BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-1998-HYUSON-240A

1998 Hyundai Sonata

Based on reports from 68 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints
68
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Recalls
1
TSBs
36
✅

Preliminary Verdict

Green Light

Based on 68 complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, and 1 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

power window motors failed

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

engine failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

11 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 80K miles.

!Inspect the Visibility:power Window Devices And ControlsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

1
0–30K
7
30–60K
6
60–90K
6
90–120K
1
120–150K
2
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (7 reports) • Median: 80K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (11 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission11 (16%)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls7 (10%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly7 (10%)
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch6 (9%)
Electrical4 (6%)
Airbags3 (4%)
Air Bags:frontal3 (4%)
Other2 (3%)

1998 Hyundai Sonata: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 80,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 80K-mile mark.

Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls Issues

Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:power window devices and controls-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly Issues

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch Issues

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

11
00
8
01
1
02
11
03
8
04
8
05
4
06
2
07
2
10

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Hyundai Sonata. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (1 recall)

00V314001Jan 2001

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Hyundai Sonata is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Hyundai Sonata vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

68

Class avg

246

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 68 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Hyundai Sonata Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986
View all Hyundai Sonata years →

1998 Hyundai Sonata: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Hyundai Sonata?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Hyundai Sonata is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 11 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 1998 Hyundai Sonata has 68 complaints, 3 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Hyundai Sonata problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Hyundai Sonata have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Hyundai Sonata has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Hyundai Sonata problems start?
Based on 23 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 80,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 1998 Hyundai Sonata Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 68 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees