Total Complaints
18 filings
Hyundai Sonata · model year
1989 Hyundai Sonata
18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 18
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1989 Hyundai Sonata posts top-10% complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 8%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1989HyundaiSonata carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 Sonata is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2) and latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1989 Sonata, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
18
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1989 Hyundai Sonata
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010419ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE STALLS IN MORNING WHEN COLD, TRANSMISSION SLIPS,POOR GAS MILAGE. *AK
20010419POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ENGINE STALLS IN MORNING WHEN COLD, TRANSMISSION SLIPS,POOR GAS MILAGE. *AK
19961231SEAT BELTS
MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS STICK.
19961017CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT ACCIDENT AT 35 MPH. THE FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT SYSTEM DID NOT HOLD THE DRIVER IN PLACE, UPON IMPACT. *AK
19960404FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR STALLED, CONSUMER GOT OUT CAR TO MAKE PHONE CALL AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960222ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE FAILED. *SD
19960222ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE FAILED. *SD
19960125LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
BOLTS HOLDING HOOD FELL OUT, CAUSING HOOD TO FLY UP OBSCURING VISION. *DSH
19951129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERE IS A TEMPERATURE SENSOR THAT HAS FAILED CAUSING HIGH RPM'S IN THE VEHICLE. TT
19950622EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A/C RECEIVER DRYER FAILED. *AW
19950622ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR LEAK.
19950622ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED.
19950622POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
DRIVESHAFT FAILED.
19950622POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19950615LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
RECALL RELATED,90V038000 WENT FOR APPOINTMENT OF 5/27/95 DEALERSHIP HAS NOTIFICATION LETTER, NEVER RECEIVED PART, EXPERIENCE PROBLEM ON 6/11/95 HOOD FLY UP.
19950417STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
BOLT ON FRAME THAT CONTROLS THE CHASSIS WEAR OUT TROUGH THE FRAME. TT
19950302FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE.
19950302UNKNOWN OR OTHER
HOOD RELEASE FAILED. *SKD
Compare 1989HyundaiSonata to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 Hyundai Sonata have?▼
The 1989 Hyundai Sonata has 18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Hyundai Sonata?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 Hyundai Sonata is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH.
Is the 1989 Hyundai Sonata 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 Hyundai Sonata; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.