What 274 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Elantra

Cars engines stopped for no apparent reason pulled over and it started back up but it stopped two more times within a two block radius both times it restarted the date was2/17 26 on the next day it did the same thing but only once

NHTSA ODI 11719247

I have a 2018 Hyundai Elantra with about 155k miles. It has been consuming oil excessively and has developed serious drivability issues. If I try to accelerate even slightly harder than normal—especially above 2,000 RPM—it makes a metallic, chain-type rattling noise, loses power, and produces heavy smoke from the exhaust. The smoke sometimes continues even after shutting the engine off and restarting. Because of this, I’ve been avoiding rapid acceleration and slowly working up to highway speeds. The car also periodically shakes at idle, idles higher than normal at times, and the RPMs will occasionally rise on their own. In the past it has stalled randomly, and sometimes it feels like the transmission is “stuck” and won’t shift properly. Despite all this, there are currently no check-engine codes. This is terrible and clearly there’s been lawsuits and other recalls regarding the same issue and same engine but nothing for mine? I am out of warranty and had no clue the amount of issues the car was going to have until last year and I’m screwed now, insurance doesn’t cover issues with the engine or transmission. Neither will Hyundai?! Last year Hyundai performed a CVVT repair that cost about $6,000, which temporarily improved things, but the symptoms returned shortly afterward. When I brought it back, they said they couldn’t recreate the issue. The car is now out of warranty. Separately, the car was stolen two months ago due to the immobilization fault and TIk TOKs videos and the police said it has been hundreds of these Elantras stolen and destroyd and the ignition and wiper control switch/harness were damaged, which still hasn’t been repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11707292

Initial Fault Code: P0303 Replaced all 4 spark plugs and all 4 ignition coils. The check engine light extinguished momentarily but returned, logging P0303 and a new P0301 Replaced all 4 fuel injectors. CEL extinguished momentarily and then returned, logging P0303. Replaced the entire engine electrical harness. Concurrently, all related electrical components and connectors were meticulously cleaned with professional contact cleaner. CEL extinguished for significantly longer period of time, and then returned, re-logging P0303 and P0301. Thid suggested the ECU was "handshaking" with new components but re-logging the fault upon detecting the persistent core issue. A full compression test was performed. All cylinders reported results within specification. Using a borescope I inspected cylinder walls in piston tops. There was significant carbon residue buildup but nothing out of the ordinary for similar GDI engines. I still performed a PEA GDI specific chemical cleaning. It was a a little smoother afterwards, but the misfire persisted and CEL remained on. I also removed, cleaned, and tested common sensor faults, with no result. Also p0128 code and no start / electrical drain, and engine light started flashing numerous occasions had to stop the vehicle. I tried swapping the coils, but all that proved was that the coil was good, I did a power and ground test, it passed the connector had 12 plus volt power and a perfect resistance to static ground. The signal wire from the coil connector had perfect continuity to the ECU but had OL to chassis ground showing there was no short. A test light was used to see if anything was coming from the signal wire to the ignition coil and that test failed, there was no signal pulse. The diagnostic process has definitively proven a component-level failure inside the engine control unit. See attached file for more detailed information.

NHTSA ODI 11699689

In early May 2023 I was driving my 2018 Elantra vehicle on the expressway. I had hot an area where there was traffic and had to slow down and move along with the speeds everyone else was going. When I slowed down my engine quit. Everything turned off and the car was stalled. I was able to turn the car back on and start the engine but there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine and when applying my foot on the gas it wasn't going anywhere. It stalled in traffic again. I put it in park, and restarted it and got enough gas for it to move and get off the main road. I called a tow company and had a certified mechanic take apart the engine $600 and Inform me the engine was shot. The car had maybe 80,000 miles on it. I had no idea what to do. The car sat at the repair shop for several weeks while I figured out what to do. I had it towed to a Hyundai dealership and had them look at it. They told me that there was no recall and that since I wasn't the original owner their powertrain warrenty was not valid. They did their diagnosis, another $300 just for them to tell me the same thing the other mechanics told me, the engine was shot and needed to be replaced. They put together a list of items that needed to be replaced and repaired and it came out to over $17,000 and Hyundai would do nothing for me. A vehicle with less than 80,000 that's engine fails is a recall in my book. It's now been over 2 years and I continue to pay for a car I cannot drive, and Hyundai still doesn't accept responsibility. This is a faulty car and would never recommend to anyone. Look at all the complaints regarding the engine and powertrain, obviously this is an issue. Hyundai needs to acknowledge this and replace these failing engines. Maybe by the time I'm done paying this car off they will take responsibility and the NHTSA will fully support the individuals that are owed a vehicle or engine replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11696959

the car keeps lagging on acceleration i had the throttle body checked and cleaned and they said it was fine i have been doing all maintenance required by manufacturer, but sometimes is lacking on the power loses acceleration, i see these model has a recall but when i entered my vin number doesn't show up so i am concerned why is not covered as it could lead to my car been stalled in the middle of the highway, dealer wants 300 dollars just to take it in and usually they can't reproduce the issue , what should i do in this case, i dont want to wait until i have an accident for this to be checked thank you

NHTSA ODI 11690174

Fuel injectors failed at 43,000 miles and 66,000 miles with no warning. Car misfired and left me stranded.

NHTSA ODI 11655704

Had to do 3 oil changes in a month had to change ignition coil that had been changed a month ago spark plugs were completely covered in oil was driving and it literally just stopped every time the oil would be checked it wouldn't be any on the dipstick.

NHTSA ODI 11644028

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V528000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,300. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11615507

While driving vehicle the black nylon fuel line started spraying fuel over the top of the hot engine. At highway speed the passenger compartment filled up with gasoline fumes. Pulled over to open the hood and saw fuel streaming from the fuel line on top of engine. Vehicle was shut down, and AAA towing called to tow vehicle 85 miles from StAugustine Fl, to Gainesville Florida to Hyundai Dealership of Gainesville. The vehicle has been in the shop on [XXX], for repairs. This vehicle only has 44000 miles on it. Hyundai states that they don’t have the fuel line in the USA and had to order the part from Korea. I was stranded 352 miles from my home. I called Hyundai corporate to notify them of this issue with the defective fuel line. They said there is no recall on this part, and not covered under the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. They told me it’s going to cost me $1124.26 for the repair. I almost lost my life potentially being barbecued in this vehicle, not to mention other innocent people getting hurt. I have owned many cars in my lifetime and this is the most dangerous vehicle I ever had. Potential to explode and catch fire while driving on expressway. I think NHTSA should look into this vehicles safety before other innocent people get killed. An extremely dangerous road hazard. Note this vehicle only has 44,000 miles and is maintained properly. Hyundai doesn’t care about safety, and their customers. When I purchased this vehicle they told me how safe it was and the best auto warranty in the world. Please look into this fuel line defect before someone gets severely injured or killed by fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11610650

Fuel line on top of engine cracked spraying fuel on top of hot file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/1f/15/4DC59D25-4F9E-41E5-A17E-A14F53B29DE4/IMG_6793.MOV

NHTSA ODI 11610656

This has happened a couple of times where in the middle of driving, my car automatically shuts off, I can not turn my steering wheel I can not push the brakes, everything stops working. I have to wait till my car comes to a complete stop on its own, put the car in park, turn off the ignition, turn my keys and start my car again. Then it sometimes acts like there is no power to accelerate when I'm at a full stop. RPMs go crazy, but acceleration doesn't occur. No warnings have ever come up. I received an notice about a recall, but it's for 2019 Elantra and up. Mine is a 2018, but the issues for that recall is the same thing that is happening with my car. This is DANGEROUS and can lead to serious repercussions or even death. Something needs to be done to fix this. I don't not have thousands of dollars to pay for an issue with the manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11604764

I had to replace my Cadillac converter twice and it keeps messing up on my car and I have to keep replacing my headlight bulbs on my vehicle. They keep going bad and the vehicle tells me when the headlight bulbs is out, but I don’t replace the headlight bulbs, four times and the catalytic converter three times And my Blindspot detection system and rear across traffic alert system keeps going out on my car and I done replaced it and recalibrated it six times already and there should be recalls for all this on the vehicle and my license plate lights keep blowing out on my car and placed those seven times All this need to be recalled for 2018 Hyundai ELANTRA and there is loud clicking noises from the steering wheel when I turn left to right on 2018 Hyundai ELANTRA that also needs to be recalled that’s a safety issue and I replaced my brakes six times and the rotors on my 2018 Hyundai ELANTRA and this is a big safety issue that needs to be recalled so they can get fixed So the customer owner, don’t have to keep Pay for it

NHTSA ODI 11582845

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that after refueling, the fuel gauge indicated that the fuel economy was 20 miles/gal. The contact stated that the fuel economy should have been 28 miles/gal. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was proving an incorrect reading. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11513453

Financed last year (2021) at 38,000 miles, financing a vehicle i wish I knew to do research before hestitly excepting my first offer, first waring was on the test drive. The car had to be towed back to dealership because the battery was dead. In the sub-zero cold, the battery with read low and this causes electrical issues, from remote start not working to unable to open the doors. The more common and reaccuring issue that is getting worst is the lack of excellaration when taking off. Realizing this drastic difference recently, I know there is some thing happening, but I have not had much good customer service when I have brought issues to dealership and services center. Also issues with harness for the back left lights. The harness that holds the bulb keeps burning out. Dealer has never fixed when I immediately experience this issue and they just replaced the bulb twice until they realized the real problem and told me it would cost me $160

NHTSA ODI 11488890

Engine stalls while driving. No warning, intermitted full shut down of the engine. Can happen multiple times in a row, only making it a few hundred feet before stalling again. The only remedy is to put the car in park and start the engine again, however, that is not always easy to do when on the road, and the car can only drift and brake. It is not safe when the car stalls, especially in traffic -- can be dangerous to myself and others on the road if I am unable to pull the car over or get it to start up again on the interstate. I have been to a mechanic, and 2 dealerships who claim they cannot replicate the problem, and even when it stalled in the parking lot when I was leaving, there were no error codes on the computer. This being said, without a code or a proper diagnosis, I am at a standstill because "nothing can be done or authorized' by Hyundai without a code. I have been suggested by both dealerships to try and run it and 'kill the engine' because it is still under warranty for another 15,000 miles--but this puts myself and other drivers at risk because the car is unsafe to drive. There is a code from July 16, 2020, a little less than 2 months before I purchased the car about an engine light, this has yet to be addressed. This problem appeared out of nowhere one day while driving on the interstate and has been an issue ever since.

NHTSA ODI 11477963

UNKNOWN - for the past several months, since my car hit the 70,000 mileage mark, my check engine light has come on while experiencing hard idling, delayed acceleration/power while driving - particularly on gradual inclines and hilly roads. I would suspect it has something to do with the power or fuel system. I have changed oil twice and had a diagnostic test done and mechanic is unable to pinpoint issue since it is not consistent.

NHTSA ODI 11472184

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle did not drive smoothly. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and fuel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463454

When I put the nozzle to pump gas, the pump shuts off and clicks as if the tank is full. I have to twist the pump in one specific position and place it about 3/4th of the way in. Sometimes I have had to leave and go to a different gas station if the accordian plastic part of the nozzle is long. It just clicks and shuts off the pump. This happened from the day I first got the car, got gas and never ceases.

NHTSA ODI 11446741

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of fuel. The contact stated that there was no evidence of a fuel leak nor an abnormal fuel odor. The contact compared the fuel consumption to a previous vehicle owned that was the same year, make, and model. The contact needed to add $10-20 daily whenever the fuel gauge showed a half tank of gasoline. The contact's one-way trip from her residence to work was 35.3 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was test-driven for 7 miles and it was confirmed that the fuel gauge was providing inaccurate fuel readings. The dealer informed the contact to bring the vehicle back when the fuel gauge was empty to be able to have a code reading. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was also no code appearing on the code reader however, there was a powertrain failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,302.

NHTSA ODI 11418580

TAKATA RECALL MY VEHICLE BRAKE GOT STUCK WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR ALSO RELEASED A GAS/OIL ODOR WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING. THE CAR HAS ALSO BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS TO START NEED TO ATTEMPT TO TURN ON VEHICLE TWICE BEFORE IT ACTUALLY STARTS. BRAKES HAVE MALFUNCTIONED MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11231184

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

AFTER A FULL STOP AND YOU PRESS ON THE GAS TO MOVE, AT TIMES THERE IS A PAUSE OF PERHAPS 5 SECONDS BEFORE YOU CAN START TO MOVE INTO TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI 11207679

WHEN REFUELING THE VEHICLE, AND PLACING THE NOZZLE INTO THE GAS REFILL PORT, THE GAS WILL CUT OFF AS IF THE TANK IS FULL. ONLY WHEN THE GAS NOZZLE IS INSERTED 3/4 OF THE WAY INTO THE GAS REFILL PORT WILL THE GAS FLOW UNINTERRUPTED.

NHTSA ODI 11129837