IllustrationCAR HAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. *AK
1997 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 19 of 115 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.
- Power Train. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports0 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
115 reportsENGINE HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK
NOTED COOLANT LEAK - INSPECTED FOUND RAD PETCOCK HAD BROKEN WHERE SCREWED IN TO RAD. *AK
HEAD LINER IN REAR IS FALLING .*ET
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. THIS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC REALIGNED VEHICLE. SOMETIME LATER, PROBLEM OF ALIGNMENT REAPPEARED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP, WHICH HAD CHANGED HANDS, & WAS INFORMED ALIGNMENT MACHINE IS BROKEN & PROBLEM CAN NOT BE CORRECTED. VEHICLE HAS A…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. THIS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC REALIGNED VEHICLE. SOMETIME LATER, PROBLEM OF ALIGNMENT REAPPEARED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP, WHICH HAD CHANGED HANDS, & WAS INFORMED ALIGNMENT MACHINE IS BROKEN & PROBLEM CAN NOT BE CORRECTED. VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK *ML
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. BUT THEY NEVER WORK WHEN IT IS RAINING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
DOOR HANDLE ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE FAILS TO WORK. WOULD HAVE TO OPEN DOOR ON THE OUTSIDE WHILE BEING INSIDE OF VEHICLE. ALL THE DOOR HANDLES ON VEHICLE ARE BROKEN. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK. *AK
NO SUMMARY
AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM . CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Official recalls
300V095002 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Jul 21, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
00V095001 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Mar 28, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PRESSURE CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK TO DETERMINE IF IT HAS CRACKED. IF THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
97V026000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
Feb 26, 1997
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING. INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.
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
1SQ00003 · Fuel Cap Replacement Campaign 36
Opened Feb 2, 2000 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available