Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1989 Hyundai Sonata, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Seat belts2
- Power train2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Equipment1
- Electrical system1
- Unknown or other1
- Structure1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1989 Hyundai Sonata.
| 1990031 20 Feb 1990 | 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… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.
THE SPRING CLAMP TANGS ON THE COOLANT BYPASS HOSE MAY CONTACT AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE ENGINE FUEL SUPPLY HOSE.
INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE COULD CAUSE THE SAFETY CATCH ON THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH STRIKER TO BIND.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 1989 Hyundai Sonata: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 54161 | PROVIDED PROCEDURES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A BLOCK HEATER. *YC |
| 54113 | SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION ON CYLINDER HEAD BOLT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. *YC |
| 51905 | SHIFT CONDITION CAUSED BY SHORT CIRCUIT IN INHIBITOR SWITCH. *TW |
| 10230904 | 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. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation. |
| 10189989 | This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below. |
| 10183963 | This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area. |
| 10183960 | This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the Tire Balance Data Sheet must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) data. The Data Sheet can be found at the end of this bulletin. |
| 10174808 | This 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. |
| 10169370 | The 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 blind spot zone and gives off an alarm (visual and audible). The two magnetic radar sensors provide these functions for BSD/BCW: ? Senses other vehicles in the BSD/BCW zone and turns on the BSD/BCW warning lamp for the driver. The warning lamp starts blinking, along with an audible sound, when the driver turns on the turn signal lamp to en |
| 10082725 | THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ON COMPONENTS, ATTRIBUTES, AND PRECAUTIONS OF THE 7-SPEED DRY-TYPE DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT). |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURES
PASS.RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation