IllustrationEPS LIGHT CAME ON. *TR
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 reportsSUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE IN SLOW TRAFFIC. SEEMED LIKE IT WENT FULL RPM. I HELD THE BRAKES AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. RPMS CAME DOWN AND I DRIVE OFF. KINDA SCARY THOUGH. *TR
I WENT TO MOVE MY VISOR AND IT BROKE OFF THE HINGE, I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND A WAY TO FIX IT. WHEN I AM DRIVING IT SOMETIME WILL FALL OUT OF THE HINGE HOLE ( I CAN GET IT INTO THE HOLE BUT I CAN'T GET IT TO STAY VERY LONG) AND SWING BACK AND FORTH. IT HAS HIT ME IN THE HEAD A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN MY EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT. AT A STOP LIGHT I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON. THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THE STEERING AGAIN WENT OUT. I WAS ON A BUSY STREET AND WAS …
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I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN MY EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT. AT A STOP LIGHT I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON. THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THE STEERING AGAIN WENT OUT. I WAS ON A BUSY STREET AND WAS VERY NERVOUS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN. WHEN I MADE IT HOME I LOOKED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT STATED IF THE EPS LIGHT CAME ON DURING NORMAL OPERATION TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALER AND LEFT IT OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN/EPS MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST WAS $2,400. MY CAR IS JUST OVER 5 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAS 49,000 MILES ON IT. TO HAVE TO REPLACE SOMETHING THIS MAJOR, THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR, WAS A HUGE SHOCK TO ME. WHEN RESEARCHING THE MATTER ONLINE I SAW MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. I ASKED THE DEALER IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS AND THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NOT. THIS IS VERY TROUBLING TO ME AS SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS LOSING YOUR STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED. *TR
AIRBAG SENSOR PASSENGER SEAT ASSEMBLY READS THAT THERE IS SOMEONE SITTING IN PASSENGER SEAT WHEN NO ONE IS IN SEAT. *TR
EPS SYSTEM FAILED. REPAIRS INCLUDED WHOLE NEW STEERING COLUMN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN COUPLER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON I-35, MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE COST IS $2,400.00. THE CAR IS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD, THREE YEARS OLD WHEN IT OCCURRED. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH DRIVING THE CAR…
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WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON I-35, MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE COST IS $2,400.00. THE CAR IS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD, THREE YEARS OLD WHEN IT OCCURRED. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR, NOR CAN I AFFORD THE COST TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN HYUNDAI VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE NICE IF HYUNDAI WOULD REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN FOR ME WITH NO CHARGE DUE TO THE FACT THE CAR IS NOT VERY OLD, I'M STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT, IT HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR PRODUCT. THANK YOU *TR
IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, THE EPS LIGHT HAS COME ON MY DASHBOARD 3 TIMES, ACCOMPANIED BY THE POWER STEERING FAILING. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, TURNING LEFT, AND MY POWER STEERING FAILED. THE SECOND TIME I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY, LUCKILY NOT YET PULLED OUT INTO THE BUSY STREET ON WHICH I LIVE. THE…
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IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, THE EPS LIGHT HAS COME ON MY DASHBOARD 3 TIMES, ACCOMPANIED BY THE POWER STEERING FAILING. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, TURNING LEFT, AND MY POWER STEERING FAILED. THE SECOND TIME I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY, LUCKILY NOT YET PULLED OUT INTO THE BUSY STREET ON WHICH I LIVE. THE THIRD TIME WAS JUST TODAY ON THE HIGHWAY, AND AS I WAS GOING 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE ONLY WAY I'VE FOUND TO "FIX" IT IS TO TURN OFF MY CAR AND START IT AGAIN. HAD I BEEN GOING OVER THE BRIDGE NEAR MY HOUSE WHERE THERE IS NO SHOULDER TO PULL ONTO WHERE I COULD RESTART MY ENGINE, TODAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO STEER AROUND THE CURVES OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS NOT JUST A MINOR PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY LIABILITY ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE READ ABOUT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR HAVING THIS ISSUE AND HYUNDAI DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. SO FAR, ONLY A HANDFUL OF 2015 SONATAS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THE ELANTRAS. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI REGARDING THIS, AND THEY SAY THAT MY VIN IS NOT PART OF A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALLED SONATAS OCCURRING REPEATEDLY, AND THEREFORE I MUST ABSORB THE COST OF WHATEVER IT WILL TAKE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. AGAIN, THIS IS A LIABILITY ON HYUNDAI'S PART, AND THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR
ON MY WAY TO WORK ON AUGUST 8, 2013, I WAS ON THE FREEWAY IN THE EARLY MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETE OUT AND THE EPS LIGHT CAME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEY HAD D…
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ON MY WAY TO WORK ON AUGUST 8, 2013, I WAS ON THE FREEWAY IN THE EARLY MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETE OUT AND THE EPS LIGHT CAME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEY HAD DEVELOPED AN UPDATE THAT THEY COULD UPLOAD IT TO TO THE COMPUTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POWER STEERING IN THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE UPDATE WAS RUN, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING LIKE NORMAL. THIS MORNING ON JULY 4, 2014, I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AND WAS DRIVING AGAIN IN THE EARLY MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND LOW AND BEHOLD THE EPS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND ASKING THEY INSPECT THE VEHICLE. I DOUBT THAT THIS TIME AN UPDATE WILL FIX THE PROBLEM AS IT HAS OCCURRED TWICE NOW AND EXPECT THAT IT WILL COST TONS TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THIS TIME I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON VARIOUS HYUNDAI FORUMS AND JUST GOOGLING THE TERM "EPS LIGHT HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2009" AND FOUND THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE EPS LIGHT. THIS IS A HAZARD AND IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. IT COULD CAUSE SOMEONE SERIOUS INJURY IF THEIR POWER STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY GOES OUT ON THE FREEWAY OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. *TR
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.