THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED MORE THAN 5 TIMES IN A 3 MONTHS PERIOD. ALSO THE PULLEY AND BELT ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE WITHIN ONE MONTH. IF THE CAR IS DRIVEN ON THE FREEWAY FOR MORE THAT 10 MINS THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO OT.*AK
1993 Hyundai Elantra
Owners filed 24 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Rear | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Differential Proportional Valve | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsWHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, VEHICLE STALLS OUT WITHOUT WARNING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN EVERY WEEK. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP 5-6 TIMES FOR STALLING. MECHANIC REPLACED FUEL PUMP & SOME OTHER PARTS. PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK CONSUMER FOUND RECALL 94V09, HOWEVER THIS RECALL IS FOR 1994 MODELS AND CONSUMER OWNS A 1993, CONSUMER INFORMED DEALER OF THIS RECALL AND THEY STATED THAT CONSUMER WOULD STILL BE CHARGED FOR REPAIRS, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, HOWEVER STALLING STILL OCCURS. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING STEAM STARTED COMING FROM ENGINE DUE TO OVERHEATING. DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK
PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. REPAIR EQUAL TO BOOK VALUE. *AK
TRAVELING VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WITHOUT INDICATION. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BECAME DISABLED AS I WAS DRIVING ON HYWY. A/C BELT BROKE AT SAME TIME. CAR WOULD NOT OPERATE AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE TOW CAR HOME.TOOK CAR TO LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. AUTO REPAIR SERVICEMAN DID VISUAL CHECK, ATTEMPTED TO START ENGINE AND ENGINE TURNED OVER WEAKLY. SERVICEMAN REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE COMPRESSION WHICH POINTED TO TIMING CHAIN PROBLEMS. A KNOCKING SOUND INDICATED THAT AT TIME ENGINE FAILED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO VALVE(S). I INFORMED HIM THAT A BELT HAD BUSTED AND TO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. HE DID AND HAD ME START ENGINE SO HE COULD VISUALLY CHECK CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. HE ADDED THAT IT TOO(CRANKSHAFT PULLEY) APPEARED TO BE VIBRATING AND NEEDED SERVICING. THE BUSTED BELT WAS THE A/C BELT. SERVICEMAN INFORMED ME THAT IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN DEGREE OF DAMAGE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN APART TO ACCESS HEADS AND VALVES. HE ESTIMATED REPAIRS WOULD RUN CLOSE TO $1,500. OR MORE. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR FROM ITS ORIGINAL OWNER A MONTH AGO. THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS METICULOUS ABOUT KEEPING IT MAINTAINED AND PROVIDED ALL INVOICES OF WORK DONE ON THE VEHICLE. HE HAD JUST REPLACED TIMING CHAIN A YEAR AGO. HAVE NOT HAD WORK DONE AS I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIR COSTS.
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON,AND THERE WAS FIRE DROPPING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. WHEN CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND POPPED HOOD UP, FIRE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WIRES FROM THE STARTER BURNED, AND CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. *AK
BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE FAILED CAUSING BRAKES TO OVERHEAT AND BOIL BRAKE FLUIDE. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL DUE TO HEAVY LOAD PUT ON IT BY BRAKES STAYING PARTIAL ENGAGED.
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES GRIND OR SQUEAL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
A MALFUNCTION OCCURS WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS/TAIL LIGHTS AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO SHORT CIRCUIT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE TIMES. (ORIGINAL AND REPLACEMENT).
TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER FAILED.
RUNNING LIGHTS FAILED.
DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 40MPH STARTED TO HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON ROAD. HAD IT REPLACED. THEN 2ND TRANSMISSION FAILED. MANUFACTURER SAID WILLNOT REPLACE DUE TO ODOMETER HAS OVER 60,000 MILES. DOES NOT KNOW CAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
THE ELANTRA THE OWNER IS MENTIONING HAS HAD MANY FAULTS (NOT SPECIFIED).
TRANSMISSION BEARINGS BROKE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE FRONT HOOD LATCH CAME OPEN .*AK
BRAKE FAILURE, IN FOR REPAIR, CLEAN AND ADJUST, AFTER IN WHICH PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK
DURING COLD OPERATING CONDITIONS AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT BUZZER AND LIGHT WILL NOT DEACTIVATE. CAUSING SEAT BELT NOT TO BE FULLY ENGAGED. *AK
WHEN OPENED, THE HOOD FLEW UP AND BENT AND FLEW BACKWARD HITTING THE WINDSHIELD AND BREAKING IT. *AK
20 of 24 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 — this page | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 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.