the output speed sensor was faulty.
Brake complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Hyundai Sonata, 12% of the model year's 205 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Hyundai Sonata brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2001 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Hyundai Sonata brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.