Car keeps turning off every time I start it and won’t stay on
2019 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Hyundai Elantra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Elantra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 57 of 250 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine. Review the 132 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
3 reportsI was driving down a main highway, approaching a busy intersection preparing to turn left... I had a green light without a green arrow and had quite a bit of distance/time between myself and any approaching vehicle so I went ahead and proceeded. Just as I entered the intersection, all of the sudden my car stopped responding to …
Read full complaint
I was driving down a main highway, approaching a busy intersection preparing to turn left... I had a green light without a green arrow and had quite a bit of distance/time between myself and any approaching vehicle so I went ahead and proceeded. Just as I entered the intersection, all of the sudden my car stopped responding to my pressing on the gas pedal. The motor was very loud and dry sounding, and the RPM gauge was running abnormally high but the car itself, was barely moving. I continued trying to give it gas, even checked to see if something had knocked it out of gear (that was NOT the case)! Cross-traffic began to approach the intersection so I really started to work on the gas pedal, pumping it and when that failed, I mashed the gas all the way to the floor and finally just before I was about to be hit the car down the pedal and finally the car began to move!! It has been doing some hesitating for a while now but it barely made it out of the intersection this time and that was terrifying!! I have it in the shop now waiting to see what the problem is but this needs reporting. I do everything I'm supposed to with maintaining my car... oil changes, spark plugs, fluid checks and it has less than 50,000 miles so that shouldn't have happened!
NEITHER OF THE HIGHBEAMS WORK AND THEY BOTH STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME IT'S NOT THE RELAY IT'S NOT THE FUSE IT'S NOT THE BULBS.
Official recalls
121V301000 · Engine
Apr 28, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration