Total Complaints
44 filings
HYUNDAI EXCEL · model year
1991 HYUNDAI EXCEL
44 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991HYUNDAIEXCEL carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 4 fires, 1 injury, 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 1991 EXCEL is power train:automatic transmission with 8 filings, followed by visibility:windshield (3) and unknown or other (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 1991 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.
44
Complaints
1
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 8 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 3 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| WHEELS:RIM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050330POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAR BEGAN TO ONLY DO 20 MILES PER HOUR AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. DROVE FIN ON ROAD. THAN BEGAN TO DRIVE SLOWLY AFTER TWO WEEKS. HAD TRANSMISSION FLIUD CHANGE AND DROVE GREAT FOR A WEEK THEN FAILED. I AM VER UPSET BY THIS MOTOR COMPANY FOR HIDING THIS MAJOR DEFECT. MY CAR ONLY HAD 68,485 ORIGINAL MILES!*AK
Mileage: 68,485
20040416POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSFER SHAFT BEARING BROKE, KNOCKING A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE, CAUSING FLUIDS TO LEAK FROM TRANSMISSION, CAUSING COMPLETE LOCK UP AND DESTRUCTION OF TRANSMISSION AND CASE. MY CAR WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD AND HAD 50,000 MILES ON IT. *AK
Mileage: 5,000
20021204POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION CASE CRACKED, DUE TO DRIVING OVER A DIP IN THE DRIVEWAY, (CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS VEHICLE)*JB
19990928UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY.
19990823POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION DEFECTIVE. NLM
19990823ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE DEFECTIVE. NLM
19980811VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE WINDOWS(PASSENGER AND DRIVER) IN THE REAR EXPLODED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 2 OTHER OCCASIONS. THE WINDOWS WERE REPLACED BY OWNER ALL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROLBEM. *AK THE FIRST WINDOW EXPLODED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE TWO OTHER TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. *SLC
19980602ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISE, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS NEVER GONE OFF SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AND THE CAR CUTS OFF. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19980602UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISE, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS NEVER GONE OFF SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AND THE CAR CUTS OFF. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19970904STRUCTURE:BODY
LOOSE MOLDING AROUND REAR WHEEL WELL BROKE OFF, CAUSING LOST OF CONTROL BY STRIKING THE CENTER WALL OF THE VEHICLE. (NEW JERSEY POLICE REPORT)
19970806CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD/COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER HAS NOTICED THE PROBLEM, THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED DUE TO A SLIPPED PIN. *AK
19970724STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
HATCH LIFT ASSIST BARS FAILED, CAUSING HATCH TO FALL ON PERSON'S HEAD.
19970409LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 60MPH AND THE HOOD RELEASED. PULLED OVER TO CLOSE HOOD, AND THEN NOTICED THE U-SHAPED METAL CLIP DETACHED FROM THE HOOD. *AK
19970325VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
BOTH REAR WINDOWS SHATTERED.
19961231POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19961114POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WHEN IT STARTED AGAIN IT WOULD BEARLY GO. DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF THIS. *AK
19961021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OWNER HAD INTERFERENCE IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. HEAD LIGHTS DIMMED WHEN OTHER ELECTRIC ACCESSORIES WERE USED/ALTERNATOR CHARGED CORRECTLY AND BELTS TIGHTENED W/NO CHANGE IN CONDITION. TWO MECHANICS STATED EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE.*
19960716FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SHE REQUESTED THE PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER OVER A YEAR AGO AND SHE STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED THE PART REGARDING FUEL SYSTEM RECALL 93V192000. *AK
19960627POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP THE CAR, CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT GO.*AK WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED, THE VEHICLE MADE A ROUGH SOUND AND CONTINUED TO DROP SPEED AND CUT OFF, VEHICLE WAS PUSHED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TO CONSUMER'S RESIDENCE, DEALERSHIP ADVISED CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INTERNAL PART, BUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY CO REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE COVERED PART WITHOUT CONSUMER'S AUTHORIZATION TO BREAK DOWN THE TRANSMISSION FIRST AND TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG.*JB
19960611FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED, FIRE UNDER THE DASH. FIRE DEPT. SAYS IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Compare 1991HYUNDAIEXCEL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 HYUNDAI EXCEL have?▼
The 1991 HYUNDAI EXCEL has 44 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 HYUNDAI EXCEL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 HYUNDAI EXCEL is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1991 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.