I HAD JUST GOTTEN ONTO THE FREEWAY WHEN I NOTICED THINGS FLYING OFF THE BACK OF MY CAR. I WASN'T SURE WHAT IT WAS SO I OPENED MY SUNROOF SLIDER A LITTLE AND SAW THAT MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. I DID NOT GO UNDER AN UNDERPASS SO I CANNOT BE SURE WHAT HAPPENED. ALL I KNOW IS IT COST ME $500 DEDUCTIBLE TO GET IT FIXED. MY CAR IS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD, SO THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. I HAVE HAD 4 CARS WITH SUNROOFS AND NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO MY OPTIONS. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW! *TR
2013 Hyundai Elantra complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2013 record →
WHILE DRIVING ON I80 IN INDIANA I HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE ROOF AREA, SO I SLID THE COVER ON THE SUNROOF OPEN AND FOUND THE GLASS SPIDERWEB. BY THE TIME I PULLED OVER THE GLASS WAS TOTALLY SHATTERED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WERE NO TRUCKS NEAR ME NOR WAS I NEAR AN OVERPASS. *TR
I STARTED MY CAR, PUSHED THE WIPE BLADE ONCE SO THAT IT WOULD GET THE DEW OFF WINDSHIELD. WIPER BLADES GOT STUCK, PUSHED AGAIN, IT CAME DOWN A BIT, PUSHED AND PUSHED, IT CONTINUED TO GET STUCK. TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES NOW AND PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THEY PUT A NEW SWITCH IN ON 9/28/12. DROVE MY CAR THAT NIGHT, IT WAS RAINING, WIPERS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK ON 10/1/12. ON THAT DATE DRIVING TO WORK, IT STUCK AGAIN. BY THE TIME I GOT TO DEALER, IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. ON 10/2/12, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. DEALER CANNOT FIND OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND STATES THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS THEY SEE WHAT THE WIPERS ARE DOING AS IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY SEEN IT BEFORE. THE DAY I TOOK IT THERE, THE WIPERS STARTED DOING ALL KIND OF CRAZY THINGS SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE WIPERS WERE ALREADY DOING. *TR
I PURCHASED A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ON JUNE 18, 2012 FROM DICK HANNAH VOLKSWAGEN HYUNDAI OF PORTLAND, OREGON. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, I BEGAN HEARING A NOISE COMING FROM THE TRUNK AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ON AUGUST 24, 2012. INITIALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY TRIED TO USE EPOXY TO FIX THE NOISE AND I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 36 HOURS (OVER THE WEEKEND) TO LET IT DRY. ON MONDAY, THE SOUND WAS STILL THERE AND THEY RAN FURTHER TESTS. I WAS THEN INFORMED ON WEDNESDAY THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE COLLISION CENTER IN VANCOUVER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. ON THURSDAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A PART RE-WELDED. I REALLY WAS NOT TOLD EXACTLY WHAT WAS BEING WELDED AT THAT POINT, BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE READY UNTIL THE NEXT WEEK (FOLLOWING THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND). FINALLY, ON TUESDAY I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, [XXX] AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD CONTACTED HYUNDAI TO SEE IF OTHERS HAD ENCOUNTERED THE SAME NOISE. A HYUNDAI ENGINEER HAD TO COME OUT AND HELP DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY VERIFIED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK TOWER. THEY REMOVED THE REINFORCEMENT CAP AND SHOCK TOWER AND FOUND TWO SPOTS MISSED BY FACTORY WELDER, WHICH DID NOT PROPERLY ADHERE THE STRUT TOWER TO THE CAR BODY AND SIGNS OF RUBBING MAKING THE NOISE. THEY WERE ABLE TO CLEAN UP THE AREA AND RE-WELD THE PIECE TOGETHER. THEY REINSTALLED THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK TOWER AND REINFORCEMENT CAP TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. I AM TOLD TH
2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WINDSHIELD WIPER DESIGN FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE WIPER BLADE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS VERY SHORT AND THE BOTTOM END OF THE WIPER BLADE LEFT A SEMI-CIRCULAR WATER STREAK RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PERSON SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT ON EVERY WIPE OF THE BLADE. ALSO, THERE WAS A SPOT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELDS WHERE THE PASSENGER WIPER BLADE LEFT A SHORT INVERTED "V" TYPE SPOT THAT THE DRIVER'S WIPER BLADE DID NOT CLEAN WHICH WOULD FREEZE INTO IN THE WINTER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WAS TOO SENSITIVE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE HAS ELECTRIC STEERING WHICH MAY BE RELATED TO THE CONDITION. THE STEERING WAS SO SENSITIVE, THAT HE HAD TO CONSTANTLY MOVE THE WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT JUST TO STAY OUT OF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE AND STAY IN HIS LANE OF TRAFFIC. SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, IN A SLIGHT CROSSING WIND WITH VARIOUS GROUPS OF TREES, THE LEVEL OF STEERING SENSITIVITY FORCED HIM TO RUN OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID ENTERING THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. ALSO, ON A FEW OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES HARDER THAN NORMAL, BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ENGAGE THE ABS. WITH THE ELECTRIC ASSISTED STEERING, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL IF THE VEHICLE WAS CENTERED IN HIS LANE PRIOR TO USING THE BRAKES.
AUGUST 25, 2012 - RETURNING FROM WORK ON ROUTE 28, A HIGH SPEED EXPRESSWAY, TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON BRAKES AND DECIDED TO SWITCH EXIT RAMPS. SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND STEERED CAR TO RIGHT TO AVOID HITTING THE TRUCK. WHILE DOING SO, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND I HAD TO SUDDENLY CORRECT THE STEERING PATH IN ORDER NOT TO GO OFF THE ROAD. SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 - WAS NOTIFIED MY VEHICLE WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP BY JERRY FROM HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE . I TOOK POSSESSION OF VEHICLE BECAUSE I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE. [XXX], ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER,SAID HYUNDAI TECHNICAL SUPPORT TECHNICIANS WERE AWARE OF AN ISSUE WITH STEERING COLUMNS IN 2013 ELANTRA BUT, NO SERVICE BULLETINS HAD YET BEEN ISSUED. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS INFORMED THAT A RECALL MAY BE ISSUED. MY CAR WAS THE FIRST THAT HAD PRESENTED WITH THIS PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD HE MOVED HIS RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO THE BRAKE AND HIS SHOE BECAME STUCK UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO A SIGN. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT FENDER AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR BECAME DAMAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR POSING A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60.
PURCHASED A NEW 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS 4 DOOR. ONCE A PERSON TURNS ON THEIR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ALL OF THE VEHICLES PARKING LIGHTS TURN ON AS WELL. NO OTHER CAR MANUFACTURE HAS MANDATED ALL THIS ILLUMINATION DURING DAYTIME HOURS. ON AUGUST 3RD 2012 AT 11:40AM I WAS ISSUED A MOVING VIOLATION BY A LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICER IN THE CITY OF VAN NUYS, C.A. I WAS CITED FOR VIOLATING CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE SECTION 24800 WHICH STATES "NO VEHICLE SHALL BE DRIVEN AT ANY TIME WITH THE PARKING LAMPS LIGHTED EXCEPT WHEN THE LAMPS ARE BEING USED AS TURN SIGNAL LAMPS OR WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE ALSO ILLUMINATED". I EXPLAINED THE SCENARIO TO MY LAWYER AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE CITATION IS VALID BECAUSE IN C.A. THE WORD HEADLAMPS IN VC SECTION 24800 IS INTERPRETED BY THE COURTS AS THE VEHICLES PRIMARY SOURCE OF FORWARD ILLUMINATION AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS DO NOT FALL INTO THIS PRIMARY SOURCE CATEGORY. TO AVOID FUTURE CITATIONS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU OPERATE ANY 2013+ HYUNDAI PRODUCT DO NOT USE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT FEATURE BECAUSE THE PARKING LIGHTS WILL LIGHT UP AND YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO A CITATION. I ADVISED HYUNDAI VIA A RECORDED PHONE CALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IF THEY DO NOT TAKE PROPER ACTION TO CORRECT THIS THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED NEGLIGENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS RUST ON THE ROTORS AND THE RATTLE CLIPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO MEET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. ... UPDATED 08/15/12 *BF UPDATED 08/16/2012 *JS
I RECENTLY GOT A NEW HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS. THE STICKER CLAIMS THAT THERE ARE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON MY CAR DO NOT COME ON, THEY COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT AND SUGGESTED I CALL HYUNDAI. THE SAME SWITCH THAT TURNS OFF THE HEADLIGHTS IS ALSO THE "DRL OFF" SWITCH. THERE IS NO SEPARATE "DRL ON" SWITCH. THE HYUNDAI CASE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT ON THE AMERICAN-MADE MODELS IT IS NECESSARY TO TURN THE PARKING LIGHTS ON, AND THAT THIS IS THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT SYSTEM. EVERY CAR HAS PARKING LIGHTS; THEY ARE NOT ON WHENEVER A VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND MUST BE TURNED ON. THESE ARE NOT DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON WHENEVER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT ON. THE STICKER ON THE CAR MAY CLAIM THAT THE CAR HAS DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS A LIE; THERE ARE NO DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON THE CAR. A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY FEATURE HAS BEEN LEFT OFF THE CAR. *TT
A BLOW OUT OF A TIRE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED WITH 543 TOTAL MILES ON THE CAR. THE SPEED OF THE CAR AT THE TIME WAS 25 MPH ON A SMOOTH ROAD SURFACE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. IN TALKING TO OTHER OWNERS, AND SEARCHING THE INTERNET, WE FIND THAT PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE OCCURS FREQUENTLY ON THE ELANTRA. FORTUNATELY, THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT A VERY SLOW SPEED OTHERWISE THERE MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A FATALITY INVOLVED. *JB
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGH WAY I 29 N AT ABOUT 68-72 MPH THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED ABRUPTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE AND WE WERE STUCK IN THE DIRECTION THE STEERING WAS PREVIOUSLY TURNED IT AND IT MADE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO STEER IT ON TO THE SHOULDER AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND US ALMOST CRASHED INTO US. WE WERE JUST A WHISKER AWAY FROM GETTING KILLED. WE HAD A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE AND MY FIANCE IS STILL HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN COMPLETING A LEFT TURN, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WOULD CONTINUE TO FLASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST WITH THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,100.
I GOT THIS CAR A FEW DAYS AGO. THE WINDOW STICKER CLAIMS IT HAS DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. THE LIGHTING STOCK HAS THREE OPTIONS. THE OPTIONS ARE "DRL OFF, DAYTIME LIGHTS, AND NIGHT TIME LIGHTS." WHEN DAYTIME LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED, IT ACTIVATES THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, BUT ALSO ACTIVATES REAR LIGHTS AND DIMS INTERIOR GAUGE LIGHTS TO "NIGHT LIGHTING" LEVELS. THIS POSES SEVERAL SAFETY RISKS. FIRSTLY, PEOPLE MAY STRUGGLE TO READ INTERIOR GAUGES WHEN DRIVING DURING THE DAY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A COLLISION. SECONDLY, THE ACTIVATED REAR LIGHTS ADDS CONFUSION DURING THE DAY AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF OTHER MOTORISTS CRASHING INTO THE REAR. *TT
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra → · Every Elantra year → · How the figures are calculated →