1996 Hyundai Elantra problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Hyundai Elantra. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 16% of complaints. After that come electrical system (13%) and transmission (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 138 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 11 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 2
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 11 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported; 2 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1996 ranks 29th most-complained-about out of 34 model years of the Hyundai Elantra with enough data (90 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
In this accident I was travelling at about 45MPH when I came to an intersection. The light was red and about to turn green. When the light turned green the car that was sitting at the intersection did not go. I ran directly in the back of a 1998 chevy cavilar. I hit the steering wheel and the wind sheild. The air bag didn't deploy.
When vehicle was involved in a inter-sectional crash, traveling about 25 MPH, there was no deployment of air bags. The vehicle was totalled. The crash buckled the fire wall.
The engine check light is on while vehicle is in motion. The vehicle caught fire prior to this incident . The vehicle has been into the dealer several times. The dealer has not been able to pinpoint the problem.
Driver's side door handle and window handle(manual windows) broke. There was no abnormal usage--just normal wear. However, the interior plastic handles are poorly made. What if I have to exit the car quickly in an emergency???
Windshield wiper arm - location point that connects to the linkage stripped causing it in wet weather to send the wipers to go completely go out pass the end of windshield.