1990 Hyundai Sonata

Routine

Owners filed 16 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
000
Seat Belts2
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch2
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Structure › Body › Door1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing1
000
Power Train › Clutch Assembly1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch1
000
Parking Brake › Conventional1
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Seat Belts93V196000
Filed Nov 29, 1993100,000 vehiclesHyundai Motor America

Defect. THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Risk. SLOWING, CHATTERING, OR FAILURE OF THE MOTORIZED SHOULDERBELT MAY DISCOURAGE USE OF THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURYIN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL LUBRICATE THE TRACK ASSEMBLY AND, IF ANY SYSTEMS ARE FOUND INOPERATIVE, THE SYSTEM WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, AS REQUIRED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Hoses/Lines/Piping/Fittings90V037000
Filed Feb 21, 199043,590 vehiclesHyundai Motor America

Defect. THE SPRING CLAMP TANGS ON THE COOLANT BYPASS HOSE MAY CONTACT AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE ENGINE FUEL SUPPLY HOSE.

Risk. FUEL COULD LEAK FROM THE DAMAGED HOSE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy. ROTATE SPRING CLAMP TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH FUEL HOSE; REPLACE DAMAGED HOSES.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch90V038000
Filed Feb 21, 199039,361 vehiclesHyundai Motor America

Defect. INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE COULD CAUSE THE SAFETY CATCH ON THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH STRIKER TO BIND.

Risk. IF PRIMARY LATCH IS RELEASED OR IF HOOD IS NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED, HOOD COULD FLY OPEN WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION; THIS WOULD BLOCK DRIVER'S VISION AND COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE HOOD LATCH STRIKER ASSEMBLY.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jan 30, 2002CA

AFTER FILLING VEHICLE'S TANK SMELLED FUEL INSIDE VEHICLE. A DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. FUEL TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BEFORE. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Jun 19, 2000OH

THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS IN ANY POSITION (DRIVE, REVERSE, ETC.) INSTEAD OF PARK POSITION ONLY. THIS ALLOWS THE CAR TO ROLL UNATTENDED IF THE GEAR SHIFT WAS LEFT IN IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN PARK. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFT CAN BE MOVED FROM PARK TO ANY OTHER POSITION WITH OUT THE KEY INSERTED WHICH COULD BE A DISASTER IF CHILDREN WERE LEFT UNATTENDED IN THE CAR. I HAVE SENT COMPLAINTS TO HUNDAI WITH NO RESPONSE AND I HAVE SENT FORMS TO NHTSA WITH THE LAST BEING SENT ON 10/27/96 AND RECEIVED BY YOU ON 10/11/96 (REF NO. 803454). TO DATE I HAVE RECEIVED NO OTHER RESPONSE. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 23, 1999NY

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. THROUGH LESS THAN SEVEN YEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS NEEDED THREE TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE MOST RECENT TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE COST OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR.

Power Train › Clutch Assembly
Filed May 10, 1999CD

INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILED ALLOWING DRIVER TO REMOVE KEY WHILE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, WHILE PUTTING CHILDREN IN THE CAR IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS, CHILDREN WERE REMOVED BEFORE CAR WENT OVER ENBANKMENT.

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed Jul 8, 1997TX

SHOULDER BELT ON BOTH SIDES BROKE.

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jun 23, 1997KY

THE DOOR HANDLES WERE BROKE.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Dec 2, 1996MA

WHEN MAKING A STOP CONSUMER APPLIED FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD. *AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Nov 27, 1996KY

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT CAN BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND CANNOT LOCK THE DOORS WITH THE KEY. THE REAR WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS THE ONLY WINDOW WORKING. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Nov 27, 1996IL

MOTOR BELT FAILED.

Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Nov 8, 1996OH

THE CONSUMER IS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVE; ALSO, GEARSHIFT CAN BE MOVED OUT OF PARK WHEN KEY IS NOT INSERTED. *AK

Parking Brake › Conventional
Filed Aug 2, 1995OH

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE WHILE PARKED, VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. TT

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 28, 1995NY

TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR TWICE EVERY MONTH. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER COMPONENT WAS NOT BUILT FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. TT

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 8, 1995OH

TRANSMISSION; CAR RUN 100 TO 200 MILES CAR BREAK DOWN CAR BEEN IN SHOP ABOUT 240 TIMES. TT

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Feb 7, 1995OH

STOPS DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND IT WILL NOT START UP AGAIN. TT

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
Filed Jan 18, 1995KY

NO INTERLOCK SYSTEM, GRANDSON SEAR IN FRONT PASSENGERS SEAT REACHED OVER AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, VEHICLE ROLLEDOUT INTO STREET INTO A NEIGHBORS YARD. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Jan 17, 1995OH

VEHICLES DRIVER SIDE SAFETY BELT SYSTEM GETS STUCK IN MIDDLE POSITION OF MECHANISM. TT

16 of 16 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20263100Routine
202516000Routine
202446100Routine
202386200Routine
202292300Routine
2021131400Routine
2020178410Routine
2019161060Routine
20183721131Fatalities reported
20177633111Fatalities reported
20167256281Fatalities reported
20151,1449482Do not drive
20147457400High concern
20131,9099971Fatalities reported
20121,5568951Fatalities reported
20113,376141123Fatalities reported
2010345232Fatalities reported
20094602110Above average
20084255110Above average
2007696760Above average
20061,0471191Fatalities reported
2005165120Routine
2004202120Above average
2003199620Routine
2002319740Above average
2001205300Above average
2000276490Above average
1999124430Routine
199849100Routine
199749211Fatalities reported
199623101Fatalities reported
199566210Routine
19943100Routine
199326100Routine
199222100Routine
199129160Routine
1990 — this page16300Routine

Compare every Sonata 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 29, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.