Is This A Lemon?

Year · Make · Model

1988 Hyundai Excel

What the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows about this vehicle: every recall, every consumer complaint, every defect investigation, every NCAP crash test. Sourced directly from NHTSA data feeds.

4
Open recalls
43
NHTSA complaints
12
Defect investigations
8
Service bulletins

Consumer complaints

43 filed
2
Crashes
6
Fires
6
Injuries reported
0
Fatalities reported

What people complain about

  • Engine AND Engine COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
    9
  • Engine AND Engine COOLING:EXHAUST System
    4
  • Electrical SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
    4
  • Seat BELTS:FRONT
    3
  • Power TRAIN:MANUAL Transmission
    3
  • VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC System
    3
  • Engine AND Engine COOLING:ENGINE
    3
  • Seat BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
    2

Recalls

4 campaigns
94V103000·VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE1994-06-06

THE HEATER CONTROL VALVE STEM DOES NOT MEET THE MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS. HIGH COOLANT TEMPERATURES CAN CAUSE THE STEM TO LEAK.

RiskTHIS CAN RESULT IN A BURN INJURY TO THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER'S FEET AND LEGS.

FixDEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS.

93V167000·POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1993-10-04

THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY LOCK UP FROM INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION OF THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. THIS CAN CAUSE THE DRIVE WHEELS TO SEIZE AND THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP.

RiskSUDDEN STOPS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CAN CAUSE VEHICLEOCCUPANTS TO BE THROWN AROUND IN THE CAR, AND CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROLWHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

FixHYUNDAI WILL PERFORM A COST FREE TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE.

91V225000·ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1991-12-31

DETERIORATION OF THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY LEAD TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SECONDARY AIR SUPPLY PORTION OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE SCREWS WHICH ATTACH THE REEDS TO THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY RUST, AND IF THE RUSTING BECOMES SEVERE, THE SCREW HEADS WILL ERODE AND ALLOW THE REEDS TO SEPARATE FROM THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY. CORROSION MAY ALSO OCCUR ON THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY, DEFORMING THE REED SEATS AND PREVENTING THE REEDS FROM CLOSING PROPERLY. SEPARATION OF THE REEDS FROM THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY OR IMPROPER CLOSING OF THE REEDS ALLOW HOT EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW BACKWARD INTO THE PLASTIC SECONDARY AIR FILTER CASE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THESE HOT EXHAUST GASES MAY MELT THE SECONDARY PLASTIC AIR FILTER CASE.

RiskTHE MELTING PLASTIC AIR FILTER CASE MAY LEAD TO A FIREIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

FixREPLACE THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY WITH ONE WHOSE METAL COMPONENTS ARE FABRICATED FROM CORROSION RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL.

89V100000·VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1989-06-19

IF CRUISE CONTROL MAIN SWITCH IS IN THE ON POSITION WHEN ENGINE IS STARTED, SYSTEM CAN BE AFFECTED BY A SHORT DURATION VOLTAGE DROP CAUSED BY OPTIONAL HI-POWER (H340) RADIO.

RiskTHIS COULD CAUSE ERRATIC CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION, WHICHCOULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

FixREPLACE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE.

NHTSA investigations

12 actions
PE94043·ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1994-05-27 → 1994-10-31

CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURES

PE94003·VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1994-01-14 → 1994-06-10

HEATER CORE FAILURE

Led to recall94V103000

C92001·POWER TRAIN1992-09-28 → 1993-10-29

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION

EA91048·SEAT BELTS1991-11-19 → 1992-10-26

AUTO SHOULDER BELT FAILURE

EA91039·POWER TRAIN1991-09-24 → 1992-10-13

TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP

← home