IllustrationMY HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING 2009 EPS LIGHT COMING ON.
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 OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,900.
AFTER HAVING MY POWER STEERING FIXED AT THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE RECALL, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO MAKE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN IT WAS TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION. WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT MY CAR BUT STILL WANTED 110 DOLLARS JUST TO INSP…
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AFTER HAVING MY POWER STEERING FIXED AT THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE RECALL, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO MAKE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN IT WAS TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION. WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT MY CAR BUT STILL WANTED 110 DOLLARS JUST TO INSPECT IT. INFORMED ME THAT THE ISSUE, WHICH IS THE COUPLING DEVICE, IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FROM RECALL. MY STEERING WHEEL NEVER MADE THIS SOUND BEFORE THE RECALL AND IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HE'S ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE CAR, WHY IS IT NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY? DEALERSHIP WANTS 400 DOLLARS TO FIX THE COUPLING DEVICE ON TOP OF THE 110 DOLLARS TO INSPECT IT. LOCAL MECHANIX CHARGED ME 15 DOLLARS TO INSPECT IT AND VERIFIED THAT IT IS THE COUPLING DEVICE. INFORMED ME THAT HE FELT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE IN WHICH THE GEAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES,…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE IN WHICH THE GEAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) BUT THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED THE DEALER THAT ANOTHER DEALER IN A DIFFERENT STATE COMPLETED THE REPAIR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR CIRCULATION SYSTEM TURNS OFF AUTOMATICALLY EVEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON AND THEN AFTER A WHILE IT TURNS BACK ON AGAIN ON ITS OWN. AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, WHEN THE AIR CIRCULATION IS TURNED OFF, IT TURNS ON SPORADICALLY AND TURNS BACK OFF AGAIN. SO FAR THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ONLY FOR A SHORT DURATION BUT THE C…
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WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR CIRCULATION SYSTEM TURNS OFF AUTOMATICALLY EVEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON AND THEN AFTER A WHILE IT TURNS BACK ON AGAIN ON ITS OWN. AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, WHEN THE AIR CIRCULATION IS TURNED OFF, IT TURNS ON SPORADICALLY AND TURNS BACK OFF AGAIN. SO FAR THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ONLY FOR A SHORT DURATION BUT THE CONCERN IS THAT IF IT TURNS OFF FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME DURING WINTER DRIVING OR DURING RAIN THEN THE WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER WILL NOT WORK WHICH WILL END UP BEING A SAFETY HAZARD. NOT SURE IF THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM - MAY BE A LOOSE CONTACT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR A WIRING ISSUE. NOT CLEAR IF THIS WILL END UP AFFECTING OTHER DEVICES SUCH AS LIGHTS, ETC. LATER. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE SECOND HAND IN SUMMER OF 2015.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE ESC INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER S…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE ESC INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAK…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,102.
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS CAR...."WHILE DRIVING THE ABOVE CAR AT 50-55 MPH, I SAW CARS SLAMMING ON THEIR BRAKES, I HIT MY BRAKES TO AVOID THE CARS, I HIT A CONSTRUCTION CEMENT WALL AND THEN HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME." MAJOR FRONT END DAMAGE, HOOD BUCKLED, BUMPER DETACTCHED, BATTERY EXPLODED WITH IMPACT. THE CAR MAKE WAS UNIDEN…
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MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS CAR...."WHILE DRIVING THE ABOVE CAR AT 50-55 MPH, I SAW CARS SLAMMING ON THEIR BRAKES, I HIT MY BRAKES TO AVOID THE CARS, I HIT A CONSTRUCTION CEMENT WALL AND THEN HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME." MAJOR FRONT END DAMAGE, HOOD BUCKLED, BUMPER DETACTCHED, BATTERY EXPLODED WITH IMPACT. THE CAR MAKE WAS UNIDENTIFIABLE DUE TO FRONT END DAMAGE. STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG NOR SIDE BAGS AND CURTAIN DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR WAS WRITTEN AS TOTALLED AS THE ESTIMATED REPAIR BILL AMOUNTED TO OVER $15,000 DAMAGE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AFTER THE EPS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AFTER THE EPS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EPS STEERING UNIT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,200.
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.