Problems · by component

2008 Hyundai Sonata service brakes, hydraulic problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Hyundai Sonata cite service brakes, hydraulic, 7% of all 425 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
7% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE IS POORLY ENGINEERED AND EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO THE CAR OWNER. AFTER 16,000 MILES, MY REAR BRAKES BEGAN SQUEALING. AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BACK BRAKES ARE STICKING ON AND GRINDING OFF AGAINST THE ROTOR. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT CAN NOT BE FIXED, WITH MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS THE ONLY CHOICE. IN THE FOUR YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, I HAVE GONE THRU 5 SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND 4 ROTORS, WITH NO END IN SIGHT AS LONG AS I KEEP THIS CAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 28, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10449634
“REAR BRAKES ON MY SONATA STARTED GRINDING AT 25000 MILES. CONTACTED HYUNDAI HEADQUARTERS BY EMAIL AND THEY STATED THE BRAKES WERE OUT OF WARRANTY AND NO RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED BY THEM TO TAKE IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER. SINCE THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT THIS MILEAGE I HAD TAKEN IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO IS STATE CERTIFIED. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. I HAVE KEPT THE EMAIL RESPONSE THAT HYUNDAI HEADQUARTERS SENT TO ME. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 16, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10443979
“PURCHASED DEMONSTRATOR CAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 2,500 MILES FOR NORMAL USE. REAR DISK BRAKE NOISE AT 15,976 MILES REQUIRED BOTH REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN AT 33,356 MILES, AGAIN REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF PADS AND TURNING OF ROTORS (THIS TIME IT WAS NOT COVERED - CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR ITEMS). ONCE AGAIN, AT APPROXIMATELY 52,000 MILES, LOUD GRINDING FROM THE LEFT REAR BRAKE REVEALED THAT BOTH INNER AND OUTER PADS HAD BEEN TOTALLY SCRUBBED OFF WITH LIGHT METAL TO METAL CONTACT, WHILE THE RIGHT REAR PADS STILL HAD GREATER THAN 50% OF ORIGINAL PAD THICKNESS. THE CALIPER SLIDES OPERATED SMOOTHLY AND WERE WELL LUBRICATED AND SEALED, AND THE PAD SLIDES WERE DIRTY WITH BRAKE DUST, BUT NOT CORRODED OR BLOCKED WITH DIRT. THE PADS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT. I REPLACED THE PADS TO FINISH MY TRIP AND UPON RETURN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE NEW PADS HAD BEEN DRAGGING AS EVIDENCED BY A STRONG SMELL AND GLAZED APPEARANCE. IT DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL FOR THIS CONDITION TO HAPPEN - THERE WAS NO GRINDING OR ABNORMAL NOISE OBSERVED DURING THE MOST RECENT EVENT, UNTIL PULLING INTO OUR DESTINATION, WHEN IT WAS VERY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 1, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10442038
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22,000. UPDATED 12/12/11*LJ THE CONSUMER BELIEVED SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL WERE USED IN THE INITIAL PRODUCTION OR DESIGN OF THE BRAKES. UPDATED 06/22/12”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10427947
“WHEN I BOUGHT A NEW 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA, I SOON EXPERIENCED A SQUEALING SOUND FROM THE REAR BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE BRAKES. THEY SAID IT WAS THE SHIMS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SEIZE AND KEEP FROM SLIDING PROPERLY. WITHIN 30,000 MILES THE REAR BRAKES WERE WORN OUT. I NOW HAVE 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE REAR BRAKE PADS ARE WORN OUT. I DISCOVERED FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THIS MODEL IS KNOWN FOR A PREMATURE WEAR PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THE PADS SEIZED IN PLACE UNABLE TO BACK OFF THE ROTOR. I'M PROMPTED TO NOTIFY YOU DUE TO THE MANY POSTINGS OF THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS A WEATHER CONCERN WITH CORROSION OR A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CALIPER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 4, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10423246
“OUR 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA , AT AROUND 25000 MILES BEGAN TO HAVE INTENSE SCREECHING FROM REAR BRAKES. LOCAL MECHANIC INFORMED US HYDRAULIC PISTON WAS STUCK/RUSTED OPEN AND WAS WEARING BRAKES TOTALLY DOWN. HE WAS ABLE TO GREASE AND DO PAINSTAKING REPAIRS TO PISTONS . HAD TO REPLACE SHOES/ROTORS. NEITHER VISOR WILL STAY UP THEY HAVE SAGGED TO THE POINT THAT WE HAVE ESCORTED TO INDUSTRIAL VELCRO TO KEEP THEM UP.THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2011Service brakes, hydraulic, Visibility, EquipmentODI 10402254

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.