There are 14 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2002 Hyundai Elantrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE, AS THE TIRES SCREECHED. HE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. *JB
MY 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ACCELERATED AFTER MAKING A HESITATION AND A VERY LOUD NOISE. I CRASHED INTO A TREE HEAD ON AND HAD MULTIPLE INJURIES. A WITNESS SAID HE HEARD THE LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR TAKE OFF WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF SPEED. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE TOWING YARD, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS STILL WIDE OPEN WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR TO MOVE IT. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND FILLED OUT PAPERWORK THEY REQUESTED AND THEY SENT A GENTLEMAN DOWN TO CHECK THE AUTO OVER AND SCAN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, WITHIN THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE INSPECTION I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI STATING THE INSPECTION FOUND NO PROBLEMS. I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE REPORT AND WAS DENIED. I CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY AND HYUNDAI ALSO REFUSED TO GIVE HIM THE REPORT STATING "CONFIDENTIALLY PRIVILEGES. I'M THE ONLY OWNER OF THE AUTO AND FEEL THAT HYUNDAI IS HIDING SOMETHING SINCE THEY REFUSE TO TURN OVER THE REPORT. HYUNDAI REPLACED THE MOTOR IN APP.2004 BECAUSE IT BLEW UP AFTER THEY REPAIRED A RECALL. *TR
2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH MATS THAT CURL UNDER THE ACCELERATOR CUSTOMER STATES THAT HIS CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING A ACCIDENT**CC THE CONSUMER PROVIDED AN ARTICLE THAT DETAILS THE SAME PROBLEM HE WAS HAVING WITH HIS VEHICLE. *TR
2002 ELANTRA SURGED FORWARD WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *TS THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THE VIOLENT ACCELERATION AS POSSIBLY BEING DUE TO THE THICK RUBBER FLOOR MAT WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN WEDGE UNDER THE ACCELERATOR, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DISAGREED WITH THAT THEORY STATING WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE FLOOR MAT WAS AT LEAST 6-9 INCHES AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATOR. THE CONSUMER, HIS WIFE AND THE MECHANIC ALL EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *JB
DT: 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD TO BE ORDERED. WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE THE THROTTLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD, THERE WAS NO VISIBLE PROBLEM. THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT STUCK EITHER. *NM *TT
DT: CONSUMER'S MOTHER DROVE THIS VEHICLE. ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. ONE INCIDENT WAS IN A STORE PARKING LOT, THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND IT REVVED UP LIKE A JET ENGINE, AND DID 2 1/2 CIRCLES. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF TO STOP IT.*AK *JB
WHEN I STARTED MY CAR THE ENGINE WAS REVVING SUPER HIGH. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME. ITS HAPPENED SINCE APRIL 2004 PURCHASE DATE. I ALMOST HIT A PARKED CAR THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURED. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WHEN I SHIFTED OUT OF "PARK"*AK
WHILE COMING TO A STOP THE RPMS TEMPORALLY RACED AT A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK *TC
CONSUMER IS HEARING A WHISTLING NOISE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ,AND HAD TO BE TOWED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE PISTON TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *AK *SC *JB
THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE FASTER. *JB
WHEN AT A STAND STILL AND FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SURGED FORWARD. TS
AFTER ABOUT 4,000 MILES THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A FLAT SPOT IN THE ENGINE RIGHT AT ABOUT 4000 RPM.IT IS ANNOYING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PASS ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE TO RESET THE ECM ABOUT EVERY 1500-2000 MILES. AFTER I RESET THE ECM. THE FLAT SPOT,OR LAG, IS GONE FOR ABOUT 1500-2000 MILES. I HAVE HAD TO RESET IT ABOUT 5 TIMES SO FAR. TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS HAVE BEEM ABLE TO LOCATE ,OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER DESCRIBES UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION ISSUES *GR THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHICH RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS.
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