Total Complaints
54 filings
HYUNDAI EXCEL · model year
1990 HYUNDAI EXCEL
54 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990HYUNDAIEXCEL carries 54 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 4 fires, 8 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 1990 EXCEL is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (3) and visibility:windshield (3). 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 1990 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.
54
Complaints
4
Crashes
4
Fires
8
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 | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 2 |
| WHEELS:RIM | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010925FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE SPUTTERED, STOPPED RUNNING, CAUGHT FIRE. *AK
20000823EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *AK
19991027POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)
THE CLUTCH FORK BROKE, JAMMING THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19990611CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE CROSSED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND CONSUMER CRASHED INTO IT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
19990227ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE PROCEEDING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE DURING THE COMMUTING HOUR, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND I CAME CLOSE TO BEING HIT IN THE REAR. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS I REGAINED SOME POWER AND WAS ABLE TO PROCEED. THE CAR WAS IDLING ROUGH AND I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL TIMES TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I HAD IT TURNED UP AND IT RAN BETTER BUT STILL A LACK OF POWER. I HAD TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND IT FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE THE POLLUTION WAS AT 1200. I THEN HAD IT TUNED UP AGAIN (FULLY) AND IT FAILED AGAIN. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AT A STATION AND FOUND OUT THAT CYLINDER 3 DID NOT HAVE ANY PRESSURE AT ALL. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT TO GET IT FIXED IT WOULD COST AROUND $1,000. IT STILL IS NOT FIXED.
19981106ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING AT 20-25MPH. NO PRIOR INDICATION OR WARNING. DEALER CONTACTED AND NO WARRANTY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, REPAIRS CAN BE REMEDIED AT OWNER EXPENSE. *AK
19981020ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, TROUBLE OPENING DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, AND FUEL PUMP FAILED.
19981020STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, TROUBLE OPENING DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, AND FUEL PUMP FAILED.
19981020FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, TROUBLE OPENING DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, AND FUEL PUMP FAILED.
19980812UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON.
19970814ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRONIC COMPUTER FAILED CAUSING ENGINE STALL.
19970417SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DURING RAPID ACCELERATION, WHILE STOPPING, BRAKES REQUIRED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, AND COULD FEEL "CHATTERING" IN BRAKES & THEN A LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP LIKE IT SUPPOSE TO; SLOW RESPONSE TIME. *AK
19970324WHEELS:RIM
ALL FOUR RIMS ARE CRACKED DUE TO DESIGN. *AK
19970306WHEELS
WHEN REPLACING TIRES FOUND ALL (4) WHEELS WERE CRACKED. (2) WHEELS ARE SPLIT FROM RIM TO BOLT HOLES. OTHER (2) WHEELS ARE SHOWING CRACKS AND SIGNS OF SPLITTING. *AK
19961231WHEELS:RIM
DRIVER'S SIDE REAR RIM DEVELOPED TWO HAIRLINE CRACKS.
19961204ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. *AK
19960628EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER HOSE REPLACED. *SD
19960628TIRES
ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. *SD
19960628VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE SENSOR MISADJUSTED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH. *SD
19960628EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
'O' RINGS REPLACED DUE TO WEAK MATERIAL. *SD
Compare 1990HYUNDAIEXCEL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 HYUNDAI EXCEL have?▼
The 1990 HYUNDAI EXCEL has 54 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 4 fires, 8 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 HYUNDAI EXCEL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 HYUNDAI EXCEL is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD.
Is the 1990 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.