1991 Hyundai Sonata
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Hyundai › Sonata › 1991
These records cover every 1991 Hyundai Sonata. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1991 Hyundai Sonata. Newest first.
The motorized shoulder belt can travel slowly or chatter in the track and may eventually stop tracking and become inoperative.
Risk and remedy
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.
Owner complaints
29 complaints3 involved a crash6 involved a fire5 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
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…
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
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
Interior system passive restraint belts failed, prior to recall no #93v196000.*et
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Transmission has failed 3 times since ownership! transmission IS slipping, condition worsens with cold weather.*ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc
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 · Power train › Automatic transmission · Unknown or other
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 › Switch
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
Starter failed twice/replaced due to a design flaw. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Steering › Rack and pinion › Rack
Steering rack failed.
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Complete transmission failure, causing fluid to leak all over exhaust system creating smoke and small fire.
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Transmission failed.
- Seat belts › Front › Retractor
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
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Seat belts
Motorbelt stuck in track, causing motor to burn out.
- Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery · Electrical system › Ignition · Electrical system › Starter assembly · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly · Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Catalytic convertor · Power train · Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Windshield wiper motor failed.
- Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Failure of the driver side seat belt retractor, when driving the seat belt will not retract.*ak
- Seat belts
Rosenau and glassmen hyundai 93v196. Driver seat belt broke. Recall order did not remedy the problem. *ak *jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Car caught fire at a complete stop. please describe. *ak
- Vehicle speed control
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/regulator
Altenator and starter are defective, resulting in engine fire. *ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Drum
Rear brakes stick/won't release. *skd
- Seat belts
Both driver and passenger side seat belt retractor slows down now the driver side seat belt sticks . tt
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Catalytic convertor
Catalytic converter failure, it came apart inside. *ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components
Brakes failed, causing accident/loss of control/injuries. *aw
- Seat belts
Driver and passenger automatic seatbelts have failed prior to recall (93v196). tt
- Power train › Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission with gear changes and it happens when the car has not been driven in awhile. Please explain. 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
- Pass.restraint system fail
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.
- 10082725This bulletin provides information on components, attributes, and precautions of the 7-speed dry-type dual clutch transmission (dct).
- 54161Provided procedures for the installation of a block heater.
- 54113Shop manual correction on cylinder head bolt torque specification.
- 51905Shift condition caused by short circuit in inhibitor switch.
- 379651991 california specification sonata catalytic converter emission campaign (23).
Every Hyundai Sonata model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.