IllustrationWHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND USING THE STEERING, THE STEERING WHEEL CLICKS WHEN YOU TURN IT ANY WHICH WAY. ALSO THE STEERING FEELS LOOSE & SLOPPY. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE IT.
2010 Hyundai Elantra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Elantra years
Owner complaints for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra are substantially higher than 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
460–25K
5425–50K
5950–75K
4675–100K
47100–150K
22150K+
274 reports with mileage · 105 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.
- 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
What owners actually said
379 reportsNOISE WHEN TURN RIGHT AND LEFT. ALSO WHEN IS DRIVING MAKE A NOISE UNDER THE STERING WHEEL COLUNM-DASH
CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING ON BOTH HIGHWAY AND SIDE STREETS. WON'T START UP RIGHT AWAY. EACH TIME IT HAPPENED IT TOOK LONGER AND LONGER FOR IT TO START.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHIC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DROVE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DROVE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,257.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW MY CAR FEELS AS IF IT IS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHEN I TRY TO SPEED UP ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I AM DOING CITY DRIVING I CAN FEEL A JERKING MOTION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP POSITION OR SLOW MOVEMENT. MY CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT. TRYING TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY CAN BECOME VERY NAIL BITING WHEN YOU…
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FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW MY CAR FEELS AS IF IT IS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHEN I TRY TO SPEED UP ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I AM DOING CITY DRIVING I CAN FEEL A JERKING MOTION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP POSITION OR SLOW MOVEMENT. MY CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT. TRYING TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY CAN BECOME VERY NAIL BITING WHEN YOU TRY TO SPEED UP AND YOUR CAR SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL. I FIND THAT I HAVE TO PUT THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, AND GET THE RPMS TO 5, IN ORDER TO GET IT INTO GEAR. I'M SEEING FAR TOO MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS AND I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S NOT BEING RECALLED. ARE THEY WAITING FOR A FATALITY????
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE AS IF SOMETHING WERE BEING DRAGGED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE AS IF SOMETHING WERE BEING DRAGGED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,044.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND AND A SLIGHT HESITATION WAS FELT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EPS SYS…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND AND A SLIGHT HESITATION WAS FELT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EPS SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AND UPDATED. THE STEERING COUPLING WAS ALSO FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.
THE DASH LIGHTS FLASH AND THE KEY WHEN REMOVED FROM COLUMN IS HOT.
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 HA…
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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.
Official recalls
320V061000 · 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
1DP21003 · 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.