Hyundai Sonata

About

The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted version of the Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two years due to poor customer reaction. While the nameplate was originally only sold in South Korea, the second generation of 1988 was widely exported.

Photo & info: Wikipedia

Specifications

From Wikipedia — confirm against the actual car before purchase.

Drivetrain: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (1985–1988)
Body: 4-door sedan
Class: Mid-size car (D)
Predecessor: Hyundai Stellar

Generations

Y11985–1987

Y21988–1992 Y31993–1997 EF1998–2003 NF2004–2008 YF2009–2013 LF2014–2018 DN82019–present

Photos

Real cars from Wikimedia Commons — colours and trims as photographed.

EF 1998–2003

YF 2009–2013

LF 2014–2018

DN8 2019–present

Photos: Wikimedia Commons — click any for full resolution & licence.

By year

Trims, economy and safety change year to year — pick one (US market).

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Trim · engine	Drive	MPG comb (city/hwy)	CO₂ g/mi	Fuel cost
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L	Front-Wheel Drive	20 (18/25)	444	$3,400/yr
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L	Front-Wheel Drive	18 (16/22)	494	$3,750/yr
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L	Front-Wheel Drive	21 (19/26)	423	$3,200/yr

Economy & emissionsMidsize Cars

$4,000

more over 5 yrs vs. avg

14.2

Barrels/yr

Safety — NHTSA crash test

Stability control · NoCollision warning · NoLane-keep assist · No

Recalls & complaints

Recalls: 2 · Complaints: 60

Fuel system, gasoline
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.
Visibility
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.

Top recall areas: Fuel system, gasoline · Visibility

Trims & economy: fueleconomy.gov · recalls & rating: NHTSA

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Reviews & research

Independent reviews, news and owner communities — off-site.

Video reviews

Road tests & walkarounds on YouTube

Expert reviews

Edmunds, Car and Driver, MotorTrend & more

News

Latest coverage and updates

Owner community

Real-world ownership on Reddit

Full history

The complete Wikipedia entry

For sale

Find one for sale

Search the open market for a Hyundai Sonata now — eBay Motors plus sellers who list directly with rTracer. Live listings land here as the feed goes live.

Market value. No used Hyundai Sonata has one set price — see what they actually sold for recently, then compare with what's on the market now.

Search eBay Motors ↗See sold prices ↗

Maintenance & ownership

Check the Hyundai Sonata's recall history, investigations and owner complaints at NHTSA — the best free read on reliability and what tends to go wrong before you buy.

Check at NHTSA ↗

The universe

Coming: a full spec sheet, and a drivable 3D model of the Sonata on any road in the rTracer atlas.

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