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).
Takata recall on July 27, 28 2019 the ESC light came on intermittently causing the car to stall driving south on I 75 and later on the streets. After turning the car off and restarting the car it drove along OK. During our return trip, the car stalled again driving north on I 75 , and we pulled to the side of the road only seconds before a 18 wheeler passed us within less than a foot between us. All five us could have been killed. We were lucky to find a national repair shop opened on a Sunday who diagnosed the problem as a faulty crankshaft position sensor( the car has 54,000 miles ) . The part was replaced and after 4 hours we were on our way, minus $400 plus dollars. Research indicates that this continues to be an unsafe and potentially deadly problem -that this sensor must be recalled- and the public made aware of the danger.
While driving at various speeds the "ESC off" light illuminates for no reason. This has happened while driving on the freeway, normal surface streets, and has occurred while braking. Power steering goes out randomly during turns while on city streets or highways. Took the vehicle to a mechanic who tested the power steering and found no issue with the power steering pump. The pump is in good working order and did not need to be replaced. I had seen other complaints on the steering, with a recall issued, on 2008 and 2011 Sonata models, however the 2009 model was not included. This is very dangerous and could cause a crash. On those recalls the computer circuit board in the power steering control unit had become damaged and made the vehicle more difficult to turn possibly causing a wreck. Steering issue has been ongoing over the years.
Takata recall. I was told that the electrical module is defective by autozone,. We were driving down the highway when all of a sudden the engine light came on. We pulled over to check the usual stuff like oil and antifreeze and other fluids. But all of them were OK. We tried to leave again with no success. We had no power. The engine would turn over but when we tried to press the gas nothing would go. So we stopped the car waited for a while and then the car started. We countinued our trip carefully, but the check engine light was still on. After we arrived to our destination I went to autozone to check the problem. They said the eletrical and cpu modules are damaged. That of course has me a little worried. We have only had the car for a year so it couldnt be for that reason.
While driving the car at a rate of 30 to 40 MPH, I felt a jerk in the engine or transmission speed of my vehicle, and afterwords noticed my ESC off light and engine lights had been illuminated and unable to be shut off with my ESC switch. I also noticed that I was unable to rev my engine past 3000rpm's, consequently affecting my vehicle's usable power band and rendering me(the driver) unable to control the car's overall speed. After turning my vehicle off and then back on, the problem would go away, but only temporarily until I was again driving. I then went to a mechanic to have my car's computer scanned and found that there was a problem with my crankshaft or crankshaft sensor. My computer was then reset, but the problems persisted again shortly after.
As I was turning the corner from a stop sign, (I believe it May have been wet on the road that morning) I was not turning fast/sharp or hard; kinda slow because of the wet ground and how that road is, I slowly turned corner and then the light flashed on and I looked at my dash and then saw that the ESC light came on and stayed on. I drove about another 20 mins to work and the light never went out. After I got to work, I cut the car off and the light went out, but later that evening when I was leaving work, it came back on and has been on ever since and today is jan. 13, 2015. So it has been on a little less than a week now. Need some idea on what is causing it to come on and what needs to be done.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the electronic stability control indicator illuminated while driving 60 MPH. Also, the vehicle jerked and stalled, but was able to restart. Additionally, the accelerator pedal failed to respond when it was depressed. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who referred the contact to heritage Hyundai towson (801 york rd, towson, md, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the crank position sensor needed to be replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Was driving on access road and the ESC off light came on and the car started to stall- unable to accelerate. Had to pull to side of the road on wurzbach parkway. Took it to shop and had cam shaft, crankshaft sensors removed and replaced. Had $700 of other work done and car worked great for 2 weeks. Unfortunately today while driving home from ESC off light came on and car was unable to accelerate. Luckily I got to safety but could've been killed if I wasn't so lucky... Pretty ridiculous problem to have especially as so many people are reporting the same problem...
My brake light stop switch broke into pieces with normal use so the brake lights stay on when car is turned off. My front brake hose sprung a fluid leak that made the brakes fully stop working in the middle of a drive. The front brake hose split and cracked prematurely cuasing the brale fluid to empty out. The brake pedal went straight to the floor without stopping the vehicle when this event happened during a drive. My ESC light is on big probblem im assuming. My passenger air bag light is on as well both indicate are off and non working.
ESC light will come on at various times and engine will shut off. Will get check engine light intermittently with this but not always. This May occur going 20 MPH on residential streets or going 70 MPH on highway while driving in traffic. No rhyme or reason for it going off. May be dry or wet pavement warm or cold out. Hen engine dies at high speed May start back up upon deceleration or May need to make it to the side of road. Sometimes resets upon restarting the first time but other times it takes a few times of turning engine off then on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. While driving various speeds, the "ESC off" warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal would not accelerate the vehicle forward when depressed and that the vehicle lost power. Pacifico Hyundai in philadelphia, pennsylvania was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Traction Control complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2009 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 11% of the model year's 460 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Hyundai Sonata traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
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.