general problems of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra - part 1

We were heading back to ohio at mile marker 8 75n kentucky when we heard a boom. Then we saw smoke as my husband was pulling over. We jump out to get our child out of the car seat and at the same time a pickup truck pulls up with two guys. They yell that our cars on fire and began putting the fire out with a fire extinguisher. We had an oil change before we left ohio by valvoline. This area of the hwy isn't really patrolled and only has a volunteer fire department. A constable just happened to pass by us on the way to indiana.

Excessive oil consumption. Engine completely dry after 3500 miles in between oil change with no check oil warning light.

Oil leaking from pistons in engine just like the recalled engines.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that after an oil change was performed at jiffy lube, the engine seized while driving. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the highway and parked. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and the tow truck driver informed the contact that an unknown engine part had detached on the road and there was no oil in the engine. Jiffy lube inspected the vehicle at the residence and informed the contact that they were not responsible for the engine failure, which was caused by a lack of oil changes after 10,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,151.

Burning oil. Multiple misfires. Replacing spark plugs more often than should have to. Engine knocking.

Oil consumption will cut off while driving.

It is showing signs of excessive oil consumption. 200 miles before my next scheduled oil change there was no oil in the car, causing overheating issues. It uses the same engine as other recalled years for the same issue. However they never issued a recall for the 2018. The only update I've ever received was a surprise notice from valvoline, mid oil change, that if I didn't use the more expensive oil change option, which I couldn't afford in the moment, that I would void any warranty from Hyundai. There was no prior notice or contact from Hyundai informing me of this "new" (the valvoline tech's words not mine) policy. So not only is my car experiencing an issue known to affect this engine, they get to absolve themselves from responsibility by surprising someone with a greater expense than they are expecting, by not giving notice to their customers? this doesn't seem fair and needs to be addressed. Since that first visit I have followed their recommended oil change specs and still have excessive consumption. The date I'm giving is the approximate date of that first visit to valvoline when my car had no oil and I was told mid change about the new policy.

My engine blew in September 2024. I had it replaced. When I replaced it I got a one year warranty and unlimited mile warranty. It now blew in July 2025. I have had it Hyundai of mankato which they didnt want to wait on Hyundai of America to do anything to fix it and told my mechanics to have my car get offline their lot. My mechanics towed my car to happy Hyundai of rochester. Hyundai of America will not accept my warranty now and just pay for the new motor, tear down, and the time they have in it. Hyundai of America told my mechanics if they took it from Hyundai of mankato and brought it to another dealership that they approve of that they would accept my warranty and pay for all parts and everything. Hyundai of America picked happy Hyundai of rochester. Where my car is.

The dealership replaced my engine and spark plugs when the pistons were grinding metal causing a catastrophic failure in November of 2024. In July of 2025 I started experiencing the same issues and the dealership stated that Hyundais ignition coils have a high rate of failure because they changed the design and used my old ones from my engine replacement. It is now I brought my car into the dealership July 18th and they stated that was their best guess but they didn’t now forsure. I was never informed of the high rate of failure until I was experiencing it.

The engine of my 2018 Hyundai Elantra has a rod bearing defect covered under a safety recall. The vehicle has not been repaired yet, and the issue prevents the car from being safely operated. I have incurred towing expenses due to the inability to use the vehicle, and I am concerned about potential engine failure or safety hazards if the defect is not addressed promptly.

I started my vehicle and it was running sluggish and low idle. I had an engine light and when I tried to drive there was a clanking sound. When I had the engine light tested I received the following codes: p0017 - crankshaft position correlation bank 1 sensor b, p0303 - cylinder 3 misfire detected, p0302 - cylinder 2 misfire detected, p0301, p0014 - exhaust camshaft position timing - over advanced (bank 1), p0030 h02s heater control circuit (bank 1, sensor 1) I had it towed to my nearest Hyundai dealer in tacoma, wa. After they did a diagnostic they said that they would have to replace the engine due to a shearing of a pin, leading to the belt jumping and causing issues. I am the only owner of the vehicle, I have had all my oil changes on time and my vehicle is 137,000 miles. This should not be happening in a vehicle with such low mileage. In reading online, this is an issue that Hyundai is aware of but not concerned with. There was no warning beforehand. This could have led to my engine stalling on the the freeway at freeway speeds and thus could have caused a great accident and bodily harm to myself and others. Hyundai has denied responsibility but knows this is an ongoing issue with it's poorly manufactured engines. I was not informed of all the problems of Hyundai vehicles before I purchased mine. I have yet to receive help from Hyundai customer service or the Hyundai dealer.

I am filing this vehicle owner's questionnaire (voq) regarding critical safety defects in my 2018 Hyundai Elantra related - recurrent ignition coil pack failures (3 replacements since 10/2018) - engine stalling at low speeds (6 incidents since 10/2018) - dealer refusal to apply TSB 20-01-008h ecm update despite matching symptoms technical background: Hyundai technical service bulletin 20-01-008h (February 2020) specifically addresses: - misfire detection logic flaws in 2018-2019 Elantra 2. 0l engines - required ecm software update (rom id ad8sp2as673d) - updated ignition coils (p/n 27300-2e601) safety incidents: 2025: stalling event at 25 mph approaching traffic light (no crash) 2021, 2023, 2024: multiple misfire codes (p0300-p0304) with check engine light dealer interactions: - round rock Hyundai refused ecm update on 05/2025 claiming "VIN not in campaign" - round rock Hyundai refused coil replacements on 05/2025 claiming not under warranty - service advisor acknowledged stalling/coil failure pattern matches TSB criteria formal requests: - investigate Hyundai's VIN filtering for TSB 20-01-008h applicability require Hyundai - perform ecm software update per TSB specifications - replace all coils with updated p/n 27300-2e601 - reimburse previous coil replacement costs $1700 (6 coils over 7 years) - open recall investigation for 2018 Elantra ignition systems attachments available upon request. I authorize NHTSA to share my contact information with Hyundai motor America. This defect creates unreasonable safety risks through sudden power loss and compromised vehicle control.

I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Elantra on April 3, 2024, from carmax. At the time of purchase, I was not told about any recalls. Later, I discovered that my vehicle is covered by Hyundai service campaign 993 (anti-theft software upgrade), issued February 13, 2023, which addressed the lack of an immobilizer in 2011–2022 Hyundai vehicles. On may 29, 2025, my vehicle was stolen due to this defect. When it was recovered, it had a blown engine and was completely inoperable. Hyundai acknowledges that my VIN is included in the recall, but they have only offered to install the software update now. That does not remedy the damages caused by the theft and resulting engine failure. Carmax has denied responsibility, claiming they were not aware of the recall. I am now left with a financed vehicle that is not drivable and has lost significant value due to Hyundai’s defective design.

Check engine light came on , car was sluggish and stalled on highway , was able to glide over to the side . Would not start . This is the 4th time this happened to this vehicle , in the past I was able to put in neutral and restart . They fixed it 3 times but they are now Hyundai is now saying it needs a new engine.

The crankshaft needed replacement the oil pump broke at 107,000 miles.

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.

Burning oil internally. Adding 1 quart about every 1000 miles.

Formal complaint: engine failure in 2018 Hyundai Elantra to whom it may concern, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding a severe and unresolved issue with my 2018 Hyundai Elantra, which has been problematic since the time of purchase and has now suffered a complete engine failure. Despite regular maintenance and responsible use, the vehicle has proven to be unreliable and unsafe. 1. Nature of the problem the most recent and critical issue involves total engine failure. On may 12, 2025, I brought the vehicle to north freeway Hyundai due to the car not starting. Their official diagnostic report revealed that the engine needs to be replaced. Additionally, the inspection showed issues with the transmission cooler coolant lines leaking, efi system, camshaft exhaust, radiator hoses, and the battery. These problems affect essential systems that are critical to both the performance and safety of the vehicle. 2. History of the problem from the beginning, the vehicle experienced a series of mechanical issues. These included engine stalling, warning indicator lights, rough idling, and decreased fuel efficiency. I consistently took the car in for service and maintenance, yet the problems worsened. In the days leading up to the failure, the vehicle had trouble starting, made abnormal noises, and eventually stopped working entirely. 3. Risk to safety the failure of the vehicle to start without warning has placed me in unsafe and potentially dangerous situations, including being stranded in public places. The risk of the car stalling during operation could have endangered not only my safety but also the safety of other road users. This is a serious safety concern that should not be ignored. 4. Diagnosis confirmation the diagnosis by north freeway Hyundai confirmed that the engine failure is complete and that replacement is necessary. The service notes also included a recall campaign (24-01-009h-1) for anti-theft software and decals. These issues further demonstrate.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 ,.

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.

May 24 2024, while driving on interstate95 at approx 70mph, I experienced catastrophic engine failure, with metal shards and screws shooting out, oil spewing, and smoke billowing everywhere. Loss of control of vehicle and nearly hit by passersby while trying to guide vehicle to swale. There were absolutely no warning lights or signals, and vehicle had just been serviced at Hyundai dealership at 77k miles (odometer reading 81k at time of incident). Independent mechanic diagnosed engine failure, hole in block, and provided attached photos. Vehicle was towed to wallace Hyundai, in ft pierce, where it awaits dealer mechanical inspection.

About 4 weeks ago (mid-may) I was driving in stop and go traffic on a major highway. My car is a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, manual transmission. After about 30 minutes of this, the car started to just cut out, the engine cut out when I was changing gears. It did this about 6 times on my drive home. I noticed that when the rev meter got below 1, the engine would just stall out, so I tried to give it gas to keep the revs up. In addition, the engine was making a knocking sound. I took it to my mechanic's the next day and when he heard the sound, he said it needs a new engine. He has had a few customer's with similar issues with their Hyundais. He told me to tow it to the dealer and they would help me get the engine replaced. That same day, I had it towed to a dealer nearby. They charged me $195 for a diagnostic and said it needed new spark plugs and replaced cylinder 1 coil, which they did. ($900) I picked it up, but I could tell it still wasn't right. The mechanic assured me he fixed it. However, they also told me the "check engine" light was on (it wasn't). When I was driving it, it started to stall again when I was changing gears. I brought it back to the dealer, he told me his mechanic had trouble getting it into reverse, there was a problem with the clutch. He would need to "tear down the transmission" for $2,000 and even then, he wouldn't know what the problem was. This just didn't feel right--I got the impression they didn't know what they were doing and that this mechanic couldn't even drive stick. I took it back to my own mechanic who couldn't find the problem. He told me to drive it around and when it makes the sound/cuts off, to bring it back. I drove it home--today--and the knocking sound started after 15 minutes. I recorded it and texted it to my mechanic. He called me and said "it's the engine. The dealership mis-diagnosed your problem and overcharged you. " I called a different dealer, got an appointment for next week and must play the $200 diagnostic .

While driving on the expressway, my vehicle suddenly stalled out. I was able to restart in but the car would not go over 25mph. I was able to pull off the next exit and call for a tow truck. My vehicle was brought to a local shop and they pulled the engine and find that it was shot. Due to Hyundai, they requested to do their own diagnostic and found the same issue. The vehicle ad less than 80,000 miles on it. I received an invoice for repairs required which was over $16,000 in repairs including replacing the engine. I pleaded that they cover the engine and this seems to be a recurring issue with this model. They refused. I am stuck with a vehicle I cannot a drive and is now sitting in my driveway with no option but to wait for a open recall.

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??.

I was driving about 45 mph when the car just turned off the first time. I was able to put it in neutral and start it back up to get to the side of the road and it died on me again. I was about 30 feet from my destination at this point so I got it where I was going and turned it off. When I turned it back on it was making a terrible knocking/grinding noise. It didn’t have a drop of oil in it (about a thousand miles after my last oil change mind you) so I put oil in it and started it again and the sound quit. I went to drive it and it died before I could accelerate to a decent speed, got it cranked and rolling again and it slowly got up to 40 mph, but the second I started to slow down again it would die. So I had it towed to my mechanic who at first thought it was because the timing chain had a lot of slack in it, assuming it jumped time so he changed that, but it was still dying. He ended up finding the cause to be the exhaust cam sprocket? I’ve never heard of this before but I do know that ever since I bought the car 3 years ago it never felt like it would get up and go whenever I hit the gas. Since I picked it up from being fixed, this thing zoom zooms everywhere now! but it is still using an ungodly amount of oil between oil changes.

On the freeway going about 45 mph tried to speed up and switch lanes as I pressed the gas you can hear the acceration but the car didnt increase in speed the whole dashboard went blank (black). Car was unresponsive. Its very dangerous that the car falfuctions in critical conditions like being on the freeway. Yes I have tooken it to Hyundai and they never find anything wrong. Also at times the car wont even turn on. No type of waring lights on dashboard.

Our Hyundai Elantra 2018 car started with a knocking sound while we were driving and it got worse our of nowhere when we accelerated and suddenly did this throttling sound with a pop. The battery light came on, the engine light came on and suddenly our car engine turned off and we were able to go on the side of the street we were on. Fumes were coming out of the hood and oil began to leak. The car was not able to be turned on to move it. We have towed it to our home, our local mechanic told us it was the engine. It has 135,000 miles on it. We got it from the dealership about 5 years ago and had not had issues until suddenly our engine blew!.