← 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

Steering complaints

195 reports
Clear category filter
60,400 miles · Jun 2, 2021
Steering

The contact's daughter owns a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact’s daughter received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. After retrieving the vehicle, the EPS (Electronic Power Steering) warning light illuminated. The contact’s daughter took the vehicle …

Read full complaint

The contact's daughter owns a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact’s daughter received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. After retrieving the vehicle, the EPS (Electronic Power Steering) warning light illuminated. The contact’s daughter took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the EPS needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,400.

NHTSA ODI #11419342

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2021
Steering

My 2010 Elantra was recalled for defective steering coupler. About 2 months ago the steering collar started to click when the steering wheel was turned. I checked and there was a recall for this. When I went to Delray Hyundai in Delray Beach, Fl I was told I would have to pay approximately $440 to have the collar replaced. I…

Read full complaint

My 2010 Elantra was recalled for defective steering coupler. About 2 months ago the steering collar started to click when the steering wheel was turned. I checked and there was a recall for this. When I went to Delray Hyundai in Delray Beach, Fl I was told I would have to pay approximately $440 to have the collar replaced. I don't understand why I should pay for a recalled item that just failed the previous week. I feel I should be entitled to a full refund from Delray Hyundai for the repair. I had no choice in paying since they had the car and I didn't want my wife to drive it in this condition.

NHTSA ODI #11418741

Mileage unknown · May 18, 2021
Steering

In February of 2021, I took my Hyundai in for several recall services, including 15V100000. || In the following months, my car began to lose power steering capabilities either on ignition or while driving. Losing power steering while driving was extremely dangerous and the risk of an accident was obvious, requiring me to pull of…

Read full complaint

In February of 2021, I took my Hyundai in for several recall services, including 15V100000. || In the following months, my car began to lose power steering capabilities either on ignition or while driving. Losing power steering while driving was extremely dangerous and the risk of an accident was obvious, requiring me to pull off of the road or take an exit several times. The power steering eventually failed entirely on 5/5/2021. || At this point, I ran diagnostic scan that returned the code C1604, with a definition of "ECU Hardware Error". || I scheduled an appointment with the same dealership that did the recall service and they determined that the issue was that the "power steering has [an] internal failure." This leads me to believe that they are referring to the electric power steering torque sensor, a key component identified in the 15V100000 recall. However, they were unwilling to cover the cost of repair ($2,990 + tax) because I had already completed the recall service. || Investigating online forums (https://www.carproblemzoo.com/hyundai/elantra/2010/steering-problems.php) showed me that there are a considerable number of people having the exact same, often life-threating, issue and are also being told by Hyundai that there is no coverage because they had the recall service completed. This is asinine as the issue only occurred for me after their recall service was completed, meaning the service either doesn't avoid or doesn't resolve the issue that lead to the 15V100000 recall in the first place. || As far as I can understand, the torque sensor was faulty as a result of Hyundai's manufacturing and the 15V100000 recall did not provide a solution to the problem. It was a false prescription and, in my opinion, the real issue would cost Hyundai too much money to fix so they are attempting pull their life-endangering vehicles off of the road by unfairly gouging their own customers.

NHTSA ODI #11417623

160,000 miles · May 11, 2021
Steering

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE HAS DISABLED DURING DRIVING, MAKING STEERING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AT THE TIME DRIVING WAS DONE ON CITY STREETS AND THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. ONE OTHER TIME, THE EPS WAS DISABLED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK AND STOPPED, THEN TU…

Read full complaint

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE HAS DISABLED DURING DRIVING, MAKING STEERING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AT THE TIME DRIVING WAS DONE ON CITY STREETS AND THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. ONE OTHER TIME, THE EPS WAS DISABLED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK AND STOPPED, THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR 10 MINUTES LATER, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. THIS WAS THE ISSUE COVERED IN THE 2015 RECALL AND I HAD IT TAKEN CARE OF BY A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEN I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE.

NHTSA ODI #11416099

22,000 miles · May 11, 2021
Steering

STEERING WHEEL CLICKING NOISE STARTED IN APRIL 2021. LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR STEERING COLLAR ON 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA.. I WENT TO DELRAY HYUNDAI FOR RECALL AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO CHARGE ME(OVER $400) TO REPLACE STEERING COLLAR THAT WAS RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI #11416076

90,000 miles · Dec 2, 2020
Steering

MY CAR HAS ALREADY HAD THE RECALL FOR THE STEERING WHEEL ISSUE COMPLETED IN 2015 BUT IT NOW MAKES A AWFUL CLICKING NOISE WHEN IT IS BEING TURNED.

NHTSA ODI #11377485

Mileage unknown · Nov 16, 2020
Steering

THIS CAR HAS A DEFECT IN STEERING COLUMN THAT IS WELL KNOWN TO HYUNDAI,THE DEFECT IS CAUSED BY A SUBSTANDARD RUBBER BUSHING THAT HAS DETERIORATED AND FALLEN OUT OF A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN STEERING MECHANISM,EACH TIME THE STEERING IS TURNED EITHER WAY THERE IS PLAY AND A CLUNKING NOISE,I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS OR…

Read full complaint

THIS CAR HAS A DEFECT IN STEERING COLUMN THAT IS WELL KNOWN TO HYUNDAI,THE DEFECT IS CAUSED BY A SUBSTANDARD RUBBER BUSHING THAT HAS DETERIORATED AND FALLEN OUT OF A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN STEERING MECHANISM,EACH TIME THE STEERING IS TURNED EITHER WAY THERE IS PLAY AND A CLUNKING NOISE,I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS OR NOT BUT ANY DEFECT IN STEERING IS SOMETHING ALL DRIVERS SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT,AS FOR MYSELF I'M ALWAYS CONCERNED WHEN DRIVING KNOWING THAT SOMETHING IS MISSING FROM STEERING MECHANISM

NHTSA ODI #11374884

92,400 miles · Oct 11, 2020
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

THE LIGHT EPS , (ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING) RANDOMLY TURNS ON AND MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD BE STIFF AND I NEED TO PUT GREAT EFFORT TO TURN. SOMETIMES I'LL STOP AND TURN OFF AND ON THE CAR TO REMOVE THE EPS. NOW ON 10/11/2020 THE EPS LIGHT STAYS ON. I MIGHT HAVE A CAR THAT HAD A RECALL FOR 127. ITS DANGEROUS TO HAVE MY CAR LIKE T…

Read full complaint

THE LIGHT EPS , (ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING) RANDOMLY TURNS ON AND MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD BE STIFF AND I NEED TO PUT GREAT EFFORT TO TURN. SOMETIMES I'LL STOP AND TURN OFF AND ON THE CAR TO REMOVE THE EPS. NOW ON 10/11/2020 THE EPS LIGHT STAYS ON. I MIGHT HAVE A CAR THAT HAD A RECALL FOR 127. ITS DANGEROUS TO HAVE MY CAR LIKE THIS.

NHTSA ODI #11363840

167,000 miles · Sep 26, 2020
Steering

THE EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND IS STILL ON WHILE DRIVING. AND THEY IS A A GILDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL LIKE ITS LOOSE, AND SOMETIMES MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TURN.

NHTSA ODI #11361314

160,000 miles · Jul 21, 2020
Steering

POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING AND ECU LIGHT CAME ON.

NHTSA ODI #11340727

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