There are 33 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2002 Hyundai Elantrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE BRAKE FLUID. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.
BRAKE ROTORS FEEL AS IF THERE WARPED WHEN VEHICLE SITS FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS WITHOUT DRIVING. WHEN DRIVEN AFTER THAT TIME PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE, WHEN BRAKES ARE PRESS TO STOP VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE GETS A VERY NOTICEABLE PULSATING FEEL IN THE FOOT PETAL. POSSIBLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO STOP. A DEFINITE STOPPING CONTROL HAZARD. *TR
DRIVING 25 MPH - APPROACHED STOP SIGN - BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY, NO PEDAL, PUMPED BRAKES, NO PETAL AND NO STOPPING - NO WARNING, NO BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH - RAN THROUGH A STOP SIGN UNABLE TO STOP - NO ONE WAS COMING FORTUNATELY - PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD - HAS VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. WAS ADVISED MY VEHICLE WAS 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND REPAIRS WOULD COST $1400.00 TO REPLACE A LEAKING ABS ANTI LOCK BRAKE MODULE. I QUESTIONED WHY ALL BRAKES FAILED AT ONCE WITHOUT WARNING SINCE THIS IS A DUAL MASTER CYLINDER SYSTEM WHICH SHOULD SEGREGATE BRAKING FRONT FROM REAR. I ALSO QUESTIONED WHY SUCH A SERIOUS DEFECT WOULD NOT BE COVERED SINCE THIS CAR ONLY HAS 40,000 MILES, IS 3 MONTHS BEYOND THE 5 YEAR APPLIED WARRANTY, AND REPORTEDLY HAS A 10 YEAR, 100,000 WARRANTY. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER EXACT SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR IN OUR FAMILY. I CALLED THE HYUNDAI 800 LINE FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT. THEY ADVISED ME THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND GET BACK TO ME WITHIN 2 BUSINESS DAYS. *TR
I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED ON MARCH 3, 2007, IT PASSED INSPECTION. ON MARCH 23, 2007 LOST THE BRAKES. UPON DEALER'S INSPECTION OF THE BRAKES,THEY FOUND THE PADS CAME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE SHOES. ALSO, THE WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING. THE BRAKES AND WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE FINE 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THEM BLOWING APART. NOW I AM OUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND AM VERY THANKFUL THIS OCCURRED ON A BACK ROAD AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY. SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY KILLED. *AK
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL AT 60MPH IN ICY CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A GUARD RAIL WITH MINOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A WRITTEN REPORT WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND YARD TO AWAIT INSPECTION FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE LATCH SYSTEM, THE SEAT BELT COVERED THE LATCH BRACKET.
ON 11/03/05 I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE I REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. I DID NOT REALIZE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT DID TELL THE POLICE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH EITHER THE BRAKES OR THE TIRES. I JUST HAD A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP! I FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS COASTING. THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE WAS $1,385.00 AND I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. I SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED, AFTER DUPLICATING THE INCIDENT, MY FOOT WAS ON BOTH THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR. THE BRAKE PEDAL, ON THE HYUNDAI ELANTRA, IS 2.25 INCHES FROM THE ACCELERATOR. A SIMILAR INCIDENT RESULTED IN A 424,000 VEHICLE RECALL AND CORRECTION BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN THEIR CASE THE RELATIONSHIP WAS 1.95 INCHES THIS DISTANCE TO THE ACCELERATOR, ON THE ELANTRA, WAS NOT THE MAJOR ISSUE, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ONLY ONE INCH ABOVE THE ACCELERATOR AND WHEN FULLY BRAKING THE BRAKE IS ONE INCH BELOW THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN YOU COMBINE THE TWO THE END RESULT MAY BE DEVASTATING. I HAVE A SECOND VEHICLE, A HYUNDAI SONATA, IN THIS ONE THE BRAKE IS 3.25 INCHES FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND ALSO IS 2.25 INCHES ABOVE THE ACCELERATOR. UPON BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL REMAINS .50 INCHES ABOVE THE ACCELERATOR. NO PROBLEM! *NM
DT: THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON MARCH 3, 2005, THE VEHICLE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 03V496000 ON AUGUST 10, 2005. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED THE BODY SHOP TO INSTALL AN AFTER MARKET AXLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALL REPAIRS MADE DUE TO THE AFTER-MARKET PARTS BEING INSTALLED, AND THE SENSORS WERE INSTALLED WRONGLY. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. *AK
WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WAS SO CLOSE TO THE ACCELERATOR THAT CONSUMER PRESSED BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK THE ENGINE WOULD EXCEED THE BRAKING POWER AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SPEED UP INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO STEP ON THE BRAKES HARDER WITH THE VEHICLE SPEEDING UP EVEN MORE. *SC THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. *JB
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECAL 03V496000 CONCERNING BRAKE WEAR/CORROSION: CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT RECALL REPAIRS. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE, BUT THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.*AK *NM
BRAKES WORE OUT AT 5,568 MILES. DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL PROCEDURE. *AK THE CONSUMER HEARD A RATTLING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN RESURFACED BOTH REAR DRUMS AND ADJUSTED THE BRAKES. *NM
BRAKES ENGAGE UNEVENLY CAUSING THE REAR END OF CAR TO SWING TO THE LEFT ON SNOW OR SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. THIS CAUSES LOST OF CONTROL. DEALER LOOKED AT CAR DURING SERVICING AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. *JB
PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE BRAKE HOSE RECALL 03V257000 THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER MOTORIST. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THIS OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A WHILE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE CYLINDER, TURNED THE REAR DRUMS, AND ROUNDED OUT THE LETTER. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIMES THE DEALERSHIP ROUNDED OUT THE LETTER AGAIN. THIS WAS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, AND THE NOISE CAME BACK EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB
BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE DRIVER BECAME COMATOSE. ATTORNEY FELT THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE COULD BE RELATED TO A BRAKE FLUID LEAK AS STATED IN RECALL 03V257000. *AK
THE BRAKES FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER CRASHED THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY SINCE SALT WATER WAS INVOLVED. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE CONSUMER AND THE MANUFACTURER IS IN DENIAL OF ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM THERE WAS ALSO OIL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LATER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING BRAKE FAILURE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM.*JB
BRAKE PROBLEMS, CONSUMER DOESN'T EXACTLY THE PROBLEM, BUT WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
BRAKES LOCKED UP AND SKIDDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 FT. AT BELOW SPEED LIMIT CAUSING REAR END COLLISION. CAR BUMPER WAS PUNCTURED BY TAIL PIPE OF VEHICLE IN FRONT AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN TRYING TO APPLY THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES BRAKES WILL LOCK UP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
AT LESS THAN 11,000 MILES, MY ELANTRA'S FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE TURNED AND MACHINED. NEW BRAKE PADS WERE ALSO INSTALLED. NOW AT 22,000 THE FRONT ROTORS ARE WARPED AGAIN AND ARE TOO THIN TO MACHINE AGAIN. THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. WE FEEL THESE ARE DEFECTED FROM THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE OF THE ALLOY USED IN THESE ROTORS BEING POOR QUALITY. IF A DEALERSHIP HAS 40 ROTORS SETS IN STOCK, THERE MUST BE A HEAVY DEMAND FOR THESE. I AM IN PROCESS OF WORKING W/ HYUNDAI ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES CONSUMER FELT VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND VEHICLE STARTED MOVING BACK AND FORTH ERRATICALLY. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND COLLIDED INTO THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. TWO PEOPLE WERE IN THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND HEAD BRUISES. VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP FIVE TIMES FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. *AK *NM
Showing 1–20 of 33 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026