IllustrationTHIS IS A 1998 VEHICLE THAT IS GIVING CONSUMER PROBLEMS WITH STALLING. ALSO THE FRONT END SHAKES VERY HARD WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *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 TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 8 TIMES. THE ENGINE CUTS OUT AT ALL RATES OF SPEED. CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND POWER STEERING. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS BUT THE CAR IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN PUMPING GAS, WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, THE PUMP DOESN'T SHUT OFF. GAS THEN POURS OUT OF MY CAR AND DOWN THE SI…
Read full complaint
I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 8 TIMES. THE ENGINE CUTS OUT AT ALL RATES OF SPEED. CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND POWER STEERING. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS BUT THE CAR IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN PUMPING GAS, WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, THE PUMP DOESN'T SHUT OFF. GAS THEN POURS OUT OF MY CAR AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAR. HYUNDAI HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE A PART THAT CAN FIX IT BUT THEY HAVEN'T MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME.
SEATBELT DOES NOT REACH THE LOCKING MECHANISM. *AK
DRIVER HIT THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE AGAINST A GUARDRAIL AT ABOUT 50MPH, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
GAS SHOOTS OUT OF THE GS TANK FILLER INLET WHEN FILLING THE TANK. THE GAS PUMP AUTO SHUTOFF ACTIVATES WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED, HOWEVER GAS SPILLS OUT OF THE TANK FORCEFULLY. DEALER POSSESSED A SERVICE BULLETIN NOT FOUND IN THE NHTSA FILES.
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.