10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
3,400 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #25

Aug 282025

Elantra

  • miles
The Horn never worked since I bought it in August 2023, i-??ve been in a countless near accident situations where I was rendered helpless. I-??ve had several instances where I get locked out of my car because the vehicle would not read the key. I tried fix the issue because I assumed it was a dead car or key battery but the same problems kept happening shortly after. I became aware of the issue with the horn not working, when I recently purchased the vehicle. I tried to contact the ALM dealership salesman to report the issue and they told me he had recently quit. They mentioned bringing it back to the shop but it wasn-??t guaranteed that the issue would be fixed.

- Buford , GA, USA

problem #24

Aug 042023

Elantra

  • miles
Engine shots off while on the automatic stop and go idle. It is being doing it for a while but it is happening more often even with the auto idle off and it even happened at the freeway. It gives me a message to put it in park or neutral and turn the engine on manually. Making this a very dangerous situation because cars behind me don-??t know that my engine suddenly shots off. Thanks

- Chula Vista , CA, USA

problem #23

Jan 022022

Elantra

  • miles
The headlights and back lights turn off at random times when the headlights are on the automatic setting. This problem happens very frequently at night, putting my family at risk when the lights go off and cannot see what is ahead of us. In addition to a cop pulling me over for not having my lights on and he asked me if I was playing with the lights since they were going on and off and luckily the cop did not give me a ticket when I explained and he saw the problem (he advised me to get on this website and to make a report). I have reported this problem to the Hyundai dealership for the past 3 years and I don-??t even think they take the time to investigate. The dealership just keeps telling me that with another update in the software is going to get fixed. But that is not the case. This is a very dangerous problem that is going to get someone killed. Need to be fixed

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #22

Sep 012024

Elantra

  • miles
Unintended acceleration is happening. After about 15-30 minutes of driving, accelerating from a stopped position becomes very difficult in the sense that the vehicle does NOT accelerate when gas pedal is pressed. This can be extremely dangerous as you do not know when the vehicle will no longer accelerate and could get hit when crossing an intersection or turning onto any road at all. ESC warning light came on today and vehicle will no longer start but goes into auxiliary mode. This is not the first time, second, third, nor even 5th time a report on this vehicle has been made and with each report more issues are arising with seemingly NO fix in sight.

- Midlothian, TX, USA

problem #21

May 252023

Elantra

  • miles
I am writing to report a serious and ongoing safety issue with my 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid that remains unresolved despite multiple visits to Hyundai service centers and independent repair shops. I-??ve also found numerous consumer discussions online describing nearly identical issues with the same model and newer Elantra Hybrid models, suggesting this may be part of a wider systemic defect. The core issue lies within the vehicle-??s hybrid system. Shortly after a recent system/software update performed at a Hyundai dealership, a warning message began appearing at random intervals stating: -??Check Hybrid System.-?? This typically first appears after extended driving -?" often around 3 hours -?" but once it occurs, the issue worsens if I continue to drive. Each time the warning appears, the vehicle suddenly and drastically decelerates without driver input, becoming dangerously slow and unresponsive, even while traveling at highway speeds. This creates an urgent safety risk, as I have had to maneuver off the road quickly to avoid collisions. After the initial warning, if I attempt to drive the vehicle again without sufficient downtime, the warning reappears much more frequently -?" sometimes within minutes. The only temporary relief is to stop using the vehicle and allow it to rest for at least six hours, after which the issue may temporarily subside. In every case, I must use the 12V battery reset button to restart the car, which I suspect may be clearing diagnostic codes before they can be properly recorded. Notably, the check engine light disappears after this reset, even if it was previously displayed. Given that the hybrid battery is located beneath the rear passenger seat, I am deeply concerned that if there is an underlying thermal or electrical issue, it could pose a serious or life-threatening risk to passengers. To date, no dealership or technician has been able to duplicate or permanently resolve the problem.

- Bay Shore, NY, USA

problem #20

Aug 072024

Elantra

  • miles
My back up camera fails to work consistently. This issue appears to only worsen with every use. Sometimes to screen will appear half on and half off. I have yet to receive any notice of a recall and would like to get this fixed if at all possible. Thank you!

- Tyler, TX, USA

problem #19

Feb 012024

Elantra

  • miles
Constant sound of flowing water throughout the front of the vehicle. Several service appointments later and there is still no solution to the issue that has been going on for over a year. Thia can be heard like a stream of water flowing. Engine ticking, loud rattling from engine. You can hear in from inside of the car.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #18

Dec 162024

Elantra

  • miles
The reverse camera does not work

- Camuy, PR, USA

problem #17

Jul 012024

Elantra

  • miles
Back up Camera. When reversing cannot see out back window do to incline of glass making hard to reverse. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There was not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear.

- Corozal, PR, USA

problem #16

Sep 162024

Elantra

  • miles
I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a significant safety issue with my vehicle-??s backup camera system. The backup camera consistently malfunctions, displaying glitchy images with distorted lines across the screen. This issue renders the camera essentially unusable, as it fails to provide a clear view of the area behind the vehicle, posing a serious safety hazard. This malfunction directly impacts my ability to safely reverse, especially in crowded areas where visibility is crucial. The camera-??s unreliability puts pedestrians and other drivers at risk, as I am unable to fully ensure that my path is clear when reversing. I strongly believe this defect poses a significant safety concern that needs to be addressed by the manufacturer. I request that the NHTSA investigate this issue and take appropriate action to ensure that this problem is resolved for myself and the many other affected vehicle owners. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #15

Jul 112024

Elantra

  • miles
Rear backup camera suddenly stopped working and when in reverse the sensors kick in and breaks the vehicle when there's no object or vehicle behind. Also the code for the backup sensor came up but dealer didn't do anything.

- Hercules, CA, USA

problem #14

Apr 112024

Elantra

  • miles
My car has two warning lights on my dashboard. First one is Check Foward Safety system. Second one is Check Smart Cruise Control System. Both of them turned on when I was driving in the middle of a highway. These warning lights activated out of the blue, without any unusual circumstances.I cannot use my smart cruise control system and the car is not able to alert me about forward collision. This issue has already been addressed through a recall for my vehicle's model and year in Korea. My vehicle was produced in Korea and was imported to the United States; however, Hyundai has not issued a recall regarding the same problem in the United States. This is a safety concern, and Hyundai should repair it free of charge, and the company should compensate customers who have already undergone repairs for the repair costs.

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #13

May 242024

Elantra

  • miles
Back up camera doesn-??t work. When put in reverse the screen is static and when you press the back up camera button it won-??t turn

- Guyton, GA, USA

problem #12

Apr 062023

Elantra

  • miles
Since last year around 55k miles, my backup camera has stoped working. The first incident happened as I was about to back out of my garage. I opened the garage door and put my car into reverse. As I looked down at the screen and began to back up, I realized the screen showed me an image of a closed garage door ever though the door was open. Almost as if it had taken a screenshot or froze. The second occurrence was similar except it was when I was parking in a job site parking lot. When I put my car in reverse to park, what came on my screen was the image of the highway about 15 minutes prior. I-??ve had several experiences like this where the backup camera freezes, has static-like lines all over the screen, discoloration, or delayed effects. This is dangerous because if someone is looking down at the screen and doesn-??t realize the backup camera is giving an incorrect output, this can result in an accident (whether it be a single car or multiple car accident). This is because you can end up hitting something/someone if you get delayed feedback on the camera and don-??t realize.

- Seaside, CA, USA

problem #11

Jun 122023

Elantra

  • 24,000 miles
The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended. Approximately thirteen hours later, he was notified by the fire department that the vehicle had caught fire. A police report was filed. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was parked where the fire occurred. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later the contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss, the cause was assumed to be electrical. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

- Atlantic City, NJ, USA

problem #10

Feb 022024

Elantra

  • miles
I have had to get the horn replaced on my ELANTRA six times the horn goes out and this can be a very big safety hazard as it has caused people to almost hit me because they didn-??t see me and my horn wasn-??t working to alert them this needs to be addressed as soon as possible as this could cause someone to lose their life in the wrong instance

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #9

Dec 052023

Elantra

  • miles
When driving at 55MPH with cruise control on, the car suddenly accelerated to 75MPH, this happened on the open road and was able to keep under control. Auto has less than 10,000 miles. I will be contacting Hyundai customer service for a case number on this incident. First indication of a problem was cruise control, auto braking failed iin June of 2023. This follows a replacement of defective front radar unit by Hyundai which was replaced at 8295 miles on July 26, 2023. This problem first occurred in late June/early July of 2023. There was no warning.

- Washburn, IA, USA

problem #8

Sep 252023

Elantra

  • miles
My car has 76,000 miles on it fully maintained and recorded at hyundai dealerships. One day I-??m driving and a check engine light pops up the same day I get it taken in to have it diagnosed, few hours go by I get a call they tell me that the Integrated thermal management module on my car has burnt out. I was surprised because my car is fairly new I asked them how could it prematurely fail they could not give me answer and they told me I would have to pay out of pocket for it and I did. They advised me that I should not drive the car as it could pose severe risk to engine failure as coolant is connected to the part in question. So I left my car there and they ordered a new part and it got fixed the very next day, it was ready for me to pick up. I-??m frustrated because I-??m not the only one who had this problem and warranty did not cover Hyundai did not want to work with me to resolve my issue and as a result it costed me money and time. I-??m not the only one who has this problem but is it really safe for my car to have this part if it could cause engine damage worse fire in that area due to a design flaw.

- Milwaukee , WI, USA

problem #7

Jun 022023

Elantra

  • miles
On three occasions while turning out into an intersection my steering wheel will lock up and my forward collision warning system will engage and my just stop in the road. Out of those three times, my car has been towed to the dealership twice. The dealer has been working very hard to identify the issue while working with Hyundai tech services. They have poured countless hours and money into this car and still have not been able to identify and correct it. My vehicle has become a deathtrap waiting to happen.

- Irvington, KY, USA

problem #6

Oct 192022

Elantra

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

- Pittsfield, MA, USA

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