Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Hyundai Elantra - part 1

On xxx, my 2010 Hyundai Elantra touring experienced a severe fire in the engine compartment. I observed burning material/flames dripping from underneath the engine compartment before the fire spread upward. The fire caused extensive damage to the engine compartment and the vehicle is no longer drivable. After the incident, I checked the vehicle's VIN ([xxx]) on Hyundai's recall website and found that Hyundai safety recall campaign 188 / NHTSA recall 20v061000 is listed as incomplete. The recall concerns the abs module electrical circuit and a potential engine-compartment fire risk. I am reporting this incident to NHTSA because an actual engine-compartment fire occurred while this safety recall remained incomplete. The vehicle has been preserved and is available for inspection. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

Car wouldn't start. Makes clicking sound. Mechanic diagnosed it and said timing chain is broken, valves are bent and pistons broken.

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

At 105,000 mi. My car stalled out and the engine stopped. It needs a new cam shaft, timing chain set, cam phaser and timing cover. We also had to replace the variable valve timing solenoids as the metal melted.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

Horn not functioning. Engine mount needs replacement.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

The engine mounts on this vehicle failed. Dealership and many others online have stated that this seems to be a reoccurring issue with the 2021-2023 generation of Hyundai Elantras. The vibrations of these failed motor mounts become so severe that they can dislodge the brakes making it very unsafe to drive. Hyundai should be doing a recall for this to avoid safety issues for their customers.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

"I was not notified of campaign 974 and later experienced engine problems/failure. I am requesting review of whether the campaign was completed and whether the failure is related to the condition the campaign was intended to detect. My engine failed while pulling up to a house, stopping, then preparing to move again the car stalled, car stalled, car would not start for several times tried, then started was able to drive for about 10 miles then stalled again and would not start, car has been intermittently working, car has recent and regular oil changes on time with correct oil and still failed now there is metal in the oil per the mechanics there is knocking sort of like ticking sounds - the car left me stranded due to the engine intermittently working and not working to start the car - the car will attempt to start then turn right off immediately after starting the car and sometimes not turn over the car also had been jumping when in stopped positions as soon as attempt to give gas ever so slightly.

Since having our car, the check engine light came on several times with us being told we will need an engine replacement. Recently, our car stalled out several times while driving on different occasions leading us to look up the recalls.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

On July 13, 2026, my engine light came on and I don't understand why. My oil change was update and not sure what else can be wrong. So, I went to autozone so that can do a diagnostic and they gave me a printout of the problem. Took the vehicle to the shop gave him the printout from autozone so that he will know what the problem is. Brought the part and that didn't take the engine light off and I paid $300 for nothing because I am still experiencing the issue. I took it back to the shop and the guy said that I need to replace my engine. I have had the car for about three years and not understanding why the engine needs to be replaced already. Then the passenger seat belt light keeps going off when there's no one sitting in the seat. I think there's a problem with the engine and my seatbelt light, but there's a recall on the vehicle. I replaced the air filter like it was suggest to me the car dealer where I purchase the car from. So, I did that and the car is running a little loud at times.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

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.

The oil light & check engine started flashing. Took it to the auto shop. The mechanic stated that the oil level is very low and the engine has a bad lower-end knock. Removed the oil filter and found metal debris in the oil. No oil leaks were found under the vehicle at all. Oil is being burned out through the exhaust. The vehicle needs an the ngine replacement.

See all problems of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

On xxx the vehicle stalled on a busy road, with no warning/ messages appearing until the car died. It was left at dakota k auto repair in buffalo grove, IL the same day. They replicated the stalling issue four times, but were unable to diagnose the issue. The vehicle was then brought to Hyundai auto nation o'hare in des plaines, IL on xxx. The vehicle stalled twice while they drove it. On xxx their diagnosis stated the timing chain system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to arlington performance center in arlington heights, IL and on xxx they added there was also engine failure which needed replacement. The vehicle was purchased from patrick Hyundai in [xxx] on xxx and has 101,876 miles on it. It is available for inspection. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

While the car is in drive, it would power off in the middle of driving. Took the car to repair and advised regarding the engine. My safety was at risk because I loss power to operation the car in the middle of traffic, which could have called an accident for myself and others. The problem have been confirmed a repair shop. No, the manufacture stated since my VIN # is not included in their recall, it will not be cover but clearly its something wrong with the car. When the engine light came on, I took it to the repair shop and was advised regarding the 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.

The control panel /radio panel has had a glitch or blacked out screen where it wouldn't come back on for a few hours and I could smell electrical or plastic burning after it did come back on after that the radio started changing channel on its own while screen glitched on and of with saturated static wrench on my dash comes on periodically. The tires pressure unit never has the same amount of air in it according to the gauge. Even though I have made it so that they were all equal several different times. The car feels like it misfires when that it's 9500° outside and you go for any sort of extended drive past 10-15, mi. When the air conditioner is on high, the fuel economy doesn't seem to match the way it's supposed to and some of the programming is missing since the last time it was serviced out of the control panel. Some options that we're supposed to have been there aren't there anymore and I'm pretty sure that when I use the remote to roll down my windows they're all supposed to roll down. Well only one of them does and it doesn't roll it back up the way it's supposed to when that it is foggy out. My camera system says that I'm about to get into a crash and starts blinking at me and beeping and flashing saying that I'm about to crash because my forward safety system or my rear safety system is not working properly. And yes I've let them know about these things my car has less than 25,000 mi on it and the problem started probably 3 months after I got it. When I first got it there was a bunch of little pits in the glass or I want to say hairline bubbles. I don't know what else to call them but they replaced my windshield. They didn't replace the back window that still has them.

See all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

Engine burned oil and had knocking sound, despite having regular oil changes. Stalked out while driving took to dealer initial said it was covered by the exerted coverage but ultimately denied. It had 111,000 miles on it. I believe this engine has the same issues as the others.

On xxx, I dropped off my 2018 Hyundai Elantra (VIN: [xxx]) at Hyundai of downtown los angeles for service campaign txxw. The vehicle was in proper working order with no stalling or drivability concerns. The dealership retained it for 159 days before I retrieved it xxx it has now been in their custody 191 days — more than six times the 30-day limit under song-beverly § 1793. 2(b). Component/system: the engine now stalls completely at every stop. A documented clunk in the passenger front was identified in the dealership's own service report as "clunk noise heard from passenger front. " both conditions developed during the dealership's exclusive custody. Vehicle is at 3850 s figueroa st, los angeles CA 90037 and available for inspection. Safety risk: the engine shuts off quietly at red lights and stop signs without warning. Dashboard indicates engine is not running and vehicle cannot move without restarting. My minor son was a passenger when this occurred, creating a serious safety hazard at active intersections. Reproduced/confirmed: stalling was documented by text to assistant service manager john ragan at 12:34 pm on xxx dealership's general manager confirmed in writing July 22, 2026 that no stalling existed at original drop-off, confirming it developed during their custody. Inspections: dealership performed a multipoint inspection and documented the clunk in writing. No independent inspection has occurred as vehicle remains on dealership property. Hyundai motor America notified — case #xxx. Warning lamps: no warning lamps or symptoms existed at drop-off January 12, 2026. Stalling first appeared xxx after 159 days in custody. Dashboard warning lights illuminate when stalling occurs but no prior warning signs existed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Failed engine due to class action recall.

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

Vehicle stalled while driving on a highway without warning. The car was able to start back up, would go a few feet and stall again. Had it towed to a Hyundai dealership to repair. They replaced the exhaust camshaft and timing components. They released the car, saying it was fixed. Less than 12 hours later, the car stalled again while driving through washington DC. Once again, it would start up again but stall every few feet. We took it to another Hyundai dealership. They replaced the oil pump (saying the oil pressure was too high). That did not fix the issue and the dealership stated that the intake camshaft needed to be repaired. The third party warranty company would not approve that repair, as they are saying the engine needs to be completely replaced. We bought the car in March. The first incident occurred in June and the second incident was 12 hours later. The car has been at the dealership for 'repairs' ever since.

I was wondering if you can help me. I have a Hyundai Elantra that had a recall for my engine to get fixed by the dealership. I’ve never got it fixed because I was unaware of a Hyundai letter that I just found on the internet that was issued by them but I never received it. I went to a mechanic the other day and he informed me that they had a recall for my engine. The problem is now that Hyundai gave a date that expired on the recall. I was wondering if you can send them a demand letter or something because I was never contacted about this. I also had a brain tumor operation and Hyundai should grant me with a medical exemption. Here’s the Hyundai notice that they never gave me,.

See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.

My daughter was in a parking lot and put her car in park, removed her keys and exited the vehicle. She walked around the vehicle and was removing her school bag and the car came out of park and rolled into another vehicle.

The engine in my 2018 Hyundai Elantra suffered a sudden internal failure at 118,444 miles. The vehicle began knocking, losing power, and running roughly. A dealership inspection confirmed heavy scoring on cylinders 1, 3, and 4, oil intrusion into the cylinders, and piston top slapping. The engine is not repairable and requires full replacement. This failure matches the known defect pattern of Hyundai’s nu 2. 0l mpi engine, which has widespread issues with piston ring wear, oil consumption, cylinder scoring, and internal mechanical failure. The failure occurred without warning/messages and created a safety hazard due to loss of power while driving. My VIN is not included in any recall, but the defect is identical to other Hyundai engine failures that have resulted in recalls and investigations. I am reporting this because the engine failure appears to be part of a larger safety?related defect affecting this engine family.

This complaint documents a recurring automatic transmission failure resulting in three complete vehicle shutdowns during active operation — two at highway speed and one in an active turning lane. The most recent failure occurred within 15 minutes of the vehicle being released from an authorized Hyundai dealership in college park, maryland, whose general manager admitted in a recorded call that the vehicle was released knowing the transmission was unrepaired and unsafe. The first failure occurred in 2025 on a highway with no prior warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, where the transmission was confirmed defective and repaired under warranty. The second failure occurred in January 2026, again on a highway with no warning. The dealership held the vehicle from January through may 2026 — four months — with no updates despite multiple owner inquiries. In April 2026 the dealership confirmed the transmission had failed again and was seeking Hyundai corporate authorization for the warranty repair. On may 21, 2026 I was told the vehicle was ready and the transmission had been fully repaired under warranty. This was false. On [xxx], within 15 minutes of leaving the dealership, the transmission failed a third time, completely shutting the vehicle down in an active turning lane with no warning. The general manager at Hyundai college park later admitted in a recorded call that the transmission was never repaired and the vehicle was released only to recover the dealership's rental car, with full knowledge it was unsafe. All three failures were confirmed by the authorized dealer. Component is available for inspection. Nhtsa investigation and recall consideration requested. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

The engine failed on a 2015 Hyundai Elantra with approximately 71,000 miles. The vehicle has an open, unresolved safety recall (recall 251, NHTSA #23v651000) for an abs module brake fluid leak that Hyundai has acknowledged but has not provided a remedy for. The vehicle is currently at an independent repair facility and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle repeatedly shut off without warning while in motion and restarted mid-drive, causing sudden loss of power steering and power brakes while driving. This occurred on multiple occasions and was documented by an independent service center in February 2026. This presents a serious risk of accident, injury, or death to the driver and others on the road. The check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle experienced recurring brake issues requiring multiple repairs over several years, including brake replacement before 2026 and rear rotor, brake pad, and brake line repairs in February 2026. These brake symptoms are consistent with the known abs module defect covered under open recall 251. The engine shutoff symptom was first documented in February 2026 and continued until engine failure in may 2026.

Vehicle was parked and turned off in a residential driveway when a fire spontaneously ignited in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights, unusual sounds, or symptoms prior to the incident. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire using dry chemical suppressant and water. The vehicle was a total loss. The fire appears to have originated in the front engine compartment area. The vehicle was not involved in a collision. The vehicle has a 1. 8l nu dohc engine and 4-wheel abs system. This vehicle falls under known NHTSA recalls and class action litigation related to spontaneous engine fires in Hyundai Elantra vehicles, including issues related to defective abs/hecu modules and engine defects associated with the nu engine series.

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.

I purchased the vehicle from a private party on 8/18/21 with 38,310 miles. Almost immediately after owning the vehicle I noticed the engine oil level was low. . The owner had said she had just got an oil change so I thought maybe the shop just left it low. Then I noticed it low again a month later, and that was the start of my nearly 5 year journey of having the carrying quarts of oil in the trunk of my car because the engine was burning the oil so quickly. Finally on 5/08/26 the car begins to run very poorly, long story short my personal mechanic and Hyundai of ontario both confirm the engine is bad and needs to be replaced. I understand there is a history of this year of Hyundai engines burning excessive oil. The car currently has 92,362 miles and even though it’s under the 100,000 warranty Hyundai says the warranty is only offered to the original owner. Any help you can provide to determine if Hyundai has any liability related to this issue would be much appreciated.

1. The engine architecture suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. Specifically, severe, systemic internal oil consumption/vaporization starved the hydraulic timing chain tensioner of critical hydrostatic pressure. This caused the tensioner to collapse, creating slack in the steel timing chain, which then "jumped time" (skipped a tooth on the camshaft sprockets), causing the engine to instantly seize and lose all motive power. The vehicle and engine are fully intact and available for inspection at pohanka Hyundai of fredericksburg. 2. The vehicle suffered a sudden, complete loss of motive power and engine seizure while being driven at night on an unlit, dark secondary roadway. The driver (my daughter) was left suddenly stranded without power in a highly vulnerable, pitch-black location with passing traffic, presenting an immediate collision hazard and a severe personal safety risk before emergency assistance could arrive. 3. Yes. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership (pohanka Hyundai of fredericksburg), where service technicians officially diagnosed that the engine had "jumped timing" and suffered a complete failure of the timing system, alongside a noted lack of engine oil volume due to vaporization. 4. The vehicle has been formally inspected and diagnosed by the authorized Hyundai dealership service department under Hyundai motor America corporate case #[xxx]. No police or insurance inspections were required as no collision occurred. 5. No dash lights or warnings before failure. However, for a year prior, the engine exhibited severe internal oil vaporization, requiring constant top-offs between scheduled oil changes to maintain safe levels. There were zero external fluid leaks on the engine or ground; oil burned entirely internally. This chronic volumetric oil loss directly caused the sudden drop in pressure, hydraulic tensioner collapse, and catastrophic engine seizure. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See attached document for complaint.

Unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic camshaft sensor failure. The camshaft sensors were replaced; however, the issue persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact associated the issue with NHTSA campaign number 21v301000 (engine). The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

I am writing to formally log a safety defect complaint regarding a severe mechanical failure in my 2014 Hyundai Elantra, equipped with the nu 1. 8l engine. The vehicle has been professionally diagnosed with severe internal engine knocking stemming from catastrophic piston slap, a manufacturing defect inherent to this engine family block that causes premature cylinder wall scuffing, piston ring degradation, and unmetered oil loss. The national highway traffic safety administration has previously acknowledged that manufacturing issues in Hyundai engine blocks can cause rotating internal components to fail, leading directly to sudden, un-alerted engine stalling at highway speeds, a severe and immediate safety hazard to drivers, passengers, and surrounding traffic. Despite this being a well-documented mechanical defect (originally addressed under the [xxx] , et al. V. Hyundai motor America class action settlement / service campaign txxk), Hyundai motor America is currently refusing to remedy this hazardous component. The manufacturer has repeatedly denied corporate assistance based strictly on an arbitrary calendar timeline (stating the vehicle has passed the 10-year settlement window). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and referred the contact to the bbb to report the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 108,404.

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that around 4:00 o'clock in the morning, she was awoken by the sound of her dogs barking; she then discovered that her vehicle had caught fire and had burned to the ground. The fire spread, which caught fire to a nearby mobile home and a 4-wheeler. The authorities were called to the scene, and the fire department managed to extinguish all three fires. No injuries were reported, and a police report was not filed. A neighbor's ring doorbell camera captured the footage of the fire, which showed that the fire had started from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The vehicle was a total loss and remained in the contact's possession. The failure mileage was unknown.

See all problems of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra 🔎.