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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.

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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

Service Brakes complaints

27 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 1, 2025
Service BrakesSteeringFire

My car catched on fire after my steering wheel light keep coming on and off and my Abs and break light was on couple days before it catched fire .

NHTSA ODI #11633542

Mileage unknown · Dec 18, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineService BrakesFire

vehicle caught on fire under apt complex carport causing extensive damage to property and 2 other vehicles.

NHTSA ODI #11631397

Mileage unknown · Nov 20, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior LightingService Brakes

My brake lights are not going off when I take my foot off of the brake pedal. I have had to start disconnecting the battery cable so it will not drain the battery. I stop lamp switch replaced when it was recalled. And the steering wheel tilt does not stay in the high spot it falls to the lowest position.

NHTSA ODI #11556059

Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 2023
Service BrakesSteering

As I was driving, the steering wheel and brakes locked up so I couldn't steer nor brake. Luckily I was in a parking lot so I cruised the vehicle to a stop without crashing. If I had been on a road or turning, I would have crashed. No indicator lights went on. I took the car to a Hyundai dealership where they couldn't find any pr…

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As I was driving, the steering wheel and brakes locked up so I couldn't steer nor brake. Luckily I was in a parking lot so I cruised the vehicle to a stop without crashing. If I had been on a road or turning, I would have crashed. No indicator lights went on. I took the car to a Hyundai dealership where they couldn't find any problems and recommended I replace the steering column. I searched online and several others have reported a similar issue. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11546324

Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2023
Electrical SystemService BrakesUnknown Or OtherFire

So I was driving my vehicle like normal and all of a sudden the driver airbag light came on on the dash and as I’m getting closer to home my check engine light came on my ABS came on as well as my EPS and my TPS , was losing power to the vehicle. I made it home, put it in park and smoke started rolling. Look under the hood. Ther…

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So I was driving my vehicle like normal and all of a sudden the driver airbag light came on on the dash and as I’m getting closer to home my check engine light came on my ABS came on as well as my EPS and my TPS , was losing power to the vehicle. I made it home, put it in park and smoke started rolling. Look under the hood. There’s a fire under the hood. I’m not sure what all damage it has caused, but it appears to be coming from the ABS and the electrical I don’t know what damage was caused by the ABS catching fire, but I was unaware that there was a problem with the vehicle, I am I just bought the vehicle in May and it’s just happened August 11 of 2023

NHTSA ODI #11539446

50,000 miles · Apr 21, 2023
Service BrakesVehicle Speed ControlCrash

The contact owned a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the accelerator pedal and brake pedal failed to respond. The vehicle began spinning and crashed into an embankment. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her residence. There were no r…

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The contact owned a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the accelerator pedal and brake pedal failed to respond. The vehicle began spinning and crashed into an embankment. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her residence. There were no reported injuries: air bag deployment, police report or fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.

NHTSA ODI #11518234

Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2022
Service Brakes

When I started my car, the brake lights were on and the brakes were not responding. I took it to a mechanic who replaced a brake line and reported that there was rust on other brake lines as well

NHTSA ODI #11473035

123,000 miles · Jan 12, 2021
Electrical SystemService BrakesUnknown Or OtherFire

2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA: RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A VEHICLE FIRE. IT OCCURRED ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020. . I PARKED MY VEHICLE ON THE STREET PER USUAL AND MAYBE 15 MINUTES AFTER ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY MOTHER BEGAN YELLING THAT WAS MY VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES! I OPENED THE FRONT DOOR AND SAW IT WAS INDEED IN FLAMES AND POPPING AND …

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2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA: RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A VEHICLE FIRE. IT OCCURRED ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020. . I PARKED MY VEHICLE ON THE STREET PER USUAL AND MAYBE 15 MINUTES AFTER ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY MOTHER BEGAN YELLING THAT WAS MY VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES! I OPENED THE FRONT DOOR AND SAW IT WAS INDEED IN FLAMES AND POPPING AND SMOKING. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 WHOM SENT OUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AFTER THEY WERE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE FIRE, THEY DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE CONSIDERING THE BATTERY OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY GONE. I HAVE THE CASE NUMBER AS WELL. MY VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND PARKED AND RANDOMLY CAUGHT FIRE. THANKFULLY I WASNT IN IT WHEN IT HAPPENED OR THINGS COULD HAVE BEEM ALOT WORSE. BUT I AM NOW WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND ON TOP OF THAT I HAD TO PAY TO GET THE VEHICLE REMOVED FROM MY APARTMENTS PROPERTY.

NHTSA ODI #11387766

91,000 miles · Jun 18, 2020
Service BrakesSteering

EPS LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON AGAIN AND LOCKED MY STEERING WHICH IS DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND PARKING, CAN'T MOVE THE STEERING LEFT OR RIGHT. ISSUE HAS OCCURRED BEFORE AROUND THE INITIAL EPS RECALL, TOOK IT THEN TO THE SAME DEALER (SPORT HYUNDAI DODGE) WHERE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED TO UPDATE OR PATCH UP FIX. RECE…

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EPS LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON AGAIN AND LOCKED MY STEERING WHICH IS DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND PARKING, CAN'T MOVE THE STEERING LEFT OR RIGHT. ISSUE HAS OCCURRED BEFORE AROUND THE INITIAL EPS RECALL, TOOK IT THEN TO THE SAME DEALER (SPORT HYUNDAI DODGE) WHERE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED TO UPDATE OR PATCH UP FIX. RECENTLY WENT TO THE DEALER TO ALSO FIX THE ABS MODULE RECALL AND RUN A DIAGNOSTIC ON THE EPS. THEY STATED IT'S THE STEERING COLUMN THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A $2100 REPAIR, WHICH THEY WILL FILE WITH THE MANUFACTURE TO SEE IF IT'S COVERED. BY READING THESE REPEATING COMPLAINTS, SOMETHING TELLS ME THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM TILL IT'S IN HARMS WAY INSTEAD OF PREVENTING THE SAFETY ISSUES. CURRENTLY HAD TO GIVE UP WORKING HOURS AND IN FINANCIAL STRESS OVER A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED CORRECTLY IN THE BEGINNING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11329496

Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 2020
Service Brakes

WE RECEIVED A LETTER IN REGARDS TO A SAFETY RECALL ON THE 2010 ELANTRA. WE OWN TWO OF THIS VEHICLE. I CONTACTED HUNTINGTON HYUNDAI, IN HUNTINGTON, N.Y. TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR. AS PER JOE SANTIAGO WHO ANSWERED, THEY ARE NOT TAKING APPOINTMENTS FOR THIS REPAIR, AND WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING VEHICLES ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS…

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WE RECEIVED A LETTER IN REGARDS TO A SAFETY RECALL ON THE 2010 ELANTRA. WE OWN TWO OF THIS VEHICLE. I CONTACTED HUNTINGTON HYUNDAI, IN HUNTINGTON, N.Y. TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR. AS PER JOE SANTIAGO WHO ANSWERED, THEY ARE NOT TAKING APPOINTMENTS FOR THIS REPAIR, AND WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING VEHICLES ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS MONDAY - FRIDAY 9 AM - 5 PM. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE IS ACCEPTED FOR REPAIR. AS A FIRST RES PONDER I AM STILL WORKING DURING THE OUTBREAK AND WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE MULTIPLE DAYS OFF FROM WORK TO "TRY" TO GET THE CAR IN. THEY WERE VERY UNHELPFUL AND UNNECESSARILY RUDE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION.

NHTSA ODI #11321171

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.

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