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 owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact pushed the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of her father. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the local dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer then diagnosed that the gasoline needed to be pumped out. The repair was completed; however, the failure recurred. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was viewed by an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. While the fuel pump was being replaced, the technician noticed the fuel connector had caught on fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Intermittent stalls or attempts to stall over the past 5 years. Always stalled when the issue occurred while stationary; attempts to stall while in motion or trying to accelerate. Vehicle has actually stalled on highway. Attempts to restart where successful, however. No trouble code to solve problem but worked fine up until yesterday when the fuel pump failed altogether. Car stalled and would not start while turning in middle of road. Found out from mechanic after it wouldn't start again that it was fuel pump failure but symptoms conclude fuel pump defect from years past.
While driving on a freeway at approximately 70mph, my Sonata stopped accelerating. I had to pull off the road in the middle of traffic as my car was rapidly decelerating. I turned off the ignition, and after letting it set for a few minutes, I was able to start up again and proceed without trouble. This has happened three times in since, both on a freeway and once on a side street. I am on my way to my dealer today to check this out. Also, I have checked the internet, and found that this is a common occurrence among these models.
!) check engine light has been on for almost a year..shop said it was a gas cap problem..bought new cap, not fixed..still on 2) filling car up with gas....very difficult to fill...knob keeps shutting off gas flow....once again shop has no good answer......
Passenger door handle fell off or broke off while opening door strong smell of gas only after filling car up with gas and small puddle under rear gas tank after sitting all night only happens if tank is more then 3/4 filled
While pumping gas it appears to be full (when it is not even 3/4 full tank) gass spills or spurts out on floor and my feet. Very strong smell of fuel in cabin when proceed to driv and clears out after maybe 5-10 miles
While driving on the interstate in traffic, the check engine light and ESC light came on and it was like the gas doesn't want to go to the engine but the car didn't die and moved at no more than 5 miles an hour. This has happened several times over the past4 months and it really hasn't been an issue because normally you can shut the car off for about an hour and turn it back on and it's fine, however it is a major issue if you are unable to get your vehicle to the side of the freeway and out of harms way. It has occurred over 4 times and it has recently happened twice in one week. I took it to the dealership and they stated that Hyundai is aware of this issue and owners can either pay to get the sensor "box" cleaned out, or repaired which costs in the area of $500.00. They know it is the sensor "box", and that is flawed. …
1) was making a right turn into a parking lot. There was a slight incline. There was a quarter of a tank of gas in the car. 2) the engine appeared to turn off, however the electronics never turned off. Power steering was no longer available once the engine stopped running. 3) I attempted to restart the car, but it wouldn't start. You could hear the engine trying to start. I placed the car in neutral and pushed it into a parking space. About 5 minutes later I successfully restarted the car. I had the car towed to the dealership and they could not diagnose the problem or detect that anything had occurred.
Some times when starting the car with my foot on the brake the rpms go up to about 1200 and then down to 800 rpms. When my foot is removed from the brake the car wants to accelerate and go on its own often. While stoped at a stop sign or stoped with my foot on the brake the car will lurch forward when released, some times spinning the tires. It is progressively getting worse after returning from a 5000 mile trip in June, 2013. The car purchased new and has a automatic transmission with aprox. 65000 miles total on the car. This is a accident waiting to happen and should have a recall.
Fuel System complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2009 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 5% of the model year's 460 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Hyundai Sonata fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to fuel & propulsion system 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.