[Elara0010]

Hi there!

I have the 2014 Sonata Limited, with the technology package, which means it came with the upgraded LED-style taillights.



Right after the 5 year mark (of course) the driver's side tail light is flickering intermittently, and just not turning on most of the time. Brake light, reverse light, and turn signal are all still fine and working normally.

The dealership told me the tail light assembly needed to be replaced, and tried to charge me over $700 to do it. They told me Hyundai refused to cover it under warranty because it was over five years since date of sale (by 3 months).

Has this happened to anyone else with this model? Are the driver's side LED tail lights for this model just faulty? (I've seen a lot on eBay that are "parts only/not working" for sale.) Is it not the tail light, but the wiring that's a problem? If so, I don't have the first idea how to address that.

I would just buy all new halogen bulb tail lights, but the connector is a different shape for those, and I don't know how to address that either.

Thank you!

 

[reus49]

Take out the bulb and look at the socket. Make sure there is no rust.

 

[Elara0010]

The only bulb is the turn signal, which is still working fine. The light that's out is an LED connected to a motherboard, which you can't get to, no matter how many screws you remove.

 

[dougary]

Leds should last a long time. The other side is fine, so check most obvious problem first. The connectors and wiring harness.
If the part that flickers is on the trunk lid check that the wiring harness isn't rubbing against metal where it bends at the hinges.
Check the connectors at the assembly for looseness and corrsion.
Good luck!

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

I have the very exact problem, but on the passenger's side tail light, I'm thinking that the circuit board is the problem, The tail light is sealed, so the only option to get into the led control module is opening "a door" on the case with a moto tool, I will try this. If I succeed and find a circuit module able to power the led pipe will let you all know.

 

[Elara0010]

I also discovered that the taillight is sealed, when I tried to see if there was a part number for the LED, or something that looked burnt out that I could potentially replace. When I saw it was a circuit board (through the gaps in the assembly), I knew I was out of my depth of knowledge, and didn't go any further.

Most of the time I see this used part for sale, not working, it's the driver's side, so it's interesting that yours is on the passenger side. I'll be interested to hear what you discover! Good luck!

 

[DarrenBach]

I would definitely appeal directly with Hyundai Customer Care and see if they won't concede with a Good Will fix!

 

[Elara0010]

In the works! Customer Care referred me to their corporate office, and I spoke with someone there earlier today. Fingers crossed!

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

I have the very exact problem, but on the passenger's side tail light, I'm thinking that the circuit board is the problem, The tail light is sealed, so the only option to get into the led control module is opening "a door" on the case with a moto tool, I will try this. If I succeed and find a circuit module able to power the led pipe will let you all know.

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

I used my dremmel to open the housing. The module is bad on that area so I jumped with a wire and it’s working again.

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

View attachment 440555

From the 3 wires coming to the module jump the brown. At the other side of the module cut the blue. Make a bridge between the brown and the blue that is going to the led. Isolate the blue tail that is not connected and it will work. I hope this be a durable fix.

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

And it’s working now. Stop light was on with no pedal at first but after few seconds fix itself. Good luck.

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

I also discovered that the taillight is sealed, when I tried to see if there was a part number for the LED, or something that looked burnt out that I could potentially replace. When I saw it was a circuit board (through the gaps in the assembly), I knew I was out of my depth of knowledge, and didn't go any further.

Most of the time I see this used part for sale, not working, it's the driver's side, so it's interesting that yours is on the passenger side. I'll be interested to hear what you discover! Good luck!

This is the part:

 

[Miguel Dominguez]

This is the part:

 

[DarrenBach]

Miguel, you should know you can edit/add to your post...and you don't need to quote yourself. Also, any fix is not always a good fix!

 

[Elara0010]

Customer Care referred me to the corporate office on 8/5/19. A man from the corporate office called me on 8/9/19. He listened, said he would call me back in a few days. Two weeks went by, and I left several messages. I never heard from him again.

On 8/26/19, a different man from the corporate office called me, saying he was working on my case now. I explained the entire story to him. He promised to call me back the next day. Guess what? Never heard from him again either. Even though I left him one voicemail per day for TWO WEEKS.

9/9/19: I send an email to Customer Care, letting them know that neither person in the corporate office will call me back, and can they refer me to someone else? A work week has gone by. NO RESPONSE!

Moral of the story: they don't seem to care whether their customers get defective parts. They don't even care enough to call me back and say my claim has been denied. They just keep giving me enough hope to think "Maybe today they'll help me!" and be disappointed once again, after every day that goes by.

It's been over a month since I went to the dealership and they tried to charge me $700 to fix a defective LED. I can't drive at night. I can't drive in the rain. Because my taillight can't be trusted to actually light up.

Thanks guys. I know where to never buy from again. Lesson learned.

 

[hg3300]

Can you replace it with a traditional taillight or are they not compatible?

 

[Elara0010]

Not as far as I can tell. The turn signal is in a different place in the traditional taillight, but most importantly, the connector is a different size/shape.

 

[C4RN1]

Not as far as I can tell. The turn signal is in a different place in the traditional taillight, but most importantly, the connector is a different size/shape.

You can replace it with any of the other tail lights out there. There are 7 or 8 different versions you could use. All that matters is the size of the tail light, and since you have a YF we know that anything from 2011-2014 will fit your car. You could even replace them with the Hybrid taillights if you wanted to. You may have to repin the connector but we can guide you if you need help doing that.

Anyway your options are simple since Hyundai isn't going to support an older car that's out of warranty.

1. Replace the tail light with the same one.

OEM LED Tail Light Rear Lamp LH Outside Assy For HYUNDAI 2011-14 Sonata YF i45 | eBay

For HYUNDAI 2011-2014 SONATA / YF SONATA / i45. 2011 2012 2013 2014 : HYUNDAI SONATA / YF SONATA / i45. OEM Genuine Parts LED Rear Tail Light Lamp. (Left Outside 1EA). Composition : Left Outside 1P. Made : South Korea.

www.ebay.com

2. Replace with an aftermarket tail light assembly.

Here are a few options.

LED Red Clear Tinted Tail Lights Lamp For Hyundai Sonata 2011-2014 Assembly | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LED Red Clear Tinted Tail Lights Lamp For Hyundai Sonata 2011-2014 Assembly at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Tail Light For 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata Assembly Smoked Lens Tail lights Pair | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tail Light For 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata Assembly Smoked Lens Tail lights Pair at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

LED Tail Lights For Hyundai Sonata 2011-2014 Red/Smoked Lens Replacement Tail La | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LED Tail Lights For Hyundai Sonata 2011-2014 Red/Smoked Lens Replacement Tail La at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

LED Trunk Tail Lamps Light Rear Lamps For HYUNDAI 2011-2014 Sonata YF i45 | eBay

For HYUNDAI 2011-2014 Sonata YF i45. 2011 2012 2013 2014 : HYUNDAI SONATA / YF SONATA / ix45. To install these tail lights by professional installer. LED will stay cool situation and longer life span with NONE color fading.

www.ebay.com

 

[Elara0010]

repin the connector

That's exactly what I don't know how to do. It probably requires tools I don't own, and it definitely requires knowledge I don't have.

There are used taillights listed on eBay and elsewhere that were pulled off a wrecked car that was just like mine, so they're exactly the same as what I have now, but that means they also might have the same problem mine does. Several that are listed explicitly do, and the others I'd be taking a chance, and hoping they don't. Or hope they don't develop it in a year, etc.

Your example for number 1 isn't exactly the same as mine. There are LED lights on the side that mine have, and most of the ones I find on eBay don't have them for some reason. Maybe that doesn't matter, but I have no way of testing it to make sure, and I didn't want to spend over $200 on it just to find out that it did matter.

And for all of your other examples I'd have to buy the L and R one as a set, and repin them both, so I'm back to the problem I came in with.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to disparage your suggestions. I appreciate any help you're willing to give. It's just... if I can't replace it with the exact same thing (unplug the old one, plug in the new one), I'm in over my head. And the exact same part might eventually develop the same defect.

Which is why I was really hoping Hyundai would see the situation they put me in, and attempt to fix this. Which they claimed they would, more than once. But then I got ghosted.