Total Complaints
41 filings
HYUNDAI SONATA · model year
1991 HYUNDAI SONATA
41 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991HYUNDAISONATA carries 41 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 6 fires, 5 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 1991 SONATA is seat belts with 7 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (5) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor (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 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.
41
Complaints
3
Crashes
6
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 7 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 3 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030904CrashAIR BAGS
LTR EXPRESSING HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WAY NHTSA PROCESSED HIS PETITION FOR A HEARING...*MR THE CONSUMER SENT A PETITION FOR DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS. *TS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THREE TIMES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A ONE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
20020319SEAT BELTS
RECALL 93 V 196 000/PASSIVE RESTRAINT BELTS: SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAS STOP TRACKING AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *YH
20001114SEAT BELTS
INTERIOR SYSTEM PASSIVE RESTRAINT BELTS FAILED, PRIOR TO RECALL NO #93V196000.*ET
20000623POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 3 TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP! TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, CONDITION WORSENS WITH COLD WEATHER.*AK
19990311SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH TRANSMISSION BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN, AND KEEP CHANGING INTO DIFFERENT GEARS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP THREE TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK.
19981118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. ALSO, ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LEAK. CONSUMER HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS EVERY SINCE DAY ONE. *AK
19981118UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. ALSO, ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LEAK. CONSUMER HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS EVERY SINCE DAY ONE. *AK
19981118POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. ALSO, ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LEAK. CONSUMER HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS EVERY SINCE DAY ONE. *AK
19980403FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM CAR, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT TURN. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OWNER WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT FIRE, BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHCLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK
19980325ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED TWICE/REPLACED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
19970926STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK
STEERING RACK FAILED.
19970926ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PREMATURE WEAR OF PISTON RINGS, CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE.
19970821FirePOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK ALL OVER EXHAUST SYSTEM CREATING SMOKE AND SMALL FIRE.
19970325POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19961120SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR STOPPED WORKING, CONSUMER HAD IT LUBRICATED UNDER RECALL, BUT STILL NOT WORKING, RECEIVED RECALL LETTER # 93V196000 . PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION COIL FAILED.
19960923POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER CABLE LOOSE, CAUSING SPEEDOMETER TO FAIL.
19960923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.
19960923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED.
19960923VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED.
Compare 1991HYUNDAISONATA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 HYUNDAI SONATA have?▼
The 1991 HYUNDAI SONATA has 41 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 6 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 HYUNDAI SONATA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 HYUNDAI SONATA is SEAT BELTS with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR.
Is the 1991 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.