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1997 Hyundai Sonata

Safety ratings, recalls, and consumer complaints from NHTSA

NHTSA Safety Ratings

1997 Hyundai Sonata 4-DR.

Overall
Not Rated
Front Crash
Not Rated
Side Crash
Not Rated
Rollover
Not Rated

Recalls(2)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ACCENT GT MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DOHC ENGINES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 19, 1996 THROUGH JUNE 30, 1997; 1998 ACCENT MODEL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 6, 1997 THROUGH JUNE 25, 1998; 1997 SONATA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1, 1996 THROUGH JULY 9, 1997 AND 1998 SONATA VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JULY 9, 1997 THROUGH APRIL 24, 1998. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS MAY APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION COULD RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER COULD NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.

Campaign: 00V314001

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.

Campaign: 97V026000

Consumer Complaints(60 total, showing 10)

VISIBILITY

FAILURE/BREAKAGE OF PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR AS ADDRESSED IN HYUNDAI TSB 09-01-003 NHTSA ID:10028945 RESULTING IN VISOR BEING UNABLE TO STAY IN POSITION BLOCKING VISIBILITY. *TR

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CALL HYUNDAI, I AM ABSOLUTELY FED UP WITH EVERYTHING THEY ARE DOING. I HAVE "REPAIRED" MY VEHICLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO NO AVAIL. AFTER AT LEAST 5, DEFINITELY MORE, TRIPS TO THE MECHANIC I HAVE REPAIRED THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, BRAKES, MOTOR MOUNTS, DONE A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE, AND HAVE HAD TO REPAIR 2 FLYWHEELS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THAT LIST DOES NOT INCLUDE THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF PLUGS, FILTERS, AND OIL. I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE. THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY MY VEHICLE, THIS IS MY MOTHERS VEHICLE, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHO'S VEHICLE IT IS, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WHAT IT BASICALLY IS DOING IS WHEN IT REACHES A CERTAIN MILEAGE IT WILL BASICALLY "KICK/JERK/PUSH FORWARD" (FOR A LACK OF TERMS) WHEN IT REACHES 12 MPH AND 32 MPH AND I'M CERTAIN OF OTHERS BUT MY MOTHER VIRTUALLY NEVER DRIVES ABOVE 45 MPH SO ANYTHING ABOVE THAT I'M UNCERTAIN OF. IT ALSO HAS A VERY HARD TIME ACCELERATING TO 20 MPH. ONCE IT'S ABOVE 20 MPH IT'S EASY AND ACCELERATES VERY FAST. MY MOTHER HAS NEARLY BEEN HIT TWICE DUE TO THIS INABILITY TO ACCELERATE AS FAST AS IT SHOULD. I HAVE TAKEN IT TOO HYUNDAI AND THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE SAYING IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I TOOK IT TOO NUMEROUS DIFFERENT MECHANICS. I AM GETTING 3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS, SOMETHING IN THE FUEL/AIR LINE, ENGINE COMPUTER MODULE, AND TRANSMISSION. I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY OF THESE REPAIRS SO I HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THEM, BUT I AM THINKING THAT THIS DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE REPORTED. THERE ARE TRANSMISSION AND ELECTRICAL ITEMS BEING REPORTED WHICH MAY BE RELATED TO THIS. IF THIS IS AS NUMEROUS AS I'M SEEING ON HERE, YOU MAY WANT TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ONCE IS A COINCIDENCE, 5 TIMES IS PHENOMENA, BUT OVER 20 TIMES IS AN EXPLICIT FAILURE BY THE COMPANY, NO MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS 30 DAYS OLD OR 30 YEARS OLD.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH ON MY '97 HYUNDAI SONATA BROKE AND ITS REALLY BIG SAFETY CONCERN. I'VE BEEN LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND ITS NOT JUST ME WHO HAS THAT PROBLEM THE DOOR LATCH BREAKS EASILY AND IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIXED SINCE THE PART COSTS $93 +. AND SINCE THE DOOR CAN'T OPEN ITS GOING TO COST A LOST OF MONEY FOR LABOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GET THE DOOR OPENED SOMEHOW AND LABOR GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE. HERE'S THE WEBSITE THAT REFERRED ME: HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_46625.HTML. *NM

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

1997 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK. LEAKING GAS FROM THE UPPER PART OF ON THE FUEL TANK. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TANK IN THE YEAR 2001..AND MY CAR WAS FIXED, HOWEVER IT HAS REOCCURED (SAME PROBLEM). I TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL, DUE TO THE FACT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. I ALSO CALLED THE MANUFACTUROR AND THEY WOULD ALSO NOT HONOR. THERE IS ALSO A DEFECT IN THE DOOR LOCK, NOT ALLOWING THE DOOR TO EVEN OPEN.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

RECALL # 00V314001 1997 HYUNDAI SONATA I HAD CALLED DEALER TO ASK OF RECALL THEY HAD INFORMED ME THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM THREE TIMES. AND THEY HAD SAID THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WILL NOT REPAIR. MY QUESTION IS ARE THEY STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFECT THAT HAS BEEN REPAIRED THREE TIMES. I AM LEAVING THE VIN # ALSO [XXX] PLEASE HELP THANKS. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

THE POWER LOCKS ARE DEFECTIVE, WHEN PLACING THE KEY INTO THE LOCK THE PASSENGER LOCK WOULD NOT OPEN, WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE ,THE LOCKING DEVICE WOULD NOT LIFT.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

RECALL 001V314001 CONCERNING FUEL TANK. AFTER HAVING RECALL REPAIRS DONE CONSUMER SMELLED GASOLINE ODORS, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON FIVE SEPARATE TIMES BY THE DEALER, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE FOR THE NEXT REPAIRS. *AK

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

RECALL 00V314001 CONCERNING FUEL TANK. AFTER REFILLING THE FUEL TANK CONSUMER SMELLED STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. CONTACTED THE DEALER CONCERNING THIS RECALL. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

RECALL REGARDING GAS TANK PROBLEM.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER ALL THE FUEL IN THE FUEL TANK LEAKED OUT. THE DEALER DID NOT SAVE THE TANK OR INSPECT IT FURTHER BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE. SOMETIME IN 2001 THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL (00V-314001) REGARDING A GAS TANK PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE. *NM

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION FAILURE

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