IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL NOT CHANGE GEARS AND WOULDN'T INCREASE IN SPEED. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, CANNOT FIND PROBLEM.*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
What owners actually said
128 reportsWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL JUST STALL OUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP , ANDTHEY REPLACE PCV VALVE. THEN ENGINE BLEW OUT. HAD ENGINE REBUILT, AND IT BLREW OUT AGAIN.*AK
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO FUNCTION AFTER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR CAME ON.*AK. CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS MAKING A TURN AND THE SEAT BELT SENSORS WENT OFF, CAUSING THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT TO TIGHTEN AGAINST HER CHEST, NOW THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS WILL NOT ENGAGE, THE DEALER WANTS 1500 DOLLARS TO REAPIR THE SEAT B…
Read full complaint
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO FUNCTION AFTER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR CAME ON.*AK. CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS MAKING A TURN AND THE SEAT BELT SENSORS WENT OFF, CAUSING THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT TO TIGHTEN AGAINST HER CHEST, NOW THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS WILL NOT ENGAGE, THE DEALER WANTS 1500 DOLLARS TO REAPIR THE SEAT BELT SENSORS.*JB
VEHICLE STALLS DAILY AT LOW SPEEDS, ALSO SPUTTERS AND HESITATES. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY.*AK *TT
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,…
Read full complaint
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
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION IN WHICH AIR BAG COVER POPPED OFF, BUT NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *YD
TRANSMISSION MADE CAR BUCK SEVERELY WHEN IT DOWNSHIFTED.IT SLIPPED BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. FLUID WAS ALSO LEAKING.TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 23,000 MILES BY THE DEALER. THE CAR STILL SLIPS BETWEEN GEARS AND NOW MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN DECELERATING. MANUFACTURER SEEMED UNCONCERNED THAT TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE RE…
Read full complaint
TRANSMISSION MADE CAR BUCK SEVERELY WHEN IT DOWNSHIFTED.IT SLIPPED BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. FLUID WAS ALSO LEAKING.TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 23,000 MILES BY THE DEALER. THE CAR STILL SLIPS BETWEEN GEARS AND NOW MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN DECELERATING. MANUFACTURER SEEMED UNCONCERNED THAT TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR A SECOND TIME. *AK
BOTH AIR CONDITIONER AND RADIO HAD STOP WORKING SUDDENLY. CONSUMER BELIEVED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAD CONTACTED DEALER,AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
BOTH HANDLES IN FRONT DOORS HAD FALLEN OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
EARLY IN THE MORNING CONSUMER FOUND REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND COULD NOT RECALL HOW IT HAPPENED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*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.