NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
379 reports150,000 miles · Nov 22, 2020
Electrical System
MY CAR CONTINUALLY WILL NOT START. I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY JUMPED SEVERAL TIMES VIA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I COULD DRIVE IT ONE DAY AND THE NEXT DAY, ITS DEAD. I EVEN BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY THINKING THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE ISSUE PERSISTS. I THINK THIS MAY BE A MAJOR ISSUE. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS PARKED. MY CAR INSURANCE …
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MY CAR CONTINUALLY WILL NOT START. I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY JUMPED SEVERAL TIMES VIA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I COULD DRIVE IT ONE DAY AND THE NEXT DAY, ITS DEAD. I EVEN BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY THINKING THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE ISSUE PERSISTS. I THINK THIS MAY BE A MAJOR ISSUE. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS PARKED. MY CAR INSURANCE POLICY ATTACHED HAS THE RECORD OF HOW MANY TIMES I'VE HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO JUMPSTART THE CAT.
NHTSA ODI #11375833
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…
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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
150,000 miles · Nov 4, 2020
Electrical System
THE FRONT WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING FIRST THEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS STOPPED LOCKING CONSISTENTLY USING A REMOTE AND FINALLY THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF DAILY WHEN THE CAR WAS NOT ON. DIRECT SUNLIGHT WAS A FACTOR FOR THE ALARM AS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO NOT HAPPEN ON RAINY CLOUDY DAYS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO DISABLE THE ALARM. TOOK TO THE…
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THE FRONT WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING FIRST THEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS STOPPED LOCKING CONSISTENTLY USING A REMOTE AND FINALLY THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF DAILY WHEN THE CAR WAS NOT ON. DIRECT SUNLIGHT WAS A FACTOR FOR THE ALARM AS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO NOT HAPPEN ON RAINY CLOUDY DAYS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO DISABLE THE ALARM. TOOK TO THE DEALER IN ANNAPOLIS MD AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE ALL ELECTRICS IN THE DOORS, THE HOOD SENSOR SWITCH, AND THE KEY IGNITION BEFORE THE PROBLEM STOPPED. THIS WAS OVER A 2 YEAR PERIOD AND WAS FIXED IN SUMMER OF 2020.
NHTSA ODI #11373003
157,575 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Power Train
2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HESITATES AND JERKS WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY AFTER A YEAR OR TWO AFTER BUYING IT BRAND NEW. AT 160,000, IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS HAPPENS AT ABOUT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR (SOMETIMES HIGHER WHILE ON HIGHWAY). IT HAPPENS ON CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE…
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2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HESITATES AND JERKS WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY AFTER A YEAR OR TWO AFTER BUYING IT BRAND NEW. AT 160,000, IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS HAPPENS AT ABOUT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR (SOMETIMES HIGHER WHILE ON HIGHWAY). IT HAPPENS ON CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS NOT A RECALL.
NHTSA ODI #11366355
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…
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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
Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2020
Electrical System
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALARM SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD YET TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED. THE MANUFACTUR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALARM SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD YET TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA ODI #11349844
74,000 miles · Aug 3, 2020
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V061000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT GARVEY HYUNDAI LOCATED AT 271 TOM MILLER RD, PLATTSBURG, NY 12901, (518)-324-7007, HOWEVER, AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE JUMP START…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V061000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT GARVEY HYUNDAI LOCATED AT 271 TOM MILLER RD, PLATTSBURG, NY 12901, (518)-324-7007, HOWEVER, AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED. THE DEALER WAS CALLED BACK AND THE MANGER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE OBSERVED FOR AN HOUR OR MORE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO A CRACKED HEADLIGHT COVER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000.
NHTSA ODI #11342987
110,000 miles · Jul 25, 2020
Air Bags
PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA MODELS. MANY OTHER HYUNDAI MODELS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR AIRBAG DEFECTS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON MY MODEL. CAR NOT SAFE TO DRIVING WONDERING …
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PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA MODELS. MANY OTHER HYUNDAI MODELS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR AIRBAG DEFECTS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON MY MODEL. CAR NOT SAFE TO DRIVING WONDERING IF AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND HYUNDAI HEADQUARTERS BUT BOTH STATED MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. WHY?
NHTSA ODI #11341427
160,000 miles · Jul 21, 2020
Steering
POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING AND ECU LIGHT CAME ON.
NHTSA ODI #11340727
Official recalls
3Feb 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.
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.
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
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.
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