Total Complaints
7 filings
HYUNDAI SONATA · model year
1994 HYUNDAI SONATA
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1994HYUNDAISONATA carries 7 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 1994 SONATA is seats with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and seat belts:front:retractor (1). 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 1994 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.
7
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 |
|---|---|
| SEATS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19960411SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE DRIVIER SIDE SEAT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RETRACT, SOMETIMES THE RETRACTOR LOCK YOU IN. *AK CONSUMER STATES BELT LOCKS SO HARD ONE CAN NOT MOVE. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, HARD TO TURN AND NOISY. DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP INTERMITTENTLY, WINDOW SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. ANTENNA WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY. *SLC
19960411STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
THE DRIVIER SIDE SEAT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RETRACT, SOMETIMES THE RETRACTOR LOCK YOU IN. *AK CONSUMER STATES BELT LOCKS SO HARD ONE CAN NOT MOVE. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, HARD TO TURN AND NOISY. DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP INTERMITTENTLY, WINDOW SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. ANTENNA WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY. *SLC
19960411SEATS
THE DRIVIER SIDE SEAT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RETRACT, SOMETIMES THE RETRACTOR LOCK YOU IN. *AK CONSUMER STATES BELT LOCKS SO HARD ONE CAN NOT MOVE. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, HARD TO TURN AND NOISY. DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP INTERMITTENTLY, WINDOW SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. ANTENNA WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY. *SLC
19960411VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
THE DRIVIER SIDE SEAT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RETRACT, SOMETIMES THE RETRACTOR LOCK YOU IN. *AK CONSUMER STATES BELT LOCKS SO HARD ONE CAN NOT MOVE. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, HARD TO TURN AND NOISY. DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP INTERMITTENTLY, WINDOW SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. ANTENNA WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY. *SLC
19960411EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THE DRIVIER SIDE SEAT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RETRACT, SOMETIMES THE RETRACTOR LOCK YOU IN. *AK CONSUMER STATES BELT LOCKS SO HARD ONE CAN NOT MOVE. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, HARD TO TURN AND NOISY. DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP INTERMITTENTLY, WINDOW SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. ANTENNA WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY. *SLC
19951201SEATS
BOTH FRONT SEAT RAILS ARE WEAKENING ALLOWING SEAT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19950606ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
OIL IS DISAPPEARING WITH CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS HAD VEHICLE FOR MONTHS TRYING TO DETECT CAUSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Compare 1994HYUNDAISONATA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1994 HYUNDAI SONATA have?▼
The 1994 HYUNDAI SONATA has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 HYUNDAI SONATA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1994 HYUNDAI SONATA is SEATS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1994 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.