2010 Hyundai Elantra problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (179) · Air Bags (30) · Power Train (25)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Elantra model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
273 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2020-02-04 · campaign 20V061000 · 476,111 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2015-02-23 · campaign 15V100000 · 204,768 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch 2013-04-01 · campaign 13V113000 · 1,712,336 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, m
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Service bulletins (47)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DL · Other
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by jilin province detiannuo automobile safety system co., ltd. (dtn). these inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehi
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DCS · Other
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by jilin province detiannuo automobile safety system co., ltd. (dtn), that have been identified in u.s. vehicles following prior
Exterior Lighting 2025-11-06 · 25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (drl), or fog lamp. this tsb illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. lamp assembly replacement is not necessary
Showing the 6 most recent of 47 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-09 · Unknown Or Other“two hyundai dealerships said they are unable to perform the recall. eps sys sw update/rep (tsb#15-01-019-1) software expired and is no longer available.…”
2026-08-05 · Steering“the contact owns a 2010 hyundai elantra. the contact recently purchased the vehicle. the contact researched and became aware that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v113000 (exterior lighting), 15v100000 (steering) and 20v061000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the r…”
2026-05-27 · Structure:body · 💥 crash“i am submitting this complaint regarding a possible airbag/srs system failure involving a hyundai vehicle. on may 26, 2026, the vehicle was involved in a severe front-end collision resulting in major structural damage to the front end, including the hood, bumper reinforcement, radiator support, and engine compartment. despite the significant impact…”
2026-05-19 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“upon arriving at my condo after work, pulled into the driveway that goes to 2nd floor underground. had my foot on the brake and when the garage door started to rise, i put foot on gas pedal to inch forward and the gas pedal went all the way down. braking did not stop the car. the car crashed through the garage door but that did not stop car. it c…”
2026-05-01 · Unknown Or Other“vehicle developed clunking noise in the steering. was told it was coupler issue. the dealership, nlorthbay hyundai, in petaluma, california, was negligent in the replacement, creating a grinding metal on metal noise, and damaged the steering column as well. the dealership refused failed to correct the damage and attempted to defraud me over $3,000…”
2026-03-27 · Steering“eps light came on and we changed the part and it came back on again i spent $350 for this service but i saw online that hyundai is having a recall for my year and model car to reprogramming eps but my vin is not included. is it possible they can include my vin ?…”
2026-01-11 · Steering“the eps light started coming on intermittently back in nov. 2025 and power steering became very difficult. i could get it to reset by turning off the car and turning steering wheel all the way to right and then left and then back to center and restart. the steering ability returned but the light eventually came back on. i had firestone look at this…”
2025-10-22 · Steering · 85,000 mi“the contact owns a 2010 hyundai elantra. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in direction with the abs warning light illuminated. after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally, but the failure reoccurred. recently, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle …”
2025-08-18 · Steering · 110,000 mi“the contact's mother owns a 2010 hyundai elantra. the contact stated that while his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the "power steering" warning light illuminated. the contact's mother had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering assist module needed to be replaced. the vehicle w…”
2025-07-02 · Suspension“rear lower control arm detached from subframe while highway driving. lost control of vehicle. the problem has been an issue for sonata and azera however not for elantra when the same thing happened. the component has not been inspected yet. there were no warning lights. happened suddenly. is available for inspection. subframe became corroded from …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.