Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the electronic stability control (ESC) warning light illuminated causing the brakes to lock-up and the vehicle to not accelerate as needed. The contact stated that she waited until the vehicle cooled down for the vehicle to operate normally. The contact was then able to drive the vehicle home safely. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V122000 (Exterior Lighting) and that she had to pay out-of-pocket for the repair. The contact agreed to the repair but was later informed that the parts were discontinued. The manufacturer was contacted and was working with the contact. The failure mileage was 210,075.
The ESC off indicator light will appear on the dash and stay on steadily. When this happens, the engine will remain on, but will not accelerate. No amount of pressing the gas pedal will get the car to accelerate. This happens during normal weather and road conditions without warning. This has happened while driving through intersections and while driving on the highway at 75 MPH in the left lane, causing a traffic jam and me having to cross over 4 lanes of traffic with no engine power to get to the right shoulder. There were no adverse road or weather conditions when this occurred. This is completely dangerous. I have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata se 3.3l v6. I believe this to be an issue of a faulty electronic stability control system. This has occurred multiple times but the incident where I was on the highway on Sunday March 11th 2018 was by far the most dangerous occurrence. …
"tanaka recall " this has happened on multiple, intermittent occasions. When decelerating, the steering wheel "sticks" in the straight-ahead position. It becomes very difficult to turn & navigate a highway exit that curves. You have to fight with the wheel and pull hard to make it turn, at which point it feels like the wheel "unlocks" and turns freely again. This is truly a safety concern. I have taken it for service several times , and they did not find anything wrong (now that I see others have had this issue, I plan on scheduling service again). I have had to replace upper control arms on both sides in front due to the squirting sound evertime I go over hole or speed bump and the passenger side is slowly hanging. I too had issues with the ESC and jerking and pulling not long after I purchased the car, but those issues weren't addressed or fixed by the mechanic. …
A lot of times that I am driving, either pulling off or when im at a slow rate of speed and push gas to gain more speed (as if going around turn), the ESC light will come on and my car will shake as it idles. The gas pedal stops working when this ,light comes on and when I push on the brakes, they are hard. As my car comes to a complete stop, it shakes the entire time. Then when I turn my car off, it sometimes goes away but it sometimes stays on and my car won't move. But it happens a lot and I don't know what to do. I always have to pull off the road and restart it. It happens in the middle of intersections and one time getting onto the interstate. Being a female and having this problem at night is scary. It started about two months ago and has been doing it a lot within the past two weeks.
My ESC light comes on indicating that the ESC is off while vehicle is moving and at times right after I start the vehicle prior to moving. I have pressed the button during those times and it does nothing. At times it will be lite for a day or two then it goes off. There can be a month or so or days in between each occurrence.. It comes on randomly, during normal driving conditions or sometimes when I drive on a bumpy road and of course during wet conditions. I have seen that there was a recall on 2007-2008 for this same problem, I did not receive a recall as of this date. Please advice me as to what I need to do to have this taking care of. Thank you for your time.
My brake lights no longer function. My "ESC off" light and check engine light appeared. I had a mechanic scan my car regarding the aforementioned issues and the code that displayed was "p0504". After researching this code I have discovered: the engine control module (ECM) has detected a fault in correlation between the two brake switch circuits. This very problem has resulted a massive recall for Hyundai & Kia vehicles. Unfortunately, my vehicle is not eligible for the recall according to the VIN look up for this recall campaign (110). I should not have to pay out of pocket for this manufacturer defect!!!
While trying to park my 2007 Hyundai Sonata the automatic transmission shifter was stuck in drive and can only be moved into neutral. Leading up to this happening the ESC light kept coming on and eventually stayed permanently on. I later found out that my break light was also off. I am able to move the shifter by pressing down the bypass. As it is in order to take the car out of park I have to press down the bypass. I have to do the same when going from drive to reverse or from reverse to drive. Break light still not working and ESC light is on.
While driving, my electronic stability control light on the dash will randomly come on. The only way to get it to turn off is to restart the car. Related to this, the brake lights have not illuminated and the car has refused to be set into park when the ESC light is illuminated. This happens always while the vehicle is in motion, and the ESC light will not turn out (even if the ESC button is pressed) unless the car is turned off.
My airbag sensor light has been on for the past few months. I've looked online and saw that this is a common complaint for Hyundai's. Also, my ESC light goes on and sometimes stays on. Again another complaint with this car. Both are safety issues that seem to be negligent on the manufactures part. With the number of complaints that have been logged this should be a safety recall issue that Hyundai should be responsible for.
"ESC off" light turns on after engine startup, or driving a few miles. It fixes itself when engine is turned off, then turned on again. ESC on/off switch has no effect on the light. It occurs for a number of times a day. It would be unsafe if ESC is truly turned off when we need it. I had the same problem fixed in a previous recall. It came back a few years later.
NHTSA investigations
Stop lamp switch failure
By letter dated April 15, 2009, Hyundai notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 09V122) to replace the stop lamp switches on many of its model year 2005-2008 vehicles.see recall 09V122 for a complete list. The agency opened its investigation based on five complaints of stop lamp failure across several 2007 Hyundai models.
Traction Control complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2007 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2007 Hyundai Sonata, 7% of the model year's 696 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2007 Hyundai Sonata traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2007 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 5 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 2007 Hyundai Sonata traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.