Hyundai Sonata · model year

1992 Hyundai Sonata

43 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
43
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1992 Hyundai Sonata posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.

Top 18%
fewest complaints, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1992HyundaiSonata carries 43 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 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 1992 Sonata is power train:automatic transmission with 4 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (3) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3). 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 1992 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.

43
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1992 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.

Total Complaints

43 filings

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

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP2
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH2
SEAT BELTS2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
INTERIOR LIGHTING1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1

Recent Complaints

20030705POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. REPAIR PLACE SAYS IT WAS A PREMATURE MECHANICAL FAILURE. POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE PARTS.*AK

Mileage: 94,600

20000629SEAT BELTS

WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WOULD ENGAGE. HOWEVER, WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WOULD DISENGAGE. *AK

19990217SEATS

WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S BASE CRACKED HORIZONTALLY, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS UNEXPECTEDLY, ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK

19980430LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

HOOD LATCH FAILED.

19970617SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT OR ABOUT 25-35 MPH LOWER CONTROL ARM SHEERED ON DRIVER'S SIDE BEHIND THE BALL JOINT BENDING UPPER STRUT PULLING THE AXEL CLEAN OUT OF TRANSMISSION. CON NOT CONTACT THE MANF.

19970325SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT BROKE LOOSE FROM TRACK DURING COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURY/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS.

19970128SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

UPON IMPACT SEATBELT SEPARATED FROM TRACK/ANCHOR, CAUSING INJURY.

19961210CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED AT 30 MPH, RESULTING IN A CRASH DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

19961010SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

PURCHASED CAR USED, WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY MAKE NOISE . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK

19960508STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

FLUID LEAKS DEVELOPED IN POWER STEERING UNIT, CAUSING IT TO CRACK. *AK

19960425INTERIOR LIGHTING

DOME LIGHT FAILED.

19960425EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

POWER ANTENNA FAILED FOUR TIMES.

19960425VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

PASSENGER POWER WINDOW FAILED TWICE.

19960425VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TWICE.

19960425STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVER SIDE VISOR CLIP BROKE, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY.

19960425VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

HEATER FAILED.

19960425VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

POWER MIRRORS SHAKE WHEN DRIVING.

19960425VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

SIDE WINDOWS OFF TRACK.

19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

BRAKE PADS FAILED.

19960425EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

CAR STALLS WHEN AIR CONDITIONER TURNED ON.

Compare 1992HyundaiSonata to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 Hyundai Sonata have?
The 1992 Hyundai Sonata has 43 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Hyundai Sonata?
The most-complained component for the 1992 Hyundai Sonata is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1992 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 1992 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.