The car was not steering correctly and was taken to a mechanic to have the alignment fixed. The mechanic said the problem was not the alignment but that the engine cradle was rusted. The car has less than 100,000 miles on it, but because we are not the original owners we are not covered under the warranty. It will cost us around $2000 to have fixed, and we are not sure it will even be able to be fixed. The mechanic said we are lucky that the engine did not fall out, the cradle was so rusted. At this point it is not safe to drive the car and, again we are unsure it can even be fixed.

- Lexington, KY, USA

I've had a 2000 Hyundai Sonata for a little over a year, and recently I had to take it in for what I thought was just an alignment problem because the inside of my tires where wearing out too fast. So I took it to a local shop to have it looked at, and they told me that the engine/trans cradle(sub-frame) was almost totally rust out and that it has been that way for a very long time(which also meant that the dealer I got the loan from sold me the car knowing it was in bad shape). It was rusted out so bad that the control arms where about to fall off and that the car was very unsafe to drive. The dealer I got the car from does not cover those parts under the service agreement(the car is out of manufacturer's warranty with over 137000 miles). So I took the car to a frame shop that wanted over $1800 to install the cradle and control arms. The end of the story is that I'm still drive the car, because its my only way to work, and still trying to save money to get the thing fixed. I'm just wandering which pot hole I hit is going to knock the control arms off the rest of the way.

- Carpentersville, IL, USA

Front passenger side sub frame totally rusted resulting in suspension and steering rack coming apart.

- Newark, DE, USA

I'm seeking help getting Hyundai usa motor co. To pay for the repairs necessary to make my 2000 Sonata safe to drive and to try and start an investigation of the need of a recall on all similar Sonata models 1999 ' 2001 and possibly 2002 ' 2005 as well. The problem is the front sub-frame was not designed with sufficient corrosion resistance and is rotting away. Hyundai customer affairs (1-800-633-5151) states that because the vehicle is 8 years old and has 120K miles on it that it is out of warranty. I believe that an automobile manufacturer has certain liabilities for safety and the structural integrity of the vehicles they produce beyond the normal warranty period. The first I new of the issue was when I hit a pothole in a parking lot and the car immediately started pulling to the right. The next morning I jacked the front of the car up thinking a wheel bearing was gone or something. I was shocked when I looked under the car and saw the 'elbow' that comes from the floorboard area to the wheel was rotted through on the corner and splitting down the seam. The driver's side is also corroded but not nearly as bad. I called Hyundai Consumer Affairs and was instructed to take it to the nearest dealer for evaluation. They informed me that the sub-frame needed to be replaced and would cost $2300. After several phone calls back to Consumer Affairs they won't change their opinion that because it's out of warranty they are not responsible. Since they have had to fix this on other vehicles shouldn't the dealers be on the lookout for the corroded sub-frame. My Sonata was at the dealer several times between 2003 -2006 and the vehicle was still under warranty. My main concern is there are people out there driving cars that the frame has been weakened by corrosion and could have a catastrophic failure. If I had hit a pothole on the interstate instead of in a parking lot, my wife's lawyer could very well be addressing this issue instead of me.

- Hillsboro, TN, USA

The contact's daughter owns a 2000 Hyundai Sonata. While the contact's daughter was pulling into the driveway, the passenger side front wheel detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine cradle rusted out where the two bolts were attached to the subframe. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic and he confirmed the failure. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 143,000. Updated 01/23/08. Updated

- Neosho, MO, USA

While driving straight down a newly paved access road at approximately 20mph, the control arm broke free of my rotted/rusted out subframe. I have recently had the car in for an alignment, and brake work and no problem was detected with the rusted subframe. The car immediately seized up as the wheel slammed into the wheel housing and the car came to an immediate stop and was immobilized. The car is now in the shop and I am contacting Hyundai directly regarding the unlikely fact that many drivers are experiencing this very dangerous problem. I suspect that this problem will be increasing dramatically in the near future as the Hyundai Sonata's 1999-2001 continue to age. I have noted at least a dozen instances of complaints regarding this issue online and almost all instances appear to be very dangerous.

- Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

Car has never been in an accident, and has had 1 owner.vechicle is housed in central N.J.,vechicle has been serviced as to Hyundai's service manual recomendations.also vechicle has recently been serviced just before manufacturers warranty expired for defective transmission servos (car was on lift at time of service ).also this vechicle still has orginal exhaust system including muffler.on august30,2007 my self my child and my nephews were driving on the parkway at 65 mph at approximatly 9 pm when the transmission exploded and left me stranded in traffic lane with vechicles approaching at high rates of speed and swerving around me there was no way to get out of harms way I was trapped in car with children we called 911 and the state police had to push vechicle to a safe zone where we waited for a tow truck.uponfurther inspection of vechicle it was found to be caused by a severly rotted subframe which caused the motor and transmission to drop causing the axle to be torn through transmission housing and the lower control arm to break away from rotted subframe also(as stated earlier the vechicle was never invloved in an accident and has no body or undercarrriage rust including the exhaust system. This is a serious structual problem as subframe carries entire drivetrain (motor and transmission and all stering components).at this time nothing has been done by Hyundai to rectify this situation we were told its not covered by warranty we were nerer made aware of any problem at time of service at authorized Hyundai dealer. Still waiting to hear from a supervisor from Hyundai Consumer Affairs.

- Woodbridge, NJ, USA

Frame of 2000 Hyundai Sonata was found during oil change to be severely rusted to the point where vehicle was unsafe to drive. Went to dealership where we were told to contact Hyundai Corp. After 2 week period we were told Hyundai would do nothing to correct problem. Went back to dealership and after 3 days were again told nothing would be done to fix problem. The car only had 88,000 miles on it when problem was discovered and still had original muffler. Does frame usually rust out before muffler? eventually because of need for vehicle were forced to have vehicle fixed out of pocket. Repair shop told us they had repaired several Hyundai Sonatas over the last year with rust all in the same spot on the frame and that some couldn't even make it to the shop without a tow. We paid to have a refurbished frame put on the car, at the cost of $1150, not to mention the inconvenience caused over the course of 3 months it took to get it fixed. We had pictures taken of the frame on the car and as it came off.

- Southwick, MA, USA

The alignment appeared to be off on my 2000 Hyundai Sonata. On Oct. 1, 2006, the vehicle was inspected at a local Firestone station. The manager showed me the cause of the mis-alignment: The original engine cradle had nearly rusted through on the passenger side of the car. There was a rusted out hole in the engine cradle that my hand could have fit through. The vehicle was subsequently towed to a Hyundai dealer's service center. Due to the price of the repairs compared to the value of the car, I elected to forgo repairs. The car will be sold to a salvage yard for parts. The car had been at a Hyundai dealer for repairs in Ohio in March and May 2006. At neither time was rust identified as a threat to the integrity of the vehicle. Thankfully, the defect was discovered before accidents or injuries occurred.

- San Antonio, TX, USA