2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD BLINK SPORADICALLY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME HESITANT TO ACCELERATION AND WOULD SPUTTER WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WOULD VIBRATE AND IT WOULD FEEL AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO STALL. THERE WAS ALSO A SHUDDER COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 07/26/11

MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL FAILURES FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. CAR HAS REQUIRED MULTIPLE JUMPS BECAUSE OF DRAINED BATTERY, BOTH BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TESTED WITHIN NORMAL RANGES AND DEALER COULD NOT FIND SOURCE OF ISSUE. SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER EPISODES OF HEAVY WEATHER, RADIO ALSO DIES COMPLETELY AND NOT FUSE RELATED. LIGHTS (DAY/NIGHT) BURN OUT PERIODICALLY AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. BOUGHT CAR BRAND NEW IN 2008. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH IN REVERSE WHILE IN A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY. THERE WERE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE GEAR SELECTOR WOULD SHIFT INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AT THE SPEED LIMIT ON A 4 LANE, NON DIVIDED HIGHWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK IN NORMAL MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I WAS ABOUT 7 MILES INTO A NORMAL 10 MILE COMMUTE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. WHILE MOVING AT THE SPEED LIMIT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THAT THE CAR HAD SOMEHOW STALLED. I RAPIDLY PUMPED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND WARN OTHER CARS. IT IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, SO I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. I HEARD THE ENGINE REV, SO I REALIZED IT WAS POWER STEERING FAILURE, NOT A STALL. I CONTINUED TO PUMPED THE BRAKES AND FOUGHT WITH THE STEERING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. I AM OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE DRIVEN CARS THAT DID NOT HAVE POWER STEERING, BUT STEERING IN THIS CONDITION WAS MORE DIFFICULT THAN THAT. I SLOWED THE CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT AND MANAGED TO PULL IT INTO A PARKING LOT. I REALIZED THAT THE PARKING LOT WAS CONNECTED TO A SIDE STREET AND WAS ONLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SO I DROVE THE CAR ONTO THEIR LOT. THE DASHBOARD SHOWED ONE RED LIGHT, 'EPS". ONLY AFTER STEPPING OUT OF THE CAR DID I REALIZE HOW SHAKEN UP I WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY POOR JUDGMENT TO DRIVE EVEN THAT ONE BLOCK. I LEFT THE CAR FOR THEM TO SERVICE. FROM THE SERVICE WRITE-UP: UPON INSP TECH FOUND STEERING ANGLE SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. CODE C1259, & C1290 PRESENT. TECH REPLACED SENSOR & CLEARED CODE. OPER TO MFR SPEC. THE DEALERSHIP DID THIS UNDER WARRANTY, NO CHARGE. THEY ALSO PERFORMED 2 OTHER RECALLS RELATED TO AIRBAGS WHILE THE CAR WAS THERE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM THIS DEALER AND THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES TO EVER SERVICE IT. I HAVE NO REASON TO FAULT THE DEALER, I APPRECIATE THEIR WORK. FOR THE CAR HOWEVER, THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY TYPE THAT THE STEERING WAS DEFECTIVE OR WOULD FAIL. IT FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE HAD VERY DIRE RESULTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES AND STEERING LOCKED ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE WENT FORWARD INSTEAD. SHE SHIFTED INTO PARK AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN RESTARTED, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME NONRESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO RESET THE COMPUTER BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,500 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

AFTER PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK THE CAR WOULD SKIP DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES IN VARIOUS DRIVEWAYS. THE DRIVEWAYS ARE NOT STEEP OR OUT OF THE ORDINARY. HYUNDAI CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND HAS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE LOCKING PIN NOT ENGAGING. IT IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE ANYONE IN THE ROAD OR IN YOUR DRIVEWAY CAN BE HIT BY THE CAR AS IT SKIPS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY.

I WOULD LIKE THE US DOT NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) ON MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PURPOSE OF AN ABS IS TO PREVENT LOSS OF TRACTION AND STEERING CONTROL DURING AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION. DURING A RECENT ROUND OF WINTER SNOW, I FOUND THAT THE SYSTEM DID NOT SHORTEN MY STOPPING DISTANCE AND DID NOT PREVENT THE FRONT WHEELS FROM LOSING THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE CAR ON SNOW. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 465 AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, I WAS UNABLE TO DECELERATE SUFFICIENTLY IN THE LENGTH OF THE DECELERATION LANE TO MAKE THE CURVE OF THE CLOVERLEAF AND LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE WHILE THE ABS WAS ACTIVATED. I DID SOME EXPERIMENTING AND FOUND THAT I COULD STOP IN A SHORTER DISTANCE WITH MORE CONTROL, IF I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL WHEN TRYING TO STOP. I ALSO FOUND THAT I COULD SLOW THE VEHICLE BETTER AND NOT LOSE STEERING CONTROL IF I DOWNSHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR, THAN I COULD USING THE BRAKES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER NEAR MY HOME AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ABS. THEY DROVE THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT NO REPAIRS WERE NEEDED AND THAT THE ABS PERFORMED SIMILARLY TO OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLES. WHEN I ADVISED THEM THAT THE ABS DID NOT ALLOW ME TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE TECH AGREED, BUT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PREFORMING AS DESIGNED. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHEN HE RETURNED FROM VACATION TODAY AND HE AGREED THAT THE ABS DID NOT WORK LIKE IT SHOULD, BUT THAT REPLACING PARTS WOULD NOT RESOLVE MY CONCERNS WITH THE ABS. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THIS ABS AS IT PERFORMS ON SNOW AND ICE AND I AM REQUESTING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION. I HAVE OBSERVED THE SAME RESULT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE ABS ON WET PAVEMENT IN THE PAST, BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEGAN DRIVING ON THE EXIT RAMP WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED THE CAR ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF 85MPH. I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT SLOWED TO 20MPH. AT THAT POINT I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD DEBRIS ON IT AND MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO ACCELERATE TO HIGH SPEED. THE CAR HAD ACCELERATED TWICE BEFORE BUT NOT TO SUCH HIGH SPEEDS AND WOULD REACT TO THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA IN APRIL, 2008. IN JUNE OF 2008, CAR SURGED WHILE AT RED LIGHT. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM, NO REPAIR MADE. SURGING HAPPENED AGAIN IN JUNE OF 2008, DEALER REPLACED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. IN APRIL OF 2009, SURGE HAPPENED AGAIN, DEALER REPLACED FUEL SENSOR. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SO WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED, I OPENED A CASE FILE WITH HYUNDAI. EACH SUBSEQUENT TIME, I REPORTED IT TO HYUNDAI, AS WELL. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN OCTOBER OF 20L0. AT THIS POINT, I TRADED THE CAR IN AT THE HYUNDAI DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I TOLD THEM THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE AND SHOULD NOT BE PUT ON THEIR USED CAR LOT FOR SALE. TODAY, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAR IS FOR SALE ON THEIR LOT. I SPOKE WITH THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THAT HE WOULD REQUEST TIME FROM HYUNDAI TO "TEAR THE CAR DOWN" IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE SURGING HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS IDLING AT A STOP, SO A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE CAR IS IN DANGER, OR A REAR-END COLLISION COULD EASILY HAPPEN AT A STOPLIGHT. I REPORTED THIS TO HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS TODAY. *TR

MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH 19,000 MILES ON IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AS I WAS CROSSING A RAILROAD TRACK. (10/2010) I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO START IT AGAIN AND IT DID START BUT AS I DROVE ON, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO "MISS" THEN KEEP GOING, THEN "MISS" AGAIN. IT DID THIS FOR ABOUT 2 BLOCKS WHEN I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOWED IT. THEY CALLED TO SAY THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A "STEERING" PROBLEM AND THE BRAKE AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED. I GOT ANOTHER CALL SEVERAL DAYS LATER SAYING THE CAR WAS READY TO PICK UP. THIS WAS FOLLOWED A FEW HOURS LATER BY ANOTHER CALL SAYING THEY HAD TEST DRIVEN THE CAR AND IT FAILED. THEY SAID THEY WERE IN TOUCH WITH THE REGIONAL OFFICE FOR HELP. I CALLED THEIR CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPT. AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SERVICE DEPT. HAD FAILED TO PERFORM ONE OF SEVERAL TESTS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THEY WERE TO CALL ME WITHIN 1-3 DAYS. IT IS DAY 2 NOW AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING. I DO NOT TRUST HYUNDAI AND WANT TO GET RID OF THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A "CONSUMER REP" WHO WILL NOW BE THE ONLY PERSON I WILL BE ALLOWED TO TALK TO REGARDING THE CAR. IF THE ENGINE SHUT-DOWN HAD OCCURRED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THROUGH WHICH I WAS ABOUT TO GO, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I AM NOT WILLING TO DRIVE A CAR THAT IS DANGEROUS. CAN I BELIEVE HYUNDAI WHEN/IF THEY TELL ME MY CAR HAS BEEN FIXED????? I DOUBT IT! *TR