Have you ever wanted to go on a family camping trip or even tow your motorcycle using your Hyundai Sonata? The Hyundai Sonata is a lightweight mid-size car first introduced in 1985. In this post, we'll be helping you answer these questions as we've already done the research for you.
The Hyundai Sonata can tow light trailers, but we wouldn't recommend it. It has a towing capacity of 1,000 lbs (braked) and a 2,000 lbs towing capacity (unbraked). These specifications may initially seem reasonable on paper, but Hyundai officially stated that the Hyundai Sonata is not for towing.
Now that we have answered the question, what now? Well, don't worry, as we'll be diving in deeper into what you will be able to tow safely with your Hyundai Sonata, as well as answer some of your questions about Hyundai Sonata's towing capacity.
What Can The Hyundai Sonata Tow?
A-Frame Trailer
A-frame trailers are an RV-type of trailer that you can fold for towing. This type of trailer is often best for small campsites. One of the perks of renting this type of trailer is it costs less, which is perfect if you're trying to go on a trip without breaking the budget.
According to this list, the average A-Frame trailer can weigh from 700 lbs to a maximum of 3,800 lbs. For reference, an average, well-equipped trailer will weigh around 1,500 lbs which is still in the towing capacity of the Hyundai Sonata.
Since you want to tow something around 700-1,500 lbs of A-frame trailer, we highly recommend this great A-frame trailer jack.
Check out this Curt 28204 A-Frame Trailer Jack on Amazon!
Canoe or Kayak Trailer
Ever thought about taking the family out for some canoeing or some kayaking? Well, do we have great news for you. The Hyundai Sonata is fully capable of towing a trailer loaded with a canoe or a kayak.
According to this highly informative article, a usual canoe or kayak weighs about a gross vehicle weight rating of 200 to 800 lbs, and its trailer weighs about 100-400 lbs. The combined weight would range from 300-1,200 lbs; a Hyundai Sonata can safely tow a canoe or kayak trailer.
Motorcycle Trailer
Your buddy just called you and told you that he is stuck somewhere with his broken-down motorcycle, and you happen to have a motorcycle trailer at your garage. Great news! You can tow a motorcycle trailer using your Hyundai Sonata.
An empty motorcycle trailer weighs around 300-500 lbs depending on the make and build. A motorcycle's weight, according to this article, is approximately 600 lbs depending on the type of motorcycle.
Due to the limitation of the Hyundai Sonata's horsepower, we highly recommend only towing a motorcycle with a weight of fewer than 600 lbs for safety purposes. If it's more than 600 lbs, we suggest calling a towing company to assist you so that they can offer a far safer option in towing a loaded motorcycle trailer.
Jet Ski Trailer
So, you want to go to a beach and ride your newly bought jet ski; unfortunately, you only have your Hyundai Sonata with you to tow your jet ski. The Hyundai Sonata can tow a loaded jet ski trailer, depending on the jet ski's weight.
Typically, an empty jet ski trailer weighs around 100 to 500 lbs, while a jet ski on average weighs 400-1,200 lbs. We highly recommend a jet ski weighing about 400-600 lbs if you'll be towing with your Hyundai Sonata to promote safety. Otherwise, we recommend hiring a towing truck to haul your jet ski for you safely.
How to Install A Trailer Hitch On Your Hyundai Sonata
Now that you know what you can tow for your Hyundai Sonata, it's time to get down to installing a trailer hitch. Here's how you can install a trailer hitch; we'll be dividing it into sections so you can properly follow along with the procedure.
To help you get started, this is the hitch we'll be installing to the 2016 model of Hyundai Sonata.
Check out this Curt 11402 Class 1 Trailer Hitch on Amazon.
Lowering the Exhaust
- Use a spray lubricant on the rubber isolators holding the exhaust.
- Take a pry bar to pull off the rubber isolator from the exhaust.
- Do the same for the other side of the exhaust.
- Use a strap to support the exhaust system for safety purposes to avoid sagging, possibly damaging the exhaust system.
- Use a spray lubricant again and remove the middle part of the exhaust from its rubber isolator. Remember to support the exhaust towards the safety strap.
We'll recommend using these products to assist you with this process.
Ops 15" Flat Pry Bar
Check out this Spec Ops 15" Flat Pry Bar on Amazon.
Hunter Safety Strap
Check out this Hunter Safety Strap on Amazon.
Removing the Heat Shield
- Prepare a 10 mm bolt extractor.
- Using the 10 mm bolt extractor, remove the bolts carefully while supporting the heat shield.
- Gently pry off the heat shield and set it aside.
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Removing the Underbody Panel
- Prepare the screw extractor.
- There should be five screws on the exterior and two 10 mm nuts on the interior.
- Remove the five screws first.
- Remove the two 10 mm nuts while supporting the underbody panel.
- Gently remove the underbody panel from its position and set it aside.
Removing the Exhaust Bracket on Both Sides
- Prepare a 12 mm socket for the drill.
- Unbolt the two 12 mm bolts to loosen the exhaust bracket.
- Support the exhaust bracket until you can easily remove it.
- Strip the foam covering the mounting holes
- Do the same thing for the other side of the vehicle.
Drilling the Access Hole and Installing the Carriage Bolt
Since Hyundai does not recommend using a Hyundai Sonata for towing purposes, you would need to do an extra step to fit the head of the carriage bolt.
- Use a step drill bit for this process or a file to enlarge the access hole.
- Just do this until you can fit the carriage hole in.
- Use the fish wire's coiled end, feed it to the hole near the rear of your car, and fish it out through the hole towards the front end of your vehicle.
- Take the square-hold spacer feed it upwards to the fish wire.
- Thread in the carriage bolt to the coiled end of the fish wire.
- Using the other end of the wire, carefully pull the spacer and the carriage bolt towards the rear hole.
- You have to thread the carriage bolt first for the front hole and then put the square-hold spacer.
- Feed the carriage bolt first, this time before the square-hold spacer through the front hole.
- Repeat the entire process for the other side of your vehicle.
Installation of the Hitch Itself
- It's better to have an extra person to help you set up the hitch.
- Align the hitch itself towards the carriage bolts. Be careful as this process can send the carriage bolts back up to the hole.
- Use flanged nuts for the carriage bolts to hold the hitch in place. Do this process by hand first.
- Do this step for every carriage bolt.
- Before tightening the flanged nuts, make sure that the hitch is correctly centered so that you can install the exhaust hanger brackets again.
- Reinstall the exhaust hanger brackets again for both sides.
- Using a drill, tighten the flanged nuts up unto the specified torque. The nuts and bolts have a specified torque depending on the diameter because it prevents failure from overtightening the bolts.
- Reinstall the heat shield for both sides.
- Reinstall the underbody panel.
- Remember the exhaust hanger supported by the safety strap? Reinstall those again, and the hitch installation is now over.
Make sure to ">follow the steps carefully to avoid damaging the exhaust system of your Hyundai Sonata. You wouldn't want your exhaust system dragging along the pavement, right?
In Conclusion
Now that you know what types of trailers your Hyundai Sonata can tow as well as how to install a hitch trailer itself, you are now ready for your family trip. Keep in mind to drive safely as Hyundai themselves highly refrain owners from using the Hyundai Sonata for towing purposes.
If you're looking for towing capacities for other vehicles or even, make sure to check these articles out!
Can You Tow A Trailer With A Hyundai Elantra?
How Much Can You Tow With a Ford Ranger? [With or without a towing package]