The 1996 Hyundai Sonata has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 74,965 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING. INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“While traveling on highway and without prior warning airbag light appeared on dashboard. Dealership is aware of problem.*ak”
“My engine quite at a light. There was no warning, the car had been running fine. It had been about 4,000 miles since my last oil change. *ak”
“Consumer was charged for recall repair 97v-026 for the inoperative windshield wipers, consumer request reimbursement. Nlm”
“Front passenger door handle broke. Nlm”
“Air conditioning compressor failed.”
“Consumer experienced battery blowing up while sitting in vehicle and the engine was idling. Consumer heard a loud noise, look under the hood and found the battery in pieces. Dealer notified. *ak”
“Car wants to lurch forward when stopped at a trafic light .new transmission in car . Problem still appears.*ak”
“Car wants to lurch forward when stopped at a trafic light .new transmission in car . Problem still appears.*ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Hyundai Sonata as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.