Complaint volume
271 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Hyundai Elantra Complaints
271 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, grouped by component category.
271 Total complaints
11 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
6 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, air bags. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 11 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 6 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 90 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 41,237 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, air bags?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Hyundai Elantra?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Hyundai Elantra
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Hyundai Elantra complaints?
11 Crash
7 Fire
6 Injury
1 Fatality
20 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Hyundai Elantra complaint categories?
ENGINE 80
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 29
AIR BAGS 8
STEERING 8
STRUCTURE 8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7
POWER TRAIN 6
WHEELS 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5
271 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My door lock was busted and my car was broken into. Then my ignition was busted in an attempted theft. These cars are easily broken into yet nothing is being done to fix it! I have paid over $800 to fix something that should not have even been an issue. Hyundai and Kia have faulty locking mechanisms that make them easily broken into and stolen. This is ridiculous! They should have put out a recall and fixed this issue. This is a 2018 and I’m still making payments. I was never informed that this is an issue with these cars or I never would have bought it. It took over a month to get my car fixed and now I’m worried to death that someone will try and steal it again. I want some kind of fix to keep my car from being so easily stolen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Heater and defrost does not work. I was unable to see out windshield. I took it for repair at dealership under warranty. They replaced a thermostat and there was no heat or defrost after. It is dangerous to drive in winter. My passenger seatbelt alarm goes off when the seat is empty. I have to pull over to lock the seatbelt to make it stop. Dealership states cannot duplicate. I have several videos of it happening. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | AIR BAGS | When I first purchase the car It was stated that i had no issues, I have records stating this. Also, I was having tremendous issues with the tires. Four months later I encountered an car accident. I was getting off of an exit and as I was getting off there was a car in the middle of the street that was broken down with no hazardous lights on. I suspected that the car was moving but it was not. As I am braking I was somewhat too close to the car and I ended up hitting the back of the car. At this time, the air bags did not deploy. Once the car was evaluated by the insurance company the car was considered totaled. The insurance company took the car to a salvage. This could have taken my life. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | AIR BAGS | Had a car accident, airbags did not deploy but the airbag light was on. Insurance inspector said they inflated but did not come out of their housing. The airbags did not deploy upon impact. I attached pictures of the accident to show the airbags did not deploy. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | TIRES | While driving at low speed (25mph) I could hear a sound coming from one of my tires that sounded like I had rolled over a large piece of tape. I slowed the car and it sounded like something was stuck on a tire. I pulled over and found nothing when I examined all 4 tires. In the morning I checked the tires and tire pressure was good on all 4. Drove to work and I could hear the fapping sound. As I was driving 55mph, the drivers rear tire blew apart into small 2" square pieces. The tire fragments tore through the fender-well, destroying it as well. This happened early in the morning and I was able to keep control of the vehicle. Westlake RP18 size 195/65/R15. Less than 6 months old and under 15,000 miles on them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | STRUCTURE | White paint peeling in less than 3 years of ownership. Jenkins Hyundai of Leesburg said they would put in a claim, but they have been non-responsive after saying they would put in a claim. No action from the dealership. The manufacturer, Hyundai, who painted the car, has also not taken any action, and have deferred the problem to the dealership. The paint should have been covered under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE | On 10/29/2021 I was driving approx 40 miles per hour when my car engine shut off with no warning and almost caused an accident with my kids in the car. I had it towed to hyundai after the care refused to restart. No check engine light anything. Was told my engine failed by the dealership I have 72000 miles on the car. This whole incident has been a nightmare | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicle would just randomly shut off while driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained full functionality. The contact stated that the power steering failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the steering column to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that they would provide a 60% discount on the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 83,000 |
| Oct 2021 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, when the vehicle stalled. The contact stated the oil and the low tire warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the ignition and drive to an independent mechanic and had oil maintenance completed. The contact stated on 10/31/2021 while driving 35 mph, she started to smell smoke and saw smoke exiting the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated the oil, the low tire, and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle near a parking lot. The contact stated her boyfriend was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher from a near restaurant, but the fire continue to expand. The fire department was able to extinguish the rest of the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured nor seek medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. | Crash: No Fire: Yes Towed | 77,000 |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | About month ago Sept the car would shut off when driving or stopping and find out it oil I had changed at the tire shop it was changed 2 n half months before that once oil changed running good low tire light ,oil light flash off and on at time well as of 10/12/2021 started do it my again so I check oil there no oil werid where oil go no leak on ground when I leave wherever I parked well went to Walmart get oil put oil in it and started driving not even more 35 miles bout sudden smoke coming from under engine then smell fire I pull over in parking lot at restaurant ran put fire out and it got worse trying grab my stuff and bf with me fire went inside car and under the car hear siren firemen coming if they hadn't gotten there when they did it almost went to the gas tank could of exploded firemen said look like electrical cause fire . Engine light ,oil and tire light were on now undrivable . | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact had a remote start system installed on the vehicle; however, the vehicle would inadvertently start. The headlights would also activate independently. The vehicle was taken on four separate occasions to the local dealer and was diagnosed that the remote was sticking. The contact was provided new remotes, remote start module, and the mechanic cleared the codes. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Aug 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This vehicle was so easy to steal 4 kids stole it and crashed it in a 45 minute span. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle inadvertently shuddered and stalled. The contact stated he was able to veer to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine coil pack needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who diagnosed that the engine coil pack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and the vehicle was taken to the same dealer who diagnosed that the engine coil pack needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was still awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | It appears the parking lamps stay on when car turned off while headlights are in AUTO. This leads to unintended battery drain leading to unoperational car. Per Owner's Guide: The system automatically turns off the parking lamp when the key is removed (remote key) or when the driver turns the engine off (smart key) and opens the driver-side door. This does not meet the Owner's Guide's language. Dealerships and inspection services did not confirm/reproduce this. There are no warning lights or indicators of this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | ENGINE | Engine Seized Completely On 6 /20/2021 Car Was Only highway Driven and has had Regula Oil changes Using Quaker State Synthetic Oil As Is Recommended by the Automaker We still owe $10 K on this Car Its Outragous that Hyundai Has Had So Many Of these Seize But Yet It Keeps Going On We Have Had a Licensed Owner /Mechanic Look the car over and Will Provide A Letter We Fully Expect This Engine Be Replaced At Hyundai's FULL EXPENCE | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My multifunction switch appears to be defective. I have taken it to 2 different dealerships to be looked at. They have been unable to replicate any issues either time. Occasionally at night time the headlights will randomly turn off. This happened in auto mode as well as when it was pouring down rain and the wipers were on. The headlight indicator on the dash stays lit but the lights themselves turn off. This also happened driving to work in the early morning. When it is cold outside and also randomly the left signal indication doesn’t work in the lane changing function. I sometimes have to hit it 3-4 times before it decides to come on. Neither dealership I have used knows what is happening with the vehicle and I am not keen to spend $600 to have it fixed if it’s not going to 100% fix the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | ENGINE | While driving the vehicle this past January, I experienced a brief “clunking” noise in the engine, and the car stalled. The check engine came on briefly and then disappeared. The code identified was a “faulty crankshaft” code. I made an appointment with the dealership to take it in to be inspected, but later that day my son was driving to pick me up from work and the vehicle literally died in the middle of an intersection. No warning, all lights came on in the vehicle, the electrical system terminated, and the vehicle died. I had to have it towed to the nearest garage, which was a Pep Boys, and they diagnosed the problem as an alternator and battery, serpentine also. So. 1300 dollars worth of work later…. Turns out the car has an engine issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | no warning at all the engine blew apart sling oil in the road car lost all power I was turning into the drive way or about too when this happened I had to clean the road way and tow the vehical home hundyai would not help I cannot get help from hundyai dealer which told me it would be 3 months becor they could look at it or pay for it to be towed to Memphis | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,302 |
| May 2021 | WHEELS | THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM CONSISTENTLY INDICATES LOW TIRE PRESSURE ON 3 OF THE 4 WHEELS WHETHER STATIONARY OF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. MANUAL CHECKING OF THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATES THE TIRES ARE AT CORRECT PRESSURE. THIS PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN WHILE IN WARRANTY. HYUNDAI DEALER DID A REPAIR. NEXT TIME IT OCCURRED, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND DEALER WANTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE SENSORS AND MONITORING SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED ON THIS SITE FOR THIS MODEL. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ACTUALLY A RECALL ON A SIMILAR MODEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | STARTED LOOSING POWER THEN THROW A ROD THROWING OIL EVERYWERE RIGHT AFTER 100000MILES | Crash: No Fire: No | 100,100 |
| May 2021 | STEERING | I HAVE A 2018 HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED.. I NOTICE WHEN I'M DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS MY CAR IS CONSTANTLY SWERVING LEFT AND RIGHT.I THOUGHT MAYBE MY TIRES AND ALIGNMENT WAS BAD GOT BRAND NEW TIRES AND AN ALIGNMENT DONE BUT THE CAR STILL SWERVES TOOK IT TO MIDAS THEY PUT IN A NEW TIE ROD BUT NOTHING CHANGED ITS EVEN WORST WHEN THE ROADS ARE WET.. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,218 |
| Apr 2021 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IT JUST STOPS. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR 1 YEAR AND THEY KEEP TURNING ME AWAY. MY BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THAT IS IT. I WAS TOLD I WAS EXAGGERATING THAT THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING. YESTERDAY WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER TIMES IT STOPPED. MY CAR STOPPED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND I ALMOST RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RODE A CLIFF BECAUSE THE WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. NO ONE IS TAKING THIS SERIOUS. AS I AM DRIVING THE CAR WILL JUST SHUT OFF. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME TO DRIVE EVEN FURTHER TO GET IT FIXED. HOW IS THIS SAFE? I WAS TOLD BY RICH ITS MY CAR I OWN IT ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,500 |