← New search

2010 Hyundai Elantra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Elantra years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra are substantially higher than the model-year median of 182.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

274 reports with mileage · 105 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 195 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

45 crash reports9 fire reports36 injury reports

Power Train complaints

32 reports
Clear category filter
41,037 miles · Jul 1, 2015
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,037.

NHTSA ODI #10731591

31,000 miles · Feb 8, 2015
Power Train

THE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 31,000 MILES AND CONTINUES NOW WITH 85,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING 40MPH AT STOP AND GO OR EVEN UPHILL TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AND WILL THEN BE BACK IN GEAR WITHOUT ANY BANGING. THE DEALER CHANGED THE FILTER AND FLUID AROUND 40,000 MILES AND BLEW US OFF. THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET BACK INT…

Read full complaint

THE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 31,000 MILES AND CONTINUES NOW WITH 85,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING 40MPH AT STOP AND GO OR EVEN UPHILL TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AND WILL THEN BE BACK IN GEAR WITHOUT ANY BANGING. THE DEALER CHANGED THE FILTER AND FLUID AROUND 40,000 MILES AND BLEW US OFF. THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET BACK INTO GEAR IS LONGER NOW THAN IN THE BEGINNING. THERE'S TOO MANY TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS TO BE IGNORED. I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN UNRELATED RECALL FOR THIS CAR BUT WILL FIND ANOTHER DEALER 50 MILES AWAY TO FIX IT. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10682018

51,300 miles · Aug 1, 2014
Power Train

A FAILING TRANSMISSION IN A LOW MILEAGE CAR IS AN ISSUE. AT JUST OVER 51,000 MILES MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN JERKING INTO GEAR BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. AFTER HAVING IT DIAGNOSED I WAS TOLD THEY WERE ABLE TO "SORT-OF FEEL WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT" AND INITIALLY RECOMMENDED A FLUID CHANGE. WHEN I ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, SUDD…

Read full complaint

A FAILING TRANSMISSION IN A LOW MILEAGE CAR IS AN ISSUE. AT JUST OVER 51,000 MILES MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN JERKING INTO GEAR BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. AFTER HAVING IT DIAGNOSED I WAS TOLD THEY WERE ABLE TO "SORT-OF FEEL WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT" AND INITIALLY RECOMMENDED A FLUID CHANGE. WHEN I ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, SUDDENLY I WAS TOLD IT WAS IN INTERNAL FAILURE AND I NEEDED THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. THAT EVENING THE SLIPPING GOT WORSE AND THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED GOING INTO REVERSE AND HAD A BIG PROBLEM SHIFTING UP HILLS. WITH A TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING NORMALLY AND POWER BEING AFFECTED BECAUSE OF THAT, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM DEVELOPED QUICKLY AND DID NOT PRESENT ITSELF AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT A FAILING TRANSMISSION TO DO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10618294

29,000 miles · Jun 3, 2014
Power Train

VEHICLE SHAKES AND RATTLES INSIDE AT 35-40 MPH,ALSO DECREASED ACCELERATION! NOISY, UNCOMFORTABLE AND EMBARRASSING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595789

58,000 miles · Jun 2, 2014
Power Train

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING. ALSO WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE SUDDENLY MOVING BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE DEFECT AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED. THIS IS START…

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING. ALSO WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE SUDDENLY MOVING BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE DEFECT AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED. THIS IS STARTING TO HAPPEN DAILY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE IT BECOMES A BIGGER PROBLEM. IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND ENTER HIGHWAYS IT'S A PROBLEM. THE CAR HESITATES AND REVS BEFORE ACCELERATING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595527

50,668 miles · Apr 22, 2014
Fuel System, GasolinePower Train

I WAS APPROACHING HIGHWAY FROM CITY ROADS AND I HAD TO ACCELERATE TO GET IN THE FLOW. SUDDENLY, I FELT THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS ACCELERATING, CAR DID NOT GAIN SPEED. I CHECKED RPMS AND IT WAS QUITE HIGH FOR THE SPEED THAT CAR WAS MOVING. IT LOOKED TO ME AS IF CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL GEAR BUT IT WAS NOT. THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT MY …

Read full complaint

I WAS APPROACHING HIGHWAY FROM CITY ROADS AND I HAD TO ACCELERATE TO GET IN THE FLOW. SUDDENLY, I FELT THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS ACCELERATING, CAR DID NOT GAIN SPEED. I CHECKED RPMS AND IT WAS QUITE HIGH FOR THE SPEED THAT CAR WAS MOVING. IT LOOKED TO ME AS IF CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL GEAR BUT IT WAS NOT. THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT MY CAR BECAUSE THE DRIVER WAS EXPECTING MY CAR TO MOVE FASTER. I HAD TO STOP ON SHOULDER TO CHECK WHAT IS HAPPENING. I HAD THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE BEFORE TOO BUT NOT LIKE THIS ONE. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS BACK IN CITY TRAFFIC. WHAT MY OBSERVATION IS, THAT WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GOES FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD, THERE IS A PROBLEM. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, EVEN THEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SMOOTH BUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM LIKE THE ONE I MENTIONED EARLIER. BUT AS THE MILEAGE IS INCREASING, THE PROBLEM IS GETTING BIGGER TOO. I DO REGULAR OIL CHANGE AS I HAVE PURCHASED SERVICE PLAN WHEN BUYING THE CAR. I HAD COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT IT(TRANSMISSION HAVING PROBLEM) COUPLE OF TIMES BUT THEY SAID THEY DID NOT FEEL IT. I THINK THEY WERE NEGLECTING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION AND THAT COSTS A BIG AMOUNT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT AN EXPERT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10584207

55,000 miles · Apr 18, 2014
Fuel System, GasolinePower Train

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND THE RPMS GO SKY HIGH AND THE CAR RUNS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE TO TAP THE BRAKE BEFORE IT WILL ADJUST AND GO BACK INTO GEAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIGGER PROBLEM WHEN CARRYING PASSENGERS. THE ADDED WEIGHT APPEARS TO BE A FACTOR. IT'S RATHER DANGEROUS SINCE …

Read full complaint

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND THE RPMS GO SKY HIGH AND THE CAR RUNS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE TO TAP THE BRAKE BEFORE IT WILL ADJUST AND GO BACK INTO GEAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIGGER PROBLEM WHEN CARRYING PASSENGERS. THE ADDED WEIGHT APPEARS TO BE A FACTOR. IT'S RATHER DANGEROUS SINCE IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING AND HAPPENED JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND WHEN DRIVING IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. MILEAGE REPORTED IS ESTIMATED FOR WHEN I FIRST NOTED THIS PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO. NOT KNOWING A LOT ABOUT CARS, I DIDN'T THINK TO REPORT IT. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR, I WAS TYPICALLY DRIVING FROM HOME TO WORK AND BACK, BUT HAVE BEEN TRAVELING MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE LAST YEAR DUE TO FAMILY ACTIVITIES. THE PROBLEM OCCURS MORE OFTEN ON LONGER TRIPS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10583436

25,000 miles · Feb 19, 2014
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE SUDDENLY MOVING BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BUT NO PROBLEM WAS…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE SUDDENLY MOVING BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #10565029

37,400 miles · Apr 8, 2013
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD WHENEVER SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD WHENEVER SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,420. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10507513

30,000 miles · Aug 10, 2012
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. ON MY 2010 ELANTRA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, IT IS AS THOUGH THE GEARS ARE NOT WORKING. WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE THE ISSUE ARISES. IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO 40 MPH I HAVE TO LITERALLY HIT THE GAS AND GET THE RPMS TO 5,000 OR ALMOST 6,000 BEFORE THE CAR WIL…

Read full complaint

THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. ON MY 2010 ELANTRA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, IT IS AS THOUGH THE GEARS ARE NOT WORKING. WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE THE ISSUE ARISES. IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO 40 MPH I HAVE TO LITERALLY HIT THE GAS AND GET THE RPMS TO 5,000 OR ALMOST 6,000 BEFORE THE CAR WILL SHIFT. THE CAR THEN SHIFTS BUT WHEN IT IS SETTLING INTO 1000-2000 RPM'S THE POWER JERKS AS IF IT HAS LOST POWER MOMENTARILY, THIS HAPPENS ANYTIME YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCELERATE. GOING UP A SMALL HILL THIS CAR WILL GO ABOUT 10-15 MPH FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TRANSMISSIONS GO OUT COMPLETELY WHILE THESE CARS ARE BEING DRIVEN. LOOSING THE ABILITY TO SHIFT SHOULD BE A CONCERN HERE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10470154

Official recalls

3

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.

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