WHEN TRYING TO USE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THEY WERE FROZEN WHILE SWITCH WAS ON, WAS UNABLE TO OPERATE THEM. INSTEAD OF BLOWING A FUSE, WIRING HARNESS GOT HOT AND BURNED ALL WIRES. *AK
1992 Hyundai Elantra
Owners filed 29 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Ignition | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Wiring | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Macpherson Strut | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsTHE CONSUMER'S WIFE WENT INSIDE INTO DOCTOR'S OFFICE, AND SOMEONE CAME IN AND TOLD HER THAT CAR WAS ON FIRE IN PARKING LOT. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, AND STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING SHORTED OUT, AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
TIMING BELT, FAILED CAUSING CYLINDER HEAD DAMAGE FROM VALVES, ENGINE BLOWN
I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 35, I MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS FLEW TO THE LEFT, THEY WERE NOT ON AT THE TIME, BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE CAR, THROUGH THE VENTS. THE CAR JERKED FORWARD WITH A THUMP. I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR TO THE SHOLDER JUST AS THE CAR DIED. THE CAR WAS TOLLED TO THE AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALIST IN EL DORADE, KS. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ABOUT 8 COMPUTER BOARD FRIED AND HAD TO BE REPLASED. I STILL HAVE THEM IN MY GARAGE. ON THE E.C.U. I WAS TOLD THAT IT ROTTED????? IT WAS MUST HAVE BEEN SUBMERGED IN WATER.
VEHICLE WILL NOT START. WOULD DIE OUT WHEN IT DOES START. ALTERNATOR HAD BROKEN. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
WOULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR PROBLEM. BROKEN PLASTIC LATCH ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. TRANSMISSION SLIPS DURING OPERATION, STARTER FAULTY, FRONT END SUSPENSION PROBLEMS CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE TIRES. GLOVE BOX LATCH FELL OFF IN CONSUMERS HAND. PARKING LIGHTS FAILED. *AK
LEFT FRONT STRUT FAILED.
PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF VEHICLE.
VEHICLE WAS IN A CRASH AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES BECAUSE SEATBELT DID NOT HOLD THE PASSENGER. *AK
ACCELEATOR PEDAL STICKS AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE. *AK *JB
HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, ALSO THE HOOD LATCH FELL OFF AND TIMING BELT FAILED. *AK
OWNER ENTERED VEHICLE BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOUR TIMES. TT
WHILE THE VEHICLE AT SPEED 65MPH, VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTS TO 45 MPH, NO ENGINE POWER. TT
CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM HOUSING UNIT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
CONSUMER STARTED CAR WOULDN'T START DEALER SAY THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAVING OTHER PROBLEM. TT CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS AN OIL LEAK, CONSUMER ALSO STATES AFTER SECOND DAY OF PURCHASE DOOR WOULD NOT OPPEN.*JB
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING HARNESS FRONT UNDERHOOD FAILURE. TT
WORN BRAKE PADS,
THE OIL IN THE CAR IS BEING CONSUMED AT A HIGH RATE AND THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
TIMING BELT FAILED TWICE, CAUSING ENGINE TO BLOW UP. *AK
20 of 29 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2013| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2025 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2024 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2023 | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2022 | 100 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2021 | 130 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2020 | 250 | 3 | 6 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 2019 | 250 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2018 | 281 | 0 | 7 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2017 | 767 | 4 | 6 | 0 | Above average |
| 2016 | 292 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Above average |
| 2015 | 261 | 3 | 8 | 0 | Above average |
| 2014 | 382 | 2 | 15 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 2013 | 1,313 | 4 | 31 | 0 | High concern |
| 2012 | 652 | 4 | 11 | 0 | Above average |
| 2011 | 432 | 5 | 8 | 0 | Above average |
| 2010 | 379 | 3 | 9 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2009 | 252 | 4 | 11 | 0 | Above average |
| 2008 | 314 | 7 | 23 | 0 | High concern |
| 2007 | 266 | 6 | 13 | 0 | Above average |
| 2006 | 155 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 137 | 4 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 182 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 234 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Above average |
| 2002 | 342 | 6 | 4 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 2001 | 315 | 6 | 4 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2000 | 197 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 128 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 115 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1996 | 100 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 1995 | 112 | 1 | 5 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 76 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 — this page | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.