Hello everyone, I have a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and it has been giving me a lot of trouble. Sometimes when I start it, it turns on but then locks up. It lights up all the warning lights and says check brake on the small screen. I have had it towed many times and I’ve tried a lot of things but I really want to sell it and get a more dependable car. What would be the best way to sell this car? How much should I ask for it? It has just under 200k miles. I just replaced the brakes about 10k miles ago, the tires are fairly new, and it has a new battery. Some good parts are still intact and I think someone skilled might be able to figure out what’s wrong since the dealership hasn’t been helpful.
Thanks so much for your help
Looks like the owner didn’t keep up with maintenance on this car
Ari said:
Looks like the owner didn’t keep up with maintenance on this car
I only had it for a year. I bought it from someone I thought was trustworthy, and I’ve kept up with maintenance since getting it.
@Kim
The warning lights only activate with this issue. When the car starts normally, the lights go off.
You might want to ask a dealership to diagnose the issue, particularly the hybrid brake control unit. I work at a dealership and it can be tricky to find, but I’ve seen it be the problem before. At my dealership, it costs around 3.5k for that. Just think about if you want to put that money into fixing this car or if it’s worth trading it in for about 4k or whatever the car is worth.
@Payton
Thanks for the info. Do you think a dealership would still consider buying it from me even with the electrical problems?
You should check the brakes!
Ashwin said:
You should check the brakes!
What’s the best way to do that?
The people who did your brakes might have made a mistake.
It could be an issue with the active hydraulic booster.
I might get some backlash for saying this, but mechanics running their own shops often have better knowledge about cars than those certified at dealerships. Dealerships usually just swap out the parts and might not really know how to fix the actual issue. Try a good mechanic and only pay them if they solve your problem, otherwise just pay to have your car checked but tell them that up front. And if you feel like you’re losing too much by selling the car, maybe go to a snowy area and lightly crash it to make it look like an accident and claim insurance. A slight bump in insurance costs is better than dealing with a car that’s always at the mechanic.
@Bailey
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate the advice!
Consider Kars for Kids.
Marlo said:
Consider Kars for Kids.
That sounds interesting, thank you for the suggestion!
Marlo said:
Consider Kars for Kids.
They can pick it up for free and give you a proper donation receipt for tax purposes.