- Vehicles
- 270,000
- Built between
- Apr 1988 – Feb 1989
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 20 September 1994
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 1988 and February 1989. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1988-1989 Hyundai ExcelBuilt April 1988 to February 1989
What the defect is
The heater control valve stem does not meet the material specifications. High coolant temperatures can cause the stem to leak.
What could happen
This can result in a burn injury to the front seat passenger's feet and legs.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 1988 to February 1989
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 June 1994
- Owners notified20 September 1994
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 June 1994.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
System: heater, water, defroster, heater core.vehicle description: passenger cars.ote: if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided free of charge within a reasonable time, please contact hyundai at 1-800-829-9956. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.