The 1998 Hyundai Sonata has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 66,086 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ACCENT GT MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DOHC ENGINES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 19, 1996 THROUGH JUNE 30, 1997; 1998 ACCENT MODEL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 6, 1997 THROUGH JUNE 25, 1998; 1997 SONATA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1, 1996 THROUGH JULY 9, 1997 AND 1998 SONATA VEHICLES…
Consequence
FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF IT IS CRACKED, A NEW FUEL TANK WILL BE INSTALLED. A NEW FUEL FILLER CAP THAT DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF VACUUM INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED. NOTE: THE 1997-1998 SONATA FUEL TANKS HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED CRACKING. …
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
11
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
7
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
7
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
AIR BAGS
3
1injuries
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
3
3crashes2injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
2
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
2
Total complaints68
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Dt: the contact stated the check engine light is not functional and that the the obd to the system is not communicating. Due to this the evaporative system is not ready. This vehicle is not conforming to the clean air act and cannot pass emissions.”
“When driving out of my parking lot, two pieces of equipment fell off of my vehicle. One looked like a belt and the other a small drum. My automatic transmission would no longer function and I was forced to coast into a parking spot in the lot. *jb”
“My 1998 hyundai sonata has been a challenge to maintain. Twice the driver's side door spring has rusted through and window regulators have failed. This particular incident was a fortunate stop in the car shop to check something else. They discovered that the rack and pinion unit was leaking power…”
“Caller stated: brought car in for inspection. When the car was hooked up the monitor status with the onboard computer red not ready on everything. Mechanic told consumer that he had to drive the car on a highway for 20 minutes, then drop down to 15 mph for 5 minutes, and then repeat, followed by a…”
“The passenger window would not roll up, it got stuck in the middle of a rain storm. The passenger door will not open from the inside and the windshield wipers stopped working as well and replacing the fuse did not solve the problem. *jb”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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