IllustrationALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR ON TREAD, (UNIROYAL P175).
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
What owners actually said
115 reportsLEFT TURN SIGNAL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. ORDERED NEW PART AND CORRECTED PROBLEM. *AK.ET.
ENGINE STALLS WHEN DRIVING. IT WILL MISS WHEN IDLING. WHEN SHIFTING GEARS ,THERE IS NO GAS, DEALER CONTACTED AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. REPAIR WORK DONE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK.ET.
MASTER CYLINDER WITH THE ABS BRAKES, THE CLUTCH WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, THERE WAS NO CLUTCH. DEALER CONTACTED, AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, REPAIR WORK DONE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK.ET.
UNIROYAL YOLDYPRI 476 (P175) TIRES DID NOT HOLD AIR PROPERLY CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR AND FAILURE.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED IN THE RAIN, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRAVELING AT 10MPH. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
WITHIN 17,000 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAS PREMATURELY WORN OUT, AND ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.*AK BOTH FRONT WINDOW FALL WHILE DRIVING. DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYS ON. RIGHT DOOR PANEL MAKE NOISE. DOME LIGHT STAYS ON. *YH
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN CHANGING GEARS. WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. PROBLEM REAPPEARED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK & A PIN HAD GONE BAD IN NEW TRANSMISSION. ALSO IGNITION COIL WENT OUT, VEHICLE RUNNING SLUGGISH. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP 5-6 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AUTOMOBILE IT CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING . DEALER STATES DRIVER NEEDS BRAIN BOX. *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