2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED, LOST POWER STEERING AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE FUEL GAUGE ALSO FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TIGHTENED A COMPONENT ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND ADJUSTED THE RELAY SWITCH. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY IS NOT OPERABLE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE MORNING, I APPLIED THE BRAKES FOR STOPPED TRAFFIC. I HEARD SOMETHING CRACK, AND THE CAR SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. AFTER BACKING, AND CHECKING UNDER THE CAR TO SEE IF I HIT SOMETHING, WHICH I DIDN'T I PROCEEDED, AND IT SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL I HIT THE BRAKES AGAIN TO HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK, WHEN HE ARRIVED HE LOOKED UNDER AND TOLD ME THAT MY LOWER RIGHT CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN. I HAD IT TOWED IN AT A COST OF $61.00. THE REPAIR SHOP CALLED AND TOLD ME I WAS LUCKY I HADN'T BEEN ON THE TURNPIKE, AS I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH, AND THEY HADN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE. THE REPAIR COST $324.85. I CALLED HYUNDAI, AND THEY ISSUED ME A CASE#3271798. AFTER FAXING THEM THE BILLS, I WAITED ABOUT A WEEK, WHEN THEY CALLED ME BACK, THEY DENIED THE CLAIM,SAYING (A) THE CAR WAS SOME 30,000 MILES AND A YEAR AND A HALF OUT OF WARRANTY,AND (B) THAT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IMAGINE HOW I FELT WITH THAT STATEMENT WHEN MY WIFE AND SON ALSO ARE DRIVING HYUNDAI'S. UNTIL THIS HAPPENED I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT 10 MORE OF THEM, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT CARS, BUT I HAVE SEARCHED OTHER COMPLAINTS , AND I T SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT HYUNDAI HAS NOT ADDRESSED. WHEN MINE WAS REPAIRED, THEY LOOKED FOR A USED PART, AND WERE TOLD THIS THEY WERE ALL IN THE SAME SHAPE, AND WHEN BUYING THE PART FROM THE DEALER THEY HAD SEVERAL ON THE SHELF, INDICATING A PROBLEM. I WOULD HAVE BEEN SATISFIED IF THEY HAD REIMBURSED ME, BUT THEY CHOSE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. WAS THIS THE ONLY YEAR IT AFFECTS?OR ARE THERE OTHER POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS OUT THERE WAITING TO HAPPEN? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE PLACING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, GASOLINE BEGAN SPEWING BACK OUT. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO FILL UP THE TANK. A LOCAL MECHANIC PERFORMED A BUMPER-TO-BUMPER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT GASOLINE SHOOTS BACK OUT OF THE TANK. THE MECHANIC IDENTIFIED IT AS A POSSIBLE RECALL FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE DEALER; HOWEVER, SHE CALLED NHTSA FIRST TO VERIFY THE RECALL. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,761.

TL*THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT IS A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC AND STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS RUSTING AND CORRODING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM TO FAIL. HE HAS REPAIRED TWO VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAILURE. HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY FAILURE. HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS A FREE REMEDY. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE FAILED COMPONENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

BACKLICK ROAD IN SPRINGFIELD VA. I GENTLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKES BECAUSE OF SLOWING TRAFFIC, MY CAR IMMEDIATELY SLID TO THE LEFT AND WITH OUT WARNING CAME TO A SUDDEN HALT. CALLED 911 FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE IN DIRECTING TRAFFIC AND ALSO AAA FOR TOWING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE GARAGE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE RIGHT CONTROL ARM OF MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2002 WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE OFF JAMMING ITSELF INTO THE WHEEL OF MY CAR CAUSING IT TO NOT MOVE AT ALL. IRONICALLY, MY CAR WAS JUST SERVICED BY MY DEALERSHIP 6 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING FOR AN OIL CHANGE, TIRES ROTATED AND ALIGNMENT. THEY NEVER MENTIONED A RUSTY CONTROL ARM. HYUNDAI WAS GOING TO CHARGE $400 TO HAVE THE CONTROL ARM REPAIRED. THEN I ASKED THEM FOR PICTURES OF THE CONTROL ARM AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE THE CAMERA BELONGED TO HYUNDAI AND THEY DID KNOW HOW TO GET PICTURES TO ME. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND TAKE PICTURES OF THE CONTROL ARM MYSELF. WITH IN MINUTES - THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE IT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY! THEY DID COVER IT UNDER GOOD WILL WARRANTY AND THE PART WAS REPLACED. NEVER DID THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO HAD I BEEN TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT THAT TIME. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON MONDAY 2/18. THEY BROUGHT OUT THE RUSTED CONTROL ARM FROM MY CAR BUT THEY ALSO BROUGHT OUT ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS REPLACED ON SATURDAY, JUST AS RUSTED THROUGH AS MINE HAD BEEN. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE ONE FROM MY CAR. THEY WOULD NOT LET ME KEEP THE PART BECAUSE THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE SENT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN I CALLED TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM TO HYUNDAI OF AMERICA (VIA 800 #) THEY SAID THEY WERE CLOSING MY CASE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP HAD RESOLVED THE PROBLEM AND THAT I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE GOODWILL SERVICE. I'M EXPECTING A CALL FROM A SUPERVISOR W/IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. *TR

FRONT RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM RUSTED AND BROKE . THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNABLE TO STEER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER AND REPAIRED. NO CHARGE TO OWNER BECAUSE WE HAD PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY AT TIME OF PURCHASE. *TR

2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HATCHBACK, DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING IT BREAK IN HALF, NO BODY WAS HURT, NO COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES OCCURRED. THE DAMAGE CAME TO OVER $1,000.00. THE CONTROL ARM ON A CAR SHOULD NEVER UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES FAIL. IT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. IF WE HAD BEEN ON A MAIN HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. THE CONTROL ARM METAL IS EXTREMELY THIN MAKING US THINK IT MAY BE A DEFECT FROM HYUNDAI. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. BOTH OF THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN OUT AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND IS THE CONTACTS RESPONSIBILITY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,247 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 3/25/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED REPLACED 5 TIMES FOR EACH HEADLIGHT FOR A TOTAL OF 10 HEADLIGHTS. UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR

HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT EXCESSIVELY. EVERY 1-2 MONTHS, ONE BURNS OUT AND ALTERNATES BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING GAS ONTO THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE AND WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, WHICH SHOWED THAT TWO SENSORS FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE HER VEHICLE HOME DUE TO THE RISK OF FIRE AND THE SEVERITY OF THE GAS LEAK. HYUNDAI STATED THAT NOTHING MORE COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE PART WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE PART. THE VEHICLE HAS A 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WAS NOT COVERED FOR THAT WARRANTY. AS A RESULT, OTHER COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE GASKET, HAVE BLOWN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS PARTICULAR DEFECT; HOWEVER, THERE WERE RECALLS LISTED FOR SIMILAR FUEL DEFECTS OF THE SAME PRESENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE. THOSE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS ARE 04V369000 AND 04V178000. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 86,000.