2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. ON AUGUST 15, 2006, WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED (T-BONED) INTO THE FRONT END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST PAINS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL PRESSING INTO HER CHEST. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT KEPT ILLUMINATING. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE FAILURE AND DIAGNOSED IT AS THE AIR BAG SENSOR. APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES LATE, THE FAILURE RECURRED. ALSO, CURRENTL YTHE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY, THE VOLUME INCREASED, AND CERTAIN LIGHTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE, SUCH AS THE AIR CONDITIONER CONTROLLER LIGHTS, FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT HAD THE RADIATOR REPLACED . IN ADDEITION, THE TIRES WERE CONSTANTLY WEARING OUT, AND SHE WAS ABOUT TO PURCHASE FOURTH SET IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. SHE HAS NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE FAILURES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 73,000 .AND FAILURE MILEAGES WAS 45,000. *AK ABL.PCO

WE PURCHASED A 2003 IN FEBRUARY 2006 , SINCE THEN THE HEADLIGHTS HAD TO BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES, AND NOW AGAIN AFTER BEING STOPPED NOT KNOWING THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS OUT, IT WENT OUT RIGHT BEFORE WE GOT STOPPED ON API L 7,2007, BEING CHARGED WITH A TICKET. AND 3 POINTS OFF MY DRIVERS LICENSE WITHOUT A WARNING TICKET TO GET IT FIXED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE CARS IT SHOULDNT HAPPEN THAT MANY TIMES. *AK

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLAMP 3 TIMES IN 3 YEARS. APPARENTLY I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, THE CHATS AND BLOGS ARE FULL OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INTERNATIONALLY. ACCORDING TO WHAT I HAVE READ, I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED MUCH MORE FREQUENT REPLACEMENTS. CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LAMP IS THE ONE THAT BLOWS. I HAVE SAVED THE LAST LAMP REPLACED. IT IS A SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR. THIS IS THE THIRD BRAND OF BULB / LAMP. MY WIFE IS NIGHT BLIND. SHE TRIES TO AVOID DRIVING AFTER DARK. THE UNDEPENDABLE LIGHTING SYSTEM POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IN HER CASE AND I AM SURE IN SENIORS WHO REQUIRE MORE LIGHT TO SEE CLEARLY. *NM

THE BRAKES ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BEGAN GRINDING AT ONLY 39K MILES. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BRAKES WERE NOT COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MIDAS BECAUSE OF THE LIFETIME WARRANTY AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT FAILING DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE FRONT PADS HAD A METAL PLATE ON THE OUTSIDE WHICH HAD COME LOSE AND WAS CUTTING INTO THE HUB. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE BRAKE PADS THAT OCCURRED WHEN THEY GOT HOT AND THE ADHESIVE CAME LOOSE. DURING THE INSPECTION, THEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE CYLINDERS ON THE REAR BRAKES WERE LEAKING. I ENDED UP WITH OVER $600 IN BRAKE REPAIRS. *NM

01/10/07 WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD WHEN USING THE WIPERS TO CLEAR SNOW FROM WINDSHIELD, THE MIDDLE OF BOTH WIPERS WOULD NOT CLEAR SNOW ENOUGH TO SEE OUT IN CERTAIN SPOTS. WINTER BLADES HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED. I STOPPED THE CAR AND WIPED THEM OFF. BLADES CONTINUED TO SKIP OVER CERTAIN SPOTS ON WINDSHIELD. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. I AGREE WITH OTHERS STATEMENT THAT MAYBE THIS CAR IS NOT MEANT TO BE DRIVEN IN THE SNOW, OR AT LEAST WIPERS NOT MEANT TO CLEAR OFF SNOW AS IT LANDS ON WINDSHIELD. I TOO, HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLETELY CLEARED BUILDUP OF WINDSHIELD BEFORE STARTING OUT. *JB

2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA : CLUTCH / TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 28,000 MILES. WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER. HYUNDAI HAS ISSUE WITH HIGH FAILURE RATES ON STANDARD CLUTCHS 2003 2004 MODELS. *NM

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY APPROX 65 MPH WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD POP, LOOKING AT THE DASH BOARD ALL GAUGES REPORTED NOTHING WRONG. SUDDENLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, BLINDING HER VISIBILITY AND CARS BEHIND HER. SHE WAS ABLE TO VEER OFF TO THE MEDIAN AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. THE REPAIR SHOP NOTED THAT A PLASTIC RESERVOIR TANK EXPLODED AND DRAINED ALL COOLANT AND DAMAGED THE RADIATOR AND RECOMMENDED CALLING HYUNDAI SINCE CAR IS IN WARRANTY AND SUGGESTS THAT ENGINE DAMAGE (SEAL DAMAGE MAY RESULT IN COMPLETE DAMAGE OF ENGINE AND NEED REPLACEMENT) THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A SIMILAR REPORT AS LISTED AND MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO SMOKE DISABLING DRIVERS VIEW. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE HAD A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HOWEVER NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, ANOTHER DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THE REAR BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE AND THE FRONT BRAKES WERE DOING ALL THE WORK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ADJUSTED THE REAR BRAKES.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED PRIOR TO THE BRAKES FAILING, AN ODOR OF BRAKE FLUID WAS NOTICED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER, THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS LEAKAGE OF THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS, WHICH WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN OUT OF STATE SERVICE DEALER FOR SCHEDULED SERVICE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE BRAKES NEEDED ADJUSTMENT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING AGAIN, AFTER ONLY 8118 MILES AND 13 MONTHS TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.