AI Damage1991 Hyundai Excel: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Hyundai Excel filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 38
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 26% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 10 complaints (26% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (16% of all).
- Visibility: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (8% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 38 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon depressing the brake pedal the pedal went to the floorboard/complete loss of braking ability, resulting in an accident. Consumer has noticed the problem, the master cylinder was replaced due to a slipped pin.
Car began to only do 20 miles per hour after stopping at traffic light or stop sign. Drove fin on road. Than began to drive slowly after two weeks. Had transmission fliud change and drove great for a week then failed. I am ver upset by this motor company for hiding this major defect.
Transfer shaft bearing broke, knocking a hole in the transmission case, causing fluids to leak from transmission, causing complete lock up and destruction of transmission and case. My car was only 3 years old and had 50,000 miles on it.
While driving 55 mph, the windows(passenger and driver) in the rear exploded. This has happened on 2 other occasions. The windows were replaced by owner all times. The manufacturer has been notified about the prolbem.
Vehicle was making noise, the engine check light has never gone off since the vehicle was purchased, and the car cuts off. The dealer cannot duplicate the problem.
Loose molding around rear wheel well broke off, causing lost of control by striking the center wall of the vehicle. (new jersey police report)
Hatch lift assist bars failed, causing hatch to fall on person's head.
Driving down the highway approximately 60mph and the hood released. Pulled over to close hood, and then noticed the u-shaped metal clip detached from the hood.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Excel has 22 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 38, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Hyundai Excel?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, visibility. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%), stalls while driving (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Hyundai Excel?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Hyundai Excel from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.