1998 HYUNDAI SONATA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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 AFFORD REPAIRS AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE THE CAR JUST CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010 AND HOPEFULLY I CAN AFFORD THE REPAIRS TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. I MUST CLIMB OVER THE SEAT TO THE BACK AND GO OUT OF THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE OF THE LATCH (THEY CONTINUE TO BREAK) AND I HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THEM AT ONE POINT. THEY ARE $25.00 AT THE JAY MARK HYUNDAI. THEY ARE LISTED BELOW: DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS BROKEN. I WENT DOWN AND NEVER CAME UP AGAIN. I COULD NOT AFFORD REPAIRS THEN AND ASKED THE MECHANIC TO PUSH IT UP AND PUT A SCREW SO THAT IT WOULD NOT COME DOWN AGAIN. THE LATCH HAS BROKEN AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE THIRD TIME I WAS NOT GOING TO BUY ANOTHER LATCH. THE DOOR IS STUCK AND WILL NOT OPEN. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN COMPLETELY. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN IT IS ALSO STUCK AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. I HAD IT REPAIRED AND ABOUT A YEAR LATER IT WOULD NO OPEN AGAIN. THE REAR DRIVER WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP AND STAY UP. IT WILL COME DOWN INCH BY INCH UNTIL A CERTAIN POINT AND NOW I CANNOT GET IT TO GO UP AGAIN. THE LATCH IS ALSO BROKEN ON THAT DOOR AS WELL AND I HAD THAT LATCH REPLACED BUT ONLY ONCE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE.THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS IN DISREPAIR AGAIN BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS WILL WORK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AT A TIME AND THEN THEY ARE OUT AGAIN OR IT WILL SHORT OUT THE BULBS AND AT NIGHT I MUST SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING TO HAVE THE TAIL LIGHTS AND AVOID A TICKET. BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THEY CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. THE SYSTEM IS NEVER READY. THE BATTERY WILL SHORT FROM TIME TO TIME AND I MUST REPLACE. *TR

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 AFFORD REPAIRS AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE THE CAR JUST CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010 AND HOPEFULLY I CAN AFFORD THE REPAIRS TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. I MUST CLIMB OVER THE SEAT TO THE BACK AND GO OUT OF THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE OF THE LATCH (THEY CONTINUE TO BREAK) AND I HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THEM AT ONE POINT. THEY ARE $25.00 AT THE JAY MARK HYUNDAI. THEY ARE LISTED BELOW: DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS BROKEN. I WENT DOWN AND NEVER CAME UP AGAIN. I COULD NOT AFFORD REPAIRS THEN AND ASKED THE MECHANIC TO PUSH IT UP AND PUT A SCREW SO THAT IT WOULD NOT COME DOWN AGAIN. THE LATCH HAS BROKEN AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE THIRD TIME I WAS NOT GOING TO BUY ANOTHER LATCH. THE DOOR IS STUCK AND WILL NOT OPEN. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN COMPLETELY. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN IT IS ALSO STUCK AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. I HAD IT REPAIRED AND ABOUT A YEAR LATER IT WOULD NO OPEN AGAIN. THE REAR DRIVER WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP AND STAY UP. IT WILL COME DOWN INCH BY INCH UNTIL A CERTAIN POINT AND NOW I CANNOT GET IT TO GO UP AGAIN. THE LATCH IS ALSO BROKEN ON THAT DOOR AS WELL AND I HAD THAT LATCH REPLACED BUT ONLY ONCE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE.THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS IN DISREPAIR AGAIN BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS WILL WORK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AT A TIME AND THEN THEY ARE OUT AGAIN OR IT WILL SHORT OUT THE BULBS AND AT NIGHT I MUST SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING TO HAVE THE TAIL LIGHTS AND AVOID A TICKET. BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THEY CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. THE SYSTEM IS NEVER READY. THE BATTERY WILL SHORT FROM TIME TO TIME AND I MUST REPLACE. *TR

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 DUE TO SERVICE PERFORMED IN 2006 WHERE THEY (SUPPOSEDLY) ADDED CHECK VALVE TO PREVENT GAS TANK CRACKS FROM DEVELOPING. APPEALS TO REGIONAL AND NATIONAL HYUNDAI OFFICES WERE ALSO REJECTED. DEALER SENT ME AWAY WITH SERIOUSLY LEAKING / DANGEROUS TANK. *TR

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 RECALL. THE CONTACT FELT THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE GAS TANK AS STATED IN THE RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 117,000.

WE PURCHASED A USED 1998 SONATA GL FOR MY DAUGHTER IN MAY 2006. IN ABOUT JULY 2006 SHE NOTICED THAT SHE SEEMED TO BE USING MORE FUEL THAN USUAL. ALSO THAT HER AND HER FRIENDS NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. CHECKING UNDER THE VEHICLE I NOTICE THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS WET ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEAR THE REAR TIRE AND SMELLED OF GASOLINE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO BE REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC UPON REMOVING THE TANK NOTED THAT ON THE TOP LEFT OF THE TANK (IF YOU WERE FACING THE REAR OF THE CAR) HAD BEEN PATCHED PREVIOUSLY WITH SOME KIND OF EPOXY. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS REPAIR WAS DONE. HE ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO REPAIR IT WITH EPOXY, THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE THEN REPLACED THE TANK WITH A USED FUEL TANK FROM ANOTHER HYUNDAI. THIS WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. HE THEN WELDED THE SPOT ON THE TANK. THIS WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL AS THE TANK STARTED LEAKING AGAIN FROM THE SAME AREA. WE CHECKED WITH A DEALER AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AND HAD A FUEL LINED OR HOSE REPLACE ON OR ABOUT MARCH 29, 2001. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN 00V314001 A NOTE: THIS WAS SIX YEARS AGO IN 2000-2001. THIS CRACKING AND LEAKING OF FUEL IS STILL AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE AS NOTED IN THE NOTE: WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? WHAT IS THE UPDATE? IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM OF THIS FUEL TANK AND HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF IT. THEY HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO RESEARCH AND COME UP WITH A SAFE RESOLUTION TO THIS DANGEROUS CRACKING OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS PORTION OF THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED AND MUST BE SOON. THE FOLLOWING IS THE NOTE FROM CAMPAIGN 00314001: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 00V314001 MAKE / MODELS : MODEL/BUILD YEARS: HYUNDAI / SONATA 1997-1998 **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. *NM