← New search

2009 Hyundai Elantra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

186 reports with mileage · 66 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.

  • Steering. Review the 132 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

28 crash reports11 fire reports20 injury reports

Steering complaints

132 reports
Clear category filter
139,000 miles · Sep 19, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while attempting to make a right turn, the power steering assist failed as the EPS (Electric Power Steering) warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while attempting to make a right turn, the power steering assist failed as the EPS (Electric Power Steering) warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a power steering assist failure which was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering). The vehicle was then towed to dealer where she was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 139,000.

NHTSA ODI #11485191

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2022
Steering

EPS (Electronic Power Steering) light comes on on the dashboard . This prevents steering the vehicle from a dead stop or turning the vehicle is extremely hard. Vehicle has to be shut down and restarted, sometimes 1 to 2 times to eliminate the EPS light . Problem is repeatable every morning. Hyundai's number for this recall …

Read full complaint

EPS (Electronic Power Steering) light comes on on the dashboard . This prevents steering the vehicle from a dead stop or turning the vehicle is extremely hard. Vehicle has to be shut down and restarted, sometimes 1 to 2 times to eliminate the EPS light . Problem is repeatable every morning. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127. However at initial recall appointment only SW was updated. Per recall EPS unit may need to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11483677

Mileage unknown · Aug 13, 2022
Steering

I bought the car for my mom about a year and a half it drove fine to just recently the eps light came after She turn on to the road and the steering got real tight and was hard to merge to the side road luckily She was going at a low speed to get over. So I done some searching to find that there was a recall 127 for that prob…

Read full complaint

I bought the car for my mom about a year and a half it drove fine to just recently the eps light came after She turn on to the road and the steering got real tight and was hard to merge to the side road luckily She was going at a low speed to get over. So I done some searching to find that there was a recall 127 for that problem in 2015 so I called the dealership and they requested to have the car scan and said it was a software update . So I got the update and the angle sensor calibration it drove fine for 2 months now it’s getting worst. So they said the electric motor andsteering colmun has failed but they can’t replace because the recall is not active anymore .so I’m not sure what to do

NHTSA ODI #11479135

Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2022
Steering

Steering column has alot of play. Pops as you turn the steering.

NHTSA ODI #11476333

107,000 miles · Jun 14, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering) however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist, with the EPS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering) however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist, with the EPS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ODI #11469235

102,000 miles · Apr 19, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while his daughter was driving the vehicle at approximately 45 MPH, the "Electronic Power Steering assist" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his daughter was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence where the vehicle remained parked. The contac…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while his daughter was driving the vehicle at approximately 45 MPH, the "Electronic Power Steering assist" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his daughter was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence where the vehicle remained parked. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI #11461361

Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2022
Steering

*Power steering. Yes. *Very difficult to turn the steering wheel causing delay in timing. *No. There is a significant amount of reports, etc. regarding this recall on the internet. However, it does not appear to be associated with my VIN #. *No *No

NHTSA ODI #11451005

Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2021
Steering

At random times while driving (operating vehicle while in motion on public roads) the EPS light turned on and power steering stopped working. I pulled over on the side of the road and would shut off the engine and restart the vehicle and the power steering would restart. Sometime it would take several times to stop and start the…

Read full complaint

At random times while driving (operating vehicle while in motion on public roads) the EPS light turned on and power steering stopped working. I pulled over on the side of the road and would shut off the engine and restart the vehicle and the power steering would restart. Sometime it would take several times to stop and start the vehicle for the power steering to start working again. The power steering shutting off has occurred four times within the past 18months while driving on public roads. The car has only 78,613 miles and the electronic power steering is malfunctioning.

NHTSA ODI #11443534

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2021
Steering

in a recent drive i realized that i had suddenly lost control of my steering wheel. the steering wheel was moving and responding much more quick than normal, but without any of the normal tension.

NHTSA ODI #11428755

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2021
Steering

today my steering wheel was very "loose" to the touch. in other words it was far easier to turn the steering wheel than usual. it seemed that i was required to turn the steering wheel much more than usual to even make the simpliest of turns. i recently had air conditioning work done by a local auto shop. it seems very coinciden…

Read full complaint

today my steering wheel was very "loose" to the touch. in other words it was far easier to turn the steering wheel than usual. it seemed that i was required to turn the steering wheel much more than usual to even make the simpliest of turns. i recently had air conditioning work done by a local auto shop. it seems very coincidental that all of a sudden my steering mechanism is working so poorly that my life may be in danger.

NHTSA ODI #11428602

Official recalls

4

20V061000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Feb 4, 2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.

15V100000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 23, 2015

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127.

13V113000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Apr 1, 2013

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

11V143000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Mar 15, 2011

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2006, THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2008. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATS IN THE VEHICLES CONTAIN A WEIGHT SENSOR DESIGNED TO DEACTIVATE THE RIGHT FRONTAL AIRBAG WHEN OCCUPANTS OF CERTAIN WEIGHTS OCCUPY THE SEAT. THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR THE WEIGHT SENSOR IS LOCATED UNDER THE CENTER CONSOLE, BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THE CONNECTOR COULD BECOME CONTAMINATED AND MALFUNCTION SUCH THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY REGARDLESS OF THE WEIGHT OF THE OCCUPANT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY IN CRASHES IN WHICH IT SHOULD NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT FROM THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE WEIGHT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CONNECTOR TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTING TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.

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

1

DP21003 · Throttle Control System Vulnerabilities

Opened Nov 12, 2021 · Closed Jun 20, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.

Go deeper into Hyundai Elantra problems