IllustrationAIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH STAYS ILLUMINATED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL.
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 →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
230–25K
3125–50K
3550–75K
4675–100K
40100–150K
11150K+
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
What owners actually said
252 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT SWERVED INTO THE SHOULDER LANE, TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY HANDBRAKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE, AND STOPPED IN …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT SWERVED INTO THE SHOULDER LANE, TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY HANDBRAKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE, AND STOPPED IN AN EMBANKMENT IN A HEAVY BRUSH WOODED AREA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DETERMINATION OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA CASE #11488507. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,587. *TT UPDATED 01/31/18*JB
MY SON WAS DRIVING TO CHURCH ON A CITY STREET AND BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED AND SEAT BELTS STOPPED WORKING.
I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE JUNE 5TH AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE. DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO ACCIDENT ON OR ABOUT MAY 14, 2018, I NOTICED THE EPS LIGHT WAS LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD ON MAY 21, 2018 MY CAR WAS SERVICED BY __________ TO CORRECT RECALL #127- EPS …
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I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE JUNE 5TH AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE. DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO ACCIDENT ON OR ABOUT MAY 14, 2018, I NOTICED THE EPS LIGHT WAS LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD ON MAY 21, 2018 MY CAR WAS SERVICED BY __________ TO CORRECT RECALL #127- EPS MODULE FAILURE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE OTHER TWO RECALLS UNTIL THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DAY! WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR WAS FINE AND THE EPS LIGHT WAS NO LONGER LIT UP. ON MAY 25TH/26TH I NOTICED THAT THE EPS LIGHT WAS LIT UP AGAIN ON MY DASHBOARD. I CALLED _____________ TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THEY SIMPLY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN TO BE LOOKED AT. DATE, LOCATION AND DETAILS OF ACCIDENT ON TUESDAY, MAY 29TH, 2018 I WAS DRIVING IN THE VICINITY OF ______________. IT WAS AROUND 7:00 PM. I WAS THE LAST OF SEVERAL CARS IN MY LANE, OUR GREEN LIGHT WAS TURNING YELLOW SO I BEGAN TO REDUCE MY SPEED. I GLANCE DOWN THEN LOOK UP TO SEE THAT THE CAR AHEAD, A COUPLE OF FEET IN FRONT OF ME HAD COME TO A PREMATURE COMPLETE STOP. I TRIED TO CHANGE/SWITCH LANES BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEER AND/OR TURN OR MOVE THE WHEEL. AS A RESULT, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FORCEFULLY HIT THE BRAKE AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, STOPPING SHORT WHICH CAUSED ME TO BANG DIRECTLY INTO THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW THE EPS LIGHT IS STILL LIT AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY CAR TO GET TO AND FROM WORK. I NOTIFIED HYUNDAI ABOUT THIS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME SINCE MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT ON JUNE 5TH AND THEY HAVE NOT OFFERED ME THE USE OF A LOANER CAR FOR THE TIME BEING. I WARNED THEM THAT I WAS AFRAID I WOULD HAVE ANOTHER ACCIDENT AND THEY ARE STILL NOT TAKING ACTION.
I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE EPS LIGHT WAS ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AT FIRST THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND IT WORKED FOR A WEEK. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY SAID THAT I NEEDED A NEW STEERING COLUMN AT THE COST OF $2200…
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I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE EPS LIGHT WAS ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AT FIRST THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND IT WORKED FOR A WEEK. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY SAID THAT I NEEDED A NEW STEERING COLUMN AT THE COST OF $2200.00. ON 8/1/2015, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. RECALL 127. SUPPOSEDLY, THIS PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF, BUT IT WAS JUST POSTPONED. I BELIEVE THE CURRENT INCIDENT IS RELATED TO THE RECALL. I WOULD LIKE HYUNDAI TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS THAT I FOUND IN THE INTERNET. HTTPS://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/CONSUMER-COMPLAINT/2009/HYUNDAI/ELANTRA/STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH FORCE. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. HOWEVER, WHEN T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH FORCE. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE ENGINE, THE STEERING WHEEL REGAINED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOE MACHENS HYUNDAI (1300 VANDIVER DRIVE, COLUMBIA, MO 65202, (573) 474-7400) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING MOTOR FAILED AND THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000.
EPS LIGHT IS ON, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING. I ALMOST ENDED UP IN A WRECK BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY MAKE A TURN. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS SINCE MARCH 2018 AND NOT GETTING ANYWHERE, BUT A RESPONSE OF "WE HAVE FORWARDED YOUR COMPLAINT TO A CASE WORKER" I HAVE SERVERAL EMAILS I HAVE SENT AND MY…
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EPS LIGHT IS ON, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING. I ALMOST ENDED UP IN A WRECK BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY MAKE A TURN. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS SINCE MARCH 2018 AND NOT GETTING ANYWHERE, BUT A RESPONSE OF "WE HAVE FORWARDED YOUR COMPLAINT TO A CASE WORKER" I HAVE SERVERAL EMAILS I HAVE SENT AND MY CALL RECORD. I HAVE GONE TO A DEALERSHIP, THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AT OVER A $2,000 COST TO ME. THEN PROCEEDED IN TRYING TO SELL ME ANOTHER CAR. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HYUNDAI, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. I WORK FOR A KIA DEALERSHIP AND I UNDERSTAND RECALLS. IF I WERE TO RECEIVE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY, IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD RATING. I AM NOT PLEASED WITH HYUNDAI...THE RECALL WAS ONLY A REPROGRAMMING OF THE STEERING SOFTWARE...THAT DID NOT WORK FOR MY HYUNDAI. IF I DON"T GET SOME KIND OF RESOLVE IN THIS MATTER I WILL BE OBTAINING LEGAL COUNSEL. REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN (WHICH IS RECOMMENDED BY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP) SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM SAYS WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN...12/05/17 IT WILL ONLY LET ME ENTER TODAY'S DATE.
2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE COVER ASSEMBLY AIR FILTER AND RECALL ISSUES. *SMD *CN
02/22/2018 "EPS" LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR AND NOW WHEN I DRIVE IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS SAME ISSUE BACK IN 2015. DOES THAT STILL COVER MY CAR?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Official recalls
420V061000 · 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
1DP21003 · 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.