What 274 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Elantra

WHEN ACCELERATING WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY THROTTLE INPUT, THE ENGINE EMITS EXCESSIVE PINGING AND RATTLES NOISES. IT SOUNDS LIKE "SPARK KNOCK". NO MATTER WHAT BRAND OF FUEL OR OCTANE I RUN THE CAR ON, THE ENGINE MAKES THESE PINGING AND RATTLING NOISES. I'VE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. TWICE SO FAR TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN. I WAS INFORMED THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HEAR THE NOISE, BUT CANNOT DIAGNOSE IT BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISN'T ILLUMINATED. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THEY TOLD ME IT IS A NORMAL NOISE FOR THE CAR. HAVING OWNED A HANDFUL OF VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS, THIS NOISE IS INDICATIVE OF SPARK KNOCK. IF THE PROBLEM IS INDEED EXCESSIVE SPARK KNOCK, THIS CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL POWER. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE AND SPEAKING WITH OTHER OWNERS, IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT IT IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2018 HYUNDAI ELANTRA SEDAN. I WOULD LIKE HYUNDAI TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND COME UP WITH A FIX. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE BRAND-NEW OFF THE DEALER LOT. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11193809

I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW WITH 20 MILES. I AM THE ONLY OWNER. WHEN I BOUGHT I NOTICED THE ACCELERATION ISSUE. I INFORMED THE DEALER 10 DAYS OWNING IT THERE IS AN ISSUE ON THE ACCELERATION. I PRESS GAS I CAN HEAR THE NOISE ON ENGINE AS IF I WAS PRESSING GAS AND THE CAR IS ON PARK. IT HAPPENED AGAIN RIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST MAINTENANCE. THEY ASSURED ME THEY CHECKED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I WAS RECENTLY ON THE HIGHWAY I WAS DRIVING BUT I HAD TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO TRAFFIC. WHEN SPEED PICKED UP I TRIED TO PICK UP SPEED AND AGAIN HIT THE GAS PEDDLE AND THE CAR WAS'NT MOVING

NHTSA ODI 11186223

CAR SPUTTERS AT IDLE, ACTING LIKE IT'S GOING TO CUT OFF. DOES NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY, BUT ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. ONE DAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AND IT WOULD SPUTTER AT LIGHTS. DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO ADVANCE TO GET THE ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED; NOTHING CAME UP. STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND IT DROVE FINE, LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. FINALLY, AFTER LETTING IT IDLE AWHILE, WERE ABLE TO GET A CODE ON THE COILS. REPLACED THEM ALL. CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AFTER THAT. THE SPUTTERING AT IDLE HAS NOW STARTED AGAIN.....LESS THAN 2 MONTHS LATER.

NHTSA ODI 11154417

DOES NOT HEAT UP QUICKLY ENOUGH IN COLD TEMPS. IT TOOK 15 MINUTES AT 38 DEG FAHRENHEIT, CITY DRIVING BEFORE THE TEMP GAGE SHOWED NORMAL OPERATION TEMP.

NHTSA ODI 11150953

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ALSO, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, IT VIBRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS INCLUDING TONY HYUNDAI WAIPAHU (94-1299 KA ULKA BLVD, WAIPAHU, HI 96797), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,400.

NHTSA ODI 11150138

ON 10/13/2018 I TURNED IGNITION ON CAR TO START AND THE CAR BEGAN RUMBLING AND BUMPING AND THE SHUT DOWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS STATIONARY IN MY PARKING SPACE AT HOME WHEN THIS HAPPEN...IT ALSO BEGAN BUMPING AND DRAGGING IF TO SHUT DOWN AGAIN ON 10/20/2018. EACH TIME CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP..NEXT, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN BLANK WHILE DRIVING ON 10/20/2018. NOW THIS TIME IT WAS DRIVEN TO DEALER, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE MAL FUNCTION. THIS WAS ON 10/23/2018 AND 10/29/2018 AT LYNNES HYUNDAI..ON 10/16/2018 VECHICLE WAS TOWED TO HUDSON HYUNDAI FOR THE SAME BUMPING. THEY SAID THE TECH FOUND A SHORTAGE IGNITION COIL AND A CYLINDER MISFIRED AND HE CLEARED THE CODES. COMING HOME FROM LYNNES ON 10/29/18 AFTER THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH CAR, IT BEGAN TO RUMBLE AGAIN. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS CAR. WHAT IF YOUR IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC AND IT SHUTS DOWN AND YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL GOES BLACK.COULD BE A TRAGEDY, IF NOT SOMEONE'S DEATH

NHTSA ODI 11144561

VEHICLE TOOK TWELVE MINUTES TO CLEAR FROST FROM WINDOWS AT 30 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN PARKING LOT AT IDLE. VEHICLE STARTED TO SHOW SIGHS OF DEFROST AT SIX MINUTE MARK. VEHICLE WAS DROVE ONE MILE AFTER CLEARING OF WINDOWS AND NEVER WENT ABOVE FIRST MAKE ON ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE.

NHTSA ODI 11141697

ENGINE NOISE BECAME VERY LOUD OVER SEVERAL DAYS; TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHICH TOLD ME A WELD IN THE EXHAUST PIPING SYSTEM HAD FAILED AND THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE HAD BROKEN OPEN. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL FOR EXHAUST COMING INTO CABIN, ORDERED THE PART AND GAVE ME A LOANER, ON 10/2, SAYING THE EARLIEST I COULD REASONABLY EXPECT TO HAVE MY CAR BACK WOULD BE 10/18.

NHTSA ODI 11133215

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WHEN THE "ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED" WARNING CAME ON, AFTER WHICH I MANAGED TO MAKE IT TO A LOCAL ROAD NEAR BEFORE THE CAR STALLED. I HAD IT TOWED TO A HYUNDAI CENTER THE NEXT DAY, WHERE THEY TOLD ME I HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK AND THEY FIXED THE ISSUE. TODAY, LESS THAN A WEEK LATER, I WAS DRIVING AND ABOUT TO GO ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE "ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED" WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. I FELT LIKE IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING IN CASE THE CAR STALLS AGAIN AT NIGHT ON A FREEWAY, AND AM WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM HYUNDAI TO EITHER FIX OR REPLACE THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11096645

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