NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Hyundai Sonata Recalls
The 2003 Hyundai Sonata has 6 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on August 7, 2009.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Hyundai Sonata. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 6
- Owner complaints
- 199
- Crashes reported
- 17
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
2 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Hyundai Sonata, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
6 recalls on the 2003 Hyundai Sonata
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- Campaign
- 09V317000
- Reported
- August 7, 2009
- Vehicles affected
- up to 82
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 2002 Sonata
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- Campaign
- 09V171000
- Reported
- May 21, 2009
- Vehicles affected
- up to 91,350
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 2002 Sonata
Suspension
- Campaign
- 09V124000
- Reported
- April 16, 2009
- Vehicles affected
- up to 188,282
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2002, 2004 Sonata, 2 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
- Campaign
- 04V369000
- Reported
- July 26, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 919
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 301, fuel system integrity
- Same campaign
- also 2002 Sonata, 2 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- Campaign
- 04V178000
- Reported
- April 9, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 263,968
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 301, fuel system integrity
- Same campaign
- also 2002 Sonata, 2 other models
Tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
- Campaign
- 03V097000
- Reported
- March 17, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 8,315
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002 Sonata
2003 Hyundai Sonata complaints by year
NHTSA has received 199 owner complaints about the 2003 Hyundai Sonata, the newest on June 11, 2026. Of these, 17 describe a crash (9%) and 2 a fire; owners reported 45 injuries.
In complaints about the 2003 Hyundai Sonata, the component group named most often is the air bags (22%), followed by the structure (19%) and the electrical system (10%).
None of the 2003 Hyundai Sonata's 6 recalls concerns the air bags.
Where 2003 Hyundai Sonata owners gave the mileage (148 complaints), the median was 65,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Air Bags43
- Structure38
- Electrical System19
- Suspension15
- Engine And Engine Cooling14
- Latches/Locks/Linkages13
Complaints received, by year
| 2002 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 14 | |
| 2004 | 23 | |
| 2005 | 14 | |
| 2006 | 13 | |
| 2007 | 11 | |
| 2008 | 7 | |
| 2009 | 19 | |
| 2010 | 12 | |
| 2011 | 18 | |
| 2012 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 7 | |
| 2014 | 19 | |
| 2015 | 8 | |
| 2016 | 8 | |
| 2017 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 Hyundai Sonata peaked in 2004, when NHTSA received 23. 33% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Hyundai Sonata drew 0.6× the complaints of the median Hyundai Sonata year in the same window: 17th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
The 199 complaints about the 2003 Hyundai Sonata are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Hyundai Sonata by model year
Other 2003 Hyundai models
Newest record on this page: June 11, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted