1998 Hyundai Sonata problems & reliability
49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 12 | 24% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 10 | 20% |
| Visibility | 9 | 18% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
| Structure | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought my hyundai in 2004. My 1998 hyundai sonata vehicle driver and passenger interior part of doors are stuck. I had the passenger side front door repaired the same year. It stuck again in 2006 and has been that way to this day. My problem now is that the driver side door is now stuck as of july 10 2010. I cannot…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Jul 18, 2010
“Crack in gas tank discovered after several removals of tank to replace hoses, then clamps. Replaced 1998 tank with used tank from 1996 model. Within 3 month replacement tank was leaking from crack in same area as before. Discovered recall on this model and took vehicle to local dealer. Dealer refused to honor recall…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Dec 11, 2007
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 hyundai sonata. The contact smelled gas and noticed a gas leak coming from the fuel tank. Recall # 00v314001 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly) was found. The dealer stated that there was a hole in the gas tank, but refused to repair it because the vehicle was not included in the…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 13, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata. The 10 most recent:
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…
23-BD-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2023
Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement.
22-EM-010H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022
Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for correcting load carrying capacity information indicated on tire placards when vehicle weight has been increased…
22-GI-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2022
Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicleâ  s ownerâ  s manual. ï · Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions. ï · Use…
21-AT-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2021
This bulletin provides the service procedure for engine connecting rod bearing clearance testing. Perform the procedure outlined in this bulletin to fulfill the Bearing Clearance Test inspection requirements to…
21-EM-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2021
This bulletin provides best practice recommendations when performing brake service procedures.
21-BR-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 23, 2021
This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
21-EM-003H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
20-BR-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 30, 2020
This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the â Tire Balance Data Sheetâ must be fully completed including…
20-SS-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 19, 2020
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to moisture accumulation in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. The TSB illustrates the various causes of…
20-BD-014H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Hyundai Sonata has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Hyundai Sonata?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.