Steering. Review the 195 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

45 crash reports9 fire reports36 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

27 reports

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42,000 miles · Feb 22, 2016

Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STOPPED EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STOPPED AND PARKED WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

NHTSA ODI #10837525

92,700 miles · Aug 17, 2015

Service BrakesWheels

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MY WIFE OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND THE COMPLAINT I'VE GOT IS ABOUT THE LUG NUTS. I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE PADS, BRAKE SHOES AND ROTORS. THE FIRST PROBLEM I RAN INTO ON THIS PROJECT WAS THAT THE LUG NUTS WERE SO RUSTED THAT THE LUG WRENCH SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR WOULDN'T FIT OVER THEM - THE CHROME PLATING ON THE NUTS HAD DETERIORATED ALLOWING RUST TO BUILT UP UNDERNEATH THE PLATING SO THAT THE WRENCH WOULDN'T FIT. (I THOUGHT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD TO CHANGE FLAT TIRES ON THE ROAD AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THE FLAT TIRES OFF.) I CALLED THE DEALER TO SEE IF NEW LUG NUTS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY SAID NO, THAT THEY'D GIVE ME A 'DEAL' OF $10/NUT - AROUND $200 TO REPLACE ALL THEM ON THE CAR! I STILL HAVE THE RUSTED LUG NUTS ON THE CAR BUT CARRY AN ADDITIONAL WRENCH THAT WILL FIT OVER THEM. I DID MANAGE TO REPLACE ALL THE PARTS, INCLUDING RUSTED AND WARPED ROTORS MENTIONED IN SOME OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I'VE SEEN BUT CAUTION ANYONE WHO PLANS TO TACKLE THIS JOB TO BE PREPARED FOR A GRUELING JOB.

NHTSA ODI #10749088

72,112 miles · Jun 18, 2015

Service Brakes

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THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM CHECK VALVE SUDDENLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN VASTLY REDUCED BRAKING POWER AND NEAR INABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LET THE CAR SLOW NATURALLY AND TURN ONTO A SIDE ROAD. IF I HAD BEEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. WHEN INSPECTED THE VACUUM LINE WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE VALVE RESULTING IN NO POWER FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN SERVICED.

NHTSA ODI #10726006

36,000 miles · Jun 3, 2014

Service BrakesWheels

AT 36,000 MILES I NEEDED ALL NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS AND THE 2 FRONT TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN TO EXTREME UNSAFE CONDITION. SPENT OVER $680 TO REPAIR IT ALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595790

48,000 miles · Dec 20, 2013

Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING TO STANDARDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WA…

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NHTSA ODI #10556841

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2013

Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

THE CAR REVVING WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ON AND PUSHING ON THE BREAKS THEN NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE OR PARK. I HAD TO USE THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE TO JUST BE ABLE TO GET IT INTO PARK AFTER THAT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10504671

23,561 miles · Dec 30, 2012

Service Brakes

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I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE AUTO FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY PULSATED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE FOUND THAT ALL OF THE BRAKE ROTORS ARE RUSTED AND PITTED. THE REAR ROTORS ARE WORST THAN THE FRONT. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE SHOES ARE WORN OUT AND NEED REPLACED. NORMALLY THE FRONT PADS ARE REPLACED TWICE TO ONCE IN THE REAR. MY GUESS IS THAT THE ROTORS CAUSED THE REAR PADS TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID THAT THE ROTORS ARE WARRANTED FOR 5 YEARS / 60,000 MILES BUT ONLY MANUFACTURED DEFECTS ARE COVERED. THEY SAID THAT RUSTING AND PITTING FROM WEATHER CONDITIONS IS NOT COVERED. SHOULD I HAVE KEPT THEM OILED SO THEY DIDN'T RUST? I HAVE A 2006 KIA WITH OVER 113,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ROTORS ARE STILL PERFECT WITH NO RUST OR CORROSION. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE SAME DRIVING AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. HAD I NOT PAINT FOR THE VEHICLE INSPECTION AND BEEN TOLD THAT THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE BAD. I COULD HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO BRAKE FAILURE OR POSSIBLY ONE OF THEM HANGING UP AND CAUSING A SPIN OUT CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10490511

Official recalls

20V061000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Feb 4, 2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.

15V100000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 23, 2015

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127.

13V113000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Apr 1, 2013

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

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

DP21003 · Throttle Control System Vulnerabilities

Opened Nov 12, 2021 · Closed Jun 20, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.

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