1998 Hyundai Sonata: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 68 complaints
68
Total Complaints
80,000mi
Median Mileage
Automatic Transmission
Top Issue
3
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

43,000 25th Percentile
80,000 Median Mileage
100,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Automatic Transmission
11
Tank Assembly
7
Power Window Devices And Controls
7
Latch
6
Electrical System
4
Air Bags
3
Frontal
3
Door
2
Engine
2
Unknown Or Other
2

Severity Assessment

3
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AS SOON AS LOANER CAR WAS AVAILABLE - 6 DAYS. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION."
"FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG CAUSING DRIVER TO PANIC."
"FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAG RESULTED IN THE DRIVER TO FEELING SICK AND DIZZY FROM THE SUBSTANCE WHICH CAME OUT OF THE AIR BAG."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Automatic Transmission 11 complaints
Median: 42,000 mi
Tank Assembly 7 complaints
Median: 117,000 mi
Latch 6 complaints
25th: 70,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 100,000 mi
Electrical System 4 complaints
25th: 42,800 mi Median: 62,500 mi 75th: 131,971 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 11 NJ: 7 NY: 6 AZ: 4 FL: 4 VA: 4 DE: 3 TN: 3 PA: 3 LA: 2

Who Files Complaints?

22.1%
Original Owners
77.9%
Second+ Owners

Hyundai Sonata — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
1990250
1991413
1992431
1993461
19959317
1996370
1997746
199918725
200037822
200129334
200240750
200324728
200428536
200521744
2006142255
200790545
200855424
200961029
201041523
20114582194
2012225486
20132602138
2014106148
2015161160
201696037
201796446
201851926
201918211
20202368
202115611
202212314
202313012
2024613

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Tank Assembly
Campaign 00V314001 | 02/10/2000
FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF IT IS CRACKED, A NEW FUEL TANK WILL BE INSTALLED. A NEW FUEL FILLER CAP THAT DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF VACUUM INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED. NOTE: THE 1997-1998 SONATA FUEL TANKS HAVE ALSO EXPERIENC

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
  • Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
  • Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
  • Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
  • Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Compare Hyundai Sonata

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28