2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

THANKFULLY NO INCIDENT, MY MECHANIC POINTED OUT TO ME DURING NORMAL MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD SEVERE CORROSION DAMAGE THAT ITS ALMOST SPLIT HE ADVISED NOT TO TAKE IT ON THE HIGHWAY UNTIL IT WAS FIXED. HE PRINTED OUT THE RECALL NOTICE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM. HYUNDAI IS GIVING ME PUSH BACK ON TAKING CARE OF IT BECAUSE IM NOT IN THE SALT BELT. I AM NOT IN A SALT FREE STATE THEY SALT HEAR AT THE THREAT OF FLURRIES. THAT KIND OF DAMAGE IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON A CAR THAT'S UNDER 60K MILES. I DON'T WANT THE WORLD I JUST WANT THEM TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT HAD MY MECHANIC NOT POINTED IT OUT I COULD HAVE PUT MYSELF OR OTHERS IN DANGER IF THIS SNAPPED AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. I CANT BE THE ONLY ONE OUTSIDE OF THE SALT BELT THAT IS HAVING THIS ISSUE AND MAY BE IN DANGER IF IT SEPARATES. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN. *TR

POWER STEERING LINE WORE HOLE IN LINE WHERE LINE CROSSES OVER FRAME. POWER STEERING LINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED FROM FRAME AND ELEMENTS OF ROAD SALT AND WATER TO KEEP FROM WEARING OUT. VERY MUCH OF A SAFETY MATTER, SHOULD BE RECALLED & FIXED PROPERLY TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS BEHIND TWO VEHICLES AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND WE ALL JUST STARTED TO PROCEED FORWARD WHEN THE FRONT VEHICLE SLAMMED HIS BRAKES ON. THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED HIS BRAKES ON AND I SLAMMED MINE ALSO. I FELT THE FRONT END GIVE A LITTLE SO I MADE A RIGHT TURN AND SLOWED DOWN TO AROUND 5 MPH. I PROCEEDED TO MY HOME ABOUT 500 FEET AWAY AND TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKEN JUST PAST THE BALL JOINT. I FORGOT TO SAY THERE WASN'T ANY CONTACT BETWEEN ANY OF THE VEHICLES, NO ONE WAS INJURED. *TR

A FEW MONTHS BACK I BEGAN NOTICING THAT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WOULD TAKE 10- 15 MINS TO FILL UP GAS TANK. SENSOR WAS TRIGGERED EVERY FEW SECONDS, SUGGESTING GAS TANK WAS FULL, BUT IT WAS NOT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WITH IN THE LAST MONTH I HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT REAR AUTOMATIC LOCKING SEAT BELT IS NOT STAYING LOCKED. CHILD CAR SEATS DO NOT STAY SECURED. CAR OCCASIONALLY STALLS WHEN STARTED, AND AIR BAG LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE TO DETERMINE IF AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY OR NOT. *TR

UNABLE TO FILL GAS TANK BECAUSE THE GAS PUMP WOULD CLICK OFF JUST AFTER PUMPING A FEW DOLLARS OF GAS INTO CAR ALTHOUGH THE GAUGE INDICATED THE VEHICLE WAS NEAR EMPTY. THIS CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND JUST STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. ONE DAY IT WAS WORKING FINE, THEN I NOTICED I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH GAS PUMP CLICKING OFF. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM, THEY PULLED UP THE RECALL NOTICE. CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR "JUST MISSED" THE RECALL. RECALL EFFECTED THROUGH NOVEMBER 9, 2003 AND MY CAR WAS MADE DECEMBER 17, 2003. THEREFORE I WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE RECALL ID # 04V369000 - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE A VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE ROLLS OVER AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR. AFTER BEING TOLD I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL I TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT STATES, FOUND CANISTER ASSEMBLY COME APART INTERNALLY RESTRICTING VALVE. THE COST WAS GOING TO BE $450.00 PLUS TAX AND LABOR. TRIED TO FIND A BETTER DEAL AND ALL MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME HYUNDAI IS REFUSING TO FIX THE FUEL TANKS ON SOME CARS, BUT ALL THE MECHANICS ARE DOING IS REPLACING THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE AND VEHICLES ARE RUNNING FINE WITH NO FURTHER COMPLAINTS. HYUNDAI IS RIPPING OFF CUSTOMERS BY FAILING TO INCLUDE ALL CARS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL MECHANICS THEY SAY IS ONCOMING FOR A CANISTER ASSEMBLY TO COME APART (NOTING IT COULD HAPPEN, BUT RARELY). THE HYUNDAI PEOPLE ARE SAYING MY CAR IS NOT "SENSING" WHEN IT IS FULL. WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THE EXACT THING THE RECALL IMPLIES. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GATHERING THE MONEY TO HAVE THIS DONE (NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP) AND SEE IF IT FIXES MY PROBLEM AS WELL. *TR

WHEN DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 2003 HYUNDAI, SHE HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING (VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHEEL)...WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE THAT HAD DETERIORATED. WE ARE WONDERING IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR HER. COULD THIS BE RELATED TO OTHER ISSUES UNDER THE CAR RELATED TO CORROSION??? *TR

IN THE PAST 6 WEEKS, I HAVE DROVE MY CAR MAYBE 5 TIMES BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP SO MANY TIME FOR DEFAULT BRAKES. ONCE IT SEEMS TO BE FIXED, THEY STARTING SMOKING. SO IT GOES BACK IN THE SHOP FOR ANOTHER WEEK. THEN I GET IT BACK, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY BRAKES. GOES BACK IN SHOP, GET IT BACK AND THEN MY CALIPERS STICK AGAIN AND CAUSE MY BRAKES TO SMOKE. I HAVE NOT HAD MY CAR FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SITTING ON MY DRIVEWAY AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT, NOR IS IT EVEN DRIVABLE BECAUSE IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO SET ON FIRE. I HAVE ABOUT $2000 DUMPED INTO THIS CAR DUE TO DEFAULT EQUIPMENT ON THE CAR, WHICH THE RECALL PEOPLE CLAIM IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR CAMPAIGNS, SO THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT TO MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. THEY FOUND I NEED NEW BRAKE SEALS, CALIPERS ON ALL 4 SIDES AND NEW ROADERS (THAT WE JUST REPLACE A MONTH AGO BRAND NEW) BECAUSE THEY ARE WORN DOWN SO MUCH DUE TO THE CALIPERS STICKING, LOCKING UP AND SMOKING ONCE A WEEK FOR THE PAST MONTH. I WORK A FULL TIME JOB AND A PART TIME JOB TO PAY OFF MY COLLEGE LOANS. I CANNOT KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO A 2003 CAR THAT I HAVE ONLY HAD FOR A YEAR. IT IS NOT WORTH ME SPENDING ANOTHER $600 TO REPLACE THE BRAKE SYSTEM AGAIN FOR A CAR WHO HAS SO MANY RECALLS ON IT, I CAN'T COUNT ON BOTH OF MY HANDS. SINCE I AM A NEW OWNER, DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD OF RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICES IN THE MAIL? YEAH, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED. I DO HAVE A LAWYER AND I WILL NOT BE AFRAID TO GIVE HER A CALL BECAUSE MY CAR IS COMPLEXLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND BY THE TIME I AM DONE FIXING ALL THESE PROBLEMS (THAT ARE ON THE LIST OF RECALLS) THIS CAR WILL BE ALMOST A $10,000 CAR WHICH I ONLY PAID $5000 FOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND COMPLETED A U-TURN WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO VEER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS FRACTURED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED BY THE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V125000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS RUSTING), HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

DURING A RAPID STOP AT LOW SPEED THE PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM SNAPPED RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSTEERABLE. HAD THIS OCCURED AT HIGHER SPEED IT IS LIKELY THAT SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY WOULD HAVE ALSO OCCURED. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING OUT OF PARKING SPOT AT WORK THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF CAR DROPPED. GOT OUT AND FOUND THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL HAD FOLDED UNDER CAR. AFTER FURTHER CHECKING FOUND THAT THAT CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN AND FLUID POURING OUT FROM UNDER CAR. WAS INFORMED BY FELLOW WORKER THAT THIS CAR HAD A RECALL ON CONTROL ARMS.I CHECKED INTO PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BUT THE ARMS WERE NOT REPLACED.I AM THE SECOND OWER OF THIS CAR. THE ARMS WERE WAXED AND DRILLED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.MILEAGE ON THE CAR AT TIME OF WAXING WAS 113,715 MILES .IM JUST GLAD THAT I WASN'T OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME. WILL HYUNDAI TAKE CARE OF THIS FOR ME AND HOW MANY MORE CARS ARE OUT THERE WITH SAME ISSUE? *TR