Your vehicle report
1997 Hyundai Sonata
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 49
- Received Aug 1996 to May 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline10 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving5 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V314001Vehicle description: accent gt model vehicles equipped with dohc engines manufactured from december 19, 1996 through june 30, 1997; 1998 accent model vehicles manufactured from may 6, 1997 through june 25, 1998; 1997 sonata vehicles manufactured from august 1, 1996 through july 9, 1997 and 1998 sonata vehicles produced from july 9, 1997 through april 24, 1998. The evaporative emission control systems may apply excessive vacuum to the fuel tanks during the canister purge cycle. Minor fuel tank distortion could result. A small crack could develop on the upper fuel tank surface. The "check engine" light would then illuminate and, in some cases, the vehicle driver could notice a gasoline odor.
- Recall #97V026000The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 1 fire, 3 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 5 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
1 more problem
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 5 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 7 |
| 2001 | 8 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 6 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 49 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 10 | 20% | – | NHTSA recall #00V314001 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 12% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 10% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 8.2% | – | NHTSA recall #00V314001 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 6.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V314001October 2, 200066,086 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Vehicle description: accent gt model vehicles equipped with dohc engines manufactured from december 19, 1996 through june 30, 1997; 1998 accent model vehicles manufactured from may 6, 1997 through june 25, 1998; 1997 Sonata vehicles manufactured from august 1, 1996 through july 9, 1997 and 1998 Sonata vehicles produced from july 9, 1997 through april 24, 1998. The evaporative emission control systems may apply excessive vacuum to the fuel tanks during the canister purge cycle. Minor fuel tank distortion could result. A small crack could develop on the upper fuel tank surface. The "check engine" light would then illuminate and, in some cases, the vehicle driver could notice a gasoline odor.
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in a fire.
Remedy
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 experienced cracking. However, at this time, the cause for the cracking has not been identified. This portion of the campaign will begin after Hyundai has determined the cause and corrective procedure.
NHTSA recall #97V026000February 26, 199774,965 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.
This contamination interferes with the electrical circuit continuity and prevents the windshield wiper motor from operating. Inoperative windshield wipers Can contribute to reduced visibility during inclement weather increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will remove the contaminants from the windshield wiper motor circuit breaker contacts.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Hyundai Sonata.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN