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1998 Hyundai Sonata

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata are lower than the model-year median of 161.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 17 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 9 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 reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

49 reports
82,000 miles · May 4, 2005
Electrical System

CALLER STATED: BROUGHT CAR IN FOR INSPECTION. WHEN THE CAR WAS HOOKED UP THE MONITOR STATUS WITH THE ONBOARD COMPUTER RED NOT READY ON EVERYTHING. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT HE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR ON A HIGHWAY FOR 20 MINUTES, THEN DROP DOWN TO 15 MPH FOR 5 MINUTES, AND THEN REPEAT, FOLLOWED BY A REST PERIOD OF 5 HOURS. ALL…

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CALLER STATED: BROUGHT CAR IN FOR INSPECTION. WHEN THE CAR WAS HOOKED UP THE MONITOR STATUS WITH THE ONBOARD COMPUTER RED NOT READY ON EVERYTHING. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT HE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR ON A HIGHWAY FOR 20 MINUTES, THEN DROP DOWN TO 15 MPH FOR 5 MINUTES, AND THEN REPEAT, FOLLOWED BY A REST PERIOD OF 5 HOURS. ALL TO GET THE COMPUTER TO GIVE OUT THE CORRECT READING.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10119715

Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2005
Latches/locks/linkagesVisibility

THE PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP, IT GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAIN STORM. THE PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AS WELL AND REPLACING THE FUSE DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10118273

100,000 miles · Dec 30, 2004
Latches/locks/linkagesPower Train

FOLLOW UP TO COMPLAINT #10102430, PASENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE/OUTSIDE, AFTER REMOVING INSIDE DOOR PANEL FISHED OUT A BROKEN SPRING RUSTED THROUGH, WAS ABLE TO REPAIR WITH $.50 SPRING FROM LOCAL HARDWARE STORE, CHECKED DRIVERS SIDE AND FOUND SAME SPRING ABOUT TO RUST THROUGH, IF HYUNDAI USED STAINLESS SPRING WOULD HAV…

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FOLLOW UP TO COMPLAINT #10102430, PASENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE/OUTSIDE, AFTER REMOVING INSIDE DOOR PANEL FISHED OUT A BROKEN SPRING RUSTED THROUGH, WAS ABLE TO REPAIR WITH $.50 SPRING FROM LOCAL HARDWARE STORE, CHECKED DRIVERS SIDE AND FOUND SAME SPRING ABOUT TO RUST THROUGH, IF HYUNDAI USED STAINLESS SPRING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED PROBLEM, FELL SORRY FOR THAT PERSON TRYING TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP AT A EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE WHEN DOOR WON,T OPEN, TRANSMISSION ALSO GOES OUT OF GEAR WHEN AFTER SLOWING FOR EZ PASS THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10104805

100,000 miles · Dec 9, 2004
Latches/locks/linkages

AFTER CLOSING PASSENGER DOOR IT WILL NOT REOPEN, INSIDE DOOR HANDLE APPEARS NOT TO ENGAGE LINKAGE, PASSENGER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE IN A EMERGENCY, OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON FILE WITH NTSB. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10102430

Mileage unknown · Nov 20, 2004
StructureVisibility

PASSENGER WINDOW AND DRIVER'S DOOR INOPERABLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10100266

80,000 miles · Apr 29, 2004
Latches/locks/linkages

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO MY HYUNDAI SONATA 98 SINCE I GOT THE CAR AS OF SEPTEMBER 2003. I'VE HAD TO PAY OVER $700.00 IN TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT COSTS, AND FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE WARRANTED (BOB CIASULLI HYUNDAI). IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE PLASTIC…

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THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO MY HYUNDAI SONATA 98 SINCE I GOT THE CAR AS OF SEPTEMBER 2003. I'VE HAD TO PAY OVER $700.00 IN TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT COSTS, AND FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE WARRANTED (BOB CIASULLI HYUNDAI). IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE IS NO LONGER WORKING WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BY THE "DEALER SERVICE STATION". LATER I FOUND OUT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON MOST HYUNDAI 98 SONATA MODELS FOR THE PLASTIC DOOR LATCH. I AM UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE. A SAFETY HAZARD. AND EVEN MORE FRUSTRATED AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH BOB CIASULLI'S DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI #10068053

90 miles · Mar 3, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED EGR LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE, AND REPLACED THE EGR VALVE AND THE EGR SWITCH. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10061246

60,000 miles · Feb 24, 2004
Fuel System, Gasoline

FUEL TANK CRACKED. A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THIS MAKE/MODEL AND YEAR. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *MR

NHTSA ODI #10055594

39,000 miles · Nov 4, 2003
Power Train

WITH 39,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10045382

42,200 miles · Oct 17, 2003
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

SAME AS ODI ID NUMBER: 1003666 . FRONT DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE AND MUST CRAWL THROUGH BACK SEAT TO GET IN TO THE FRONT SEAT. PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STUCK FIRST AND PASSENGER HAD TO GET OUT THE WINDOW. TWO WEEKS LATER DRIVERS SIDE STUCK. TWO WEEKS LATER PARKING LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON AT WORK AND DOORS WERE LOCKED...…

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SAME AS ODI ID NUMBER: 1003666 . FRONT DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE AND MUST CRAWL THROUGH BACK SEAT TO GET IN TO THE FRONT SEAT. PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STUCK FIRST AND PASSENGER HAD TO GET OUT THE WINDOW. TWO WEEKS LATER DRIVERS SIDE STUCK. TWO WEEKS LATER PARKING LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON AT WORK AND DOORS WERE LOCKED... BATTERY DIED ...DOOR LOCKS ARE ELECTRIC... FRONT DOOR KEY ONLY UNLOCKS BACK DOORS IF YOU HAVE A GOOD BATTERY! COULDN'T GET IN CAR TO OPEN HOOD TO JUMP BATTERY...HAD TO LEAVE CAR AT WORK FOR DAYS TRYING TO GET HOOD OPEN WITH STIFF WIRE AND FINALLY WAS SUCCESSFUL WHEN THICK ENOUGH WIRE WAS USED. DON'T DARE TO LOCK CAR UP AGAIN...I STILL FIND IT LOCKED UP MANY TIMES A WEEK. MUST BE SELF-LOCKING. DEALER TOLD ME THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. DEALER TOLD ME PARTS ARE ABOUT $100 FOR EACH DOOR AND $200 LABOR FOR EACH DOOR TO CUT THROUGH THE INTERIOR PANEL TO GET ACCESS TO OPEN THEM SO THEY CAN WORK ON THEM. THAT'S A $600 FIX THAT CAN HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE MANUFACTURER USED CHEAP PLASTIC PARTS IN THE LOCKS WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10043092

Official recalls

1

00V314001 · 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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.