RecallRadar

Home → Hyundai → Sonata → 1996

1996 Hyundai Sonata Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

37 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.27 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious97V026000

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor

THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.

Complaint volume

37 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
1Deaths

Across 37 complaints. Severity Index 0.27.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…5 · 14%Power Train · Automatic T…4 · 11%Air Bags3 · 8%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 5%Equipment · Appliance · A…2 · 5%Electrical System · Alter…2 · 5%Power Train · Manual Tran…1 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…1 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 5 reports
  2. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 4 reports
  3. Air Bags — 3 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2 reports
  5. Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner — 2 reports
  6. Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator — 2 reports
  7. Power Train:Manual Transmission — 1 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 1 reports
  9. Electrical System:Ignition — 1 reports
  10. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (2) · 1996 · 1997 (2) · 1998 (1) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (3) · 2002 (7) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (1) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (11) · 2007 (7) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (2) · 2010 (2) · 2011 (14) · 2012 (8) · 2013 (9) · 2014 (7) · 2015 (9) · 2016 (6) · 2017 (3) · 2018 (1) · 2019 · 2020 (4) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (3) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (1) · 2025 · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit
Is that tyre actually right for your car?
2,808 fitment guides
FuelFacts
What that trip really costs in fuel
Live consumption data
CostCompare
What things cost, city by city
2,123 comparisons