2018 Hyundai Elantra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 282 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 Elantra model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 12 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 6 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints
282 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, May 29, 2025
AFTER ANTI-THEFT SOFTWARE UPGRAGE MY CAR WILL LOCK ME OUT. I CANNOT UNLOCK THE CAR DOOR WITH THE KEY FOB OR BY USING THE KEY. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. I DON'T KKOW IF IT WILL LOCK ME IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SINCE THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. HAD TO CALL AAA TO GET BACK INTO CAR. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WAITED TWO HOURS AND THE CAR OPENED USING KEY FOB.
Structure, May 10, 2025
This isn’t a safety concern but it is a concern per the vehicle. My hood on my Hyundai Elantra (silver) has bad paint and is starting to chip. My car isn’t the only one I see Hyundais with paint chipping everywhere on them.
Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 20, 2025
Fuel injectors failed at 43,000 miles and 66,000 miles with no warning. Car misfired and left me stranded.
Engine, Apr 18, 2025
Check engine light came on, took to mechanic. Diagnostics showed pistons performing at half of the required psi. Engine replacement required at a cost of nearly $9,000. The vehicle only has 74k miles.
Power train, Engine, Mar 3, 2025
While diving the vehicle started to sputter and the ignition turned off. I was able to start it but the vehicle was making loud clunking sounds and max speed of 10mph. I pulled off on the side of the road and called for a tow to a reputable repair clinic. I told them what happened and they stayed they would be required to remove the engine to determine the issue. $$$ I paid the funds and they informed me the engine was shot. The vehicle has just over 80,000 miles. I contacted Hyundai directly and was told the manufacturer 100,000 mile powertrain warranty was invalid due to me not being the I original owner. I convinced them to take a look and make their determination. After paying out of pocket again for towing and the $175 I initial service fee Hyundai again told me the engine was shot and their was other issues alongside the engine that would need to be fixed. They gave me a quote of over $16,000+ on a vehicle that was less than 6 years old and under 85000 miles. NONE of which they stated was covered under their powertrain warranty. The vehicle is blue booked at about $5,000 and I spent less the what would be required to repair the vehicle. Hyundai has been zero help, they have not supported their product even after I was told by a reputable resalesman that there is a silent recall on this engine for this issue. Im left without a car, still being required to pay the car payment to the loan company and keep full coverage on a car that hasn't driven since early May 2024 and the insurance company isn't helping because the vehicle wasn't in a accident and is an electrical/manufacturing issue, regardless that I have loan lease payoff. I honestly need some advice. Not to mention I am a disabled veteran, Hyundai will not pull any strings. It's sad because I know this is no fault of my own and had taken care of all the vehicles needs when required (oil, tires, spark plugs, alignments ect.. what should I do??
Engine, Feb 25, 2025
Engine shuts off suddenly in the middle of road; several times on the way back home while my wife was driving with no warnings. Very unsafe if another car is behind. She cranked over and it went, but it happend again in an intersection after a stop sign, fortunately no cars were coming. No shows WARNING LAMPS, check engine light on or diagnostic trouble codes, but engine next day started making noises like knocking or ticking. Car is only 140k miles. Symptoms appeared 2 days ago 2/23/25
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 20, 2025
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.
Power train, Engine, Feb 20, 2025
I bought my Hyundai Elantra 2018 in 2022. It started knocking by 2023 and i was told by the dealership it was plastic hitting the tire. I brought it back & had it scanned prior because the knocking never stopped. And another dealership confirmed it was the sealed transmission. There is no dipstick to check the fluid & it says in the book the fluid is good for the life of the transmission. The dealership i initially bought it from acted like it was my fault so my car sat May until August 2024. Finally, after i found out the unlimited warranty i paid for was never submitted in 2022 it was approved. They then replaced it with a refurbished transmission which i didn't know until i got my car back. I had mentioned an oil leak & lots of play in the engine that November after replacing it. They said there was no leak or play in the engine. Now in January I had died at the four way & almost coasted into the parking lot nearest to me. Mid me picking my daughter up from school. Due to the leak.
Engine, Feb 10, 2025
My 2018 Hyundai Elantra had an oil pressure light on and the timing chain was slapping the side of the engine. I changed the timing chain, oil pump, oil sending unit, and oil filter. When I dropped the oil pan, there was paint chips in the pan. Who paints the inside of an oil pan? I removed the oil pick up tube and discovered the inlet screen was covered with these paint chips. I cleaned the inlet and reinstalled the tube and oil pan. I no longer have the low-pressure issue. This is causing engines to have major issues and / or making them seize up. Now, I believe there are a lot of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the junk yards today because of this very issue. Majority of people will not take their engine apart to find out why it stopped working. They ether stop paying on them or junk them. As you can see in the attached photos, you will notice the pain in the pan, inside the oil pick-up tube, how much of the screen was exposed. This is a major fault of the manufacturer and Hyundai and Kia should be held responsible for the repair.
Other or unspecified, Jan 20, 2025
Out of curiosity, after searching up my current car I pulled a vehicle report from a NMVTIS approved site for my former car listed above. Upon searching up the vehicle history i learned i was a victim of odometer fraud. The miles listed for the owner of the car before me was 63,000 miles. However, when I purchased the car it was somehow listed as 20,518 miles. I am listed as title 4 and I registered the car in Atlanta, Georgia. I will attach the report below. I purchased this vehicle in September of 2021 from Efrid Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership in Florence, South Carolina.
Engine, Nov 25, 2024
My car lost power on a busy highway which almost caused a tractor trailer to rear end me. I had the car towed and the mechanic said the engine is bad because of issues with this engine losing oil quickly and there is no recall on it but on other years. Now I have no car but still owe money on it and can’t get to work. Luckily i wasn’t hit by the tractor trailer but this should be a recall and i should be able to get it fixed without being out thousands of dollars.
Air bags, Nov 20, 2024, crash
I was in a car accident. I was hit on the passenger rear side and the car spun out of control but none of the airbags deployed. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer but we did reach out to them and are in the process of filling out a questionnaire. The vehicle is currently being assessed in a body shop as we work with the insurance to see the final damages.
Engine, Nov 11, 2024
Engine seized up at 142K miles. Had regular oil changes and maintenance. Connecting rod crank shaft end / bearing blew apart and seized engine.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 28, 2024
Engine is knocking cannot find a solution for this problem car stalls wen coming to a stop the car completely powers off , noticing a weird smell now ,
Steering, Oct 26, 2024
My car's steering wheel is making a weird rubbing noise after driving for a short time on wet roads. It sounds like rubber is being turned against something (ie not metallic-sounding) This occurs whether I am in park, drive, reverse, and occurs when turning the wheel in any direction. No warning lights turn on. Currently, it only occurs after driving on wet roads (it doesn't actually have to be actively raining; just for the roads to be pretty wet from a recent rain). My mechanic did hear it one time when I was able to drive over immediately after it rained, and said it sounded like it was coming from the area of the MDPS, but, was later unable to duplicate it (the sound usually goes away after sitting for 2-3 hours). I've contacted the dealer because there are numerous TSBs out regarding the steering column; however, they said since they can't duplicate it, they will not repair it under warranty or as a courtesy (the jury is out as to whether it is covered under my drive-train warranty, but, as I said, since it's only a TSB, they won't cover it anyway at this point). I am concerned it will get worse and cause me to lose power steering/cause an accident.
Air bags, Oct 24, 2024
Driver airbag light came on. My car has 33,000 miles on it. I live in California and the car is garaged. I think the maker has had airbag recalls on other models
Engine, Oct 6, 2024
Driving on the freeway around 55 MPH the engine would stall. Scared the heck out of me this started around 130000 miles on the car. Fixed a sensor still didn’t fixed the issue did an oil change that seemed to fixed the stalling. Low oil light never came on. So for years after that when the car stalled I did and oil. change. Finally at 183000 the engine gave out. Did my research found out Hyundai knew there was a problem with the engines. On 2019 and 2020 Elantra engines have been recall. 2018 not enough complaints on th engine. There was a knock sensor recall on the car. I never got a recall notice. Sent an email to Hyundai saw that the email was received but no one has responded this was a month ago. Taking my Hyundai to the dealership to see if they’ll do anything for me. My miles are all highway miles. Engine should have lasted longer. Very disappointed that Hyundai has known that the 2.0 liter engines since 2015 has had issue over 500000 cars are effected with this issue but Hyundai doesn’t want to fix the issue. It’ll all about the money for the company producing defected cars even Kia have the same issue.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 19, 2024
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.
Engine, Sep 6, 2024
The engine experienced rod bearing failure while driving the vehicle. The vehicle died on the road in a high traffic area, which put me and others at risk as they tried to maneuver around the car and as I tried to get the car off the road. The car had just had the oil changed, and had consistent/regular maintenance. No warning lamps lit up on the dashboard at all until the engine died, at which point the oil indicator lit up. The vehicle has been taken to Hyundai and confirmed to have rod bearing failure, a known issue with engines in Hyundais and Kias.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 4, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 29, 2024
My husband filed a complaint about the lighting on his Hyundai sonata and I have a Hyundai Elantra that is doing the same thing. Twice now while I’ve been driving at night, my headlights have gone off an and come back on by themselves. They were off about 15 seconds each time. Then this week I had my back break light (the one close to the windshield) and the passenger side headlights go out suddenly. My car is a 2018 Elantra with 70k miles on it. I just got through replacing both headlights about a year ago when my car had 60k miles on it.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 24, 2024
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
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 24, 2024
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)
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 26, 2024
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.
Engine, Jul 26, 2024
Hyundai engine from 2017 and up are not good engines my experience on my 2018 Hyundai engine is the same as what I see 90 percent of Hyundai owners are having regardless of the year there all the same engines it’s burning oil it’s making ticking noise with regular maintenance no neglecting y’all have to understand there are so many ways and possibilities of engine premature failure then it is Maintaining the engine during buliding these engines you have metal particles over tighten the heads the blocks not seating the piston rings properly dirt that can clog up the oil galleys to luberciate the moving parts poor design there’s so many ways to say it’s not a manufacturer defect and they tell us change the oil ok how come I’m having more issues and hearing issues from a engine then the transmission you do more maintenance on a engine then a transmission these transmission are not the problem you are hearing engine problems even when people do maintenance so sounds to me the manufacturer should recall 2018 models as well it’s beyond me for you to skip a year and say that model isn’t having issues it’s definitely happening in 2018 models as well the transmission is fine I never heard or experience and transmission failure in these cars when there are a lot of people complaining about a similar issue in the same model car at that point it has to be a issue manufacturer aspect we’re told as consumers and vehicle owners change your oil that’s it there’s no way I should be dealing with major issues on a simple solution you don’t hear Toyotas breaking down Hondas breaking down with regular maintenance oil changes you hear Hyundais engine all across the board and it is a safety issue going on with these cars not just 2017 2018 engine it’s ticking because lack of lubercation the manufacturer could have left metal particles in the engine could have warped heads over tighten bolts dirt that was already in those engines a bunch of causes poor design I really hope they replace it