IllustrationDT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997, HYUNDAI ELANTRA. SHE STATED THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1997 FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, BUT THE MANUFACTURER SAID THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. IT NEEDED T TO BE FIXED. *AK
1997 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 19 of 115 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.
- Power Train. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports0 fire reports12 injury reports
Visibility complaints
13 reportsDT: CONSUMER FOUND 2 RECALL WARNINGS CONCERNING WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND FUEL TANK WITH A POSSIBLE LEAK ON THE INTERNET. HE IS NOT GETTING VEHICLE SERVICED. *AK
I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WASHER MOTOR, IN 1997, I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1998, AND IN 2002 MY MOTOR BLEW UP. I TOOK IT IN AND THE SERVICE SAID THAT IT WASN'T COVERED AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET IT FIXED! I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A RECALL SO I …
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I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WASHER MOTOR, IN 1997, I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1998, AND IN 2002 MY MOTOR BLEW UP. I TOOK IT IN AND THE SERVICE SAID THAT IT WASN'T COVERED AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET IT FIXED! I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A RECALL SO I TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN RECALLED - AND I TRIED CALLING THE HYUNDAI HOTLINE 800) 633-5151 AND I PUSHED 5 TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT AND IT HUNG UP ON ME! N A 2 MONTH TIME SPAN ALL FOUR OF MY INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES BROKE WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR BEING SO THIN AND FRAGILE ANYWAY! IF HYUNDAI WANTS TO MAKE CARS WITH WARRANTIES I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HONOR THEM AND FIX THE CRAPPY CARS THAT THEY MAKE!*AK
CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION JERKS ON DECELERATION/ACCELERATION FROM STOPS AND THEN DOWN SHIFTS ROUGHLY. DEALER FOUND THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING AND BANGING INTO GEAR. REPLACED TRANSMISSION WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AND FLUSH COOLER AND HOOK UP SCANNER. INTERMITTENTLY AFTER DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION WON'T MOVE VE…
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CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION JERKS ON DECELERATION/ACCELERATION FROM STOPS AND THEN DOWN SHIFTS ROUGHLY. DEALER FOUND THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING AND BANGING INTO GEAR. REPLACED TRANSMISSION WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AND FLUSH COOLER AND HOOK UP SCANNER. INTERMITTENTLY AFTER DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION WON'T MOVE VEHICLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MOVE OFF FROM A STOP. DEALER REPLACED PULSE GENERATORS. *TT
WINDOW CONTROL- WHEN ROLLING UP YHE RUBBER GET CAUGHT IN THE WINDOW. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM , I GUESS IT WAS FIX RIGHT HOPEFUL THIS TIMEWHICH WAS 7-24-01. EMISSION-WAS A PROBLEM .I THINK IT'S STILL A PROBLEM I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NOT PRETAING TO THE TRANSMISSION.TRANSMISSION-ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND STILL IS. THE …
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WINDOW CONTROL- WHEN ROLLING UP YHE RUBBER GET CAUGHT IN THE WINDOW. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM , I GUESS IT WAS FIX RIGHT HOPEFUL THIS TIMEWHICH WAS 7-24-01. EMISSION-WAS A PROBLEM .I THINK IT'S STILL A PROBLEM I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NOT PRETAING TO THE TRANSMISSION.TRANSMISSION-ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND STILL IS. THE CAR JERKS BUCK,AND IT ACTS LIKE IT BE SFITING TO ANOTHER GEAR SOMETIMES. I;M BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALER THEY SAY THEY CAN'T FIND NOTHING. WAIT UNTIL THE ENIGINE LIGHT COMES ON.THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM CAUSE THIS HAS GOTTEN TO MY BACK. I CONTACT THE MANUF THEY DON'T CARE ,THEY JUST SAY AS LONG AS THERE IS A WARRANTY ON THE CAR THEY WILL KEEP FIXING, BUT IT'S NOT .THEY SAID A NEW ONE WAS PUT IN . I'M STILL HAVING A PROBLEM ALL I AK FOR WAS A ANOTHER CAR.AS BEE. *AK
IF THERE IS ANY MOISTURE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW, IT IS NOT REMOVED WHEN WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN AND BACK UP. ASKED HYUNDAI DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED IT. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT IT WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE HYUNDAI. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK
HEAD LINER IN REAR IS FALLING .*ET
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. BUT THEY NEVER WORK WHEN IT IS RAINING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
CENTER DASH VENT FELL APART WHEN CUSTOMER TRIED TO ADJUST. NLM
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH WHEN WINDSHIELD BEGAN CRACKING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, THERE WAS NO IMPACT. ALSO, IN MAY 98 THE AIR VENTS WERE REPLACED, AND WERE REPLACED AGAIN IN NOVEMBER, 98, AND FEBRUARY 99. *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
1SQ00003 · 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