Total Complaints
64 filings
HYUNDAI EXCEL · model year
1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL
64 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988HYUNDAIEXCEL carries 64 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 8 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 EXCEL is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 10 filings, followed by electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (4) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1988 EXCEL, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
64
Complaints
4
Crashes
8
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 10 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 4 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040820ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROBLEMS WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT, RACK AND PINION LEAKAGE, BENT CROSSMEMBER IN THE SUBFRAME, ETC. (NAR) *PH *CB THE CONSUMER SENT ANOTHER COMPLAINT REFERENCING 10040082,10022196,10011711, & 10003824 ALL OF WHICH WENT UN-ANSWERED. *TC
Mileage: 119,037
20040820STEERING:RACK AND PINION
PROBLEMS WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT, RACK AND PINION LEAKAGE, BENT CROSSMEMBER IN THE SUBFRAME, ETC. (NAR) *PH *CB THE CONSUMER SENT ANOTHER COMPLAINT REFERENCING 10040082,10022196,10011711, & 10003824 ALL OF WHICH WENT UN-ANSWERED. *TC
Mileage: 119,037
20040820STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
PROBLEMS WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT, RACK AND PINION LEAKAGE, BENT CROSSMEMBER IN THE SUBFRAME, ETC. (NAR) *PH *CB THE CONSUMER SENT ANOTHER COMPLAINT REFERENCING 10040082,10022196,10011711, & 10003824 ALL OF WHICH WENT UN-ANSWERED. *TC
Mileage: 119,037
20031015STRUCTURE
RACK AND PINION IS LEAKING, BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT AND UPPER TIE BAR IS BENT.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS POORLY WELDED ON ONE SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME *TS THE CROSS MEMEBER WAS BENT. *JB
Mileage: 119,037
20031015STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINION IS LEAKING, BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT AND UPPER TIE BAR IS BENT.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS POORLY WELDED ON ONE SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME *TS THE CROSS MEMEBER WAS BENT. *JB
Mileage: 119,037
20000905TIRES
DRIVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY HEARD A NOISE LIKE THE TIRE WAS FLAT OR SOMETHING DRAGGING BENEATH MY VEHICLE. EXITED FOUND NOTHING. DROVE TO NEXT STOP SIGN, NOISE CONTINUED. EXITED A SECOND TIME AND OBSERVED TRED FROM TIRE EXTENDING ABOUT SIX INCHES TO THE REAR OF TIRE. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED BUT THE TRED TRAILED BEHIND THE TIRE. DROVE IN REVERSE TO ALLOW TRED TO WRAP AROUND TIRE AND PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. CHANGED TIRE TWO DAYS LATER. COUPLE WEEKS PASSED. NOTIFIED FIRESTONE BY CALLING THEIR EIGHT HUNDRED NUMBER TODAY 8-22-2000 AND WAS TOLD ONLY THE TIRES SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL WOULD BE EXCHANGED FOR FREE. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW TIRE. I EXPRESSED TO THEM THAT MY SERIES TIRE HAD TRED SEPERATION AS THE OTHER RECALLED TIRES HAVE HAD OCCUR. THEY DID NOT TAKE MY NAME, NUMBER OR EVEN TELL ME WHERE TO TAKE IT FOR INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD TO GO TO NEAREST DEALER AND BUY ANOTHER ONE, MINE WAS NOT COVERED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS INVESTIGATED SINCE I AM A POLICE OFFICER BY
19990423FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19990210POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
TRANSMISSION COOLANT LINE BROKE CAUSING CAR TO LOOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING.
19990210ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE HEAD FAILED.
19990210ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED.
19990126UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE SOLD WITHOUT PRIOR HISTORY INFORMATION STATING VEHICLE WAS SALVAGED.
19981030VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
WINDOW CRANKS FALL OFF.
19981030ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VALVE TRAIN CAME LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.
19981030POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:LUBRICANT
RECALL ON TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF GRINDING, REPLACED TRANSMISSION OIL.
19980624ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
PRE-CAT AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD REPLACED DUE TO COMPONENTS OVERHEATING, CAUSING CRACKING AND DISINTEGRATING.
19980303SEAT BELTS:FRONT
VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH LAP BELTS.
19980129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE, UNPREDICTABLY, LACKS POWER WHEN ACCELERATION FROM IDLE OR NEAR IDLE.
19980129SUSPENSION
VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERLY WITH LOUD SHAKING AND A RATTLING NOISE.
19970627SUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE WILL NOT HOLD PROPER ALIGNMENT, RESULTING IN TIRE WEAR.
19970627ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED.
Compare 1988HYUNDAIEXCEL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL have?▼
The 1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL has 64 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 8 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 1988 HYUNDAI EXCEL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.