Engine. Review the 139 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 126 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 124 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

47 crash reports11 fire reports30 injury reports

What owners actually said

652 reports

52,000 miles · Sep 30, 2014

Electrical System

A FEW WEEKS AGO, MY 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WOULD NOT START. I GOOGLED THE ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS AFFECTED NUMEROUS HYUNDAI DRIVERS. THE ISSUE ENDED UP BEING THAT THE RANGE SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RECALL. THANKS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10640165

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2014

Electrical SystemEngine

MY 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WILL NOT START. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT TO START AND IT FINALLY STARTED. ALL INDICATOR LIGHTS WILL TURN ON BUT WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION ALL THE WAY NOTHING HAPPENS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR. I HAD IT TOWED BEFORE TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT'S STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE DEA…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10639672

60,000 miles · Sep 25, 2014

Electrical SystemEngine

Read full complaint

I'VE HAD THE FOLLOWING ISSUES WITH THE 2012 ELANTRA: 1.) THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THIS ONLY HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY SO IT IS HARD TO PREDICT WHEN IT WILL OCCUR AND WHERE YOU WILL BE STRANDED. ALL INDICATOR LIGHTS WILL TURN ON BUT WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION ALL THE WAY NOTHING HAPPENS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER SINCE IT STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER HAD NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. THEY HAD MY CAR FOR 3 WEEKS NOW AND STILL TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. 2.) THERE ARE ALSO INSTANCE WHERE THE ENGINE STARTS BUT THE GEAR GETS STUCK IN PARK AND CANNOT SWITCH TO OTHER GEAR. I HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND TRY TO RESTART. 3.) THE BATTERY LIGHT INDICATOR BRIEFLY LIGHTS UP AT 60 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10639140

50,000 miles · Sep 23, 2014

Electrical System

Read full complaint

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, ALL LIGHTS / ACCESSORIES WERE IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD DO NOTHING WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED TO THE START POSITION. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT NEW. AFTER RECOMMENDING A FUEL SYSTEM TREATMENT - WHICH WE HAD PREVIOUSLY UNDERGONE AT 40K - WE DECLINED. THE NET RESULT OF THIS VISIT WAS THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM A FEW MORE TIMES (9/8,9/9,9/21, 9/23 ALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALLS), SOMETIMES BEING ABLE TO START THE CAR AFTER A FEW MINUTES - SOMETIMES NOT. WE FIND OURSELVES AT AN IMPASS WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE TELLING US THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC WITHOUT CHARGING US THE FEE - EVEN THOUGH WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I PAID IN EXCESS OF $1200 FOR THE 100000 BUMPER TO BUMPER EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10638571

68,000 miles · Sep 22, 2014

Power Train

Read full complaint

WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC (RESTAURANT DRIVE THRU LANE), VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD; ATTEMPTED TO PUT TRANSMISSION SHIFTER INTO PARK (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) TO CHECK THE PROBLEM; VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK OR REVERSE; WOULD ONLY GO INTO DRIVE OR NEUTRAL. HYUNDAI DEALER INSPECTED AND IDENTIFIED PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE SHIFT ASSEMBLY. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CARE EXPRESSING CONCERNS REGARDING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES (NOT BEING ABLE TO REVERSE VEHICLE; VEHICLE NOT BEING ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IF ENGINE DIED). VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND JUST OUT OF THE 60,000 WARRANTY PERIOD. HYUNDAI (AT THIS POINT) IS REFUSING TO REPAIR UNDER CUSTOMER GOOD WILL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10638249

10,000 miles · Sep 16, 2014

Electrical System

Read full complaint

WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING MY 2012 ELANTRA, I STARTED HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR NOT STARTING. DASH WOULD LIGHT UP NORMALLY, AND RADIO, ETC WORKED FINE, HOWEVER THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TRY TO TURN OVER AT ALL OR MAKE ANY NOISE WHATSOEVER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR IS NOT SENSING THAT THE CAR IS IN PARK. THE DASH WILL NORMALLY DISPLAY P (FOR PARK), HOWEVER IN THESE INSTANCES THE DASH IS BLANK WHERE THE TRANSMISSION POSITION SHOULD BE DISPLAYED. THE SHIFTER IS ALSO STUCK IN PARK SO I CAN NOT MOVE TO ANY OTHER GEAR. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, I HAVE TO USE THE SHIFT OVERIDE AND MOVE THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND THEN BACK INTO PARK. THE DASH WILL THEN DISPLAY THE P, AND I CAN START THE CAR NORMALLY. I HAVE TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND THEIR COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS DON'T DETECT ANY PROBLEMS. THEY SAID IF THEY CAN'T REPEAT THE PROBLEM THEN THEY WON'T CHANGE OUT ANY COMPONENTS. THIS IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET IT TO THE DEALER WHEN THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10633653

48,150 miles · Sep 16, 2014

Electrical System

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. ALL OF THE INTERIOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS APPEARED TO BE WORKING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO TURN OVER. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE CAR STARTED. THE VEHICLE STARTED DOZENS OF TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITHOUT ISSUE. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE TO START HAS RECURRED TWICE MORE IN THE P…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10633623

52,000 miles · Sep 15, 2014

Electrical SystemEngine

Read full complaint

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO TO THE STORE, AND IT WOULDN'T START. I CONTINUED TO TURN THE KEY TO ON POSITION, THEN BACK OFF AND WOULDN'T START. THEN TRIED AGAIN IN THEN IT FINALLY STARTED BARELY. AGAIN I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO TO WORK, AND IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. I SWITCHED THE KEY BACK OFF POSITION AND ON AGAIN AND STILL NO START. TRIED IT AGAIN 2 MORE TIMES TO START AND FINALLY IT STARTED UP. I HAD THIS ISSUE ABOUT A YEAR AGO ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND GOT IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING BECAUSE IT STARTED RIGHT UP FOR THEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT TO DO TO GET THIS ISSUE FROM OCCURRING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10633251

59,100 miles · Sep 12, 2014

Electrical SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other

Read full complaint

I LEFT HOME FOR A 1,000 MILE ROAD TRIP STARTING ON THE DATE SPECIFIED ABOVE. MILEAGE INDICATED ABOVE IS A CLOSE APPROXIMATION TO WHEN THE INCIDENT FIRST OCCURRED. ON THE FIRST DAY, I STOPPED FOR GASOLINE AT A STATION. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR BACK UP, I HAD POWER TO EVERYTHING BUT MY CAR MADE NO ATTEMPT TO START. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES, IT FINALLY STARTED AND RAN FINE. THIS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE TRIP LASTED 8 DAYS. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK IT OVER, AGAIN. I SAY "AGAIN" BECAUSE I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 500 MILES PRIOR FOR WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A RELATED ISSUE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WOULD NOT LEAVE THE "DRIVE" POSITION WHEN I STOPPED AT ONE POINT AND NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I COULD NOT BECAUSE I COULD NOT PUT IT IN "PARK", GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS STUCK IN "DRIVE". BACK TO THE "WON'T START" ISSUE - WIGGLING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEEMS TO HAVE HELPED ME START THE CAR WHEN IT PREVIOUSLY WOULD NOT. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE STUCK AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632876

23,000 miles · Sep 11, 2014

Power Train

Read full complaint

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAD NOTICED THAT IT WAS HARD TO SHIFT TO PARK FROM THE REVERSE AND DRIVE GEAR POSITIONS. IT SEEMED AS IF THE GEAR WOULD JAM ON SOMETHING AND AFTER A WHILE OF TRYING TO GET IT TO MOVE FORWARD IT WOULD ADVANCE TO THE PARK POSITION. NOW, JUST YESTERDAY I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR FROM WORK AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT JUST SAID QUITE. EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND IT WOULD NOT LET ME. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SO THAT IT WOULD RELEASE BUT IT DID NOT WORK. I MUST HAVE TRIED 10 TIMES TO START IT AND AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE TOW TRUCK , I TRIED IT ONE MORE TIME AND THEN IT STARTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632429

Official recalls

23V651000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Sep 22, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.

20V393000 · Equipment:electrical

Jul 2, 2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, 2012 Accent and Veloster vehicles. The 12V accessory socket outlet may have been over-tightened during installation, possibly disabling the thermal fuse and allowing the outlet to overheat with prolonged use, such as by using the Tire Mobility Kit air compressor to inflate a tire.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An overheated accessory outlet increases the risk of fire.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire Mobility Kit accessory outlet plug with a direct-to-battery connection wire harness kit, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 193.

15V871000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Dec 23, 2015

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Elantra vehicles manufactured October 29, 2010, to October 25, 2011. Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied unexpectedly and the engine power may be reduced. These symptoms will be accompanied by illumination of the ESC indicator lamp in the instrument cluster.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the one or more of the brakes are inappropriately applied, control of the vehicle may be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall began June 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 137.

13V115000 · Air Bags:side/window; Structure

Apr 1, 2013

Hyundai Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured from November 12, 2010, through March 5, 2013. A support bracket attached to the headliner may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 109.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Structure

Consequence: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 109.

Air Bags:side/window

Consequence: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.

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

AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.

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.

EA12008 · Headliner Bracket Detachment

Opened Sep 13, 2012 · Closed Dec 9, 2013

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window; Structure:body:roof And Pillars; Unknown Or Other

In March 2013, Hyundai issued a safety recall to reinforce the attachment of the metal support brackets to the headliner assembly in approximately 186,254 model year 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra vehicles built in Korea and sold in the U.S. (see NHTSA recall 13V-115 for more information).The recall covers vehicles built up to March 5, 2013.After that date, Hyundai began using headliners with reinforced bracket attachments in the Korea-built Elantra vehicles.ODI has opened a Recall Query (RQ13-004) to investigate model year 2009-2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring vehicles.During EA12-008, ODI found these vehicles are equipped with a support bracket design and layout similar to that in the above-mentioned Elantra vehicles.Also, the headliner manufacturing processes used were similar for both models.Like the Elantra vehicles built before the recall, the Elantra Touring model headliner does not contain reinforced bracket attachments.This Engineering Analysis is closed.See attached report for additional information.The ODI report cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification number: 10457696

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags:side/window

Structure:body:roof And Pillars

Unknown Or Other

PE12012 · Side Curtain Air Bag Improper Deployment

Opened May 10, 2012 · Closed Sep 17, 2012

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:side/window

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of one incident of an improper deployment of the driver-side curtain air bag that deployed as a result of a crash involving a model year (MY) 2012 Hyundai Elantra.An inspection of this vehicle showed that a metal bracket (stiffener) in the headliner assembly had detached and was forced downward by the deploying air bag.The metal bracket caused a laceration to the driver's ear and other possible injuries.Approximately 75,000 MY 2012 Hyundai Elantra vehicles, built in Korea and sold in the U.S., have stiffeners in the headliners while the MY 2012 Elantra vehicles built in the U.S. utilize a different headliner that does not use a stiffener. Thus, the latter vehicles are not included in this investigation.Hyundai has inspected the headliner assemblies from eight Elantra vehicles (which were sold in the Korean market) with production dates in the same range as the field incident vehicle.Hyundai reported to ODI that the metal brackets from these vehicles were found to be securely attached to the headliners.Hyundai also has conducted several static deployment tests in attempts to replicate the field incident. In one test, the metal bracket detached from the headliner but the test condition did not replicate or explain the condition observed in the incident vehicle.This Preliminary Evaluation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA12-008) to further assess whether incidents like the single field incident could potentially occur with other subject vehicles.In addition to the subject vehicles, ODI also will collect and review information on MY 2011 and 2013 Elantra vehicles that have headliners with stiffeners similar to those in the subject vehicles. To date, there have been no reports on the MY 2011 and 2013 vehicles.The ODI report cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification number: 10457696

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags

Air Bags:side/window

Go deeper into Hyundai Elantra problems

Hyundai Elantra electrical problems →Hyundai Elantra transmission problems →