IllustrationWHEN CONSUMER USES HAZARD LIGHTS AND THEN USE IT AGAIN SIGNAL LIGHTS GO OUT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED AT 3708, SECOND TIME 6000 MILES, AND THIRD TIME AT 59,000. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER HAS TO CHANGE HAZARD LIGHTS AGAIN. *AK
1997 Hyundai Sonata
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Hyundai Sonata are lower than 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: 13 of 49 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.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
2 reportsIN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE HYUNDAI SONATA'S TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO ACTIVATE, YOU MUST TURN ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS OR WAIT FOR THE VEHICLE TO WARM UP. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN THE HYUNDAI, BUT THEY HAVE TAKEN NO STEPS TO RECALL THE AUTO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM…
Read full complaint
IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE HYUNDAI SONATA'S TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO ACTIVATE, YOU MUST TURN ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS OR WAIT FOR THE VEHICLE TO WARM UP. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN THE HYUNDAI, BUT THEY HAVE TAKEN NO STEPS TO RECALL THE AUTO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH, WHICH SOMEHOW PROVIDES POWER TO THE TURN SIGNALS, MUST BE REPLACED. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE CONNECTION IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT POWERS THE AIR BAG CONTROL SYSTEM. WHEN THE CONNECTION IS POOR, THE "AIR BAG" LIGHT ACTIVATES, INCDICATING THE SYSTEM IS DISABLED. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN "REPAIRED" TWICE, AND STILL HAS NO AIR BAGS. THE DEALER "FIXES" THE PROBLEM BY "ADJUSTING/BENDING" THE "CONNECTOR" IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PROBLEM RECURS WITHIN DAYS. I'VE BEEN WITHOUT WORKING AIR BAGS FOR 8 MONTHS NOW. HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT IN THE STERRING COLUMN WHICH CAUSES THE AIRBAGS TO REPREATEDLY FAIL AND DE-ACTIVATE IN THIS MODEL. THEY HAVE TAKEN NO STEPS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE GOV'T NEEDS TO ORDER THEM TO DESIGN A FIX FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND RECALL ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *AK
Official recalls
200V314001 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Oct 2, 2000
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF IT IS CRACKED, A NEW FUEL TANK WILL BE INSTALLED. A NEW FUEL FILLER CAP THAT DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF VACUUM INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED. NOTE: THE 1997-1998 SONATA FUEL TANKS HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED CRACKING. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME, THE CAUSE FOR THE CRACKING HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. THIS PORTION OF THE CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN AFTER HYUNDAI HAS DETERMINED THE CAUSE AND CORRECTIVE PROCEDURE.
97V026000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
Feb 26, 1997
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING. INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.