CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURES
Opened May 27, 1994
Closed Oct 31, 1994
There is no summary currently available
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1988 Hyundai Sonata
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
0
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Hyundai Sonata. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 10 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
No owner complaints recorded for this model year
Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
23-BD-002H
VISIBILITY
This 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.
21-EM-003H
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT
This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
20-BR-002H
SERVICE BRAKES
This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
20-SS-004H
TIRES; WHEELS
This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the âTire Balance Data Sheetâ must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) data. The Data Sheet can be found at the end of this bulletin.
20-EE-003H
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT
This 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.
19-BE-011H-1
BACK OVER PREVENTION; LANE DEPARTURE
The 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.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 36.9 |
| 2024 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 47.2 |
| 2023 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 54.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 3 | 0 | 58.3 |
| 2021 | 127 | 4 | 1 | 64.0 |
| 2020 | 170 | 4 | 1 | 60.0 |
| 2019 | 156 | 0 | 2 | 56.7 |
| 2018 | 366 | 1 | 2 | 57.9 |
| 2017 | 761 | 3 | 3 | 64.3 |
| 2016 | 720 | 6 | 4 | 68.1 |
| 2015 | 1,137 | 9 | 4 | 69.1 |
| 2014 | 742 | 7 | 7 | 68.1 |
| 2013 | 1,902 | 9 | 9 | 69.4 |
| 2012 | 1,556 | 8 | 7 | 66.6 |
| 2011 | 3,372 | 14 | 8 | 63.6 |
| 2010 | 345 | 2 | 3 | 56.5 |
| 2009 | 460 | 2 | 3 | 57.4 |
| 2008 | 425 | 5 | 4 | 59.3 |
| 2007 | 696 | 7 | 5 | 59.0 |
| 2006 | 1,047 | 11 | 5 | 59.2 |
| 2005 | 165 | 1 | 0 | 45.6 |
| 2004 | 202 | 1 | 1 | 52.1 |
| 2003 | 199 | 6 | 3 | 64.9 |
| 2002 | 319 | 7 | 4 | 65.7 |
| 2001 | 205 | 3 | 2 | 59.9 |
| 2000 | 276 | 4 | 2 | 59.4 |
| 1999 | 124 | 4 | 3 | 61.4 |
| 1998 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 40.2 |
| 1997 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 50.1 |
| 1996 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 36.9 |
| 1995 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 54.0 |
| 1994 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 36.4 |
| 1992 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 47.5 |
| 1991 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 57.2 |
| 1990 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 47.4 |
| 1989 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 63.4 |
| 1988Viewing | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.