2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 ELANTRA THAT I'VE ALREADY REPLACED ONE CONTROL ARM ON. I HAVE THE ARM AND PICTURES IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED. CAR HAS HAD FREQUENT UNDERBODY WASHES AT THE CAR WASH AND WAS PURCHASED NEW BY US. I'VE FOUND MANY PEOPLE WITH COMPLETE FAILURE ONLINE, MANY CAUSING SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. FORTUNATELY, WE CAUGHT OURS EARLY. OURS HAS JUST OVER 70,000 ON THE ODOMETER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO OR PICTURES. THANKS. *TR UPDATED 04/22/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL ARM WAS RUSTY IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH OVER A SPEED BUMP, IT FELT AS IF THE PASSENGER SIDE COLLAPSED. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CONTACT NOTICED STEERING, GRINDING, AND RUBBING ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY IDENTIFIED THE RUSTED CONTROL ARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH 69,692 MILES, ORIGINAL OWNER; DRIVING IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT, THE DRIVER-SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE IN TWO, SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION SHOWS IT TO HAVE ROTTED THROUGH. TIRE WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE VEHICLE. TOWED TO HYUNDAI DEALER IN NATICK, MA. HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM DEALER YET, BUT OBVIOUSLY NEED A NEW LOWER CONTROL ARM AND AT LEAST AN INSPECTION OF PASSENGER-SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. I EXPECT THIS TO BE COVERED UNDER 100,000 MILE TRANSAXLE WARRANTY; WE'LL SEE. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR UPDATED 04/22/09.*JB

FEBRUARY 2009 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE PERTAINING TO MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2002-THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT HAVING SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I TOOK MY CAR IN AND THEY DID THE RECALL WORK AND NO PROBLEM. NEXT MORNING, I GO OUT TO MY CAR AND TURN THE KEY AND IT IS DEAD!!! NOTHING !!! SO I GAVE IT THE ALL OR NOTHING JIGGLE OF THIS THAT AND THE OTHER THING-AND ALAS! IT STARTED. I BRUSHED IT OFF AS A FLUKE-THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WITHIN A MONTH AND TODAY IT IS STILL SITTING WHERE I PARKED IT THIS MORNING. I CALLED THE HYUNDAI DEALER TWICE TODAY JUST TO PICK HIS BRAINS AND GIVE ME SOME IDEA AS TO WHAT IT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS-THE BATTERY IS NEW, TRIED JUMPING IT EARLIER TODAY. THE SHIFTER DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT WANTS TO MOVE AT ALL EVEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL-THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH FOR THE SHIFTER-THIS MADE SENSE SINCE THE WIRING CORRECTION IS LOCATED IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA. PERHAPS OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME THING. *TR

AFTER BRAKING, MY ELANTRA JERK, MADE AND AWFUL GRINDING SOUND, AND WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION, I COULD SEE THAT A PART HAD BROKEN OFF. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THE RIGHT FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS "ROTTED THROUGH" AND THAT THIS IS OFTEN SEEN IN HYUNDAIS. THE LEFT SIDE ALSO SHOWS SIGNS OF DETERIORATION. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED REPLACING BOTH SIDES, AS THE LEFT SIDE MIGHT ONLY LAST A FEW MONTHS GIVEN THE DEGREE OF DETERIORATION. PARTS ARE BEING REPLACED. *TR

I HAD TO PUT ON THE BRAKES HARD TO STOP FROM HITTING A CAR THAT STOPPED SHORT. THE CAR JERKED AND WHEN I BEGAN TO PROCEED THERE WAS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FRONT END. I GOT THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL DEALER WHO IS JUST A MILE AWAY FROM WHERE THIS OCCURRED AND AFTER THE CAR WAS INSPECTED WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT END CAME WITHIN 1/2" OF CORRODED METAL FROM BREAKING OFF. THERE WAS ONLY 1/2" OF METAL LEFT HOLDING IT IN PLACE. I WAS TOLD THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE BOTH "ANNHILATED" AND WERE COMPLETED RUSTED OUT. I HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH OF THEM AT A COST OF MORE THAN $1000. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SPENT 2002-2008 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SUBJECT TO THE SALT AND WINTER CONDITIONS. IT ONLY HAS LESS THAN 85,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS TREATED WELL AND SERVICED ROUTINELY. LIKE OTHER CONSUMERS, WHO HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE, I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AND THAT THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT ON THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO BECOME SUBJECT TO CORROSION. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE JUST 1 MILE TO THE DEALER WHO WILL BE PERFORMING SERVICE, BUT SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED WHILE FURTHER AWAY, I WAS TOLD I WAS ONE POTHOLE AWAY FROM THE WHOLE FRONT END FALLING OFF. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT SEVERE DAMAGE AND POTENTIAL PERSONAL HARM COULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE CAR HAD BEEN IN A COLLISION OR WORSE, IF THE CONTROL ARMS HAD BROKEN FREE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY OR AT INCREASED SPEEDS. THIS IS CLEARLY DANGEROUS AND I HAD NO REASON TO THINK THAT A CAR THAT'S 7 YEARS OLD COULD SUFFER SOMETHING LIKE THIS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL ARM FRACTURED. THE DEALER MADE THE REPLACEMENT, INCLUDING THE TIE RODS AT THE COST OF $700. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 64,000.

2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAS A RUST PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM. *NJ

THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS FOGGED UP CAUSING THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LAMP TO DIMINISH TO THE POINT WHERE I FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS AND I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HYUNDAI AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THEM AT MY EXPENSE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. AS WITH OTHER ELANTRA OWNERS I HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS CONSTANTLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY 02 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAS TWO BAD CRACKS IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I KNOW THAT OTHER 02 ELANTRA'S HAD A RECALL, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE ALL THE BAD MANIFOLDS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT CAN LEAD TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, OR STUCK IN WINTER CONDITIONS CARBON MONOXIDE CAN BUILD UP INSIDE THE VEHICLE LEADING TO DEATH OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. *TR