Total Complaints
25 filings
HYUNDAI SONATA · model year
1990 HYUNDAI SONATA
25 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990HYUNDAISONATA carries 25 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 SONATA is power train:automatic transmission with 3 filings, followed by seat belts (2) and power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch (2). 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 SONATA, 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.
25
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020130FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
AFTER FILLING VEHICLE'S TANK SMELLED FUEL INSIDE VEHICLE. A DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. FUEL TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BEFORE. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20000623ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS IN ANY POSITION (DRIVE, REVERSE, ETC.) INSTEAD OF PARK POSITION ONLY. THIS ALLOWS THE CAR TO ROLL UNATTENDED IF THE GEAR SHIFT WAS LEFT IN IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN PARK. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFT CAN BE MOVED FROM PARK TO ANY OTHER POSITION WITH OUT THE KEY INSERTED WHICH COULD BE A DISASTER IF CHILDREN WERE LEFT UNATTENDED IN THE CAR. I HAVE SENT COMPLAINTS TO HUNDAI WITH NO RESPONSE AND I HAVE SENT FORMS TO NHTSA WITH THE LAST BEING SENT ON 10/27/96 AND RECEIVED BY YOU ON 10/11/96 (REF NO. 803454). TO DATE I HAVE RECEIVED NO OTHER RESPONSE. *AK
20000623POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS IN ANY POSITION (DRIVE, REVERSE, ETC.) INSTEAD OF PARK POSITION ONLY. THIS ALLOWS THE CAR TO ROLL UNATTENDED IF THE GEAR SHIFT WAS LEFT IN IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN PARK. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFT CAN BE MOVED FROM PARK TO ANY OTHER POSITION WITH OUT THE KEY INSERTED WHICH COULD BE A DISASTER IF CHILDREN WERE LEFT UNATTENDED IN THE CAR. I HAVE SENT COMPLAINTS TO HUNDAI WITH NO RESPONSE AND I HAVE SENT FORMS TO NHTSA WITH THE LAST BEING SENT ON 10/27/96 AND RECEIVED BY YOU ON 10/11/96 (REF NO. 803454). TO DATE I HAVE RECEIVED NO OTHER RESPONSE. *AK
19990923POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. THROUGH LESS THAN SEVEN YEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS NEEDED THREE TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE MOST RECENT TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE COST OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR.
19990524POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILED ALLOWING DRIVER TO REMOVE KEY WHILE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, WHILE PUTTING CHILDREN IN THE CAR IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS, CHILDREN WERE REMOVED BEFORE CAR WENT OVER ENBANKMENT.
19970724SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
SHOULDER BELT ON BOTH SIDES BROKE.
19970717STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE DOOR HANDLES WERE BROKE.
19970717VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
THREE POWER WINDOWS INOPERATIVE.
19961231SEAT BELTS
MOTOR BELT FAILED.
19961202VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN MAKING A STOP CONSUMER APPLIED FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD. *AK
19961127LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT CAN BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND CANNOT LOCK THE DOORS WITH THE KEY. THE REAR WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS THE ONLY WINDOW WORKING. *AK
19961127VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT CAN BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND CANNOT LOCK THE DOORS WITH THE KEY. THE REAR WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS THE ONLY WINDOW WORKING. *AK
19961108ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE CONSUMER IS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVE; ALSO, GEARSHIFT CAN BE MOVED OUT OF PARK WHEN KEY IS NOT INSERTED. *AK
19961108POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
THE CONSUMER IS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVE; ALSO, GEARSHIFT CAN BE MOVED OUT OF PARK WHEN KEY IS NOT INSERTED. *AK
19950802PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE WHILE PARKED, VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. TT
19950228POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR TWICE EVERY MONTH. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER COMPONENT WAS NOT BUILT FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. TT
19950208POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION; CAR RUN 100 TO 200 MILES CAR BREAK DOWN CAR BEEN IN SHOP ABOUT 240 TIMES. TT
19950207ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
STOPS DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND IT WILL NOT START UP AGAIN. TT
19950207ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
REPLACED BATTERY. TT
19950207INTERIOR LIGHTING
DOME LIGHT WON'T WORK. TT
Compare 1990HYUNDAISONATA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 HYUNDAI SONATA have?▼
The 1990 HYUNDAI SONATA has 25 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 HYUNDAI SONATA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 HYUNDAI SONATA is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH.
Is the 1990 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.
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.