IllustrationTRANS. SLIPS. WHEN YOU RELEASE GAS PEDAL AT HIGH SPEEDS AND ATTEMPT TO REGAIN ACCELERATION TRANSMISSION DOES NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY,THERE IS AT LEAST A 5 SEC. PAUSE. I AM NOW GOING IN TO A SHOP FOR A DIAGNOSES DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER AND NO REVERSE GEAR PRESENT. *NLM
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
What owners actually said
100 reportsHOOD LATCH RELEASED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING HOOD TO SLAM BACK AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND TOTALLY OBSTRUCTING VISION WHILE ON MAIN ROAD. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED AND HOOD REPLACED. AUTO BODY OWNER FOUND LATCH, BOLTS, NUTS WERE ALL RUSTED. IN RECENTLY SPEAKING WITH HIM AGAIN HE MENTIONED THAT SHORTLY AFTER I HAD MY HOOD REPLA…
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HOOD LATCH RELEASED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING HOOD TO SLAM BACK AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND TOTALLY OBSTRUCTING VISION WHILE ON MAIN ROAD. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED AND HOOD REPLACED. AUTO BODY OWNER FOUND LATCH, BOLTS, NUTS WERE ALL RUSTED. IN RECENTLY SPEAKING WITH HIM AGAIN HE MENTIONED THAT SHORTLY AFTER I HAD MY HOOD REPLACED HE HAD ANOTHER HYUNDAI ELANTRA COME IN THAT ALSO HAD RUSTED NUTS/BOLTS/LATCH. MY CAR IS A 1996 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. *NLM
THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND THE HANDLE IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *JG
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN TURNING , SLOWING OR STOPPING. NLM
IF THEY TURN OFF VEHICLE IT WOULD BE HARD TO START IT BACK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE PROBLEM IS RECCURRING. *JB OXYGEN SENSOR AND COIL PACK WERE REPLACED. FUEL INJECTORS WERE CLEANED, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED. BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED UNTIL DEALER FOUND BATTE…
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CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE PROBLEM IS RECCURRING. *JB OXYGEN SENSOR AND COIL PACK WERE REPLACED. FUEL INJECTORS WERE CLEANED, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED. BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED UNTIL DEALER FOUND BATTERY HAD DEAD CELL. *TT
CONSUMER TRIED TO CONTACT THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLE RECALL FOLLOW-UP ABOUT THE EVAPORATING EMISSION SYSTEM (00V-095), BUT HE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH ANYONE TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE TO REPAIRS MADE.
VEHICLE LOST ALL DRIVE GEARS WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER SERVICE REPORTS TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. OCCURED WIHOUT WARNING , NO NOTICABLE CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND AT ONLY 69,975 MILES (MOSTLY IN-TOWN 20 MILE WORK COMMUTE). DEALER CLAIMS NO WARRANTY COVERAGE. *AK
RIGHT FRONT BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM BACKING PAD WHILE DRIVING. SITUATION RESULTED IN REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY WHEN BRAKES WHERE UTILIZED. BRAKE PADS HAD APPROX 25 - 35% LIFE REMAINING.*AK
AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HE HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR. VEHICLE WENT UP ON A CURB, CAUSING BOTH AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED BY AIRBAGS/ FRONT END WAS PUSHED BACK. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
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.