IllustrationWHILE 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
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
What owners actually said
55 reportsI HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM CHECKED BY THE DEALER 3 TIMES. DEALER STATES THAT ALL ELANTRAS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. DEALER ALSO SAID NEW REAR VIEW MIRROR WOULD VIBRATE AS WELL. I CALLED HYUNDAI TO ASK WHY THEY DO NOT DESIGN NEW MIRROR, AND WAS GIVEN NO HELP. *AK
AFTER DRIVING CAR AND STOPPING, CAR WILL NOT SHIFT FROM PARK. *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…
Read full complaint
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
WHILE DRIVING BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 70MPH VEHICLE BOUNCED, THE TIRES BLEWOUT BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OFF BALANCE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON/OFF. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN A 35MPH ZONE , AND A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT AND CONSUMER HIT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. FRONT END OF CAR WAS DAMAGED. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THE CONSUMER'S INSURANCE COMPANY WANTED TO WRITE IT OFF AS TOTALLED.
NO SUMMARY.
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.