IllustrationVEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT 20 - 40 MPH. NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. FELT LIKE BRAKES WERE APPLIED VERY HARD WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. *AK
1998 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Hyundai Elantra are lower than 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 55 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 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
12 reportsWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON, ENGINE ALMOST STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. BROUGHT TO DEALER AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. STILL GET SLOW DOWNS IN ENGINE FROM TIME TO TIME. SECOND BIG PROBLEM WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO FILL GAS TANK. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT CAR. FIRST TIME 02/99.*AK
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK AND STALL AT ALL RATES OF SPEED. NLM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 40-60 MPH. DRIVER MUST PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND RESTART VEHICLE. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT DEFECT 4 TIMES, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY "JUMP" OR "SKIP", AND THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON. THEN IT QUITS AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL; THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SO FAR; AM REPORTING TO DEALER NOW. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT VARIABLE SPEEDS, THE ENGINE CUTS OUT THEN CUTS BACK ON. NO CONSISTENCIES TO WHEN OR WHY IT CUTS OUT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. CONTACTED DEALER AND HAVE TAKEN IT IN THREE TIMES FOR THIS. DEALER APPARENTLY FINDS NOTHING WRONG. FIRST SERVICE, DEALER KEPT CAR FOR 10 DAYS ONLY TO REPLACE T…
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WHEN DRIVING AT VARIABLE SPEEDS, THE ENGINE CUTS OUT THEN CUTS BACK ON. NO CONSISTENCIES TO WHEN OR WHY IT CUTS OUT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. CONTACTED DEALER AND HAVE TAKEN IT IN THREE TIMES FOR THIS. DEALER APPARENTLY FINDS NOTHING WRONG. FIRST SERVICE, DEALER KEPT CAR FOR 10 DAYS ONLY TO REPLACE THE GAS CAP. SECOND AND THIRD VISITS FOUND NOTHING TO SUBSTANTIATE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAUSE. YET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY AND STAYS ON FOR DAYS. AFTER 44000 MILES, ENGINE SOUNDING DIFFERENT THAN WHEN PURCHASED. BURNING SMELL COMES FORM ENGINE PERIODICALLY, SMELLS LIKE A BELT BURNING BUT NO APPARENT BELT IS CINGED. AT TIMES ENGINE DOES NOT APPEAR TO CHANGE GEARS SMOOTHLY. *AK
INTERMITTENTL VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND DIES WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND COMPUTER - STILL STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS - AFTER THE CLUTH IS PUSHED IN AND ARE APPROCHING A STOP THE ENGINE WILL STUMBLE AND EITHER PICK BACK UP OR STALL - THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS HAS NEVER HAPPENED WHEN THEY HAVE IT - HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 27 DAYS TOT…
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DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND COMPUTER - STILL STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS - AFTER THE CLUTH IS PUSHED IN AND ARE APPROCHING A STOP THE ENGINE WILL STUMBLE AND EITHER PICK BACK UP OR STALL - THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS HAS NEVER HAPPENED WHEN THEY HAVE IT - HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 27 DAYS TOTAL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, AND VEHICLE STALLED. ALSO, WHEN TRYING TO PUT FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL LEAKS OUT AND THE CONSUMER CAN'T PUT FUEL INTO VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.