IllustrationWHEN 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
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
What owners actually said
128 reportsTRANSMISSION CASE CRACKED. NLM
NO SUMMARY
LOW BEAM DOES NOT LIGHT UP STRAIGHT IN DRIVER'S PATH IN THE FRONT, THE LIGHT REFLECTS OUTWARD TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING AT 55 MPH, AND DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CONSUME R HIRED AN APPRAISER WHO SAID THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAV E DEPLOYED, BUT THE HYUNDAI CLAIMED THART AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. …
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING AT 55 MPH, AND DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CONSUME R HIRED AN APPRAISER WHO SAID THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAV E DEPLOYED, BUT THE HYUNDAI CLAIMED THART AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
THE JACK THAT COMES WITH THE VEHICLE IS POORLY DESIGNED. IT IS SMALL AND TOO WEAK TO SUPPORT THE VEHICLE, WHILE BEING USED IT COLLAPSED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER IS CIRCULATING BAD AIR. *AK
TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE CLUNKING/SHATTERING AND WHINNING NOISES. TOOK TO DEALER & TRANSMISSION REPLACED WITH NEW ONE. THE WHINNING & SHATTERING NOISES STILL EXIST. HAD THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT (TRANSAXLE) & BEARINGS REPLACED. IT HAD A HIGH PITCH WHINE. AFTER REPLACEMENT, NOISE STILL EXISTS, BUT NOW IT BUCKS. *AK
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.