1991 Hyundai Sonata

Routine

Owners filed 29 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts6
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission4
010
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
010
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch2
020
Wheels1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
102
Unknown or Other1
000
Steering › Rack and Pinion › Rack1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum1
000

1 safety recall

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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 29, 2003IL

LTR EXPRESSING HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WAY NHTSA PROCESSED HIS PETITION FOR A HEARING...*MR THE CONSUMER SENT A PETITION FOR DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS. *TS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THREE TIMES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A ONE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 19, 2002OK

RECALL 93 V 196 000/PASSIVE RESTRAINT BELTS: SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAS STOP TRACKING AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *YH

Seat Belts
Filed Jun 7, 2000UN

INTERIOR SYSTEM PASSIVE RESTRAINT BELTS FAILED, PRIOR TO RECALL NO #93V196000.*ET

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 5, 2000MA

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 3 TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP! TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, CONDITION WORSENS WITH COLD WEATHER.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc
Filed Mar 11, 1999RI

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH TRANSMISSION BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN, AND KEEP CHANGING INTO DIFFERENT GEARS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP THREE TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Nov 18, 1998MD

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. ALSO, ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LEAK. CONSUMER HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS EVERY SINCE DAY ONE. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Apr 3, 1998NJ

DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM CAR, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT TURN. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OWNER WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT FIRE, BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHCLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK

Electrical System › Starter Assembly
Filed Mar 25, 1998KS

STARTER FAILED TWICE/REPLACED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. *AK

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionFire
Filed Aug 10, 1997NJ

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK ALL OVER EXHAUST SYSTEM CREATING SMOKE AND SMALL FIRE.

Steering › Rack and Pinion › Rack
Filed Jul 7, 1997NY

STEERING RACK FAILED.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 4, 1997MD

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Nov 20, 1996OK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR STOPPED WORKING, CONSUMER HAD IT LUBRICATED UNDER RECALL, BUT STILL NOT WORKING, RECEIVED RECALL LETTER # 93V196000 . PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Sep 18, 1996FL

FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, WHEN DRIVING THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Aug 28, 1996OH

IGNITION STUCK IN START POSITION, CAUSING STARTER TO BURN OUT/CATCH FIRE.

Seat Belts
Filed Jul 23, 1996MI

ROSENAU AND GLASSMEN HYUNDAI 93V196. DRIVER SEAT BELT BROKE. RECALL ORDER DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Jun 27, 1996GA

CAR CAUGHT FIRE AT A COMPLETE STOP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Apr 12, 1996NY

IGNITION COIL FAILED.

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash2 injured
Filed Apr 11, 1996GA

WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY, ACCELERATOR STUCK; TRIED TO STOP; LOST CONTROL; SPUNOUT 6 TIMES; LURCHED BACKWARDS/FORWARDS ACROSS HIGHWAY; HIT 2 TREES; SPEED 80 MP. *AK

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/RegulatorFire
Filed Mar 19, 1996TX

ALTENATOR AND STARTER ARE DEFECTIVE, RESULTING IN ENGINE FIRE. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Oct 20, 1995CO

BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SLOWS DOWN NOW THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT STICKS . TT

20 of 29 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
1991 — this page29160Routine
199016300Routine

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.