IllustrationVEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATION AT ALL WILL STOP. WHILE DRIVING IT STOPS ABRUPTLY AND STARTS BACK UP. DEALER CONTACTED, AND MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. BOTH AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, ECM WAS REPLACED, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
1996 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Hyundai Elantra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Elantra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 9 of 100 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
20 reportsENGINE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON WHEN GOING ONLY 5MPH. WOULD JERK WHEN IN 3RD GEAR. WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES 30MPH WOULD JERK & VIBRATE. WILL BE TAKING TO DEALER. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE BEFORE ENGINE CEASES TO OPERATE AT ANY SPEED. AFTER ENGINER SHUTS DOWN, IT TAKES 30 TO 60 MINUTES BEFORE AUTOMOBILE WILL RESTART. TOOK AUTOMOBILE IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER REPLACED SWITCH ON TRANSMISSION, SWITH REPLACEMENT DID NOT HELP, ENGINE CONTINUES TO SHUT DOWN AT ALL SPEEDS. …
Read full complaint
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE BEFORE ENGINE CEASES TO OPERATE AT ANY SPEED. AFTER ENGINER SHUTS DOWN, IT TAKES 30 TO 60 MINUTES BEFORE AUTOMOBILE WILL RESTART. TOOK AUTOMOBILE IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER REPLACED SWITCH ON TRANSMISSION, SWITH REPLACEMENT DID NOT HELP, ENGINE CONTINUES TO SHUT DOWN AT ALL SPEEDS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY AND EXPRESSWAYS. WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE READ THE OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO ENGINE SHUT DOWN PROBLEMS, SOUNDS LIKE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR INJURED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT.
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF, GIVING THE DRIVER NO INDICATION. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS ON WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT . THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. DEALER STATES THAT PROBLEM OCCURS WITHIN ENGINECHECK LIGHT SENSOR. REPLACED THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT SENSOR WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER ETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEEDS, THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING 3 TIMES.
OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED 4 TIMES.
Official recalls
300V095002 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Jul 21, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
00V095001 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Mar 28, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
97V026000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
Feb 26, 1997
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING. INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2SQ00003 · Fuel Cap Replacement Campaign 36
Opened Feb 2, 2000 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available
PE97002 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened Jan 17, 1997 · Closed Feb 27, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
IN ITS LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 14, 1997, HYUNDAI STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 75,000 HYUNDAI VEHICLES (CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1996-97 ELANTRA, ACCENT, SONATA AND TIBURON MODELS BUILT THROUGH OCTOBER 18, 1996 -- SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 97V-026 FOR DETAILS) WILL BE RECALLED FOR A DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR.HYUNDAI STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY NOT OPERATE IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF THE MOTOR'S CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITH SOLDERING FLUX DURING MANUFACTURING PROCESS.HYUNDAI WILL REMEDY THE DEFECT BY CLEANING THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS TO REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS.