IllustrationNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
1999 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
70–25K
425–50K
750–75K
975–100K
16100–150K
6150K+
49 reports with mileage · 79 unknown
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 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. 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.
22 crash reports2 fire reports16 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
20 reportsHEAD-ON COLLISION,SPEED 35 MPH, BOTH AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WOULD NOT SPEAK TO CONSUMER REGARDING AIRBAGS. HYUNDAI COMPANY WILL NOT TALK TO CONSUMER. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MAJOR AND MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT, AND AIR BAGS DID NOTDEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AT ABOUT 40 MPH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A TOLL STOP, PROCEEDED TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER CAR WHICH PULLED IN FRONT. CONSUMER HAD PUT ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING THE OTHER VEHICLE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER HIT SIDE RAILING AT ABOUT 40, AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER FELT AS THOUGH AIRBAGS WERE TOO FORCEFUL, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF RIGHT EYE BU…
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WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A TOLL STOP, PROCEEDED TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER CAR WHICH PULLED IN FRONT. CONSUMER HAD PUT ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING THE OTHER VEHICLE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER HIT SIDE RAILING AT ABOUT 40, AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER FELT AS THOUGH AIRBAGS WERE TOO FORCEFUL, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF RIGHT EYE BUCAUSE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH HAD A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED PARTIALLY AND DID NOT PROTECT THE DRIVER. PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE PASSENGER IN THIS CRASH. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 30MPH THERE WAS A COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER BROKE WINDSHIELD WITH HER FOREHEAD, AND THEN HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH FOREHEAD. DRIVER WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL WITH ONLY MINOR CONCUSSION/BRUISES AND CUTS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING AT 55 MPH, AND DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CONSUME R HIRED AN APPRAISER WHO SAID THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAV E DEPLOYED, BUT THE HYUNDAI CLAIMED THART AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. …
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WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING AT 55 MPH, AND DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CONSUME R HIRED AN APPRAISER WHO SAID THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAV E DEPLOYED, BUT THE HYUNDAI CLAIMED THART AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
Official recalls
200V259001 · Electrical System:wiring
Sep 11, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SOME SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5 LITER V-6 ENGINES AND ALL ELANTRA MODEL VEHICLES MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOW-SPEED ENGINE STALLING, WHICH COULD OCCUR IF THE MAF (MASS AIR FLOW) SENSOR ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INTERRUPTED AS A RESULT OF ENGINE VIBRATION TRANSMITTED TO THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL RE-ROUTE THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
99V178000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 7, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE SEALS DO NOT REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY ELASTIC, RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN REDUCED PRESSURE APPLICATION TO THE CLUTCHES, BRAKE, AND KICKDOWN SERVO, ALLOWING THEM TO SLIP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SUCH SLIPPAGE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE DETERIORATION OF THE FRICTION ELEMENT SURFACES AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE, OR NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED, WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE.
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.