2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    fuel pump

    7 stranded, 23 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    31
    incidents
    Typical range: 500–3,500 mi

    Median 1,000 mi, based on 37 reports (5% had no usable mileage)

    • "A WEEK AFTER PURCHASING MY BRAND NEW 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA MY CAR CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND FAILED TO START. I LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY GET IT STARTED IN LIEU OF WAITING A HOUR IN THE HEAT AT RUSH HOUR FOR THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE CAR SPUT…"~583 mi, complaint #677813
    • "WAS DRIVING NEW ELANTRA (1100 MILES AND 12 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP) ON HIGHWAY WHEN VEHICLE STARTED SPUTTERING AND LOST POWER NO MATTER HOW MUCH GAS I FED IT. PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF CAR. RESTARTED VEHICLE WITH DIFFICULTY AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT INDICATING EMI…"~1,100 mi, complaint #683277
    • "WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN APRIL OF 2008. THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY LOOSES ENGINE POWER, SHUTS DOWN AND STOPS. THIS HAS NOW OCCURRED THREE TIMES. ON JUNE 6TH THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN TRAFFIC. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY REPAIRED A PVC HOSE THAT HAD COLLA…"~2,839 mi, complaint #674784
    • "MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA STALLS FREQUENTLY, BUT NOT REPRODUCIBLE, ABOUT ONCE A WEEK. I NOTICE THIS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AROUND 20-25 MILES/HOUR. INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEM AND A FAULTY FUEL PUMP MAY BE THE IS…"~5,200 mi, complaint #730350
    • "The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with fuel pump failu…"~172,600 mi, complaint #2084784
  2. #2

    airbag system

    30 unsafe

    30
    incidents
    Typical range: 14,000–100,000 mi

    Median 48,000 mi, based on 45 reports (13% had no usable mileage)

    • "ON MAY 26 2008 MY WIFE AND I WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. ANOTHER CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT AND HIT US. MY WIFE AND I WERE INJURED AND OUR CAR WAS TOTALED. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF ON OUR BRAND NEW 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WE WERE LATER TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT PASS…"~1,586 mi, complaint #681530
    • "ON TUESDAY , JAN. 5TH 2010 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. I SUFFERED NECK AND LOWER BACK INJURIES. THE IMPACT WAS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BY A MINIVAN GOING ~35MPH AND MY SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE AND WERE POSSIBLY DEFECT…"~21,938 mi, complaint #752207
    • "TRAVELING DOWN A DIRT ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR"~55,000 mi, complaint #996951
    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID 11V143000 AIR BAGS: FRONTAL: SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. TH…"~99,500 mi, complaint #859625
    • "MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAS THE AIRBAGS LIGHT ON FOR ABOUT FEW YEARS. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM ON MY CAR THAT IS RECENTLY STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING UP. IT HAS TUNE UP, NEW SENSORS, NEW COILS, AND ETC. I BOUGHT A FUEL PUMP OEM AND THE PUMP IS NOT 2 YEARS…"~248,800 mi, complaint #1627612
  3. #3

    steering electric assist

    25 unsafe

    25
    incidents
    Typical range: 50,500–103,500 mi

    Median 66,000 mi, based on 25 reports (17% had no usable mileage)

    • "WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE STEERING LOCKED RENDERING THE CAR UNSTEERABLE, RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. *TR"~4,500 mi, complaint #689419
    • "I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE STREET I LIVE ON, THANKFULLY I WAS GOING PRETTY SLOW, AS I WAS TURNING WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY VEHICLE. THANKFULLY I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE ROAD OTHERWISE ID HAVE HIT AN…"~53,000 mi, complaint #1164285
    • "I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY WHEN MY EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I BEGAN TO EXIT MY CAR DID NOT WANT TO STEER. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND STRONGLY STEERED RIGHT. AT THE STOP SIGN I TOOK BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND MADE A LEFT TURN. EVERY TURN HOME…"~73,150 mi, complaint #1261333
    • "DRIVING CAR APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES AFTER TURNING IT ON WHEN THE RED EPS LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. COULD BARELY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, AS THE WHEEL APPEARED TO LOCK. THIS ALSO HAPPENED ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO, EXACT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN I TUR…"~112,000 mi, complaint #1110836
    • "IN OCTOBER 2012 I WAS DRIVING ON LINCOLN DRIVE IN PHILA. I WAS GOING AROUND THE FIRST CORNER (TO THE RIGHT). ONCE THE TURN WAS COMPLETE, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION BUT THE CAR KEPT GOING RIGHT. MY CAR ENDED UP SPINNING 270 DEGREES BE…"~178,000 mi, complaint #1340206
  4. #4

    engine stall or no start

    2 stranded, 16 unsafe

    18
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=15, median 32,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "MY 2008 ELANTRA SE WHICH I BOUGHT IN MAY HAS HAD TWO "EPISODES" OF STALLING. THE FIRST (OD 1100 MI) ON JULY 14 OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY AND BEGAN AS A SLIGHT HESITATION THAT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE SUCH THAT WE TOOK THE NEXT EXIT AND LIMPED HOME ON BACK ROADS.…"~1,432 mi, complaint #681736
    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STUTTER AND STALL WHEN SLOWING DOWN. DURING THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,443."~4,443 mi, complaint #722985
    • "2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH 9082 MILES @ TIME OF INCIDENT YESTERDAY, ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK ON I-[REDACTED ADDRESS] SPEED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED. HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANE CHANGE TO GET OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN…"~9,080 mi, complaint #679314
    • "CAR LOSES POWER WHEN DRIVING CAR AT LOW SPEED, CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN AND WOULD NEED TO PLACE IN PARK AND RESTART THE CAR, ALSO LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING CAR ON THE FREEWAY, CARD WHEEL LOCKED AND CAR LOST ALL POWER, WAS ABLE TO PLACE IT IN PARK AND RESTA…"~35,895 mi, complaint #1262079
    • "The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while idling at a stop sign, the RPMs dropped extremely low, and the vehicle stalled. After a visual inspection, the contact observed white smoke coming from the engine compartment and a coolant…"~127,000 mi, complaint #1907493
  5. #5

    other

    1 stranded, 10 unsafe, 7 annoyance

    18
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=17, median 120,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "AFTER RECEIVING LETTER FROM HYUNDAI ABOUT DEFECTS IN CRUISE CONTROL AND OTHER TECHNICAL ITEMS, I TOOK MY CAR INTO DEALER IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA AND THEY TURNED ME AWAY REFUSING TO SERVICE RECALL ORDER TO FIX AND REPLACE RECALL REQUIREMENTS STATING THAT THEY DI…"~60,000 mi, complaint #1348819
    • "BOTH VISORS BREAK AND DETACH AT PRIMARY SWIVELING ELBOW HANGING DOWN, UNABLE TO SECURE IN ANY WAY, UNABLE TO DETACH ELECTRICAL WIRE WITHOUT SEVERE DAMAGE, MUST DRIVE ONE HANDED TO OPERATE THE CAR. *TR"~78,900 mi, complaint #995139
    • "CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHILE PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY THE ENTIRE DAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THE CAUSE OF FIRE IS UNKNOWN BUT IT APPEARED TO HAVE START AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD."~120,000 mi, complaint #1451383
    • "THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AT 1:15 AM AUGUST 4TH 2018. IT HAD NOT BEEN TURNED ON SINCE 5PM AUGUST 2ND. I WAS NOT HAVING ANY ISSUES AT ALL."~160,000 mi, complaint #1488502
    • "THE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS. IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT OUR HOUSE ON FIRE IF NOT FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT."~175,000 mi, complaint #1696111
  6. #6

    brake hydraulics

    1 stranded, 14 unsafe

    15
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=20, median 91,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "MY CAR, WHEN DRIVEN IN THE SNOW, WHEN YOU BRAKE, THE CAR STARTS TO BRAKE, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL FREEZES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION, AT THE TOP OF THE PEDAL, LEAVING YOU WITH NO BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME, THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPRODU…"~7,000 mi, complaint #704685
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS USED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1658273
    • "CAME TO STOP LIGHT, THE GENTLEMAN IN THE CAR NEXT TO ME AT THE STOPLIGHT TOLD ME HE ALMOST HIT ME A LITTLE WAYS BACK WHEN I STOPPED TO LET A VEHICLE TURN. HE STATED MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. CHECKED AND IT WAS TRUE THE BACK WINDOW LIGHT AND BOTH BRAK…"~65,000 mi, complaint #916708
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT HER HOME AND CAUGHT ON FIRE INDEPENDENTLY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS…"~150,000 mi, complaint #1657973
    • "AFTER SITTING FOR 43 HOURS IN OUR DRIVEWAY THE 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA CAUGHT FIRE STARTING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CONTINUED ACROSS AND THROUGH THE VEHICLE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE VEHICLE HAD A SMOKING ISSUE IN THE COMPARTMENT A MONTH…"~180,000 mi, complaint #1539350
  7. #7

    abs module

    12 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=10, median 65,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "I OWN A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, I WENT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING, MY CAR MADE A GRINDING SOUND FOR 4-6 SECONDS (LIKE MY ABS BRAKES WERE TURNING ON, BUT LONGER) AND DIDN?T STOP UNTIL IT HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME (ROADS W…"~15,500 mi, complaint #812038
    • "I WOULD LIKE THE US DOT NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PURPOSE OF AN ABS IS TO PREVENT LOSS OF TRACTION AND STEERING CONTROL DURING AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION. DURING A…"~27,700 mi, complaint #832938
    • "UPON RECEIPT OF AN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE OF ANTI ABS MODULE TRIGGER SHORT CIRCUIT AND ENGINE FIRE WHILE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF; I CALLED THE SACRAMENTO HYUNDAI AND SPOKE WITH RECALL AGENT "[XXX]" TODAY 4/14/20 WHO STATED THAT THE SERVICE CENTER DO NOT H…"~65,000 mi, complaint #1658456
    • "The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving and at undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking and making a loud humming noise coming from the vehicle while depressing on the brake pedal. The contact stated that the ABS failure mes…"~198,000 mi, complaint #1777492
    • "ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE ABS PUMP CAUGHT FIRE IT WAS PUT OUT I CONTACTED THE NTSA ABOUT IT TO SEE IF IT HAD A RECALL I WAS TOLD NO WELL I GOT A USED PUMP AND PUT IT ON SO I COULD USE THE CAR I COULDN'T GET THE PLUG CHANGED SO IT WAS UNPLUGGED WELL MY WIFE WAS COMI…"~245,680 mi, complaint #1660692
  8. #8

    unintended acceleration

    10 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=18, median 36,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, INCHING ALONG AT LOW SPEED FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILES; STOPPING AND STARTING ALL THE WAY, SUDDENLY DURING ONE OF THESE STOPS, THE MOTOR STARTED TO REV AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN F…"~23,950 mi, complaint #966160
    • "WHILE DRIVING THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN,HAD TO PUSH HARD ON BRAKES TO AVOID, HITTING ANOTHER CAR.BRAKES HAD TO BE APPLIED HARD. *TR"~29,755 mi, complaint #962294
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE PARKING AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES OR IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALE…"~39,460 mi, complaint #1190236
    • "I WAS MERGING ONTO I-275 E FROM I-471 AND AS I WAS PRESSING MY FOOT DOWN ONTO THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING UP THEN CONTINUED TO SPEED UP WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE LOCKED AT 65 MPH. I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THEY WE…"~77,467 mi, complaint #1190163
    • "THIS MONTH, WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, IT WOULD PERIODICALLY ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. I HAVE NEVER PREVIOUSLY HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD MY CAR CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO CANNOT EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM."~133,000 mi, complaint #1380528
  9. #9

    transmission automatic

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=11, median 39,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO PARK, THE GEAR WOULD NEVER STICK. THE VEHICLE WOULD EITHER MOVE FORWARD FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHENEVER THE GEAR WAS IN DRIVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK…"~8,918 mi, complaint #726041
    • "DEAR MADAM/SIR, MY NAME IS [XXX], AND ALONG WITH MY HUSBAND [XXX] I OWN AN AUTOMATIC SILVER HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2008, [REDACTED PLATE]: [XXX], VIN: [XXX]. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, SERVICED IT IN A TIMELY FASHION, AS REQUIRED, ONLY AT HYUNDAI REPRESENTATIVES. T…"~39,000 mi, complaint #959564
    • "2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. TRIED MOVING THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER LOCATION, ADJUSTING STEERING WHEEL AND SHIFT LEVER. FINALLY, DEPRESSED SHIFT LOCK OVERRIDE BEFORE I COULD GO TO PARK AND REMOVE THE KEY. THE NEXT MORNING, THE VEHICLE WOULD…"~88,000 mi, complaint #939692
    • "WAS DRIVING AT REGULAR SPEED (35MPH TO 40MPH) THEN MY I FELT A STALL TRANSMISSION AND MY CAR COULDN'T SHIFT UP OR DOWN WAS KEEPING INTO 3RD GEAR AND MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON! *TR"~109,600 mi, complaint #1158554
    • "THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL AWAY WHEN PLACED IN PARK (WHILE STATIONARY) IF ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON ANY SLIGHT INCLINE OR DECLINE. A RATCHETING SOUND IS HEARD COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THIS OCCURS AS THE VEHICLE IS ROLLING OUT OF CONTROL. SOMETIMES IT STARTS…"~153,002 mi, complaint #1633170
  10. #10

    lighting exterior

    5 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=15, median 88,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS CONTINUOUSLY BURNING OUT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING , SERVICE BRAKES,…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1057378
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILED AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN BRAKING AT 5 MPH. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECA…"~76,000 mi, complaint #892346
    • "CAR FOLLOWING ME NOTIFIED ME THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. I HAVE CHANGE MY BRAKE BULBS 3 TIMES LAST YEAR AND 1 TIME BEGING OF THIS YEAR. STOP AND CHECK ALL MY BULBS AND FUSE THEY WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUS…"~77,951 mi, complaint #972019
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER OF THE SECOND VEHICLE STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS OF T…"~93,000 mi, complaint #1241328
    • "WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE I WAS TOLD MY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. I CHECKED THE FUSE AND THE BULBS. I LOOKED UP ON LINE AND SEEN THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HYUNDAI VEHICLES DUE TO THE STOP LAMP SWITCH PROBLEM. I CALLED HYUNDAI AND…"~120,000 mi, complaint #954244
  11. #11

    battery and charging

    2 stranded, 4 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "MY CARS BATTERY GETS DRAINED COMPLETELY NEEDING TO JUMP START TWICE IN LAST 3 MONTHS. CAR DEALER COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE DRAW BUT SAYS THAT ITS DEFINITELY NOT THE BATTERY AND ADDED THAT IT COULD BE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR"~1,802 mi, complaint #693592
    • "MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL FAILURES FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. CAR HAS REQUIRED MULTIPLE JUMPS BECAUSE OF DRAINED BATTERY, BOTH BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TESTED WITHIN NORMAL RANGES AND DEALER COULD NOT FIND SOURCE OF ISSUE. SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER EPISODES OF HEAVY WEATHER, RAD…"~40,000 mi, complaint #853526
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TROUBLE STARTING. THE CONTACT HAD TO BUY APPROXIMATELY FIVE BATTERIES SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT…"~65,000 mi, complaint #1378793
    • "THIS LAST OCTOBER (2017), I WAS WOKEN UP BY NEIGHBORS INFORMING US THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM OUR GARAGE. THERE WAS A FIRE THAT STARTED IN THE ENGINE BAY OF MY 2008 (REGULARLY MAINTENANCED) HYUNDAI ELANTRA, AND TOTALED MY CAR, MY WIFE'S CAR, AND EXTENSIVELY DA…"~160,000 mi, complaint #1505007
    • "DROVE CAR TO GROCERY STORE 6 MILE ROUND TRIP PARKED CAR IN GARAGE AT 10:15 AM. I PERFORMED YARD WORK IN FRONT OF AND WAS IN AND OUT OF GARAGE FOR 4 HOURS. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A HINT OF SMOKE OR BURNING. THEN CUT GRASS FOR 2 HOURS. AT ABOUT 4 PM SMOKE WAS BI…"~161,000 mi, complaint #1382248
  12. #12

    engine internal

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA SE MODEL # 44422 CAR IS "JUMPING" WHILE DRIVING, FEELS LIKE IT'S SHIFTING GEARS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY/ROAD. HAS NOT STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING THOUGH. SOMETIMES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL TURN ON AFTER THESE EPISODES. I HAVE TAKEN CAR…"~9,000 mi, complaint #730636
  13. #13

    fuel tank and lines

    4 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A MILEAGE PROBLEM. *TGW WHILE ON A 4,600 MILE TRIP, MOSTLY ON THE INTERSTATE, WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 60 MPH, THE AVERAGE MPG WAS ONLY 28 MPG. HYUNDAI INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT HELP HIM WITH…"~800 mi, complaint #776504
    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH GASOLINE ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND EACH TIME, FUEL SHOT BACK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED YET, BUT PLAN TO DO SO ON JULY 17, 2008. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS…"~1,015 mi, complaint #678328
    • "ENGINE CUT OFF WITH FUEL GAUGE DROPPING TO 'EMPTY' [ WITH A 1/2 FULL TANK]. ON THE NYS THRUWAY ALMOST CAUSING A COLLISION WITH AN 18 WHEELER AS I COASTED ACROSS ITS PATH TO THE SHOULDER IN ROCKLAND COUNTY. CALLED AAA AND EVENTUALLY, [ABOUT 10 MIN. AFTER, WHIL…"~5,150 mi, complaint #720758
    • "2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOOKED AT AND THE WORK WAS PERFORMED. AFTER THE WORK WAS PERFORMED THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AND A SMELL OF GASOLINE FILLED THE CAR. *KB IT WAS DISCOVERE…"~9,932 mi, complaint #702688
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN EMPTY TANK READING ALTHOUGH THE FUEL CAPACITY LEVEL WAS AT ONE QUARTER FULL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IN 2008 UN…"~94,000 mi, complaint #990382
  14. #14

    wiring harness

    1 stranded, 5 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HYUDAI ELANTRA. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FIRE DEPAR…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1291406
    • "14 HOURS AFTER PARKING THE CAR, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED, I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED SMOKE SOURCE. TOWED TO DEALER, WHO SAID THE ABS SYSTEM SHORTED CAUSING A FIRE AND DESTROYING WIRING…"~67,804 mi, complaint #1645982
    • "THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS NOTED TO BE ON CONTINUOUSLY FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A BROKEN WIRE IN THE MAIN ENGINE HARNESS. THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR"~89,000 mi, complaint #1045044
    • "The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving when a person waved the driver down that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was driven some more until the contact noticed that there wa…"~113,000 mi, complaint #1770036
    • "MY 2008 HYUNDAI CAUGHT FIRE IN MY GARAGE ON FEBRUARY 18, 2020. THE FIRE DESTROYED MY CAR AND MY GARAGE. MY NEIGHBOR HAPPENED TO BE TAKING HIS DOG OUT AT 4:00 AM AND SMELLED SMOKE. HE LOOKED OVER AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY GARAGE.HE FRANTICALLY RANG THE DOO…"~129,000 mi, complaint #1658458
  15. #15

    parking brake

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS I HAVE NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. NOW 2 DAYS AGO WHILE ON A HILL AND IN PARK I HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON AND THE CAR STARTED ROLLING WITH ME IN IT BEFORE I EVEN GOT OUT OF THE CAR. BACK IN AUGUST I TOLD MY DEALER THE CA…"~3,450 mi, complaint #706060
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL AWAY AND COME OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE PARK PAWL FAILED. THE DEALER STATED TH…"~25,000 mi, complaint #947685
    • " I STARTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN PARK ON A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE WHEN IT STARTED BUCKING FORWARD AND I ALMOST FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I TOLD HYUNDAI SERVICE THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AND THEY SAID TO PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON BEFORE I PUT…"~48,000 mi, complaint #921106
    • "WHEN MY VEHICLE IS ON PARK GEAR IT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD DOWN A HILL OR ANY SLOPE, I'M FORCED TO APPLY PARKING BRAKE TO STOP IT FROM MOVING. WHEN THIS OCCURS, CRANKING THE ENGINE TO START DOES NOT HELP; THE VEHICLE STARTER BECOMES DISABLED. IM THEN FORCED TO PU…"~91,000 mi, complaint #1478697
    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FRACTURED AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE…"~98,443 mi, complaint #1168786
  16. #16

    steering rack mechanical

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE…"~36,000 mi, complaint #1323019
    • "I TURNED ON THE ENGINE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER NORMAL MORNING AND IT APPEARED THAT THE WHEEL WAS STUCK. I TURNED HARD TO THE LEFT AND HEARD A CRACKING NOISE. I FURTHER TURNED THE WHEEL LEFT TO MERGE ONTO THE STREET, WHEN I REALIZED I HAD NO STEERING. I PROCEEDED T…"~100,565 mi, complaint #1100982
    • "STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE DRIVING [REDACTED ADDRESS]. ALMOST WRECKED. *TR"~112,000 mi, complaint #947071
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH GOING AROUND A BEND, THE STEERING ABILITY SEIZED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE, ROLLED BACK, AND STRUCK ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE CO…"~145,000 mi, complaint #1268870
  17. #17

    suspension arms and bushings

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 16TH, MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA (84000 MILES) STARTED MAKING AN UNUSUAL SOUND FROM THE REAR RIGHT. AT ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME, THE ESC LIGHT CAME ON. AS I WAS WITHIN MILES OF A MECHANIC, I DROVE THE CAR TO THE SHOP TO HAVE IT PUT ON THE LIF…"~84,000 mi, complaint #976007
    • "WHILE DRIVING I WENT TO STOP ON A LONG DOWNHILL GRADE AND SUDDENLY A HORRIBLE METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND OCCURRED. THE CAR SWERVED A BIT AND WAS HARD TO CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL AND LIMPED IT HOME WITH THE CONTINUING EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE, ESPECIA…"~131,000 mi, complaint #1571593
  18. #18

    throttle and pedal

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK UNDER FLOOR MAT. THIS INVOLVES A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, AND THEY CUT A SECTION OF THE MAT OFF TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR"~22,200 mi, complaint #738652
    • "THE GAS PEDAL GOT "STUCK" IN THE DOWN POSITION WHILE DRIVING, RESULTING IN A PROBLEM BEING ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH, PASSING/MERGING/ACCELERATING IN ORDER TO GET ONTO AN ONRAMP WHICH CURVED SLIGHTLY TO GO INTO ANOTHER MAIN…"~44,500 mi, complaint #1050767
    • "I WAS DRIVING MY [REDACTED ADDRESS] AND BEGAN DRIVING ON THE EXIT RAMP WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED THE CAR ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF 85MPH. I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT SLOWED TO 20MPH. AT THAT POIN…"~90,000 mi, complaint #829611
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BUT THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS…"~120,000 mi, complaint #966295
  19. #19

    control module

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITH NO PRIOR WARNING LIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT "CRANK" OR START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHE…"~24,735 mi, complaint #811331
    • "THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF FREQUENTLY. I WAS GOING TO TAKE IT IN TO BE CHECKED, BUT IT WENT OFF AND STAYED OFF FOR WEEKS. ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S BACK ON, EVERY OTHER TIME I START THE CAR."~100,000 mi, complaint #1548305
    • "TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO THIRD GEAR WHILE DRIVING (COULD BE ON SIDE STREET, COULD BE ON THE HIGHWAY) AND CAN ONLY OPERATE IN THIRD AFTER THAT UNTIL THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE AND THEY SAID IT IS THE COMPUTER NOT THE MECHANICS OF…"~130,000 mi, complaint #1438158
  20. #20

    corrosion and rust

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "RECALL FOR UNDERCOATING DONE JAN. 2016 (TT1). ON 11/1/17, WHILE DRIVING ON A TOWN ROAD, THE REAR RIGHT TRAILING ARM FELL OFF CAUSING THE CAR TO SWERVE ABRUPTLY OFF THE ROAD DUE TO EXTREME RUST ON THE SUB FRAME. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WITH MY 2002 SANTA FE AND WAS…"~130,000 mi, complaint #1421350
  21. #21

    cruise control conventional

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "WHLE DRIVING [REDACTED ADDRESS] WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MILES PER HOUR MY CRUISE CONTROL RESET ITSELF TO OVER 75 MILES BY ITSELF. THEN A FEW DAYS AGO WHILE PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY, MY LIGHTS CAME ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON BY ITSELF AND THE CR…"~1,645 mi, complaint #686691
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED TO SPEEDS OF 90 MPH. THE CONTACT THEN PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACCEL…"~26,000 mi, complaint #785114
    • "THE CRUISE CONTROL ON HYUNDAI ELANTRA FAILED TO DISENGAGE WHILE I DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH DESPITE REPEATEDLY PUSHING THE "CANCEL" AND "OFF" BUTTONS. FIRM BRAKING ALSO FAILED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I MANAGED TO STOP ONLY AFTER PULLING THE EMERG…"~78,000 mi, complaint #1006118
  22. #22

    sunroof

    1 unsafe, 1 broken, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR SEPARATED FROM THE INSERT IN THE ROOF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIR…"~48,000 mi, complaint #1119097
    • "PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR BROKE. THE STEM PORTION THAT HOLDS IT ONTO THE ROOF AND ALSO CHANNELS THE WIRES FOR THE LIGHT, BROKE AND THE DEALAER WANTS $189 FOR A REPLACEMENT"~59,600 mi, complaint #1292680
    • "PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR FAILED. THE PLASTIC THAT HOLDS IT TO THE CEILING OF THE CAR BECOMES VERY BRITTLE AND BREAKS. THE VISOR FELL INTO THE FIELD OF VISION WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING. SHE DECIDED TO PULL THE ENTIRE VISOR OFF, SEVERING THE WIRES THAT IT WAS DAN…"~75,000 mi, complaint #1299521
  23. #23

    tire failure

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "THE CAR [ HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2008 -MANUAL TRANS] HAS JUST REACHED 23,630 MI. TODAY 11/15/2018, { I PURCHASED OF THE CAR NEW 11/2007. I SAW THAT KUHMO SOLAS KH16 TIRES WERE ON THE CAR.} A TIRE LOST AIR SHORTLY AFTER AN AIR FILL ON 11/15/2018 AND WAS TOTALLY FLAT B…"~23,630 mi, complaint #1516132
    • "ON SEPT. 6TH, 2009 I RENT A CAR IN LAS VEGAS, NV FROM ADVANTAGE RENTAL CAR CO. WHEN I WAS DRIVING ALONE I-15 TO LA, DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS BLOW OUT. THERE WAS SMOKE FROM LEFT SIDE AND PIECES OF FAILED TIRE WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT DAMAGED FROND BUMPER A…"~25,000 mi, complaint #738538
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH KUMHO SOLUS (NA) P195/65/R15 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THE TWO FRONT TIRES WERE DETERIORATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD LAST A LITTLE LONGER,…"~30,000 mi, complaint #863156
  24. #24

    tpms

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "HAVE A 08 ELANTRA. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR FEW MILES I HAD MY TPMS LIGHT WENT ON. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, HE CHECKED AND SAID THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER. AGAIN THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WENT ON. THE TIRE PRESSURES WERE ACCURATE. DEALER ORDERED A FRONT TPMS…"~1,000 mi, complaint #686000
    • "THE LIGHT INDICATING THERE IS LOW AIR PRESSURE CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO HAVE THE TIRES LOOKED AT. THE PRESSURE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SET AT 32. THEY WERE ALL BETWEEN 29-32 SO THEY ADJUSTED THE PRESSURE TO THE CORRECT SETTING. SAID MY TIRES WERE FINE AND THE SENSOR IS…"~63,000 mi, complaint #1088377
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED ABNORMALLY WITH THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING TO HER DESTINATION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THA…"~100,000 mi, complaint #1673825
  25. #25

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE TURNING AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING, THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN, BUT NEVER LOST COMPLETE POWER. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VE…"~1,115 mi, complaint #681362
    • "I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN APRIL, 2008. IN JUNE OF 2008, CAR SURGED WHILE AT RED LIGHT. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM, NO REPAIR MADE. SURGING HAPPENED AGAIN IN JUNE OF 2008, DEALER REPLACED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. IN APRIL OF 2009, SURG…"~44,000 mi, complaint #824047
  26. #26

    brake booster

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "I HAVE OWNED A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA PZEV FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS. IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR, I HAVE HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT SENSOR GO OUT TWICE. THE RESULT OF NOT HAVING A WORKING BRAKE LIGHT SENSOR IS THAT I NO LONGER HAVE ANY W…"~33,447 mi, complaint #816258
    • "WAS UNABLE TO PUT CAR IN REVERSE OR PARK AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT. DISCOVERED THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. HAD TO USE EXTRA KEY TO ENGAGE THE SWITCH LOCK IN ORDER TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. RESEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND RECALLS FOR MODELS 05-07 WITH THE…"~40,000 mi, complaint #939252
  27. #27

    brake pads and rotors

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "THE REAR ROTORS ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAD GROOVES WORN IN WITH ONLY A LITTLE OVER 37,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE BRAKE PADS ON THE RIGHT REAR WERE WORN ALMOST COMPLETELY WHILE THE BRAKE PADS ON THE LEFT REAR HAD ENOUGH MATERIAL LEFT ON THEM TO DRIVE ANOTHER…"~37,300 mi, complaint #878507
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT ALL THREE BRAKES LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE FUSES WERE FUNCTIO…"~61,000 mi, complaint #917207
  28. #28

    engine head gasket

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "MY CAR WOULDN'T START AND HISSED WHEN IT DID KING HYUNDAI SAID "HISSING WAS THE CONDENSATION BECAUSE IT HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR SO LONG" (3 YEARS - JUST WENT OUT AND STARTED IT ONCE IN A WHILE). KH TOLD ME AFTER EXTENSIVE CHECKING & VIDEOING THE UNDERSIDE OF…"~57,000 mi, complaint #1708671
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MAN…"~236,000 mi, complaint #1486434
  29. #29

    engine mounts

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This unit was purchased from RockAuto in July 2023; they sent another defective product. When the rear engine mount was installed on the subframe--one bolt was not getting tight and a bolt inside the unit was already broken. This may have caused the disjointed…"complaint #1907945
    • "MY CAR I BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MARCH OF 09 I HAD ABOUT 9200 MILES WHEN THINGS STARTED TO BANG THEY CHANGE RUBBERS MOUNTS I TOOK IN BACK THEY SAID WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS WE CAN NOT FIX IT THEN I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING THE…"complaint #898929
  30. #30

    evap system

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED UP THE CAR ONE MORNING IN EARLY MAY; ENDED UP GETTING A NEW GAS CAP. 24 HOURS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN WHEN I START UP THE CAR. AFTER SMOKE TESTING FOR LEAKS, GOT THE PURGE VALVE REPLACED. 24 HOURS…"~140,000 mi, complaint #1694480
  31. #31

    fuel injector

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I HAD AN ISSUE IN EARLY JUNE REGARDING MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE AND STALLED OUT. IT WAS TOLD BACK TO DEALERSHIP, WHICH COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM AND INFORMED ME IT WAS A FUEL INJECTION MISFIRE, REBOOTED COMPUTER AND SAID IT WOULD N…"~2,061 mi, complaint #678457
  32. #32

    glass and windshield

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "MY COMPLAINT DEALS WITH THE FRONT WINDOW. IT WAS CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY BY A SMALL ROCK. THE CAR IS FIVE MONTHS OLD. I HAVE HEARD OF TWO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE WHO HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH CRACKS AND EXPANSION IN THE FRONT WINDOW O…"~4,983 mi, complaint #703413
  33. #33

    horn

    2 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HORN OF THE 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. IT CUTS OFF AND DOES NOT WORK FOR HOURS, DAYS ETC. IT WORKS AT ODD TIMES AND THEN NOT AT ALL. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY SAY IT'S FINE. *TR"~17,890 mi, complaint #740235
    • "HORN WILL SUDDENLY NOT WORK FOR EXTENDED PERIOD AND THEN LATER WILL WORK. WITHOUT WARNING THERE WILL BE NO HORN HAS BEEN HAPPENING OFF AND ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS BUT RECENTLY HAS BEEN MORE FREQUENT ( THREE MORNINGS LAST WEEK!)"~127,500 mi, complaint #1361788
  34. #34

    power steering hydraulic

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TAKATA RECALL. MY POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT AND I DID NOT RECIEVE ANY FORM OF INFORMATION AT THE TIME THE RECALL WAS SENT OUT."~169,138 mi, complaint #1479520
  35. #35

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I WAS DRIVING ABOUT [REDACTED ADDRESS] AND THE RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. THERE WAS NO OBJECT THROWN AT THE CAR OR ANYTHING, IT JUST SHATTERED. WHEN I CONTACTED THE AUTO GLASS COMPANY TO FIX IT THEY SAID THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS HAPPEN…"~83,600 mi, complaint #1003770
  36. #36

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "START OCTOBER 2015, WHEN I PULL THE SEAT BELT IT GENERATE RATTLING NOISE BUT NO PROBLEM TO BUCKLE UP. I DID NOT AWARE THAT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN MY DAUGHTER BORROWED AND DROVE ON THE ROAD LAST WEEK (11/24/2015), SHE HEARD THE NOISE AND TESTED IT BY PULLING…"~75,000 mi, complaint #1242059
    • "The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that after latching the front driver’s side seat belt, the locking mechanism would not immediately unlock when clicking the release button. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local deale…"~85,000 mi, complaint #1794921
  37. #37

    stability and traction control

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE ESC OFF LIGHT BEGAN ON JULY 22, 2014... ON JULY 24, 2014, AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET, THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF ON ME WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. THERE IS A ESC ON/OFF SWITCH, SO WHEN I PUSHED IT IN, THE LIGHT TURNED OFF WHEN TH…"~84,000 mi, complaint #1090495
  38. #38

    suspension struts shocks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL SUDDENLY PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE SUSPENSION -- WHEEL WAS TILTED-IN AT THE TOP OF WHEEL AND TILTED-OUT OUT AT BOTTOM OF WHEEL -- SEVERELY LIMITING VEHICLE STEERING/BREAKING CONTROL. HYUNDAI DEALER SAID THAT A BOLT AND STRUT…"~64,000 mi, complaint #1208683
    • "LEAVING WORK I HEARD A NOISE COME FROM THE CAR AS I WAS LEAVING PARKING LOT OF THE HOSPITAL WHICH HAS A TEN MPH SPEED LIMIT AFTER BEING PARKED FOR 9 HOURS. I REALIZED I FELT LIKE I WAS SITING LOOPSIDED. SO I TURNED OFF INTO MY EMPLOYERS FRONT LOT TO INSPECT TH…"~120,000 mi, complaint #1691748
  39. #39

    transmission manual clutch

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I PURCHASED MY 08 ELANTRA THIS SUMMER. DELIVERY DATE 07/05/08. COMPLAINT 1, "CUSTOMER STATES ENGINE WONT START". THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED FUEL PUMP TO CORRECT CONCERN. COMPLAINT 2, INCIDENT 1 INVOICE DATE 09/15/08. I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY CLUTCH. VEHIC…"~1,291 mi, complaint #696304
  40. #40

    door latch and hinge

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "DOOR HANDLES KEEP FALLING OFF, EVEN AFTER BEING REPAIRED AT SHOP. DRIVER DOOR HANDLE IS ONE OF THOSE THAT FELL OFF AND CAN'T GET INSIDE CAR NOW."complaint #1659452
  41. #41

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 stranded

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH DURING SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CV JOIN…"~16,500 mi, complaint #788331
  42. #42

    engine cooling

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN TURNING OFF VEHICLE NOISE OCCURRED EVERY TIME VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. UNDER WARRANTY DEALER DETERMINED NOISE WAS COMING FROM WATER PUMP DUE TO AN INTERNAL BEARING FAILURE. *TR"~20,543 mi, complaint #750212
  43. #43

    infotainment head unit

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE FACTORY RADIO IN THE CAR STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. THE AUXILIARY PORT DOES NOT WORK AND THE DISPLAY ON THE RADIO IS NOT WORKING. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS REPAIRED YET, THE LOCAL HYUNDAI SAID THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM BUT THERE ARE NO RECALLS THEREFORE IT…"~81,382 mi, complaint #1003023
  44. #44

    noise or vibration unspecified

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "THE IN-DASH FRONT-PANEL CONSOLE PIECES MAKE VERY IRRITATING SQUEAKY NOISES WHEN DRIVING OVER EVEN LITTLE BUMPS DISTRACTING THE DRIVER FROM NORMAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE. *TR"complaint #685997
  45. #45

    steering column

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=19, median 69,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED WHICH LOCATE…"~44,348 mi, complaint #1058458
  46. #46

    torque converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHILE CITY DRIVING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MILES PER HOUR ENGINE RPMS DROP TO AROUND 1000 RPMS OR LESS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME SLUGGISH AND TO VIBRATE. THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM IS TO FORCE THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR BY MASHING DOWN O…"complaint #699988
  47. #47

    wheel bearing

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WOULD WOBBLE EXCESSIVELY. SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND A CRASH NEARLY OCCUR…"~800 mi, complaint #650389
  48. #48

    wheel or rim

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "MY TIRE BURST ON THE ROAD, AND I GOT INTO THE TRUNK TO GET A SPARE TIRE ONLY FOR ME TO FIND OUT, THE TIRE COULDN'T FIT MY CAR AT ALL. THE HOLES IN THE RIM AREN'T OF THE SAME SIZE AS MY CAR. SO THEY SOLD ME THE WRONG SPARE TIRE"~138,320 mi, complaint #1391353

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for HYUNDAI ELANTRA directly.