NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Panorama sunroof exploded while underway on highway. Glass collapsed into vehicle interior.
Recently my car has had trouble starting, and the engine has sounded weak while running. While out my engine light came on the dash. I took my car to the parts store and they put the computer on to read the engine light. It stated that there are misfires in the coils. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. This put people inside the car at a risk as a engine failure couldve happened at full speed. No this has vehicle has not been inspected. My dash had zero lights on, until the engine light came on. This is my daily driver and can not afford this vehicle to be down.
Steering Coupler inside steering motor has disintegrate. Causing a clanking noise as you turn the steering wheel. There is just a service bulletin recommending you switch this part out, but no recall yet. If the coupler bushing were to completely disintegrate you would have a locked steering column or lose complete control of your electric steering.
The airbag light turned on about a month ago, and it stays on for a while then goes off then goes back on and so on. It is very disturbing that this could be a life threatening issue. My tire pressure sensor light is always on. I check the pressure at least once a week to make sure it’s okay, but the light is always on.
Subframe is rotted. It snapped while driving; braking the control arm in the process. The lives of my children and myself were put at risk. If we had been on a busy road or highway, ourselves and others would have been at serious risk of sever injury and/or possible death. It has not been seen by a service center, incident happened 11/29/2021. The vehicle was inspected by a personal mechanic to find the cause of the malfunction. There were know warning signs before the component failure.
Confirmed the customer's complaint &found the engine didn't start. Inspected the ignition system & the air intake system, but found no concerns. Inspected the engine coolant level & condition & found the engine coolant level was fair. Filled the engine coolant to the proper operating level & continued diagnosing the vehicle. Connected an engine coolant pressure tester to the radiator & pressurized the engine cooling system to check for leaks. Inspected the engine cooling system & didn't find a leak. Removed the spark plugs for inspection & found the spark plugs were contaminated but Ok. Perform inspections of the engine compression & found compression was low. Under 60PSI. Prop the wiring to the starter & found signal was present & the starter cranks but the engine would not turn over. These results verified that Some internal components in the engine have failed. *NOTE: Found ignition coil cylinder 1 fault, causing P0301. Misfire. Replace with new ignition coil pack The tech inspected the engine. Found no obvious fault. No warning indicator. The computer shows the engine is running normally. He did check all the components & found a couple that was weak or will be going bad soon. The ignition coil for the remaining 3 cylinders is firing slightly weak. There are 4 coils, you replace 1, the remaining 3 are from the old engine, original until now. He's recommending having those coil packs replaced. That's helped the spark plug fire more properly. Also, the oxygen sensor on the exhaust pipe. the reading shows the O2 is switched late, meaning the electronic sensor is getting weak. It will fail soon, once it does, it will set the engine light .Engine Mounts: Right: With the engine at idle, performed an inspection of the engine compartment and found the engine shook. Turned the engine off & performed a visual inspection of the engine compartment & found that an engine mount was weak or damaged. The issue has been ongoing for months prior to this issue.
The AirBag light came on the dash. It is red , when I started the car . I guess that means the drivers side air bag Is not working.
My paint is coming off in pieces on the hood. It starting doing this at 97,800 miles.
It's the truck latch issue that is being recalled on many vehicles. Might just locked (truck) and will not open. I will have to bring it in to the dealer but believe that my vehicle should be on the recall list as others have the same problem. Please help. Thank you.
I have an issue with my paint peeling off the hood and other parts of my car in large sections during rain and high winds adhering to the windshield hindering my field of vision at times. This has forced me to stop the vehicle on the roadside and remove it in order for me to continue. The paint peeling on the pearl white vehicles is a known issue since 2010. I've contacted the manufacturer numerous times over the past two years and they basically told me that they already knew about it and oh well. There's nothing they're going to do because the warranty has expired.
Just bought this car used for my teenager. 127,000 miles and inspected by a mechanic and cleared with no issues. Brought it home and have driven it ONCE and it has started making a clicking sound that goes away once the car warms up. Took it back to the mechanic who said it is a piston issue and the engine will need to be replaced. $4-7k to replace an engine on a car I just paid $9k to buy. I went looking online for more information and have seen numerous complaints and even a law suit settled out of court for this exact same issue but no recall. This is nuts. That it is known that the pistons are bad on this car and can potential blow up the engine and need replacing but nothing has been done to fix it.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 - 30 mph, her vehicle crashed into another vehicle's front and rear passenger doors when the other driver ran a red light. No air bags deploy upon impact. The contact and her daughter, who was a passenger sustained bruising to their knees, and the contact's head jerked forward and back from the impact. The contact received medical attention on the scene and was later admitted to the hospital, while her daughter went to urgent care. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Fuse system car completely shut off fuse blowing causes different things to stop working I almost got in a accident cause the fuse that ran the car blowed car stop in middle of the highway I have a Friend with same type car fuse blows out even when it's not broken
The HYUNDAI Genuine OEM Flexible Steering Couple 56315-2K000FFF has failed. The steering wheel clicks and has a clunking feel and is getting more pronounced. There is a manufacturing design flaw in the rubber compound causing it to disintegrate within the unit. For some reason, all Hyundai Elantra models using this coupler are covered under a manufacturers special warranty with the exception of the Coupe Models that they made for only 2 years.
The subframe bushing that holds engine in place has deteriorated. With this issue as you hit potholes, rough roads, the subframe assembly shifts allowing vehicle to sway and drift out of the lane. This is a severe problem as I made several emergency stops due to the car vibrating and pulling extremely hard to the right at which steering wheel was straight an tires where straight. With this shifting if the bolts where to break off you lose complete control of vehicle except for your braking whether it's city or highway driving. With 2 lane roads and ditches if this was to happen you can be looking at a fatal accident or very severe accident. This issue needs to be addressed as it is a safety concern whenever this issue starts to present itsslf.
At approximately 35,000 to 45,000 miles my car started stopping violently on its own. It would jerk violently,make loud grinding and squealing noises and stop randomly on its own free will. This started happening repeatedly. Then after it would happen the car would not go when pressing the gas pedal. It would take quite a while before the car would get momentum back. This became very dangerous to myself and my kids. I purchased this car brand new. I got rid of it by trading it in at 78,000 miles. I contacted Hyundai and tried to resolve the issue and they were no help whatsoever.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
There was a recall on previous Hyundai models for this same issue. The HYUNDAI Genuine OEM Flexible Steering Couple 56315-2K000FFF. I began to notice a slight sound a year ago, & it got worse. This is a KNOWN issue, yet Hyundai is saying its not a recall. This is an $8.00 part but in a spot that will cost $300+ in labor. This is a manufacture design flaw that should have never happened. Driving down the road the wheel is not stable.
There was a recall on previous Hyundai models for this same issue. The HYUNDAI Genuine OEM Flexible Steering Couple 56315-2K000FFF. Has failed some time ago and we had no idea it was this dangerous until today. The steering wheel would click and has done so for a long time over 2 years and we noticed it getting much worse so we looked up videos and parts to see what it could be. This is a manufacture design flaw that should have never happened. Driving down the road the wheel is not stable and bumps or thumps and is also very distracting while driving. The biggest concern is that it makes you think that the steering is going to fail and you will crash. If Hyundai did this to make people come in for a repair to just get money at the expense of fearful customers this is a corporate wrong that needs to be corrected and force them to repair all these at no cost for the life of the car and redesign these so this never happens again.
I was driving my 2013 elantra on the highway and I hit a chuck hole the engine shut off and was stuck in the middle of traffic.I also have had instances when I will be in traffic and car will shut off sometimes the car will restart immediately and sometimes it will not. The car has a box on the battery that will also become loose from vibration that will prevent car from restarting. Thank God I was able to put car I. Neutral and restart it. This poses a safety risk for not only myself but others. also have had problems with the steering when you hit a bumb or a rough spot on the road car starts to shake and the ability to maintain control is effected.. the brake lights jeep blowing. This car is just a safety haza6 period. It is the worst car I have ever have and regret everyday that I bought it. They should order not only safety recalls but a recall for all cars made in 2013
1. There is an electrical issue with the power steering. 2. This poses a HUGE safety risk, as the power steering could completely give out and we could lose control of the vehicle. 3. A local mechanic we use confirmed this. 4. No warning lights came on. We had started to hear a "clunking" or "knocking" sound when turning the wheel so took it in to get inspected.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the airbag warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
I am having trouble with the exterior lights on my vehicle. That includes brake lights, tail lights, head lights, turn signals (front and rear). I am constantly replacing them as one or several are always out. My safety and/or the safety of others are put at risk because of no brake lights, someone may rear end me, or having difficulty seeing in front of me at night when head lights fail. I've taken my vehicle to several different locations to have my bulbs changed, and I've also changed a few myself. There is no way to know when a brake light is out, unless I'm getting an oil change, as I did today, and had to pay to have two more bulbs replaced, and thankfully he was kind enough to charge the 3rd at no cost. I've also been pulled over to let me know my bulbs weren't working, or having random people in traffic let me know.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated she was unable to open the trunk manually or with the key. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the tailgate latch to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,300. The VIN was not available.
Driver side airbag dash light goes on and off (mostly on). No accident or previous deployment of the airbag. Also, while under warranty the tail light and break light wiring was replaced as they would burn out approx. every 6 months. One light after another: tail light, break light, blinker, etc. It's happening again... seems to be a wiring or component issue. Have to keep bulbs in the car with me at all times.
El auto comienza a tambalearse cuando va a velocidad y pasa por una carretera inestable. El guía tiembla como si el auto se fuera a salir de la carretera.
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra's EPS light locks my steering wheel mid driving. The traction control light also comes on simultaneously, causing me to be unable to steer at an array of speeds.
The airbag light on my hyundai elantra has been turning on for a couple of minutes when i start the vehicle and then will turn off. After a few more minutes it will happen again as if there is a malfunction with the airbags and the computer is trying to trouble shoot the problem but still finding an error. I would like a follow up to insure that if someone were to hit my vehicle that the airbags would deploy properly.
My airbag light on dashboard is remaining on dashboard and vehicle check in progress is reported on my radio display information when i begin to start driving my car for past several weeks i have reset light as informed but does not correct the problem. i have had steering wheel bracket replaced and never have had a problem before now. I am a single mother of two and i rely on my airbags incase of accident for me an my family. How do i resolve this issue?
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated the while driving at various speeds, while slowing down, the vehicle consistently lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter sensor needed to be replaced. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V769000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage 145,000.
After the completion of my work shift, I return to my vehicle and discovered a fire has taken place. Lucky, the fire didn't get out of control and wasn't active at the time. The passenger seat was completely burnt including the seat covers and the items in the seat. The items in the seat included: Steak & shake leftover trash, and a perfume bottle. This fire also damaged a door dash bag that I had in the back passenger seat. Not to mention, the impact of the fire that created black duct all over the vehicle windshields, radio, seats, dashboard etc... No police report, nor fire report has been reported at this given time.
I will upload the files. I wrote to Hyundai complaining that I needed to be reimbursed for an expense I incurred with my car. See attachments.
I have only had this car for three months. Two weeks ago the Air Bag light OFF kept appearing while driving. Then 3 days ago the driver side seat belt locked. It will NOT release. I have read a lot of forums from many others with the same problem from Hyundai cars. The dealership charges 500-1500$ just to fix 1 seatbelt. Its a safety problem as well as fraud.
After starting car i tried to put the driver left side seatbelt on. It seemed to be stuck and would not budge after trying to pull over me. I noticed other people who owned Hyundai cars same year also had the same trouble. When I called the dealership they gave me a quote of $500. Not only does is this a safety hazard but fraudulent as well. Hyundai Corporation sent me a letter stating it was not a lemon. I never said it was. But it is defective and should be recalled!
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the traction control warning light illuminated and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was making an abnormal sound. The contact switched to ECON mode and the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was awaiting a callback from the dealer. The contact researched the failure online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V061000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the Vin was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Air bag lights has been on for quite some time. Reason: Unknown Engine light is on: Diagnose something dealing with taking on too much fuel Steering wheel: clicking every time I hit a bump or turn the wheel
I have an 8 year old 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. For the past month I have had several incidences where the accelerator to the car does not work. This has occurred getting on the freeway, going up hills, attempting to "go" when stopped at a red light, etc. The accelerator virtually does not work even though my foot is pressed on the gas pedal to the floor board. There are not safety warnings on the dashboard to warn me of this malfunction. The check engine light has come on and off but not consistent with these episodes. I have taken the car to the Hyundai dealer for service and they have been unable to find the problem telling me the codes are all ok and that the technician drove the car several miles and could not replicate the problem. I have found several blogs and posts with the exact same problem I have been having. I cannot drive my car for fear of it not accelerating as I get onto the freeway with the cars honking at me as I have had to manually move my car out of oncoming traffic. I told the dealer when I took it in today not to give it back until they tell me what the problem is. I can't even trade it in knowing it is unsafe to drive due to the "mysterious" accelerator problem. The dealer states the problem could be due to many reasons but it will be cost prohibitive to attempt to just go through a list in an attempt to find the problem. I know there is no recall on this issue but it is a serious safety hazard. I don't know what to do.
The contact's wife owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal clicking noise would emit from the engine without warning. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the clicking noise was a knocking noise that could potentially lead to engine failure. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where they acknowledged that metal shavings had entered the engine which caused the knocking noise. He was then informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure. An email was sent to the manufacturer to reconsider placing the vehicle under warranty however, the contact had not received a response. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
When I start up and drive my car, the airbag light is on and it reamins on. I have nothing on or against the seat. Not sure if this means airbags are malfunctioning?
MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULDN'T START, BUT IT BEGAN MAKING THIS KNOCKING NOISE. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THIS, BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING AND THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF WAS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. AND THAT'S WHEN I HEARD THE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE.
I own a 2013 elantra and was sent in the mail in the spring a class action lawsuit from Hyundai stating there was an engine piston knock which could lead to engine failure. There was a timeframe to submit the claim to coorprate so I brough the vehical in to be diagnosed with the engine issue. Sport Hyundai had the car for months stating they were waiting for the tool. First the wrong size was ordered then the tool broke. The dealership had our car for about four months and still didn't have the correct tool. So I had the car moved to Millville dealership which finally after six months of having the car was diagnosed and by that time cooperate office said we missed the deadline. I was back and forth with the dealership and cooperate stating the issues. No one helped us I have documentation that when we brought the vehicle in to be diagnosed when it was moved to another dealership. No one has helped I reached out to cooperate multiple times and they stated there was nothing they can do. The car we now have back still with the engine knock that could lead to engine failure or catching on fire while driving.
MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY WANT $185 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. SHOULDN'T AIRBAGS AND SAFETY BE COVERED BY THE DEALER IF NO ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED? I AM DRIVING WITHOUT AN AIRBAG RIGHT NOW DUE TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THE AIRBAG LIGHT JUST APPEARED ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
My car was gone because the brakes were not properly working the day of my accident.
MY CAR WAS REPAIRED FOR NOISE IN ENGINE A YEAR AND HALF LATER MAKING SAME NOISE WHY IS THAT? THE COMPUTER WAS UPDATED WHEN I GOT THE RECALL ON IT NOW I HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME SOUND OF ENGINE
WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CAR STEERING BECAME HARD AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN. DUE TO STEERING ISSUE I COULDNT KEEP CAR IN MY LANE AND I WAS ABOUT TO CRASH INTO OTHER CARS. AFTER PULLING CAR ON THE SIDE WITH EXTREME FORCE ON STEERING. AND CHECKING TIRES PRESSURE, IT WAS NORMAL. UNDER THE HOOD ALL FLUIDS AND OIL WERE NORMAL. COULDNT FIND POWER STEERING FLUID TANK. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE FOUND OUT IT ONLY HAS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SO NO STEERING FLUID AND MANY HYUNDAI CAR HAS/HAD SAME ISSUE. IN FACT HYUNDAI HAS RECALLED CARS UPTO 2011 FOR THIS ISSUE. EVEN HIGHWAY PETROL SERVICE OFFICER SAID HIS 2012 ELANTRA HAD SAME ISSUE. FYI EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, IT WAS PURCHASED AROUND APR 2012, SO IT IS EARLY 2012 BUILT WITH POSSIBLY 2011 COMPONENTS.
MY STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING A CLANKING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN IT AND WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP OR GO DOWN A MOUNTAIN IT DOES IT LOUDER. IM JUST SCARED IT WILL BREAK AND THEN WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN
The car experienced (1) poor acceleration, (2) check engine light come on, (3) engine stalling, (4) Tachometer drops to zero. It was first found the MAP sensor was faulty. After the sensor was replaced, the car ran but stalled again intermittently. It was found the problem was caused by crank shaft position sensor (fault code P0335). After the senor was replaced about three weeks ago, the car has been running fine.
THE TRUNK'S LATCH FAILS TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I TRIED USING A LONG SCREWDRIVER TO RELEASE THE LATCH FROM THE INSIDE AND IT WON'T GIVE IN, EVEN WHEN I TRY OPENING FROM THE OUTSIDE AT THE SAME TIME. I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS ON AND IN PARK. I ALSO FAILED TO OPEN IT WITH THE CAR OFF AND THE CAR IN PARK.
HYUNDAI HAS A KNOWN FACTORY DEFECTIVE MOTOR FOR MY MODEL OF CAR. IT IS PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CALLED THE ENGINE COLD ENGINE DEFECTIVE MOTOR CASE. MY MODEL AND LOCATION MAKES ME ELIGIBLE FOR A NEW MOTOR. HYUNDAI IS DENYING ME A NEW MOTOR BASED ON A REBUILT TITLE. MY CAR WAS REAR-ENDED AND THE BODY WAS REBUILT. THE ENGINE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE ACCIDENT. MY ENGINE IS KNOCKING AND WILL SEIZE UP AND QUIT ANYTIME IF MY MOTOR IS NOT REPLACED, WHICH HYUNDAI IS REFUSING TO DO. THEY ARE KNOWINGLY SENDING ME DOWN THE ROAD WITH A FACTORY DEFECTIVE MOTOR THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SEIZE UP ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS MOTOR SHOULD BE RECALLED BY HYUNDAI SO THAT ALL OF US EFFECTED ARE ABLE TO DRIVE SAFELY.
THE ESC LIGHT ILLUMINATES PERIODICALLY AND WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS 25 MPH. I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE ESC SYSTEM OFF FOR SAFETY REASONS, BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE DISASTROUS ON THE FREEWAY OR HIGHWAY. THERE ARE NO OBD2 CODES THAT ARE IN THE SYSTEM. I CHANGED OUT THE STEERING FLEX COUPLER, BECAUSE IT HAD DISINTEGRATED, AND WAS MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026