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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)

5 of 672 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 8, 2020Electrical systemCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED CAUSING ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY INJURIES OR SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER DEEMED THE VEHICLE WAS LOSS. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF UNKNOWN. INVALID VIN.

NHTSA ODI 11363470

Sep 17, 2019SteeringAirbagsElectrical systemCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL MADE POPPING NOISES AND THE STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE EXPENSIVE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOISES WORSENED AND THE VEHICLE'S HORN NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A LIGHT, THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HER BEGAN TO REVERSE INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SOUND THE HORN, BUT IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE REAR OF THE PRECEDING VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SETTLED THE MATTER THROUGH THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DAY AFTER THE CRASH, THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY SEIZED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE AIR BAG FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V115000 (AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

NHTSA ODI 11256176

Aug 23, 2018Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT WAS PUMPING AIR INTO THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE VIA THE VEHICLE'S TIRE AIR PUMP SYSTEM AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TURNED ON WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE DEALER (TEXOMA HYUNDAI, 2500 TEXOMA PKWY, SHERMAN, TX 75090, (903) 892-0999) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11121953

Nov 14, 2016Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineCrash1 injury

ON NOVEMBER 8TH, 2016, SAINT PAUL, MN, MY CAR WOULD NOT START UP. NO WARNING SIGNALS CAME ON AND JUST MADE A "CLICKING" NOISE". I CALLED HYUNDAI'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHEN THEY ARRIVED HE TOLD ME TO TRY TO START IT UP. THE CAR THEN CAME ON WHICH WAS APPROX. A 45 MINUTE WAIT. IN OCTOBER 2015- EAGAN, MN, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I FELT DIZZY, NAUSEOUS AND HAD A PANIC ATTACK. I TRIED PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP DESPITE STEPPING ON BREAKS, THE CAR KEPT PULLING TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE GRASS THAT WAS SURROUNDED WITH GRAVEL. I ENDED UP HITTING AND STOPPING AT A GUARDRAIL. THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS BLOWN AND ALONG THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER DOOR WAS SCRATCHED, THERE WAS ALSO SOME FRONT END DAMAGE WHICH GOT REPAIRED. IN APPROX. MARCH 2015- WEST SAINT PAUL, I JUST GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR LOST POWER. I STARTED IT UP, PRESSED ON THE GAS AND ENDED UP REAR ENDED THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME. IN 2014, MAPLEWOOD, MN,I WAS AT A RESTAURANT'S DRIVE-THRU AND MY CAR LOST ALL POWER AND STEERING FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES. I CALLED HYUNDAI'S ROADSIDE'S ASSISTANCE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. IN 2014, EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I CALLED HYUNDAI'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO REPORT THE INCIDENCE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED UP AND NO LONGER NEEDED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE'S TOWING SERVICE.

NHTSA ODI 10925952

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 →