Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle was turning the corner. It was unknown if any warning lights were illuminated. As a result, the vehicle was T-boned by a vehicle that was turning the corner, then crashed and the vehicle came to a stop at an unknown location. Most of the impact was received from the front passenger side. The other divers speed was unknown. None of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered injuries to the head and the lungs when she impacted the steering wheel. The contact was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. The contact's daughter was in a coma and had brain trauma and a punctured lung. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The other vehicle owner was injured as well, the extent of his injuries was unknown. There was no property damage. …
Vehicle sat in driveway for one week while on cruise. The day of return the sonata caught on fire without any person touching the car for one week. Brother who's house it was at was woken by neighbors at 7sm. Home had minor damage, but it could of been bad if it was in someone's garage. Fire started in engine and console. Fire department could not find out a reason. Car was totaled. Had to rent a car to get home that was 2 hours away. Never had an issue with this vehicle in the 12 years I owned it.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle and struck the guardrail and median. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The passenger sustained a cut to the back of the head and two front teeth were loose that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000. The VIN was not available.
Crossing intersection on green light. Inattentive driver ran red light, crushing passenger side and forcing car into another vehicle. This impact caused the rear of auto to be crushed. Airbag did not deploy and, thus, did not protect from injury.
I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with a 5 speed manual transmission. On Tuesday, May 25, 2010, I was traveling on route295 south in ri when I tried to shift from 4th gear to 5th gear. I pressed my clutch in and tried to shift, the clutch never came back up and my car stalled in the middle lane of the highway. I couldn't get the clutch to come back and the car lost its speed down to about 5-10 miles per hour, if that. The person behind me went around me but the woman behind him smashed into me doing around 70mph. Her car pushed mine forward and into the next lane. My airbags never deployed. Luckily, I walked away with a bruised left arm and that was all. My husband had called our dealership a few times regarding this issue but because it didn't stick all the time, they couldn't tell us what was wrong. My car is an absolute mess right now and I don't know if it can be repaired.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact was involved in a crash in which she rear ended another vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. The front driver seat belt also did not tighten during the crash. A police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle had not been examined for the cause of failure of the non-deployment and the seat belt. Approximately 14 months later, she was involved in another crash in which she was rear ended and the air bags did not deploy. The driver side seat belt again did not tighten during the crash. A police report was filed. The contact was injured. She was taken by ambulance to be treated for serious injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. It was not examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 47,000.
We believe our vehicle has a Takata air bag system. It is a 2009 Hyundai Sonata that was built in 2008. In November 2018, cracks started to appear on the dashboard above the air bags. It has gotten progressively worse since. The air bag light has come on and is consistently staying on while driving the car. The book says to contact the dealer. All indications from information online state that this is a serious safety concern and must be addressed immediately. We feel concerned about driving it. It was purchased new on 09/10/2008. We believe that this car should have been listed in the recalls for the Hyundai sonatas years 2007-2008 since it was built in 2008.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While driving 3 MPH the wheels locked and/or the transmission locked causing the vehicle to steer to the right and crash into the side of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The driver side and front fender were damaged. There were no injuries. The police was notified but no report was filed. The vehicle was undriveable and was towed to the dealer. The insurance company was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified and was sending a representative to the dealership to inspect the vehicle. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Dashboard cracking directly around air bag unit underneath dashboard on passenger side. This is a known issue to Hyundai, affecting numerous models and model years. Hyundai dealers refuse to classify it a safety defect, and have told me the dashboard replacement is the responsibility of the customer. Multiple Hyundai service technicians on the internet confirm what I suspect, that this is a manufacturer's defect and a safety issue. Cracks began appearing at about 68,000 miles, approximately November 2015, and are getting progressively worse. Car now has approximately 72,000 miles (July 2016).
My car has always been kept in garage. About 2 years ago I advised my dealer that cracks were developing on my dashboard. I was concerned because it is over airbags. I was told I would be responsible for repairs. I see other consumers with same model having same problems. I been retired last 3 years and have driven my car less than 5 thousand miles, car is kept in garage and the crack has now spread to driver's side of dashboard! I hope a recall occurs for this problem before an accident happens. I should not be responsible for safety defects in car!
Airbag complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 7% of the model year's 460 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Hyundai Sonata airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 2 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 2009 Hyundai Sonata airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 2 fires and 9 injuries to air bags 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.