Soon, however, quality issues with the Excel began to emerge which sent many consumers running from the Hyundai brand. The cheap construction of this model resulted in a car which became difficult to steer after a year's worth of driving and had switches that snapped off when operated; some drivers even reported leakage of green heater core liquid. After those first few years of healthy sales figures, the brand perception of Hyundai was relegated to those lowest levels reserved for complete automotive failures like the Yugo or Pinto. The company's fortunes fell so far during the last decade of the 20th century that by 1998, Hyundai enjoyed a U.S. market share of a paltry 0.4 percent.