IllustrationTRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 3 TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP! TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, CONDITION WORSENS WITH COLD WEATHER.*AK
1991 Hyundai Sonata
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Hyundai Sonata do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 161.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sonata years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 29 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports5 fire reports3 injury reports
Power Train complaints
7 reportsWHEN 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
COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK ALL OVER EXHAUST SYSTEM CREATING SMOKE AND SMALL FIRE.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
IGNITION COIL FAILED.
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH GEAR CHANGES AND IT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN AWHILE. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
TRANSMISSION COOLANT LINE DEVELOPED A LEAK AND SPRAYED FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, CAUSING A FIRE. TT
Official recalls
193V196000 · Seat Belts
Nov 29, 1993
THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE94043 · Charging System Failures
Opened May 27, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE93061 · Pass.restraint System Fail
Opened Jul 8, 1993 · Closed Nov 30, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available