NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
379 reportsMileage unknown · May 13, 2013
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN AUGUST OF 2010. ONE MORNING I WAS HEADED TO WORK WHICH WAS THIS YEAR, MARCH 2013; I CRANKED MY CAR AND ON THE DASHBOARD IN RED WAS THE ESC LIGHT ON. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT AS IF IT WAS LOCKED. I WAS UNABLE TO GO GO TO WORK AND WAS REALLY FRUSTRATED. I SEARCH…
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I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN AUGUST OF 2010. ONE MORNING I WAS HEADED TO WORK WHICH WAS THIS YEAR, MARCH 2013; I CRANKED MY CAR AND ON THE DASHBOARD IN RED WAS THE ESC LIGHT ON. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT AS IF IT WAS LOCKED. I WAS UNABLE TO GO GO TO WORK AND WAS REALLY FRUSTRATED. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS ESC PROBLEM WITH HYUNDAI AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTING WITH THIS PROBLEM, SO I CALLED SERRA HYUNDAI WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED THERE AND I WAS ABOUT OF A VEHICLE FOR ONE DAY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10511824
42,000 miles · May 13, 2013
EngineCrash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO BY A TRAILER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NO…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO BY A TRAILER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10511758
2,500 miles · May 10, 2013
Structure
REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE WHEN EXTERIOR TEMPERATURES SOAR. A DOOR COMPONENT SEEMS TO SWELL. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10511441
53,000 miles · Apr 23, 2013
StructureInjury
THE DOOR HANDLE CUTS MY FINGER WHEN OPENING MY DOOR, FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10509219
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…
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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
Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2013
Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control
THE CAR REVVING WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ON AND PUSHING ON THE BREAKS THEN NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE OR PARK. I HAD TO USE THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE TO JUST BE ABLE TO GET IT INTO PARK AFTER THAT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10504671
64,659 miles · Mar 21, 2013
Air BagsElectrical SystemStructure
WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR ON THE 23 OF FEBRUARY THE SALESMAN ASSURED ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS CAR HAD ONLY HAD ONE OWNER NOTICED THAT IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR THERE WERE WATER RINGS AND A MOLD SUBSTANCE SALESMAN ASSURED IT WAS NOT MOLD TOOK IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER THEY REPLACED STRUTS AND AGAIN VOICED MY CONCERN ABOUT MOLD W…
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WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR ON THE 23 OF FEBRUARY THE SALESMAN ASSURED ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS CAR HAD ONLY HAD ONE OWNER NOTICED THAT IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR THERE WERE WATER RINGS AND A MOLD SUBSTANCE SALESMAN ASSURED IT WAS NOT MOLD TOOK IT BACK 2 DAYS LATER THEY REPLACED STRUTS AND AGAIN VOICED MY CONCERN ABOUT MOLD WAS ASSURED AGAIN IT WAS NOT TOOK IT BACK ON 13 OF MARCH THE OWNER CALLED AND ADVISED ME TO PICK UP CAR STATED THEY HAD SOME ONE COME OUT AND INSPECT THE CAR AND THEY DETERMINED IT WAS NOT MOLD WHEN ASK FOR A COPY OF DOCUMENT WAS TOLD INSPECTOR REFUSED TO LEAVE ONE. ESC LIGHT KEPT COMING ON SALES MANAGER INSTRUCTED SERVICE DEPT NOT TO TOUCH MY CAR GOT TEST RUN TO CHECK FOR REPORTS ON ESC IT CAME BACK WITH 2 CODE C1260(STEERING SENSOR)THE OTHER B1322(AIRBAG CONTROL)WAS TOLD IF IT CAME BACK ON TO BRING IT BACK.I HAVE TRIED TO GET THESE ISSUES CORRECTED ON MORE THAT 4 OCCASIONS THE OWNER DIDN'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY I WAS TREATED .MOLD IS A HEALTH HAZARD I USE MY CAR FOR WORK. I AM IN HOME HEALTH AND DRIVE THE ELDERLY AROUND THIS IS VERY UNHEALTHY AND I THINK THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD CORRECT THIS AT THEIR COST. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10503997
41,520 miles · Feb 19, 2013
TiresWheelsCrash
TIRE BLEW INTO SHRED'S CAUSING VEHICLE TO HIT CURB AND ME TRYING TO SWERVE TO AVOID IT COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL FAST ENOUGH $10,100 LATER IN DAMAGES AT MY OWN INSURANCE COST A HURT SHOULDER THAT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10499242
23,561 miles · Dec 30, 2012
Service Brakes
I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE AUTO FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY PULSATED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE FOUND THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE ROTORS ARE RUSTED AND PITTED. THE REAR ROTORS ARE WORST THAN THE FRONT. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE SHOES ARE WORN OUT AND NEED …
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I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE AUTO FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY PULSATED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE FOUND THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE ROTORS ARE RUSTED AND PITTED. THE REAR ROTORS ARE WORST THAN THE FRONT. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE SHOES ARE WORN OUT AND NEED REPLACED. NORMALLY THE FRONT PADS ARE REPLACED TWICE TO ONCE IN THE REAR. MY GUESS IS THAT THE ROTORS CAUSED THE REAR PADS TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID THAT THE ROTORS ARE WARRANTED FOR 5 YEARS / 60,000 MILES BUT ONLY MANUFACTURED DEFECTS ARE COVERED. THEY SAID THAT RUSTING AND PITTING FROM WEATHER CONDITIONS IS NOT COVERED. SHOULD I HAVE KEPT THEM OILED SO THEY DIDN'T RUST? I HAVE A 2006 KIA WITH OVER 113,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ROTORS ARE STILL PERFECT WITH NO RUST OR CORROSION. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE SAME DRIVING AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. HAD I NOT PAINT FOR THE VEHICLE INSPECTION AND BEEN TOLD THAT THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE BAD. I COULD HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO BRAKE FAILURE OR POSSIBLY ONE OF THEM HANGING UP AND CAUSING A SPIN OUT CONDITION. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10490511
Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2012
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteeringVehicle Speed ControlCrash
2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA (RENTED). CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW WERE THERE ANY RECALLS ISSUED RELATED TO DEFECTS IN THE STEERING, ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS, SUSPENSION PROBLEMS OR BRAKE PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO CRASH. UPDATED 01/15/13 THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE…
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2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA (RENTED). CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW WERE THERE ANY RECALLS ISSUED RELATED TO DEFECTS IN THE STEERING, ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS, SUSPENSION PROBLEMS OR BRAKE PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO CRASH. UPDATED 01/15/13 THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE LEFT, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO STRIKE A POLE. THE CONSUMER THEN CROSSED THE MEDIAN, AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE, KILLING THE OTHER DRIVER. UPDATED 01/28/13 UPDATED 02/07/13 UPDATED 12/23/13 THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 42 MPH. WHEN THE VEHICLE SWERVED, HE HIT THE BRAKE, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGED, INSTEAD THE VEHICLE INCREASED IN SPEED. UPDATED 07/07/14 UPDATED 09/24/14 *JS
NHTSA ODI #10484202
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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