Home · 2018 Hyundai Elantra · Complaints
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.
42 of 274 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 2 of 2
The car has a security vulnerability where the car is able to start without the key being present. Also, the engine will shutter randomly (car will shake) when in idle. This happens especially the first few minutes from a cold start.
NHTSA ODI 11484966
My car will shut off as I’m driving it. I was going thru a busy intersection and my car turned off, I was in my car with my 3 babies traffic backed up and almost got slammed into. I had to get out and push my car to the side of the road. The check engine light started flashing then the whole dashboard started flicking
NHTSA ODI 11484395
My brake lights kept burning out. I replaced them and they burned out the same day. It seems that the wire harness is corroded. I believe this is a manufacturer issue.
NHTSA ODI 11468564
The air bag warning light randomly comes on disabling the air bags. It seems to turn on when the passenger seat gets moved forward or backward fast. In looking into this, it would appear Hyundais over the years have had this issue. It turns off sometimes when some one sits in the seat.
NHTSA ODI 11462548
In regards to my 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited currently with 47000 miles, driving and noticed the a/c temp display which also controls fan speed stopped working, display was blank. Checked all other electrical equipment inside car with no problem except that the heated seat function didn't work also.while doing an exterior inspection noticed that all lights except the headlights worked.After the interior and exterior inspection and no error codes or indicators on the dash, I had the alternator, battery and starter checked along with probe testing every fuse in the car and under the hood checked and everything was fine. The Car has been perfect up to this point which is alarming because if the headlights go out while driving at night or in the rain this is a safety problem and driving citation. My only indication of when this happens is if the a/c control display goes out. The problem is intermittent and Hopefully it won't happen again and I couldn't find any other similar things like this happening to others.
NHTSA ODI 11457211
About month ago Sept the car would shut off when driving or stopping and find out it oil I had changed at the tire shop it was changed 2 n half months before that once oil changed running good low tire light ,oil light flash off and on at time well as of 10/12/2021 started do it my again so I check oil there no oil werid where oil go no leak on ground when I leave wherever I parked well went to Walmart get oil put oil in it and started driving not even more 35 miles bout sudden smoke coming from under engine then smell fire I pull over in parking lot at restaurant ran put fire out and it got worse trying grab my stuff and bf with me fire went inside car and under the car hear siren firemen coming if they hadn't gotten there when they did it almost went to the gas tank could of exploded firemen said look like electrical cause fire . Engine light ,oil and tire light were on now undrivable .
NHTSA ODI 11436659
It appears the parking lamps stay on when car turned off while headlights are in AUTO. This leads to unintended battery drain leading to unoperational car. Per Owner's Guide: The system automatically turns off the parking lamp when the key is removed (remote key) or when the driver turns the engine off (smart key) and opens the driver-side door. This does not meet the Owner's Guide's language. Dealerships and inspection services did not confirm/reproduce this. There are no warning lights or indicators of this.
NHTSA ODI 11426915
STARTED LOOSING POWER THEN THROW A ROD THROWING OIL EVERYWERE RIGHT AFTER 100000MILES
NHTSA ODI 11415224
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IT JUST STOPS. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR 1 YEAR AND THEY KEEP TURNING ME AWAY. MY BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THAT IS IT. I WAS TOLD I WAS EXAGGERATING THAT THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING. YESTERDAY WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER TIMES IT STOPPED. MY CAR STOPPED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND I ALMOST RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RODE A CLIFF BECAUSE THE WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. NO ONE IS TAKING THIS SERIOUS. AS I AM DRIVING THE CAR WILL JUST SHUT OFF. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME TO DRIVE EVEN FURTHER TO GET IT FIXED. HOW IS THIS SAFE? I WAS TOLD BY RICH ITS MY CAR I OWN IT ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI 11414653
ON JUNE 29,2020 MY 2018 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH ONLY 40,000 HAD A ENGINE FIRE AND TOTALED MY ENTIRE CAR THAT WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF INSIDE OF MY GARAGE
NHTSA ODI 11339703
CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AND AT LOW SPEED WHICH COST ME AN ACCIDENT AND ALMOST MY LIFE AND MY UNBORN I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR IT FIRST STARTED TWO MONTHS AFTER I GOT THE CAR IT CUT OFF AT A LIGHT I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT ON IT DID IT TWICE THAN NEVER AGAIN UNTIL RECENTLY. *TR
NHTSA ODI 11327295
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
NHTSA ODI 11230197
MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA BRAKE PEDAL FLUTTERS WHEN I PRESS IT TO STOP GIVING OFF A LOUD NOISE AND DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO BRAKE AT TIMES. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAY NO ISSUES HAVE BEEN FOUND. WHAT CAN I DO. I'M CONCERNED THE PRIOR RECALL ON THE THE 2017. HERE IS THE LINK. HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/ARTICLES/RECALL-ALERT-2017-HYUNDAI-ELANTRA-1420693395015/. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SEEMED TO STALL.
NHTSA ODI 11217251
THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY TIRE PRESSURE WAS DISPLAYED AS 14 PSI ON MY BACK LEFT TIRE. I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND IT DIDN'T SEEM LOW. I PLUGGED MY PORTABLE TIRE AIR PUMP IN AND ATTACHED IT TO THE TIRE, AND THE GAUGE ON THE PUMP SAID 36PSI, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AT. I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND STARTED DRIVING, AND THE CAR SAID THE PSI WAS BACK TO 36PSI. SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT. I EVEN TOOK PICTURE OF THE WARNING WHEN IT CAME ON FOR PROOF.
NHTSA ODI 11206926
ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO
NHTSA ODI 11166747
CAR HAS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION. WILL GO INTO A FAIL SAFE MODE, WONT ACCELERATE PAST 40-60 MPH. I HAVE HAD VERY CLOSE CALL ON MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE FACT I AM UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. MY CAR LOST POWER AND COULD NOT PICK UP SPEED AT ALL. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND THE CAR DEALERSHIP WILL NOT HELP ME.
NHTSA ODI 11093798
I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MARCH 27 2018 THE CAR WON'T NEVER CHARGE UP MY PHONE. WHEN I USE MY CHARGER TO CHARGE MY PHONE. MY DAUGHTER HAS A GENESIS AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AND HER CHARGE IN CAR BLEW OUT MY PHONE I'M SCARE THIS ELANTRA GOING TO DO THE SAME IT WILL NOT CHARGE UNLESS THE PHONE IS OFF. WHEN MY PHONE IS ON IT KEEPS MAKING FLICKERING SOUND. THE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF ON MY LIGHTER ADAPTER AND MY PHONE WILL NOT CHARGE. SO I THINK IT'S ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I HAVE TRY DIFFERENT PHONES BUT WHEN I TOOK IT TO STIVERS. [XXX] THE MECHANIC TESTED HIS PHONE AND HE SAID IT WORKS FINE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO PLEASE HELP. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
NHTSA ODI 11090893
Working with the data? Download all 274 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026