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.
Engine, Sep 13, 2022
While driving lost acceleration, car stalled multiple times. No dash light on at all when this happens. Having to add oil to my engine between oil changes.
Other or unspecified, Aug 28, 2022
There is no immolizer the car can stolen with usb cord
Engine, Aug 18, 2022
While driving, the acceleration stopped working and loud clanging noises were heard in the engine. There were no warning lights, nothing. I was driving on a busy road and the lack of acceleration created a major safety hazard for me and the vehicles around me. I eventually pulled over and restarted the car. It happened three more times on the way home. I got the car to my local mechanic and he said that it was the engine and it needed to be replaced. He saw this many times before on this model and told me to bring it to the dealer. I had the car towed to the Hyundai dealer/service center in Milford, Connecticut. I am waiting for them to look at it. I know that this has happened to many others with a 2018 Elantra and I am very upset that the car failed.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 6, 2022
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.
Structure, Jul 31, 2022
Car paint delamination (roof), Pearl White color. Car is 4 years old, 51,000 miles, garage kept. Paint peeling off of roof down to car metal. This delamination should not be occuring at all with a 4 year old car. Have contacted Hyundai Corporate with pictures. Claim number issued. Contacted local dealership where I purchased car new in April 2018. They have taken pictures, sent information , pictures to Hyundai Corporation. Waiting to hear what action Hyundai Corporation will take to correct issue
Engine, Jul 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 20, 2022
While driving at night the headlights turn off. The headlights are set to auto at all times. The headlights will come back on when the switch is moved to the on position. This occurs almost nightly.
Engine, Jul 6, 2022
My husband was driving the car when all of a sudden it stalled during morning rush hour traffic. As traffic zipped by us he quickly put the car in neutral and started the car. When it turned back on the car made a loud knocking noise. He proceeded to drive back home where it stalled one more time. When he was getting close to the house the knocking noise got louder. He then called our local Hyundai dealership and they stated that they would not inspect the car for well over a week. We then had a mechanic come over the house to take a look at it. The mechanic stated that we didn’t have any oil left in the engine. Even though we had an oil change three months, the engine had burned through all of the oil. We bought oil to fill the engine but chose not to drive the car anymore out of fear for our safety and of messing up the engine any further. The car has not been inspected yet by the manufacturer, but we are speaking to Hyundai Consumer Affairs about it. Also, before the incident and at the time of, there was no lights or warnings for the engine or that it was missing oil.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jul 4, 2022
Paint is peeling from hood and top of car and continues to spread. This has been happening for the past 2 years
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 3, 2022
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.
Exterior lighting, Jun 30, 2022
Starting summer 2021, we began having an issue with the parking lights randomly coming on and off when the car is parked (engine off and car locked). The dealer could not duplicate the issue and therefore did not repair anything. The car went to college with our daughter and mostly sat parked and was rarely checked on. Now that she is home for the summer, we are again aware of the problem. The safety issue began on Saturday June 18, 2022 when the headlights spontaneously turned off while driving at night on a dark road. TWICE! I am trying to work through the local dealer to remedy the issue; however, they say there is no known issue. In the meantime, I am reporting it here. My daughter was able to get the headlights to turn back on by turning the control knob until they came on. Other details: The headlight control is always in the Auto position. The steering column has had two prior warranty repairs. The first time it was completely replaced. The second, they did some other repair that I am unsure of the details. Given the wiring goes through the steering column I can't help but wonder if it is somehow related. The dealer of course says it is not.
Other or unspecified, Jun 20, 2022
Since I've purchased this car I've had problems with the car when moving when stopped. When I first start to drive, stops at a stop sign or red light, the car hesitates, shudders and vibrates when pushing the gas. There is a delay when stopped and then taking off, to the point that I have been honked at while the car just idles before it shudders and moves on. I've been asking about the problem since I purchased the car and have been told it is normal for the sport model or they been unable to replicate the problem at the dealership. The safely issue is that I'm worried I'm going to be rear ended while waiting for the transmission to kick in. No warning lights. Please research this problem and suggest a fix to Hyundai. The delay is also felt when the automatic transmission is shifting in lower gear, no problem once the car is on the highway or straight a way driving with no stopping. Thank you for your consideration.
Engine, Jun 16, 2022
Multiple events of engine shutoff while driving. This results in loss of power braking, power steering and any acceleration. This occurs both at highway and non-highway speeds. This is obviously a safety concern, as, until the engine is restarted, there is difficulty in safely manuevering the vehicle. The engine may or may not be immediately able to restart. This occurs with the vehicle in gear during normal driving conditions (IE, driving at a steady speed on flat road) This is accompanied by multiple CEL faults relating to CCV timing, engine misfire, etc. This was a known issue in prior engine revision (Theta 2.0L), and appears to be subject to a recall of the same engine (Nu 2.0L) in other models. This vehicle was taken to the local dealer and confirmed to need an engine replacement with a similar failure mechanism as the Theta 2.0L (failed lubrication of pistons resulting in premature wear leading to early failure resulting in misfire/"piston slap")
Electrical system, Jun 10, 2022
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.
Engine, Jun 8, 2022
I just purchased this car on may 10 2022 after only having it a week engine light came on.startes to loose power and shake really bad. Took to shop replaced spark plugs and some other .think that was just a week ago .now while driving to day car just cuts of now don't wants to start.no waring lights just died .wondering do I have a lemon.
Engine and engine cooling, May 29, 2022
I have been having issues with my car since November 2021. My car would not go over 35 miles per hour, if I let my car sit for a couple of days I would have to jump my car. My check engine light came on and then 10 minutes later went off. So I finally got it in to the Hyundai dealership after months of them not having enough mechanics. So they did a multipoint inspection and came back saying the catalytic converter needed to be replaced even though no codes in the system. So I was coming back from Florida when my car stopped accelerating on the highway and my check engine light. So I had to take the long way home which means no highways and anytime I stopped I had to throw my hazards on until it would pick up any speed. I took it to Jiffy Lube in SC and that's when my car was reading 8 different misfire codes so I did my tune up with them and that is when I was told that my engine valve was cracked and dumping oil on my spark plugs and coil pack. Yesterday my engine valve replaced and another set of spark plugs in 2 weeks and it is still reading misfire codes and still no change in acceleration. I have only had my car 4 years and my catalytic converter should not be gone. I have not really moved my car in 10 months because my husband passed and I had 2 surgeries. My family can't take another loss if something happens to me because of this car.
Steering, May 27, 2022
Steering wheel of my 2018 value edition elantra periodically locks up and won't turn left or right.. and car has to be taken to a stop and turned on and off to reset it. The star bushing located in the bottom of the steering column has a known issue among many elantra owners of being defective in elantras.
Engine, Other or unspecified, May 26, 2022
At slow speeds car just shuts off engine. Starts back up but does it constantly. Also the engine lifters are starting to make noises like a clacking someone said it was a defective motor.
Other or unspecified, May 22, 2022
paint is continue to peel off of my hood and it looks horrible. I am a good driver I didn’t cause this. It’s a random spot on hood
Power train, Engine, May 19, 2022
I've had several issues over the years with this vehicle but nothing too major but more so a nuisance. Such as the car hesitating when accelerating, light bulbs constantly burning out on the vehicle within less than a year of being replaced by myself , etc. It is now April 2022 and vehicle problems begin arising, I heard a weird noise coming from the engine (after much personal research learned this is a knocking sound). Which also happens to be the same issue from the prior year models. One day while out running errands the car just completely dies and goes into limp mode while I was turning onto a busy street (very dangerous). I drove it a very short distance back & forth to work a couple of times because thats as far as I felt going safety wise. The engine jerked forward one day but still continued to run. Then one day on my way home from work when I began slowing down to turn into a driveway. The car completely died again. It went into limp mode enough for me to creep and barely park it where I ended up having to get out & push the vehicle. It doesn't turn over or start at all now. The car gave absolutely no warnings no codes for me to turn to regarding what was going on etc. Hyundai says in order for it to be covered under the warranty that I have to provide them with information. Which I have no problem doing. However based on the research that I've done from other Hyundai Elantra owners others have had similar issues. My Car is barely 4 years old & only has about 65,000 miles on it. I went with Hyundai's because I wanted something that would be safe and reliable especially because I had a child coming into the world at any moment. I ended up going with this vehicle which isn't even 5 years old & it has already become a lemon. Hyundai currently has the vehicle as I try to figure out what to do with it. Since I no longer feel safe driving it. There are no warning lamps etc that came on.
Service brakes, May 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and attempting to down due to traffic, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle skidded and the brake pedal became firm. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed with front and rear brake failure. The contact was informed that the rotors needed to be resurfaced and the brake fluid flushed and replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,148.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Engine, May 5, 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Apr 30, 2022
The car is very easy to steal. Company I work for had to hire security to stand at the gates because of so many thefts. They call themselves "The Kia Boys". The cars are so easy to steal that kids 13 and younger are stealing them. There is even a tik tok video that went viral showing how steal them quickly. Hyundai refuses to issue recall saying only that the newer models won't have same problem, but that doesn't help people who are losing their vehicles that are still paying on them. These teenagers are wrecking the cars and getting killed. And some have also been killed by the people they're stealing from. https://www.google.com/amp/s/abc6onyourside.com/amp/news/local/columbus-police-homicide-of-teen-is-linked-to-operation-game-over-car-theft-ring https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopnik.com/two-thirds-of-milwaukee-s-stolen-cars-are-made-by-kia-o-1848174995/amp
Engine, Apr 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer replaced several unknown sensors; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to oil clogging the valves. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,644.
Electrical system, Air bags, Apr 28, 2022
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.