IllustrationTHE "AIR BAG" AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. BOTH DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER WINDOWS WILL NOT WORK, BOTH MUST BE TAPED UP. CAR HAS HAD A "ELECTRIAL BURNING" SMELL OFF AND ON FOR A YEAR. THE HEADLIGHTS GOES BRIGHT WHILE DRIVING. GETTING LESS THAN 20 MPG GAS. BATTERIES FREQUENTLY GOES DEAD.*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
Electrical System complaints
18 reportsTHE HORN FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB
VEHICLE STALLED AT 55 MPH, AND WAS TOWED TO DEALER. AFTER VEHICLE STALLED ALL LIGHTS ON DASH LIT UP. DEALER STATED ALL ELECTRICAL WIRES UNDER HOOD WERE MELTED, AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *NLM
WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTERWARDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED SPARK PLUGS. CONSUMER STATED EVERY 10,000 MILE VEHICLE NEEDED SPARK PLUGS. CAUSE UNKNOWN, THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND THE HYUNDAI APPEARED TO HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM,…
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WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTERWARDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED SPARK PLUGS. CONSUMER STATED EVERY 10,000 MILE VEHICLE NEEDED SPARK PLUGS. CAUSE UNKNOWN, THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND THE HYUNDAI APPEARED TO HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THIS WAS NOT A RECALL AND THAT HYUNDAI DOES NOT HAVE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY.*AK *NLM *DT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE SEVERLY PULLS TO RIGHT OR LEFT, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROUGH ACCELERATION, CUTTING OFF IN IDLE, SURGING…
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WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE SEVERLY PULLS TO RIGHT OR LEFT, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROUGH ACCELERATION, CUTTING OFF IN IDLE, SURGING BACK AND FORWARD. BRAKES PULSING AND SQUEALING. LATER ON THE AIR SYSTEM STOPPED COMPLETELY DUE TO THE HEATER FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY FAILURE. CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO BURNED SPARK PLUG WIRES. *YH
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATES AND THEN TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY. AFETERWARDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROUGH ACCELERATION, CUTTING OFF IN IDLE, SURGING BACK AND FORWARD. BRAKES P…
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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATES AND THEN TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE BATTERY. AFETERWARDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROUGH ACCELERATION, CUTTING OFF IN IDLE, SURGING BACK AND FORWARD. BRAKES PULSING AND SQUEALING. LATER ON, THE AIR SYSTEM STOPPED COMPLETELY DUE TO THE HEATER FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY FAILURE. CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO BURNED SPARK PLUG WIRES. *YH
BATTERY FAILED. NLM.
CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE RECALL REPAIR 00V-259 PERFORMED ON 11/22/00 WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TAKE A HALF DAY TO COMPLETE, THE MECHANIC RESIGNED THAT DAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AURHORIZED TO BE PICKED UP UNTIL DEC. 6, THE CONSUMER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE FELT SHE WAS GETTING THE RUN AROUND, VEHICLE ST…
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CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE RECALL REPAIR 00V-259 PERFORMED ON 11/22/00 WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TAKE A HALF DAY TO COMPLETE, THE MECHANIC RESIGNED THAT DAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AURHORIZED TO BE PICKED UP UNTIL DEC. 6, THE CONSUMER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE FELT SHE WAS GETTING THE RUN AROUND, VEHICLE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND CONTINUES TO STALL. NLM
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.