1990 Hyundai Excel

Routine

Owners filed 38 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine › gasoline. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Windshield3
001
Wheels › Rim2
000
Power Train › Clutch Assembly2
000
Fuel System, Gasoline2
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
010
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood2
112
Electrical System › Ignition › Module2
000
Electrical System2
010

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline93V192000
Filed Nov 23, 1993257,001 vehiclesHyundai Motor America

Defect. THE VEHICLES FAILED THE LATERAL MOVING BARRIER IMPACT TEST REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY." THE FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE GAS TANK EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE AMOUNT OF SPILLAGE.

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE FUEL SPILLAGE CAN RESULTIN A FIRE IF EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. HYUNDAI HAS DEVELOPED AN APPROPRIATE COUNTERMEASURE THAT WILL COMPLY WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 301.

Wheels › Hubcap/Cover90V053000
Filed Mar 15, 19902,281 vehiclesHyundai Motor America

Defect. LOCK WASHER LOCATED UNDER THE NUT THAT SECURES THE FRONT HUB TO THE DRIVE SHAFT MAY HAVE HAD IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT AND COULD CRACK.

Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE WHEEL BEARING FREEPLAY AND COULD RESULT IN BEARING DAMAGE, AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL THROUGH WHEEL FAILURE.

Remedy. REPLACE LOCK WASHER ON EACH FRONT WHEEL AND REPAIR AREA AROUND LOCK WASHER AS NECESSARY.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Sep 21, 2001TX

ENGINE SPUTTERED, STOPPED RUNNING, CAUGHT FIRE. *AK

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Jul 30, 2000IL

AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *AK

Power Train › Clutch Assembly › Pedal/Hand Lever(motorcycle)
Filed Oct 27, 1999NY

THE CLUTCH FORK BROKE, JAMMING THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 11, 1999NE

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE CROSSED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND CONSUMER CRASHED INTO IT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 27, 1999NJ

WHILE PROCEEDING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE DURING THE COMMUTING HOUR, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND I CAME CLOSE TO BEING HIT IN THE REAR. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS I REGAINED SOME POWER AND WAS ABLE TO PROCEED. THE CAR WAS IDLING ROUGH AND I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL TIMES TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I HAD IT TURNED UP AND IT RAN BETTER BUT STILL A LACK OF POWER. I HAD TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND IT FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE THE POLLUTION WAS AT 1200. I THEN HAD IT TUNED UP AGAIN (FULLY) AND IT FAILED AGAIN. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AT A STATION AND FOUND OUT THAT CYLINDER 3 DID NOT HAVE ANY PRESSURE AT ALL. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT TO GET IT FIXED IT WOULD COST AROUND $1,000. IT STILL IS NOT FIXED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Nov 6, 1998PA

ENGINE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING AT 20-25MPH. NO PRIOR INDICATION OR WARNING. DEALER CONTACTED AND NO WARRANTY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, REPAIRS CAN BE REMEDIED AT OWNER EXPENSE. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 12, 1998UN

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 30, 1997IL

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, TROUBLE OPENING DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, AND FUEL PUMP FAILED.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Apr 17, 1997CT

DURING RAPID ACCELERATION, WHILE STOPPING, BRAKES REQUIRED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, AND COULD FEEL "CHATTERING" IN BRAKES & THEN A LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP LIKE IT SUPPOSE TO; SLOW RESPONSE TIME. *AK

Wheels › Rim
Filed Mar 24, 1997AZ

ALL FOUR RIMS ARE CRACKED DUE TO DESIGN. *AK

Wheels
Filed Mar 6, 1997AZ

WHEN REPLACING TIRES FOUND ALL (4) WHEELS WERE CRACKED. (2) WHEELS ARE SPLIT FROM RIM TO BOLT HOLES. OTHER (2) WHEELS ARE SHOWING CRACKS AND SIGNS OF SPLITTING. *AK

Wheels › Rim
Filed Dec 31, 1996TX

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR RIM DEVELOPED TWO HAIRLINE CRACKS.

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Dec 4, 1996NY

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Sep 18, 1996FL

ELECTRONIC COMPUTER FAILED CAUSING ENGINE STALL.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Mar 4, 1996TX

AIR CONDITIONER HOSE REPLACED. *SD

Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint
Filed Feb 19, 1996VA

CV BOOTS FAILED FIVE TIMES.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jan 12, 1996FL

VEHICLE DOES NOT CONFORM TO LATER IMPACT PORTION OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 301, FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY. (93V192000) *DSH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › DrumFire1 injured
Filed Jan 4, 1996NY

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND THE CAR BLEW UP AND DRIVER WAS INSIDE. LOST BRAKES BEFORE.

Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Sep 25, 1995CA

WIRING HARNESS ATTACHED TO FIREWALL RELEASED AND WRAPPED AROUND TIRE AXLE; STOPPED VEHICLE FROM 55 MPH TO 0 MPH; VEHICLE WAS ON EDGE OF CLIFF. TT *JB

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 30, 1995MN

THE BACK SEAT SIDE WINDOW EXPLODES TWICE IN TWO YEARS ONE WAS IN COLD WEATHER PARKED OUTSIDE SECOND ONE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE IN HOT WEATHER AND EXPLODED . TT

20 of 38 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20017000Routine
19982000Routine
19972000Routine
19963002Fatalities reported
19955000Routine
199433220Routine
199320110Routine
199234100Routine
199138130Routine
1990 — this page38240Routine

Compare every Excel year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Nov 23, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.