RoadVitals

1992 Hyundai Sonata

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
22
Latest Jul 5, 2003
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.
1
Latest Nov 29, 1993
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.
1
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 22 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1992 Hyundai Sonata, most frequently naming the brakes, transmission and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 13 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes514.7%
  • Transmission514.7%
  • Suspension411.8%
  • Seat belts411.8%
  • Engine411.8%
  • Interior & seats38.8%
  • Body & structure25.9%
  • Steering25.9%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
93V196000

SEAT BELTS

Nov 29, 1993
100,000 units potentially affected
The defect: THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.
The 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.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL LUBRICATE THE TRACK ASSEMBLY AND, IF ANY SYSTEMS ARE FOUND INOPERATIVE, THE SYSTEM WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, AS REQUIRED.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICAView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE93061ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

PASS.RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL

Opened Jul 8, 1993
Closed Nov 30, 1993

There is no summary currently available

SEAT BELTSLed to recall 93V196000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 22
Transmission
Filed Jul 5, 2003

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. REPAIR PLACE SAYS IT WAS A PREMATURE MECHANICAL FAILURE. POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE PARTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10025438
Incident
May 5, 2003
Mileage
94,600 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jun 29, 2000

WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WOULD ENGAGE. HOWEVER, WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WOULD DISENGAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID
864538
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Interior & seats
Filed Jul 7, 1998

WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S BASE CRACKED HORIZONTALLY, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS UNEXPECTEDLY, ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID
825102
Incident
Jul 6, 1998
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 30, 1998

HOOD LATCH FAILED.

NHTSA ID
535037
Incident
Apr 26, 1998
Suspension
Filed Jun 17, 1997

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT OR ABOUT 25-35 MPH LOWER CONTROL ARM SHEERED ON DRIVER'S SIDE BEHIND THE BALL JOINT BENDING UPPER STRUT PULLING THE AXEL CLEAN OUT OF TRANSMISSION. CON NOT CONTACT THE MANF.

NHTSA ID
813216
Incident
Jun 17, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jan 17, 1997
1 injury reported

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT BROKE LOOSE FROM TRACK DURING COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURY/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID
602453
Incident
Jun 10, 1996
Seat belts
Filed Jan 9, 1997
1 injury reported

UPON IMPACT SEATBELT SEPARATED FROM TRACK/ANCHOR, CAUSING INJURY.

NHTSA ID
513555
Incident
Jan 10, 1996
Brakes
Filed Dec 10, 1996
Crash reported

BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED AT 30 MPH, RESULTING IN A CRASH DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
806090
Incident
Sep 28, 1996

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 “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.

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

Hyundai Sonata by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026210—
2025150036.9
2024431047.2
2023852054.5
2022913058.3
20211274164.0
20201704160.0
20191560256.7
20183661257.9
20177613364.3
20167206468.1
20151,1379469.1
20147427768.1
20131,9029969.4
20121,5568766.6
20113,37214863.6
20103452356.5
20094602357.4
20084255459.3
20076967559.0
20061,04711559.2
20051651045.6
20042021152.1
20031996364.9
20023197465.7
20012053259.9
20002764259.4
19991244361.4
1998491040.2
1997492050.1
1996231036.9
1995662054.0
1994310—
1993261036.4
1992Viewing221147.5
1991291257.2
1990163247.4
1989113263.4
1988001—
1987101—
1986001—

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.