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What 672 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Hyundai Elantra Gt

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (672)Crash / fire / injury (64)Engine (139)Electrical system (129)Airbags (128)Brakes (96)Steering (90)Suspension (51)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (44)Transmission & drivetrain (43)Speed control (27)Visibility & wipers (19)

11 of 672 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 3, 2024BrakesFire

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine compartment had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage junkyard. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle would be destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11617985

Feb 29, 2024BrakesFire

The contact’s friend owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact’s friend received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the friend was leaving the store and driving out of a parking space, the friend heard a noise coming from the engine and observed black smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact's friend attempted to put the vehicle in park but was unsuccessful. While driving at 5 MPH, the front of the vehicle struck the curb and stopped. No warning light was illuminated. There were no injuries. The Fire Department and Police Department arrived on the scene. The Fire Department extinguished the fire. The contact stated the Fire Department and Police Department filed incident reports. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11574699

Dec 22, 2023BrakesFire

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, she noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she immediately veered to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact stated that she opened the hood, and saw fire. The contact stated that she went across the street and called 911. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle and the dashboard burned. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report and a police report were filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 ( Service Brakes, Hydraulic) that she related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11561458

Dec 4, 2023SteeringBrakesCrash

Car went off the road in the snow and was totalled. Brakes did not lock or vibrate to alert that the car was starting to slide

NHTSA ODI 11558420

Oct 8, 2020BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND THEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD CAUSING THE DISTANCE TO BE EXTENDED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT AND THE OTHER DRIVER DID NOT SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOW IMPOUND LOT DUE TO THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING AND WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURE WERE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100.

NHTSA ODI 11363434

Dec 21, 2019Body & structureElectronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash

STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION, I LOSE CONTROL AND THE BRAKE APPLIED UNEXPECTEDLY AND THE CRASH MY CAR I AM OK BUT I HAVE DAMAGE IN MY CAR. I WENT TO DEALER FOR THIS RECALL AND THEY DID NOT FIXED NOW I DONT KNOW IF THEY ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT

NHTSA ODI 11290654

Jun 30, 2019AirbagsSeat beltsBrakesCrash2 injuries

2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA COLLISION TO DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. DRIVERS SIDE AND DRIVERS AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11228458

Jan 11, 2017SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash1 injury

I JUST CRASHED THIS CAR YESTERDAY, 01/09/2017 ON RT. 724 BETWEEN BIRDSBORO, PA AND GIBRALTAR, PA. I WAS DRIVING WITH A 50-55 MPH ON A 55 MPH ROAD GOING TO WORK WITH ALMOST NO TRAFFIC. I WAS DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN IT HAPPENED, I WAS NOT EVEN TURNING.THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND NO DISTRACTIONS. SUDDENLY, THE CAR WHEELS WENT LEFT AND RIGHT AND THEN ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT TAKING ME TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CRASHING THE CAR IN A DITCH THEN FLIPPING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE(I ATTACHED PICTURES). MY TRIALS TO TURN IT BACK TO THE RIGHT ALL FAILED. EMT CAME AND WERE ABLE TO GET ME OUT. I ALMOST GOT KILLED. I DON'T DRINK OR SMOKE. I HEARD OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ABOUT THE STEERING IN ELANTRA. THE CAR HAS ONLY 56000 MILES ON IT. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS WITH STEERING. I FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO STEERING AT ALL. HYUNDAI MOTORS SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR SUCH FAULTS IN THEIR CARS AND AFFECTED OWNERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE HYUNDAI AGAIN. (THE PICTURE SHOWING THE TIRE MARKS WAS TAKEN A FEW HOURS AFTER THE CRASH. IT SHOWS THAT THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AND CLEAN). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10944231

Mar 18, 2016Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH IN RAINY CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE BACK AND ARMS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V871000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL), BUT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,200.

NHTSA ODI 10850428

Feb 22, 2016Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED KNEE AND CHEST INJURIES, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V871000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10837566

Mar 14, 2014Electrical systemAirbagsBrakesCrash2 injuries

DRIVER ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE BUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AND HIT ANOTHER CAR, ALSO UPON IMPACT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOYED TO PROTECT THE DRIVER CONSIDERING HOW SEVERELY THE FRONT AREA OF THE CAR WERE DAMAGED. 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, CAR WAS NOT STARTING, WAS JUMPED- START AND VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO HYUNDAI SERVICE AND THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10569243

Working with the data? Download all 672 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Hyundai Elantra Gt verdict →