1988 Hyundai Excel
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › Hyundai › Excel › 1988
These records cover every 1988 Hyundai Excel. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 1988 Hyundai Excel. Newest first.
The heater control valve stem does not meet the material specifications. High coolant temperatures can cause the stem to leak.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This can result in a burn injury to the front seat passenger's feet and legs.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace defective valve stems.
The manual transmissions may lock up from insufficient lubrication of the gears in the transmission case. This can cause the drive wheels to seize and the vehicle to come to a sudden stop.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Sudden stops without prior warning can cause vehicleoccupants to be thrown around in the car, and cause loss of vehicle controlwhich could result in an accident.
Remedy
Hyundai will perform a cost free transmission oil change.
Deterioration of the reed valve subassembly may lead to a malfunction within the secondary air supply portion of the emission control system. The screws which attach the reeds to the reed valve subassembly may rust, and if the rusting becomes severe, the screw heads will erode and allow the reeds to separate from the reed valve subassembly. Corrosion may…
Risk and remedy
Risk
The melting plastic air filter case may lead to a firein the engine compartment.
Remedy
Replace the reed valve subassembly with one whose metal components are fabricated from corrosion resistant stainless steel.
If cruise control main switch IS in the on position when engine IS started, system can be affected by a short duration voltage drop caused by optional hi-power (H340) radio.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This could cause erratic cruise control operation, whichcould result in an accident.
Remedy
Replace electronic control module.
Owner complaints
43 complaints3 involved a crash7 involved a fire6 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Steering › Rack and pinion · Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Problems with broken motor mount, rack and pinion leakage, bent crossmember in the subframe, etc. (nar) *ph *cb the consumer sent another complaint referencing 10040082,10022196,10011711, & 10003824 all of which went un-answered. *tc
- Steering › Rack and pinion · Structure
Rack and pinion IS leaking, broken motor mount and upper tie bar IS bent.*mr the vehicle was poorly welded on one side of the subframe *ts the cross memeber was bent. *jb
- Tires
Driving out of driveway heard a noise like the tire was flat or something dragging beneath my vehicle. exited found nothing. drove to next stop sign, noise continued. exited a second time and observed tred from tire extending about six inches to the rear of tire. tire was still inflated but the…
Driving out of driveway heard a noise like the tire was flat or something dragging beneath my vehicle. exited found nothing. drove to next stop sign, noise continued. exited a second time and observed tred from tire extending about six inches to the rear of tire. tire was still inflated but the tred trailed behind the tire. drove in reverse to allow tred to wrap around tire and parked in driveway. changed tire two days later. couple weeks passed. notified firestone by calling their eight hundred number today 8-22-2000 and was told only the tires specified in the recall would be exchanged for free. I was told I would have to pay for a new tire. I expressed to them that my series tire had tred seperation as the other recalled tires have had occur. they did not take my name, number or even tell me where to take it for inspection. I was told to go to nearest dealer and buy another one, mine was not covered. I would like to see this investigated since I am a police officer by profession, not to mention I or a family member may have been killed if I had been traveling at a faster rate of speed on the highway rather than in my neighborhood. I still have the tire if pictures are needed or if an inspector needs to respond to view the tire. my concern IS that there may be other series of faulty firestone brand tires out there jeopardising more innocent lives. please advise me on the next step I need to take to resolve the matter. firestone seemed uncooperative. thank you for your assistance in this matter. sincerely, steven w. Gordon.( dot number: tire size: i75/70r138 )
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
No summary listed for this vehicle. *Ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly · Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline · Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
Transmission coolant line broke causing car to loose power while driving.
- Unknown or other
Vehicle sold without prior history information stating vehicle was salvaged.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Power train › Manual transmission › Lubricant · Visibility › Glass, side/rear
Window cranks fall off.
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Pre-cat and exhaust manifold replaced due to components overheating, causing cracking and disintegrating.
- Seat belts › Front
Vehicle IS not equipped with lap belts.
- Suspension
Vehicle vibrates severly with loud shaking and a rattling noise.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Vehicle, unpredictably, lacks power when acceleration from idle or near idle.
- Electrical system › Starter assembly · Suspension › Front
Vehicle will not hold proper alignment, resulting in tire wear.
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Engine overheated, causing overflow container to erupt in driver's face, resulting in facial burns.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Engine compartment fire. (Ohio state police report)
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control
Exhaust manifold cracked at oxygen sensor, causing exhaust system to back up/fail, as well as the engine/heads/head gasket to fail. *Dh
- Structure › Frame and members
Vehicle caught fire due to reed valve sub assembly failure.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Oil leak from rear main seal/valve cover gasket. *Dh
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Montes auto ctr 91v225. Its been 1 1/2 year and the dlr and zone office can not make a decision on repairs. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
The consumer was driving and the vehicle cut off and the vehicle cought fire engine compartment fire.
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
Emission system reed valve subassembly failed. *Dsh
- Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Front seat belt failed in accident, causing injuries. (Attorney for client) *dsh
- Seat belts
Automatic seat belt failed, causing injury. tt
- Fuel system, gasoline
Auto caught fire while driving on highway-no injuries were sustained. tt
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
While driving heard a loud rattling sound and engine died. Please describe details. tt
- Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Drivers shoulder seatbelt will not retract. tt
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Charging system failures
There is no summary currently available
- Heater core failure
There is no summary currently available
- Transmission malfunction
There is no summary currently available
- Auto shoulder belt failure
There is no summary currently available
- Transmission lock-up
There is no summary currently available
- Auto shoulder belt fails
There is no summary currently available
- Transmission lockup
There is no summary currently available
- Engine compartment fires
There is no summary currently available
- Passenger brake
There is no summary currently available
- Engine compartment fires
There is no summary currently available
- Frnt suspension vibrates
There is no summary currently available
- Front suspension vibration
There is no summary currently available
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10230904This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.
- 10189989This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
- 10183963This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
- 10183960This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the Tire Balance Data Sheet must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) data. The Data Sheet can be found at the end of this bulletin.
- 10174808This bulletin provides information on identifying dealer stock vehicles with either: A Battery SOC alert - low Battery State of Charge (SOC) at or below 50%. A 30 Day alert - vehicle has not started and reported an SOC in 30 days.
- 10169370The Blind Spot Detection (BSD) or Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) is a system that measures the speed of and distance from the following vehicles by using two magnetic wave radar sensors attached in the rear bumper. The BSD/BCW detects vehicles within the blind spot zone and gives off an alarm (visual and audible). The two magnetic radar sensors provide these functions for BSD/BCW: ? Senses other vehicles in the BSD/BCW zone and turns on the BSD/BCW warning lamp for the driver. The warning lamp starts blinking, along with an audible sound, when the driver turns on the turn signal lamp to enter the lane where another vehicle is driving.
- 51905Shift condition caused by short circuit in inhibitor switch.
- 39744Excels equipped with heater cores manufactured by mando may experience coolant leakage from the heater valve stem assembly.
Every Hyundai Excel model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.