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Research · Midsize Cars

1997 Hyundai SonataRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 52 owner complaints for the 1997 Hyundai Sonata. Most complaints involve fuel system, gasoline (16) and power train (9). The EPA rates it 18–21 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
18–21mpg
EPA · 3 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
2campaigns
Latest Oct 2000
Owner complaints
52
Top: fuel system, gasoline
Fuel cost / yr
$3,050est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

2 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Fuel system

Free remedy

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 PRODUCED FROM JULY 9, 1997 THROUGH APRIL 24, 1998. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS MAY APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION COULD RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER COULD NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.

Fuel system, gasolineReported Oct 2, 2000NHTSA 00V314001

Visibility: windshield wiper

Free remedy

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

VisibilityReported Feb 26, 1997NHTSA 97V026000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 27, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

52 complaints filed with NHTSA · Aug 1996 – May 2014
  1. Fuel system, gasoline16
  2. Power train9
  3. Air bags9
  4. Engine and engine cooling7
  5. Visibility4
  6. Electrical system4
  7. Latches/locks/linkages2
  8. Vehicle speed control2
  9. Exterior lighting2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Sonata model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
199624
199752
199850
1999170
2000278
2001219
2002326
2003199
2004202
2005165
20061,047
2007696
2008425
2009460
2010345
20113,380
20121,559
20131,917
2014751
20151,156
2016728
2017766
2018375
2019162
2020183
2021134
202296
202388
202448
202517
20263
Crashes reported
6
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
5
Deaths reported
1
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Fuel system, gasoline

16 reports
“AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CALL HYUNDAI, I AM ABSOLUTELY FED UP WITH EVERYTHING THEY ARE DOING. I HAVE "REPAIRED" MY VEHICLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO NO AVAIL. AFTER AT LEAST 5, DEFINITELY MORE, TRIPS TO THE MECHANIC I HAVE REPAIRED THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, BRAKES, MOTOR MOUNTS, DONE A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE, AND HAVE HAD TO REPAIR 2 FLYWHEELS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THAT LIST DOES NOT INCLUDE THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF PLUGS, FILTERS, AND OIL. I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE. THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY MY VEHICLE, THIS IS MY MOTHERS VEHICLE, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHO'S VEHICLE IT IS, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WHAT IT BASICALLY IS DOING IS WHEN IT REACHES A CERTAIN MILEAGE IT WILL BASICALLY "KICK/JERK/PUSH FORWARD" (FOR A LACK OF TERMS) WHEN IT REACHES 12 MPH AND 32 MPH AND I'M CERTAIN OF OTHERS BUT MY MOTHER VIRTUALLY NEVER DRIVES ABOVE 45 MPH SO ANYTHING ABOVE THAT I'M UNCERTAIN OF. IT ALSO HAS A VERY HARD TIME ACCELERATING TO 20 MPH. ONCE IT'S ABOVE 20 MPH IT'S EASY AND ACCELERATES VERY FAST. MY MOTHER HAS NEARLY BEEN HIT TWICE DUE TO THIS INABILITY TO ACCELERATE AS FAST AS IT SHOULD. I HAVE TAKEN IT TOO HYUNDAI AND THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 27, 2011Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical systemODI 10404763

Power train

9 reports
“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; WHEN APPLING GEAR IN REVERSE THERE IS A HARD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER REPLACED FAULTY O2 SENSOR. FAULTY BATTERY CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRANK SLOW. DRIVER DOOR WINDOW MOVES SLOW, DEALER LUBRICATED GLASS CHANNEL. OUTER CV BOOT REPLACED, IT WAS CRACKED. SOLENOID VALVE FAULTY CAUSING POOR GAS MILEAGE. *SLC”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2001Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Electrical system, Visibility, Vehicle speed controlODI 895469

Air bags

9 reports6 crashes
“ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1999 WHILE DRIVING ON BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON PRKWY, I APPROACHED AN AREA OF HIGHWAY WERE WORK WAS BEING DONE. I WAS NOW TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MPH. AT ONE POINT TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AS I GLANCED DOWN AT MY INSTRUMENTAL PANEL THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED TO BE FLICKERING, THE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN WENT OUT. WHILE IN A STOPPED POSITION APPROXIMATELY (2) MINS AFTER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE AIRBAGS BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DEPLOYED. I WAS STARTLED BY THIS AND DID HOWEVER RELEASE THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY BUMPING THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE AND LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER OF MY CAR. THE MAJOR DAMAGE IS FROM THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR FROM THE AIRBAGS. PLEASE BE AWARE THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BEFORE MY CAR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE. *SCC *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2003Air bagsODI 711907
All 1997 Sonata problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

3 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
2.0L 4-cyl · 3.0L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 5-spd · Automatic 4-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 27, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Sonata
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
192621$3,050423
Sonata
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
182520$3,200444
Sonata
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
162218$3,550494
  • Sonata
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L
    19 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Sonata
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L
    18 city · 25 hwy · $3,200/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
  • Sonata
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    16 city · 22 hwy · $3,550/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 27, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

1 tested variant
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1997 Hyundai Sonata as of Oct 27, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 27, 2026Vehicle 3679
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

1997 Sonata questions

How many recalls does the 1997 Hyundai Sonata have?

2 safety recalls as of Oct 27, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 1997 Hyundai Sonata problems?

Owners filed 52 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are fuel system, gasoline (16), power train (9), air bags (9). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 1997 Hyundai Sonata get?

The EPA rates the 1997 Hyundai Sonata at 18–21 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (3 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 27, 2026