1997 Hyundai Sonata — Known Issues & Recalls

Your fuel tank has developed a crack that is leaking gasoline. This is a safety concern that requires immediate attention. The fuel tank will likely need to be replaced or professionally repaired to stop the leak.

Your fuel tank is leaking gasoline from the upper section, even though it was repaired under a 2001 recall. The problem has come back, but the dealer and manufacturer won't fix it again because the recall was already completed. You're also experiencing a door lock defect that prevents the door from opening. The fuel tank may need to be replaced or the seal resealed, and the door lock mechanism may need repair or replacement.

Your 1997 Sonata has a fuel system defect covered under recall #00V314001. The dealer has already repaired this problem three times, but is now refusing to fix it again because the vehicle is out of warranty. You're questioning whether the dealer remains responsible for a defect that keeps recurring despite multiple repair attempts. The fix would involve diagnosing and repairing the underlying fuel system issue that keeps returning.

After having recall work done on your fuel tank, you noticed a strong gasoline smell inside the car and your check engine light came on while driving. The dealer repaired the vehicle five times, but the problem kept coming back. You may face charges for additional repairs to fix this recurring issue.

After hitting a pothole while driving, all the fuel leaked out of your car's gas tank. The dealer initially refused to inspect or replace the tank, blaming the pothole damage. Later, you received a recall notice (00V-314001) for a gas tank defect, and the dealer performed the recall repair work.

You've tried to schedule service appointments multiple times to have recall 00V314001 performed on your fuel tank, but the dealership hasn't been able to complete the work because the necessary parts aren't in stock.

Your car's fuel system may pull too much vacuum on the fuel tank during certain operating conditions, which could cause minor distortion or a small crack to develop on the top of the fuel tank. If this happens, you might see your check engine light come on and possibly notice a gasoline smell. The repair typically involves inspecting the fuel tank and potentially replacing or repairing the evaporative emission control system components.

After refilling your fuel tank, you noticed a strong gasoline smell inside or around your car. You contacted your dealer about recall 00V314001 regarding the fuel tank, but they said your vehicle wasn't covered under this recall based on your VIN. The dealer will need to diagnose whether the odor is related to a fuel system issue that requires repair.

After the dealership replaced your fuel tank as part of a recall in January 2003, your fuel gauge needle became stuck pointing to full and won't move. You reported this to the service department and scheduled an appointment, but were turned away when you arrived because the service center was closed that day. You're concerned that poor work during the recall repair caused this gauge problem and worry it may affect your vehicle's safety.

While stopped in traffic on the highway at very low speed, your airbag warning light flickered on and off. About 2 minutes later, both the driver and passenger airbags suddenly deployed on their own while your car was at a complete stop and before you made contact with another vehicle. The airbags caused significant interior damage, and the unexpected deployment startled you, causing you to bump the car ahead of you.

Your car's passenger-side airbag deployed during a low-speed rear-end collision (under 5 mph), and the front-seat passenger was fatally injured. The airbag deployed with enough force to cause severe injuries including lacerations, spinal cord damage, and fatal head trauma. This suggests a potential defect in the airbag system's deployment sensitivity or force calibration that may need investigation by a technician or safety engineer.

The driver's side door latch on your 1997 Hyundai Sonata broke, leaving the door unable to open. This is a safety concern since you can't exit the vehicle normally. Fixing this will require replacing the door latch assembly and may involve labor costs to open the door if it's stuck closed.

Your power door locks aren't working properly. When you insert the key into the passenger door lock, it won't open, and the locking mechanism won't lift when you're inside the vehicle. The fix will likely involve replacing or repairing the power lock actuator and related linkage components in the passenger door.

Your passenger side sun visor breaks and won't stay in position, which can block your view of the road. This is a known issue that Hyundai has documented in their technical service bulletin. The visor will need to be replaced or repaired to restore proper function.

Your vehicle has the same visibility problem that was identified in recall #97V026000, but your car's VIN (vehicle identification number) was not included in that recall notice. You should contact Hyundai or check the recall details to determine if your specific vehicle qualifies for the recall repair.

Your transmission has failed completely. The vehicle may not shift gears properly or move at all. A transmission rebuild or replacement will likely be necessary to restore function.

Your car jerks or lurches forward at specific speeds (12 mph and 32 mph), and it struggles to accelerate smoothly up to 20 mph, which has created safety concerns. Multiple mechanics have suggested different causes—fuel/air system, engine computer, or transmission—but the problem persists despite numerous repairs including alternator replacement, transmission work, and valve service. The issue appears to be a recurring defect that may require diagnosis of the fuel system, ignition timing, or transmission control electronics.

Your fuel tank recall hasn't been properly fixed — it's still building up too much pressure and your vehicle failed its emissions inspection. Your windshield washer motor has stopped working twice and is currently broken, and your hazard light switch has failed four times total. The repairs will likely involve replacing the fuel tank canister, fuel tank intake components, and the windshield washer and hazard light switches.

Your check engine light stays on even after multiple dealership repair attempts costing about $3,000, and the dealership says they can't identify the problem. Your car tends to stall when stopped and the idle speed jumps around while driving, especially when the air conditioning is running. The underlying issue may require diagnostic testing to identify a faulty sensor, ignition component, or fuel system problem that's causing the engine to run poorly.

Your check engine light has been on continuously for over a year. You believe this is caused by a manufacturing defect rather than normal wear and tear. Getting this diagnosed will involve connecting a diagnostic scanner to read the engine fault codes, which will pinpoint what's triggering the warning light.