Problems · by component
2009 Hyundai Sonata electronic stability control (esc) problems
51 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Hyundai Sonata cite electronic stability control (esc), 11% of all 460 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
51
11% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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...”
“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.”
“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, 877-387-5495) 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Showing 6 of 51 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.