IllustrationVEHICLE HESITATES TO ACCELERATE WHEN CONSUMER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR, THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *SLC
1999 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
70–25K
425–50K
750–75K
975–100K
16100–150K
6150K+
49 reports with mileage · 79 unknown
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 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. 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.
22 crash reports2 fire reports16 injury reports
Power Train complaints
41 reportsTRANSMISSIONS KEEPS FAILING. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED TRANSMISSION 3 TIMES. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN.*AK
SOLENOID VALVE SEAL FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE (99V178000). NLM
WE'VE HAD THE ELANTRA IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES AND THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED 3 TIMES. THE CASE NUMBER WITH HYUNDAI IS 508316, THE CASE NUMBER WE HAD WITH THE BBB IS HYU-9980560. THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP INTO NEUTRAL WHEN PASSING OR ACCELERATING, CREATING A POSSIBLE LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. AFTER THE LAST TIME IT WAS SERVICED …
Read full complaint
WE'VE HAD THE ELANTRA IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES AND THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED 3 TIMES. THE CASE NUMBER WITH HYUNDAI IS 508316, THE CASE NUMBER WE HAD WITH THE BBB IS HYU-9980560. THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP INTO NEUTRAL WHEN PASSING OR ACCELERATING, CREATING A POSSIBLE LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. AFTER THE LAST TIME IT WAS SERVICED IN DECEMBER, THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL JUST LAST WEEK. NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THERER IS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V178000--AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THIS HAS BEEN SERVICED. WE ARE NOT GETTING THE SUPPORT WE FEEL WE NEED FROM THE DEALER, AND ALSO FEEL THAT THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHERS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF TRANSMISSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN OUT CAR. *AK
WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND REACHING A SPEED OF 50 MPH TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND EVENTUALLY FAILED TO CHANGE GEARS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL ENGINE REVS UP, AND GEARS DO NOT CATCH RIGHT AWAY. DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
AT 2,235 MILES I WAS EXPERIENCING A HARSH 2 TO 3 UPSHIFT AND ALOT OF CHUGGING NOISE. A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. THE AT 5.630 MILES I HAD A LEAK IN THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. BOTH ITEMS ARE BEING REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BUT IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND FRUSTRATING TO HAVE A NEW CAR HAVE THESE "SERIOUS" PROBLEMS.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING GEARS AND ACCELERATING, PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE (99V178000). HOWERVER CONSUMER WANTED RECALL REPAIRS DONE THROUGH THE DEALER CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM, BUT DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT, CONSUMER WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *YC
WHEN SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION GEARS INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE CATCHING OR ACCELERATING. HAPPENS ONLY WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON PEDAL. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK
TRANSMISSION CASE CRACKED. NLM
Official recalls
200V259001 · Electrical System:wiring
Sep 11, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SOME SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5 LITER V-6 ENGINES AND ALL ELANTRA MODEL VEHICLES MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOW-SPEED ENGINE STALLING, WHICH COULD OCCUR IF THE MAF (MASS AIR FLOW) SENSOR ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INTERRUPTED AS A RESULT OF ENGINE VIBRATION TRANSMITTED TO THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL RE-ROUTE THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
99V178000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 7, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE SEALS DO NOT REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY ELASTIC, RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN REDUCED PRESSURE APPLICATION TO THE CLUTCHES, BRAKE, AND KICKDOWN SERVO, ALLOWING THEM TO SLIP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SUCH SLIPPAGE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE DETERIORATION OF THE FRICTION ELEMENT SURFACES AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE, OR NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED, WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.