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2008 Hyundai Sonata Safety Review

August 19, 2008

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Five stars, front and side impact protection
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset; "acceptable," side impact
IIHS

exceptionally well-equipped in terms of standard passive safety features
Car and Driver

Visibility is great
Cars.com

High crash-test scores earn the 2008 Hyundai Sonata an excellent safety rating from TheCarConnection.com.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the Hyundai Sonata 2008 five out of five stars on all frontal and side impact protection tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is considered more stringent, awards the Hyundai Sonata its top mark of "good" for frontal offset crashes and its second-best mark of "acceptable" for side impacts.

There is no shortage of standard Hyundai Sonata 2008 safety equipment. "Safety features on all Sonatas include the mandatory dual-stage front-seat airbags; front-seat side-impact airbags for torso protection; and full-coverage side curtain airbags designed to provide head protection," according to Automotive.com. In addition to these airbags, Cars.com notes that the 2008 Hyundai Sonata four-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes "incorporate electronic brake-force distribution," and that "all seating positions have three-point seat belts."

Cars.com also reports that the Hyundai Sonata 2008's "visibility is great, courtesy of big mirrors and abundant glass." Automotive.com acknowledges that "outward visibility is good, although the wide C-pillars constrict quick, over-the-shoulder traffic checks for lane changing."

Conclusion

You'll ride in safety and security aboard the 2008 Hyundai Sonata.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Five stars, front and side impact protectionNHTSAGood," frontal offset; "acceptable," side impactIIHSexceptionally well-equipped in terms of standard passive safety featuresCar and DriverVisibility is greatCars.com High crash-test scores earn the 2008 Hyundai Sonata an excellent safety rating from TheCarConnection.com. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the Hyundai Sonata 2008 five out of five stars on all frontal and side impact protection tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is considered more stringent, awards the Hyundai Sonata its top mark of "good" for frontal offset crashes and its second-best mark of "acceptable" for side impacts. There is no shortage of standard Hyundai Sonata 2008 safety equipment. "Safety features on all Sonatas include the mandatory dual-stage front-seat airbags; front-seat side-impact airbags for torso protection; and full-coverage side curtain airbags designed to provide head protection," according to Automotive.com. In addition to these airbags, Cars.com notes that the 2008 Hyundai Sonata four-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes "incorporate electronic brake-force distribution," and that "all seating positions have three-point seat belts." Cars.com also reports that the Hyundai Sonata 2008's "visibility is great, courtesy of big mirrors and abundant glass." Automotive.com acknowledges that "outward visibility is good, although the wide C-pillars constrict quick, over-the-shoulder traffic checks for lane changing." ConclusionYou'll ride in safety and security aboard the 2008 Hyundai Sonata.  2008 HYUNDAI SONATA STYLING | [7 out of 10] Automotive.com: "the Hyundai Sonata remains refreshingly clean and spare" Kelley Blue Book: "some might argue the design is also somewhat generic" Cars.com: "gauges are ordinary but amply sized for legibility" The 2008 Hyundai Sonata is ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The mid-size sedan segment is the most popular and hotly contested in the United States. Even though the 2008 Hyundai Sonata was redesigned and introduced as an all-new 2006 model, it is tied for being the oldest in this group. (The Ford Fusion was also introduced in 2006, the Nissan and Toyota in 2007, and the Honda in 2008.)

Next Steps:

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See the Hyundai Sonata in Other Years:

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (5 total)

  1. By G. R. #1, Posted: 5/16/2009

    my 08 sonata is a piece of crap

    Do yourself a huge favor, pay a tiny bit more and get a Honda.
    My 08 Sonata is extremely unreliable. I died twice on a major hwy going 60 MPH. I was standing there, cars shooting by me, could have been killed. My brakes deterioriated complete down to the rotors at 18,000 miles.
    They told me it was normal & I had to pay.
    Meanwhile my 05 Oddessy with 45,000 miles still doesnt need brakes & my husbands 03 Acura TL only needed brakes at 50,000.
    This car is disgusting, havent had one this bad since the American cars in the 70's.
    Lucky I only leased it. Cant wait till the lease is up so I can give them back their piece of crap!!

  2. By sam #2, Posted: 5/16/2009

    Mr

    We have a Sonata and it is great. No problems. The comments by G.R. are suspect for a ruse.

  3. By Karen #3, Posted: 8/10/2009

    Buyer be- ware... My 2008 Sonata rear window spontaneously shattered when I closed the driver side door getting in to drive. Hyundai refused to acknowledge this was a glass defect. Could have caused severe injury to my passengers, so glad no one was in the back seat. I was quite traumatized as well. Stay away from this car.

  4. By Karen #4, Posted: 8/10/2009

    p.s. here's my case # at Hyundai customer service, 3669287. Look it up by calling Hyundai customer service @ 800-633-5151.

  5. By connie #5, Posted: 8/28/2009

    8/28/09...6:50a.m. driving I476 North, Haverford Twp., PA, my sunroof shattered, unprovoked, sounded like a gunshot in my brand new 2009 (muileage at time of incident: 199!) Elantra Touring. Weather: 70F, raining. Thought someone dropped a bowling ball off an overpass, but...no overpass in sight. At first, Hyundai Service Mgr, insisted must have been a rock, but after I looked at him real hard, he conceded & I am currently driving a "loaner" while they order in new glass. I will keep documentation, in case I need to argue defective construction. Seems to be an issue with foreign vehicles/

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