1990 Hyundai Sonata
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 1990 Hyundai Sonata is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 1 on record.
1990 Hyundai Sonata at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
1990 Hyundai Sonata recalls 3
THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL LUBRICATE THE TRACK ASSEMBLY AND, IF ANY SYSTEMS ARE FOUND INOPERATIVE, THE SYSTEM WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, AS REQUIRED.
THE SPRING CLAMP TANGS ON THE COOLANT BYPASS HOSE MAY CONTACT AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE ENGINE FUEL SUPPLY HOSE.
Fix: ROTATE SPRING CLAMP TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH FUEL HOSE; REPLACE DAMAGED HOSES.
INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE COULD CAUSE THE SAFETY CATCH ON THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH STRIKER TO BIND.
Fix: REPLACE HOOD LATCH STRIKER ASSEMBLY.
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
1990 Hyundai Sonata common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
1990 Hyundai Sonata MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 3 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 1990 Hyundai Sonata costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 1990 Hyundai Sonata. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
NHTSA defect investigations 2
CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURES Closed
NHTSA #PE94043 · Electrical System · opened May 1994 · closed Oct 1994PASS.RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL Closed
NHTSA #PE93061 · Seat Belts · opened Jul 1993 · closed Nov 1993An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.
Manufacturer service bulletins 10
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered.
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lam…
Bulletin 23-BD-002H · Visibility · Jan 2023This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
Bulletin 21-EM-003H · Engine And Engine Cooling, Equipment · Mar 2021This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
Bulletin 20-BR-002H · Service Brakes · Nov 2020This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the âTire Balance Data Sheetâ must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) d…
Bulletin 20-SS-004H · Wheels, Tires · Nov 2020This bulletin provides information on identifying dealer stock vehicles with either: ⢠A Battery SOC alert - low Battery State of Charge (SOC) at or below 50%. ⢠A 30 Day alert - vehicle has not started and reported an SOC in 30 days.
Bulletin 20-EE-003H · Equipment, Electrical System · Apr 2020The Blind Spot Detection (BSD) or Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) is a system that measures the speed of and distance from the following vehicles by using two magnetic wave radar sensors attached in the rear bumper. The BSD/BCW detects vehicles within the b…
Bulletin 19-BE-011H-1 · Back Over Prevention, Lane Departure · Nov 2019THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ON COMPONENTS, ATTRIBUTES, AND PRECAUTIONS OF THE 7-SPEED DRY-TYPE DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT).
Bulletin 5NP-S9D9P-10 · Power Train · Sep 2016PROVIDED PROCEDURES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A BLOCK HEATER. *YC
Bulletin 97110120014 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Nov 1997SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION ON CYLINDER HEAD BOLT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. *YC
Bulletin 97100120012 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Oct 1997SHIFT CONDITION CAUSED BY SHORT CIRCUIT IN INHIBITOR SWITCH. *TW
Bulletin 9740002 · Power Train · Jan 1997Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the SONATA. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
Canadian recalls 1
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 1990 Hyundai Sonata. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
Structure
THIS RECALL COVERS TWO(2) DEFECTS. (1) - INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE OF THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MECHANISM COULD CAUSE THE SECONDARY LATCH TO BIND WHICH COULD RESULT IN A PREMATURE SUDDEN OPENING OF THE HOOD WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF DRIVER CONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH. (2) - A CLIP ON A COOLANT HOSE COULD TOUCH A FUEL HOSE RESULTING IN ABRASION OF…
Transport Canada #1990031 · Feb 1990Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted version of the Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two years due to poor customer reaction. While the nameplate was originally only sold in South Korea, the second generation of 1988 was widely exported.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.