What 1,293 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Gt

My engine has a piston slap. I have the 1.8l 4cy nu engine. It causes the car to stall unexpectedly creating a potential for serious accidents.

NHTSA ODI 11697517

I was never informed through mail, email, or phone call about a potential fire hazard safety recall from Hyundai. In turn, due to my unawareness of the recall, my 2013 Elantra’s ABS pump had caught on fire, melted into the control module, and melted the ABS electrical harness to the module, short circuiting the ECU and starter as well.

NHTSA ODI 11619075

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal became loose while depressing and the steering wheel was abnormally stiff. An unknown warning light illuminated. In addition, the driver saw an abnormal amount of smoke coming from under the hood and had inhaled smoke while attempting to exit the vehicle. The vehicle caught on fire moments later when the driver safely exited the vehicle. The local fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No police report was filed. The driver sustained minor injuries but no medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to an insurance lot for further investigation. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000. 

NHTSA ODI 11617715

I was driving under 10 miles an hr because the roads were still wet from the night before as i am on the ramp to get on the highway barely turning the wheel it locks all the lights come on the dashboard such as abs and i crash into a railing because i couldn't move anything. Again only last week after this has been supposedly resolved driving barely going 2 miles my bf was actually driving and again roads were wet same thing all the abs sensor lights come on the dash the wheel locks and the car doesn't move, it's scary and ridiculous the amount of others I have found experiencing the same issue and from that accident I can barely drive now my anxiety and ptsd from the event has even affected my work so now I am losing money I didn't think I would ever fear being in a car and I hope you guys fix this so no one experiences what I am currently experiencing.

NHTSA ODI 11614022

My daughter had a tire blow out which caused the passenger side airbag to deploy. A piece of trim approximately 32 inches long flew off from the passenger's side hitting my daughter in the head and causing a concussion and requiring an emergency room visit.. Hyundai performed an investigation and stated the airbags deployed like they should have but refused to acknowledge the cause of my daughter's injury and would not discuss it further.

NHTSA ODI 11613635

I took my car into Hyundai due to the recall sent out to car owners. I had my ABS and Brake light that went on randomly around September. I scheduled an appointment and took it in to get it checked. Hyundai sent me away stating there were no parts to fix the issue and told me to pay for a diagnostic if I needed it looked at and to wait until the recall is remedied. Two months later my car exploded and caught fire while parked on my property putting my life and home at risk. As well as my neighbors lives who came in to help me Put out the fire.

NHTSA ODI 11591542

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for approximately 7 hours and upon starting, the ABS and traction control warning lights. The contact began to drive to her residence and an abnormal humming sound was present from the engine compartment. Upon arriving at her destination, the vehicle was parked in the driveway and a neighbor who was a firefighter disconnected the battery to the vehicle. Shortly afterward, flames were coming from the driver-side engine compartment. The fire was extinguished on its own and the fire department did not come to the scene. A police and fire report was not filed. There were no injuries reported. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and informed an inspector would inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 135,000. The VIN was invalid.

NHTSA ODI 11590458

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the ABS warning light was illuminated and a smoke odor was present inside the vehicle. The contact was able to enter a nearby gas station to inspect the vehicle. While attempting to inspect the hood, the contact noticed smoke and a few flames coming from the passenger's side engine compartment near the ABS module. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with sand and the fire was caught in time. A fire department report and a police department report were not filed. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.  The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 190,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11588517

Traffic ahead of me rapidly decelerated. Upon applying the brakes, the peddle froze and then went to the floor without any resistance. I attempted to pump the brakes without success. I impacted the car ahead of me at 40 mph, the posted speed limit, creating substantial damage to both vehicles. The brakes failed to operate and the airbags failed to deploy upon impact. The vehicle failed to slow down and was reacting as if the accelerator was stuck. There were no system warnings at the time of the accident or afterwards. Braking abilities resumed immediately after impact. There is no visible evidence of any fluid leaks, brake fluid or otherwise. The vehicle was last serviced by the dealership for an oil change at the end of January 2024. A brake inspection was performed at that time. I was aware of a recall notice Campaign 251 regarding the brake ABS system. When I inquired at the last service date, I was informed no fix was available at that time. Current mileage is 49,779. I am still in the process of locating a repair shop.

NHTSA ODI 11584131

My 2013 Hyundai starter would not stop trying to start the car even when the ignition was off and the key was not in the ignition. Then it got so hot it caught fire and destroyed the alternator as well as the starter. It was so hot it melted the alternator. Also the plastic that is used to hold the headlamps and other engine parts has disintegrated. I barely touch what's left and the plastic crumbles apart. My car no longer has the plastic under the hood. I use tape to hold up the lights. Car was stopped and in a parking lot when this happened.

NHTSA ODI 11583926

A vehicle fire occurred while the vehicle was parked in an open carport, and caused significant fire damage estimated at approximately $2,000. No injuries occurred. Due to early actions of residents and neighbors, the fire was confined to the vehicle and it did not spread to the carport or single family dwelling. The fire originated in the engine compartment, and was probably due to an internal brake fluid leak within the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module, which caused an electrical failure or malfunction. The vehicle has one (1) open safety recall that is incomplete at this time, and a remedy is not yet available. The vehicle owner stated that the ABS, Engine, and Traction warnings lamps did recently come on. The insurance company involved was notified of this vehicle fire, and may have examined or inspected the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11583637

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated while attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle crashed into a curb. The contact stated that her daughter occupied the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The contact stated that the passenger side front tire hit the curb and the tire was damaged. The vehicle was undrivable, the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 89,205.

NHTSA ODI 11561103

The steering coupler failed, causing the tires to turn back and forth (oscillate) while the driver held the steering wheel steady. The vehicle went out of control and spun out on wet pavement. The driver could feel the steering wheel go thunk-thunk-thunk back and forth, as the servomotor for the electric power steering system went out of control. The failed coupler is between the servomotor and the power steering rack. The free play from the defective steering coupler allows the electric power steering system to turn the tires WITHOUT any input from the steering wheel or driver, causing the vehicle to become unstable and spin out. Hyundai has a TSB on this issue [XXX] , but Hyndai says that this issue is a non-safety clunk noise. FALSE. This is a safety issue where the electric power steering system turns the tires (wheels) back and forth WITHOUT driver input. This causes the vehicle to become unstable, almost killing my wife. This IS a NHTSA safety issue, not a noise complaint. Hyundai falsely classified this problem as a noise issue, not a safety issue. This is a known defect that is falsely classified as a non-safety issue, escaping a NHTSA recall notice. This is a safety issue where the steering becomes unstable as the servomotor goes crazy due to the extra play or slop in the failed coupler. The safety issue is unrecoverable on wet or snowy pavement. On dry pavement it is annoying and unstable. This issue is also very dangerous and causes oversteer (spin outs) when the wheels hit an expansion joint at an angle. The vehicle oscillates and spins out, as the electric power steering system becomes unstable. It is terrible. This TSB needs to be reclassified properly as a safety recall. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11557022

The steering went out, causing me to crash, car flipped. Steering was making this clicking/popping noise for a long time. I see on line a lot of other people experience this and also crashes.

NHTSA ODI 11547750

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that after she had parked the vehicle in her residential driveway and had turned the vehicle off after shifting to park (P) she had noticed that the "vehicle in a skid" symbol was illuminated. The contact was in her residence when she began to smell a burning odor. The contact observed that white smoke was being emitted from under the hood. The contact stated that her father used a garden hose to attempt to cool the hood off but was unable to open the hood. The contact stated that the fire department was called, however the engine compartment had been engulfed in flames. The contact stated that the fire department arrived and the firemen had pried open the hood and extinguished the flames with water. The contact stated that the engine had been damaged and all plastic parts and hoses had been melted. The contact stated that fire had caused the air bags to deploy and had melted the dash board. The contact stated that the police arrived on scene and wrote an incident report. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 63,666.

NHTSA ODI 11535029

I had a rear tire blowout causing the car to stop rapidly causing me to hit my face on the steering wheel so hard I got knocked out . My foot pressed on the gas and I hit a parked car. And my airbags never deployed. Insurance didn't pay my claim because it wasy falt I hit a parked car. Because I was knocked out. I don't remember anything about 30 seconds before the accident. Had my airbags worked maybe I could have remembered what really happened. When the collusion center inspected my car they said a defect in the car was the cause of my accident. But the insurance already denied the claim. The yellow tab was the airbag sensor

NHTSA ODI 11530037

The driver owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra with 37,657 miles. While slowly turning left into a parking space, the car had a sudden acceleration event. The Elantra sped into the parking space and ran over two concrete parking spot blocks. The Elantra glanced off a grey pickup truck and scraped by a grey SUV. The Elantra entered the empty parking space opposite the SUV and proceeded to impact the side of a blue car in an adjacent spot. The blue car stopped the Elantra. Fortunately, the other affected vehicles were unoccupied and no pedestrians were present. The driver was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. The Elantra air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to the driver's residence and is available for inspection along with all maintenance records. A claim has been filed with insurance; the appraiser came yesterday. There was no warning or symptoms of a problem prior to the accident. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by anyone. The police came and helped identify the owners of the other vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11518091

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact's daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH when she heard an abnormal "pop" sound come from under the floorboards. The contact said that as she was following the road on a right-hand curve the vehicle steering was not responding to her steering correction to follow the turn. The contact said that his daughter lost control and spun the vehicle 180 degrees and crashed into a guard rail. The contact stated that she did not notice any warning lights. The vehicle hit the guard first with the front driver's fender and then the entire driver's side hit the guard rail and all forward momentum stopped. The police arrived on the scene and wrote a report. The daughter had not suffered any injuries, however, the vehicle was undrivable and was towed to a towing lot. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V311000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11511805

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.

NHTSA ODI 11439090

My car was gone because the brakes were not properly working the day of my accident.

NHTSA ODI 11429537

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.

NHTSA ODI 11422716

I WAS IN MOTION AND MY EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT WORK . I CONTINUE DOWN HILL AND TO AVOID ON COMING TRAFFIC,,I TURN TO THE RIGHT TO HIT THE FENCE. MY AIR BAGS NEVER OPEN. THA K GOD I ALWAYS WERE MY SEAT BELTS.

NHTSA ODI 11390100

SRS AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. SAME ISSUE AS DESCRIBED IN SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. 70,000 MILES ON VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11383843

MY 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH APPROX. 75,000 MILES, AND NO MECHANICAL OR COSMETIC ISSUES, CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR 10 MINUTES AT TAVERN IN THE SQUARE RESTAURANT IN LOWELL, MA. PATRONS WHO WERE PARKED NEARBY HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE ELECTRICAL SPARKS AND THEN WITNESSED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD WHICH THEN BURST INTO FLAMES. THEY RAN IN TO RETRIEVE MY FAMILY AND I AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME WITHIN 10 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THAT TIME. I HAVE VIDEOS AND PICTURES THAT CAN BE FORWARDED TO YOU. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT WAS ON HOLD FOR 40 MINUTES AND IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED BEFORE SPEAKING TO ANYONE. THIS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY STRESSFUL EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY. THE CAR WAS IN OUR GARAGE JUST 30 MINUTES PRIOR AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A HISTORY OF ISSUES WITH SOME OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLES WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF UNTIL NOW BUT I DON'T SEE THAT MY CAR WAS LISTED AS A POSSIBLE RECALL FOR ELECTRICAL FIRES. IT WAS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND EVERY PENNY I EARNED WAS USED TO PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE LESS THAN ONE YEAR AGO. I DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE THAT WOULD COVER THIS SITUATION SO THIS IS A TOTAL LOSS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW TO PROCEED AND ALSO WHERE TO FORWARD THE VIDEO AND PHOTO DETAILS.

NHTSA ODI 11375940

PURCHASED WHAT I BELIEVE IS A LEMON FROM THE STAMFORD HYUNDAI. VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED AND RECALL ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED. ANOTHER CAR THAT HIT MINE STATED THAT MY CAR BRAKE LIGHTS INDICATED I STOPPED WHEN I ACTUALLY RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL. I BELIEVE THAT THE DEALERSHIP OVER CHARGED ME FOR A DEFECTED VEHICLE AND FAILED TO ADDRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ISSUE WHICH CAUSED MY LANE CHANGE ACCIDENT. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF SOMEONE CAN ASSIST ME WITH THIS SERIOUS INFRACTION. AGAIN MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION BUT THE OTHER DRIVER SAID IT APPEARED TO BE. I WASN'T INFORMED BY THE SALESMAN OF ANY DEFECTS OR ISSUES. THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS DRIVING IN BROOKLYN NY ON REMSEN AVENUE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON REMSEN AND KINGS HIGHWAY. ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THIS WILL BE APPRECIATED. I PURCHASED THIS CAR CASH 6405.70 WHEN THE ASKING PRICE WAS 4670. I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF AND COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED. HELP PLEASE.

NHTSA ODI 11376058