Hyundai Elantra Complaints (2019)

252 consumer complaints on file.

#11771813October 17, 2026
ENGINE
It was no incident. Car died and mechanic says engine is locked. Got oils changed everytime in a timely manner and this is a fairly new car. Please help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767110September 26, 2026
ENGINE
I am reporting that there is not a recall but a factor warranty from the manufacture. Stating that the o ring in the 2019 hyundai elantra was not properly tempered. Which will cause the car to stall, rod bearing to break, and cause the car to set on fire. My report is that my 2019 hyundai elantra with 139,000 miles has did exactly that. O ring was bad and the rod bearing broke. When calling hyundai to report it they claim that my vehicle Vin number doesn't fall under that manufacture recall. Why doesn't it? This is exactly what happen to my car!!! Can anyone please help me. Thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762242September 4, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 35-40 MPH on a bridge, the engine made a loud banging and knocking sound, and the vehicle stalled. The driver shifted into neutral, coasted down the bridge with the engine off, and pulled over to the side of the road. The driver noticed an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact's husband performed an oil change and discovered a hole in the side of the engine block. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the repair was not covered because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 120,286. The VIN was unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762038September 3, 2026
ENGINE
2019 Hyundai Elantra with 2.0L Nu MPI engine suffered catastrophic engine failure at approximately 118,530 miles. Vehicle is currently at the [XXX] Hyundai dealership. Vehicle appears to fall within the exact parameters of Hyundai Recall 203/NHTSA 21V-301. Have spoken to the dealership as well as Hyundai corporate and they have refused to either honor their own recall campaign or do a goodwill service to replace the engine, citing my VIN does not fall under their recall campaign, however they have yet to provide any reason, and according to their own campaign 203 recall information my vehicle meets the exact criteria. I am concerned the recall population may exclude vehicles suffering the same engine defect, and their clearly is a clerical error or something on their behalf, and they appear to not be interested in remedying it, which could and has in my case resulted in potential danger. My car died in the middle of [XXX], and had I been in heavy traffic and could not have coasted it down a hill to a parking lot almost certainly would have resulted in a collision. I was fortunate enough to at the time be in light traffic. Upon restarting car motor made a horrendous knocking noise, which is symptomatic of exactly what recall campaign 203 warned of with the defective engines they installed in my series of vehicles. Hyundai denied goodwill solely based on time in service and mileage rather than identifying a different failure mechanism, and as of the time of writing this has not provided an explanation of why according to them my VIN doesn't fall in their campaign, when clearly it should as it is the correct year, correct factory stock engine, correct place if manufacture, and the very same symptoms they published in their campaign. They have told me I need new engine, as was obvious by the fact it's disabled and sounds as if a rod has thrown. I have brought this to their attention every day for going on 2-3 weeks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761307September 1, 2026
ENGINE
Car sudden stopped then would not turn on Currently being looked at but for suspected timing chain, VVT, and related parts Others have reported these same issues and other model with same engines have been recalled
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758964August 23, 2026
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On 6/12/26, the engine had a sudden, catastrophic failure that caused a life-threatening hazard on a 2-lane highway in a remote mountain grade with no shoulder. Prior to this incident, the forward collision system had falsely gone off several times in dark or rainy conditions when there was no actual hazard or oncoming traffic on the road, which is very distracting and dangerous. Hyundai is not abiding by the terms of the federal class action lawsuit settlement, refuses to replace the defective engine, and is generally a danger to the public. What is the NHTSA going to do the next time a Hyundai catches fire and causes a catastrophic disaster in Southern California? I was fortunate the engine didn't catch fire...it was lightning-hot when I opened the hood a full 30 minutes after the breakdown. This has a Nu series MPI engine...there are 5 known classes of Hyundai/Kia engines that fail without warning and the company is still getting away with endangering drivers, refusing to replace or reimburse. I have a 10k lien on this vehicle and my livelihood is at risk because of Hyundai's negligence and disregard for the law. My stalled vehicle could have caused a deadly accident when it failed had another driver failed to see it blocking the road. This is happening to millions of Hyundai owners and we're not getting the recourse we were promised. My VIN was excluded from recalls and class action, yet it has the same exact dangerous engine defect. Please investigate the Nu 2.0 MPI engine series if this hasn't already been established as an additional unsafe configuration. It would be in the interest of public safety if Hyundai went out of business; the company's manufacturing is a danger to society and Hyundai doesn't care as long as they continue to profit from consumer hardship and suffering.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753489July 29, 2026
ENGINE
About two months ago, I had to replace the camshaft on my vehicle. Then about 3 weeks ago while driving down the road I began to hear a grinding slap near the front right of the vehicle. Then the power died and the vehicle limped into a parking lot. After stopping for about 30 minutes, I was able to restart the vehicle and get it home. The same noise occurred the whole drive. I couldn't start it again, and had it towed to my mechanic. The mechanic's review showed that the engine had seized up despite only being down a quart of oil. The engine was getting plenty of oil to give him confidence that missing oil wasn't the cause of the problem. The vehicle has about 104000 miles on it. To date, Hyundai refuses to even acknowledge that it's their problem despite a similar recall (21V301000) already being announced for this Elantra model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752383July 23, 2026
ENGINE
The engine failed for my 2019 Hyundai Elantra. We bought it at Atlantic Hyundai dealership. They used a passing recall inspection to clear a defective engine, misdiagnosed the ensuing failure as an oil pan leak, and abandoned me with a vehicle that stalled dangerously in traffic. We brought car to Atlantic Hyundai told them that the car just stopped on the highway in the middle of driving. Our mechanic told me to tell Hyundai the car was rapidly consuming oil. Hyundai said oh no it’s just an oil pan snd we trusted them allowed them to fix it. Several weeks later the car completely stopped in middle of driving on exit ramp. Police came to make sure traffic was diverted so they could help me get car to side of road safely. It was towed back to my mechanic who said same exact thing car is dangerous bring it to Hyundai they need to fix this for you it’s the engine recall. We had it towed to dealership and after 2 weeks they said oh yeah you need new engine. We brought it to independent mechanic because Atlantic Hyundai knowingly sent me off in a dangerous vehicle the first time and no longer did I trust them with safety of myself and others on the road
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751244July 18, 2026
ENGINE
The car was driving on the highway and out of nowhere the car just stopped in the middle of the highway. I brought it to my mechanic who said the car was rapidly consuming oil and my cars engine was seizing. and he safely brought me and the car to Atlantic Hyundai where I had bought the car to have them diagnose and fix the issue. After several days they diagnosed the issue as a simple oil pan issue and replaced the oil pan and sent me on my way. The same issue with the engine seizing up in the middle of driving on the highway endangering my life and others. I am still terrified thinking of this. We brought car back to Hyundai by tow truck because I was scared to drive it and after 2 weeks of waiting they then told me the car needed new engine however they never mentioned what I later discovered was a serious recall for this specific engine . Upon further research my car was listed under the recall however before I bought the car it says it passed the test to see if it needed engine replacement under recall 203 . They knowingly said my vehicle was safe they sold it to me knowing it was unsafe and then they put a bandaid ( oil pan) and sent me on my way knowing I was in danger. I am lucky to be alive because the car stalled out on a major highway .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749856July 12, 2026
ENGINE
At 86,000 miles After replacing the camshaft and timing chain with a mechanic friend, we turned the engine over and heard the beginning of an engine knock, he said this engine is notorious for knocking and failing before 100000. Kia recalled the exact same engine. However Hyundai did not. I feel this is very unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748649July 6, 2026
ENGINE
While driving vehicle on a highway exit ramp, the engine suddenly failed. There were no warning lights, messages, noises, or other signs before it happened. The vehicle lost power and became undrivable, which was scary and dangerous because I was still on the road near highway traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership inspected it and said the engine had failed. I was given a repair estimate of about $9,100. I was also told the repair would not be covered under warranty and would not be covered under a recall. I believe this is a serious safety issue because the engine failed without warning while I was driving. If this had happened at a different time or location, it could have caused an accident or put other drivers at risk. The vehicle is currently undrivable, and the failed engine/component is available for inspection upon request
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747729July 1, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746721June 26, 2026
ENGINE
2019 Hyundai Elantra (VIN: [XXX]) suffered engine failure at 152,061 miles — abnormal knocking, loss of power, towed to Clay Cooley Hyundai of Sherman, TX. Diagnosed with crank/rod knock requiring long block replacement. This is the exact failure progression documented in NHTSA Recall 21V301 (Hyundai Recall 203): defective piston oil rings causing cylinder bore scuffing, accelerated oil consumption, connecting rod bearing failure, and engine block damage. Coverage was denied solely due to mileage — 2,061 miles beyond the 150,000-mile threshold. I am also reporting a critical discrepancy: a VIN search on NHTSA's website shows zero open or unrepaired recalls on this vehicle, despite the following facts: 1. This is a 2019 Elantra with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine — the exact population covered by 21V301. 2. The vehicle experienced the exact failure mode 21V301 was issued to address. 3. The dealership repair order references TSB 25-01-054H (tied directly to Recall 203) and performed an ECM software update under that bulletin during this visit. It is unclear whether this VIN was improperly excluded from the recall population, or whether the recall was marked remediated based solely on the software update — despite the engine already having suffered catastrophic internal damage. Either outcome warrants investigation. I am requesting NHTSA examine whether this VIN should have been included in 21V301, and whether Hyundai's practice of applying a software update to an already-failed engine and closing the recall is consistent with the intent of this safety recall. Repair estimate: $9,245.58. Vehicle is undrivable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739748May 23, 2026
ENGINE
Timing gears/camshaft issues. dealer mechanic stated that the pin on camshaft broke and timing jumping. dealership stated this is a known issue with Elantra's but Hyundai has done nothing to address this issue. This repair costs over 4000 dollars for a known issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738636May 18, 2026
ENGINE
Engine failure. Car quit while driving down main highway. Taken to garage and they reported that many of the same engine for Hyundai have been recalled. When investigating, my car did the exact same thing being reported, but is not included in the recall. I have maintenance records for all oil changes as required as well. No lights came on to indicate failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734543April 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Where the Hyundai place tell that I don't need drive that because recall on the light shower! on my car and how electric part in the car. I still a note the balance 14,700. The paying balance need be 9,900. Because the wiring and light show balance I would owe. 6,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734441April 28, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Highbeam shutters stop working. When engaged the solenoid engages, the shutter attempts to activate (wobbles) but never does. The indicator inside also lights up despite the shuttee never opening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732615April 21, 2026
ENGINE
The engine defected at 82000 i had it for a year can u guys please make it right as a valuable customer
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731365April 15, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
During my state inspection it was noted that my high beams were not properly functioning. The garage tested my bulb and said it appeared to be a malfunction of the flap assembly in the headlamps. We checked online for information on how to proceed and noted a recall campaign T5G that was aimed at the exact problem we noted. I called our local Hyundai dealer (Woodall Hyundai; Danville,VA) to schedule for the recall. The scheduler stated that according to their records, they completed this recall in 2/2024. I do remember getting notified by them regarding a recall to which they had my car for a day to complete the necessary work. Myself and my original garage mechanic reviewed the recall directions that stated that this specific recall requires drilling into the headlamp to evaluate the high beam actuator lever. I informed the dealer that I did not see evidence of the completed work. They stated that they would have to have the car back for a diagnostic visit. I took my vehicle in; paid a $150 fee to be told that yes, my high beams are not working properly and would cost about $2000 to repair the headlamp assemblies. I escalated my concerns to corporate Hyundai who followed up with the dealer who insisted that I was responsible for the repair. I took my car to a different independent Hyundai dealer (Capital Hyundai in Greensboro, NC) who confirmed upon inspection that the recall Woodall Hyundai states they completed was never performed. They contacted corporate Hyundai to reopen my recall campaign and are repairing the assemblies. Woodall Hyundai fraudulently charged Hyundai for a repair kit they claim to have used for the T5G recall. They did not complete the job yet stated they did. They lied repeatedly to myself and corporate when investigating. This has delayed my state inspection. This has caused loss of use of my vehicle for the days it has been in these garages. This is also a safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729082April 3, 2026
ENGINE
my car was going uphill and would only go about 15 up hill and would not accelerate, no lights came one to indicate any issues, then it started driving properly. Then after about 4 min it just died, in the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour. the check oil, engine and battery lights came on. Then after turning off car it came back on and all the lights disappeared but happened exact same way after 3 more min. Both times the lights went off. Now it trys to turn on but stalls right away and the check engine light is one. After taking to the dealer they stated that there was no oil in the engine. There are also no visible leaks to explain no oil. And 3 timing codes came up as a result of this. They conducted my routine oil change and still the codes came up and the car failed to start. In addition to all of this there is a knocking noise. I have an engine like those that have been recalled in the past but my particular VIN was not part of that recall. I have always done my oil changes at Hyundai dealer and on a regular schedule. This sounds to me like the same issue the other same types of engines had.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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