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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.

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
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77,000 miles · Dec 2, 2019
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEN STOLER HYUNDAI (11275 REISTERSTOWN ROAD, OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117, (410)356-7000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHIC…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEN STOLER HYUNDAI (11275 REISTERSTOWN ROAD, OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117, (410)356-7000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

NHTSA ODI #11286403

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2019
Steering

STEERING WHEEL CLICKS WHEN DRIVING TURNING LEFT OR TURNING RIGHT OR GOING STRAIGHT

NHTSA ODI #11281183

40,000 miles · Nov 15, 2019
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABNORMAL MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABNORMAL MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ALMOST A YEAR LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROCKLAND HYUNDAI (LOCATED AT 55 NY-303, WEST NYACK, NY 10994, (845) 402-8623) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE AND STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ODI #11280286

177,000 miles · Nov 9, 2019
Steering

EPS LIGHT CAME ON, ALMOST LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. LATER I FOUND OUT ABOUT A RECALL. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON ME. HAD TO PULL TO SIDE AS MUCH AS I CAN OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ODI #11279213

46,000 miles · Nov 4, 2019
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH FRED BEANS HYUNDAI OF LANGHORNE (LOCATED AT 1106 E LINCOLN HWY, LANGHORNE, PA 19047, 888-754-7841); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT CANCELLED THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE SHE WANTED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH FRED BEANS HYUNDAI OF LANGHORNE (LOCATED AT 1106 E LINCOLN HWY, LANGHORNE, PA 19047, 888-754-7841); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT CANCELLED THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO FIND OUT IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL FIRST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

NHTSA ODI #11278059

117,000 miles · Oct 26, 2019
Steering

IT IS AN OUTRAGE THAT HYUNDAI DOES NOT RESPOND TO THIS ISSUE AND THAT NHTSA IS LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH IT. THERE IS A SMALL PLASTIC ITEM WHICH SELLS FOR ABOUT $6 ON AMAZON WHICH IS FAILING ON A HUGE NUMBER OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES. I AM REFERRING TO THE STEERING COUPLER. IT IS CAUSING A CLICKING WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHE…

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IT IS AN OUTRAGE THAT HYUNDAI DOES NOT RESPOND TO THIS ISSUE AND THAT NHTSA IS LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH IT. THERE IS A SMALL PLASTIC ITEM WHICH SELLS FOR ABOUT $6 ON AMAZON WHICH IS FAILING ON A HUGE NUMBER OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES. I AM REFERRING TO THE STEERING COUPLER. IT IS CAUSING A CLICKING WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS MOVING OR NOT. IF NOT ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER, APPARENTLY THIS CAN LEAD TO STEERING FAILURE. I BELIEVE KIA WAIVED THE 100,000 MILE LIMITATION ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS ITEM, HYUNDAI REFUSES TO DO SO. IT IS LABOR INTENSIVE, REQUIRING THE REMOVAL OF THE STEERING SYSTEM AND DEALERS CHARGE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO DO THE JOB. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGREED THAT SINCE THIS PART'S FAILURE IS SO COMMON, NHTSA OUGHT TO COME IN AND FORCE HYUNDAI TO FIX IT IN ALL THEIR VEHICLES, EVEN IF THEY HAVE OVER 100,000 MILES ON THEM.

NHTSA ODI #11271162

140,000 miles · Oct 19, 2019
Steering

MY 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA'S STEERING WHEEL STARTED CLICKING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE EPS LIGHT TURNS ON. I WAS WORKING AND COULD NOT TAKE IT IN. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT A FEW DAYS LATER AND ON MY WAY MY CAR STARTED LOCKING WHILE STEERING ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HIT A PARKED CAR. MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME NOTHING IS COVERED. I HAVE READ NUME…

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MY 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA'S STEERING WHEEL STARTED CLICKING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE EPS LIGHT TURNS ON. I WAS WORKING AND COULD NOT TAKE IT IN. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT A FEW DAYS LATER AND ON MY WAY MY CAR STARTED LOCKING WHILE STEERING ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HIT A PARKED CAR. MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME NOTHING IS COVERED. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11269514

15,320 miles · Oct 18, 2019
Steering

STEERING WHEEL VERY TIGHT,AND CLICKS WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL IN MOTION,AND WHEN STATIONARY THIS CAR WAS RECALLED IN 2015 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI #11269453

113,000 miles · Oct 10, 2019
Steering

EPS LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST OF $2500 APPROX (REPLACE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN). CAR HAS ONLY 113K. NOW I HAVE NO POWER STEERING. THERE WAS A RECALL TO UPDATE THE EPS CONTROL UNIT WHICH MY MECHANIC SAYS IS JUST A PATCH AND NOT A REAL FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE N…

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EPS LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST OF $2500 APPROX (REPLACE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN). CAR HAS ONLY 113K. NOW I HAVE NO POWER STEERING. THERE WAS A RECALL TO UPDATE THE EPS CONTROL UNIT WHICH MY MECHANIC SAYS IS JUST A PATCH AND NOT A REAL FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON A LOT OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES. MY POWER STEERING WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND IS NOW COMPLETELY OFF, MY CAR WAS PARKED.

NHTSA ODI #11267581

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2019
Air BagsSteering

THE EPS LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON ONE DAY. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR, SO I WENT TO A NEARBY MECHANIC FIRST. HE INFORMED ME THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING COLUMN AND AN OPEN RECALL FOR MY VIN. HE ENCOURAGED ME TO GO TO A DEALERSHIP AND SEE IF THE RECALL WAS CONNECTED TO THE STEERING ISSUE. I WENT DIRECTLY TO T…

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THE EPS LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON ONE DAY. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR, SO I WENT TO A NEARBY MECHANIC FIRST. HE INFORMED ME THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING COLUMN AND AN OPEN RECALL FOR MY VIN. HE ENCOURAGED ME TO GO TO A DEALERSHIP AND SEE IF THE RECALL WAS CONNECTED TO THE STEERING ISSUE. I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE EPS LIGHT CAME BACK ON. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I PARKED THE CAR FOR FEAR OF A POSSIBLE INCIDENT. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER INITIAL DIAGNOSTICS, I WAS INFORMED THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE TECHNICIAN WANTS TO START THE AIRBAG FIX BY REPLACING THE SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. EACH REPAIR WAS OVER $2,000 WITH MY GRAND TOTAL BEING JUST OVER $4,800 AND NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL BE SAFE TO DRIVE AT THAT POINT. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT BOTH OF THESE ISSUES AND PEOPLE WITH UNDER 60,000 MILES DEALING WITH $2,000+ DOLLAR REPAIRS. IF THE STEERING GOES OUT, IT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS. THAT COUPLED WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT, WHICH NOTIFIES THE WHOLE AIRBAG SYSTEM HAS BEEN DISABLED, MAKES THIS CAR TOTALLY UNSAFE TO OPERATE. EVEN OUT OF THEIR WARRANTY PERIOF NOW, THESE WERE REPORTED ISSUES THAT I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2013. I CONTACTED THE CORPORATE OFFICE AND MADE MY COMPLAINT. WHEN I RECEIVED A CALLBACK, I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY CAR IS OVER THE MILEAGE WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS, NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO HELP ME. THE $4,800+ REPAIR BILL IS MINE AND MINE ALONE.

NHTSA ODI #11265666

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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