What breaks most · 1992 to 2019 model years
Hyundai Elantra problems by year
Owners have filed 4,776 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Elantra across model years 1992 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 2012 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1992 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2012, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1992, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 47761992 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013671 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 69386 fires · 571 injuries · 10 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 84Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 24 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (5) | |
| 76 | 22 | 2 | Air bags (31) | |
| 112 | 26 | 1 | Air bags (35) | |
| 100 | 11 | 3 | Engine and cooling (20) | |
| 115 | 20 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (31) | |
| 55 | 9 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 128 | 22 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (41) | |
| 195 | 36 | 1 | Engine and cooling (43) | |
| 315 | 71 | 6 | Air bags (118) | |
| 340 | 58 | 6 | Suspension (94) | |
| 223 | 42 | 5 | Suspension (53) | |
| 180 | 23 | 5 | Air bags (113) | |
| 122 | 30 | 4 | Air bags (65) | |
| 146 | 27 | 1 | Air bags (52) | |
| 227 | 20 | 6 | Wipers and visibility (42) | |
| 246 | 35 | 7 | Steering (45) | |
| 159 | 24 | 4 | Steering (79) | |
| 234 | 35 | 3 | Steering (108) | |
| 268 | 15 | 5 | Air bags (54) | |
| 378 | 26 | 4 | Electrical system (92) | |
| 671 | 68 | 4 | Engine (124) | |
| 144 | 24 | 2 | Engine (44) | |
| 77 | 15 | 3 | Engine (20) | |
| 68 | 12 | 2 | Engine (11) | |
| 107 | 18 | 4 | Engine (28) | |
| 35 | 1 | 0 | Engine (10) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Steering (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 18% |
124 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 18% |
123 | 4 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 13% |
84 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
84 | 20 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
79 | 4 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra |
| Air bags | 11% |
71 | 31 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 10% |
64 | 6 | — |
| Tires | 8% |
52 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Went and got an oil change about a month ago. About 2 weeks ago i noticed a ticking/knock in noise coming from the engine while going up small hills or while idoling. I have roughly about 124,000 miles
-
My car highlights has went out several times and i have replaced the lights and they still goes out . And the brakes lights goes out, and now my rack pinyon is gone out. This car has cost me more money than its worth
-
I applied brakes at a stop sign and front driver side control arm collapsed. I had it inspected and treated under recall in 2009.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Elantra years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2012, 2002 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Elantra. The 2013 alone has 671 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Hyundai Elantra problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 124 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Elantra problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Elantra complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.