2018 Hyundai Elantra problems
Owners have filed 410 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Elantra. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 36% of complaints. After that come electrical system (10%) and drivetrain & axles (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 410 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 36% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 12
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 28,000 miles 124 complaints with mileage
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%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 59 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 20 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 9 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 124 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 28,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 38,000 miles (41 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 12 complaints mention a fire; 8 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 34 model years of the Hyundai Elantra with enough data (286 complaints in that window).
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.
Had a car accident, airbags did not deploy but the airbag light was on. Insurance inspector said they inflated but did not come out of their housing. The airbags did not deploy upon impact. I attached pictures of the accident to show the airbags did not deploy.
I was in a car accident. I was hit on the passenger rear side and the car spun out of control but none of the airbags deployed. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer but we did reach out to them and are in the process of filling out a questionnaire. The vehicle is currently being assessed in a body shop as we work with the insurance to see the final damages.
These new cars do not have a manual release for the trunk anymore - making them extremely dangerous. The only way to open the trunk is by releasing the level on the very front driver's side or you must have the keys in your hand. So the car is parked and my son goes out with a friend to get a poster out of the trunk and shuts the door on his hand by accident. - or should I say the trunk came down on his hand and locked his hand inside!
Passenger seat air bag indicator flashes and warning sound indicates seat belt is not buckled when nobody is in the seat. When accelerating, there are multiple hesitations where the car feels like it is in park or neutral. After about 15-30 seconds, the car starts accelerating normally
I have mid 26k miles I checked my brake fluid and pads they are both good. The brakes for the past 3 months roughly 15k miles (I drive 5k miles a month) have been spongy and soft. Unless I hit the brakes hard they barely work. Sometimes I have. To pump my brakes 2 or 3 times to have them feel normal. I'm going to take my car to the dealership and look over the ABS system and braking system since it seems very unsafe and I have a newborn. It seems like the car only does it at speeds above 25 or 30MPH