2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE PANEL HAS COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON INDICATING THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAGS BECOMING DISCONNECTED???

ENGINE REFUSES TO START ALL ELECTRICAL ARE OK, DEALER SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE JIGGLED AND THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE A MICRO-SWITCH.

YESTERDAY, AUGUST 17, 2015, I PARKED AT MY APT COMPLEX TO GET MY MAIL, TURNED CAR OFF COMPLETELY, I WAS LITERALLY OUT OF MY CAR FOR 40 SECONDS. I GOT BACK IN STARTED IT UP, AND NOTHING. IT WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER, NO SOUNDS, NO CLICKS, JUST DEAD SILENCE. ALL OF THE PANEL LIGHTS WERE LIT, HOWEVER, AND THE AIR VENTS WERE BLOWING AIR FROM THE FAN, THE RADIO TURNED ON, BUT NOT THE ENGINE. THE BATTERY WAS NEWLY INSTALLED ON OCTOBER 2, 2015 WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. I USED MY HYUNDAI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, SOMEONE ARRIVED IN A NORMAL VEHICLE TO JUMP START MY CAR. FIRST TRY, IT STARTED UP JUST FINE. HE WAS TRYING TO SELL ME A NEW BATTERY FOR $150, INDICATING THAT BECAUSE I LIVE IN ARIZONA NOW, THE HEAT DOES STRANGE THINGS TO CARS. I DIDN'T TAKE THE OFFER. I LET THE CAR RUN WHILE I WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THEN DROVE TO THE CARPORT WHERE I PARK MY CAR NORMALLY IN MY APT COMPLEX. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND HESITANTLY TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, AND TO NO AVAIL. NOTHING AGAIN. IT WOULDN'T START. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND A FEW SITES WHERE OTHERS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. ONE PERSON MENTIONED TO TURN THE IGNITION TO ACC AND THROW THE SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL, WHICH I DID, AND THEN MAGICALLY MY CAR STARTED UP PERFECTLY FINE. I TRIED TURNING IT OFF AND ON AGAIN ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES, AND IT DID JUST FINE, NO STALLING. SINCE I'VE HAD THIS VEHICLE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES (AT LEAST 20+) THAT IT WON'T START UP ON THE FIRST TRY, BUT SECONDS LATER I'LL RETRY THE IGNITION, AND IT'LL START UP, BUT IT SOUNDS AS IF IT'S GOING TO CONK OUT. LIKE IT'S BARELY HANGING ON. I'VE HAD NO OTHER ISSUES WITH MY CAR BESIDES THIS. AFTER READING ON MULTIPLE FORUM SITES, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S FAIRLY COMMON, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL SET FOR THIS. THANK YOU. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A DRY SOLID ROAD WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR POTHOLES. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR ACTED LIKE IT TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS, HEARD A STRANGE NOISE AND THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WOULD NOT GO FASTER WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND FELT LIKE I LOST SOME FUNCTION CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAS DONE THIS BEFORE BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. THEN THE ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ALL WITH IN 2 SECONDS. WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT CHANGING, I TURNED THE ESC OFF AND IT WENT BACK TO DRIVING NORMALLY ALMOST INSTANTLY. ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD I FIGURED I WOULD TRY TO TURN IT BACK ON BECAUSE I REMEMBER BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP TO LEAVE IT ON. A FEW SECONDS PASSED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WHEELS LOCKED UP AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS MY CAR STARTED TO TURN SIDEWAYS. I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE ESC BUTTON AND IT CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER, IT FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO READJUST AFTER HAVING THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ANY LONGER. I HAVE AN EMAIL WITH MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME ISSUE (SOME HAVE HAD ACTUAL ACCIDENTS) THAT I CAN SEND YOU. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING AND SHOULD HAVE A RECALL DONE ON THIS BEFORE THIS KILLS SOMEONE.

2012 ELANTRA LIMITED FAILS TO START WHEN IN PARK. BATTERY IS FINE, ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IS WORKING. ENGINE DOES NOT CRANK WHEN THE PUSH TO START BUTTON IS PRESSED. SOMETIMES IT STARTS AFTER A FEW TRIES, BUT IT WOULD NOT START AFTER TRYING 10 MINUTES YESTERDAY. I TRIED AGAIN IN THE MORNING AND IT STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. I SEARCH THE WEB AND HAVE READ THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. PEOPLE ONLINE ARE SAYING THE PROBLEM IS THE RANGE SWITCH / INHABITOR SWITCH. I NOTICED THAT THE ISSUE IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY LATELY. IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.

I HAVE A HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED, 2012, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH MY CAR, THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT IN 2011. WHENEVER I TAKE THE CAR TO THE SHOP TO HAVE THE ISSUES CHECKED, I AM ALWAYS TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING TO FIX. FIRST, THERE ARE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN TAKING THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE, IT OFTEN LURCHES INTO GEAR, WHICH THEN CONTINUES AS I DRIVE INTO 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, AND SOMETIMES 4TH GEAR. IT SHIFTS REALLY HARD, AS IF THE CAR WERE A MANUAL AND I WAS NOT SHIFTING VERY WELL BETWEEN GEARS. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO (~JUNE 2015) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THE SHOP SAID THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE SENSOR ERROR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK ON 7/14, AND TURNED OFF WITHIN 24 HOURS. I'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS JERKING SHIFT ISSUE, THOUGH IT NEVER SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN IT'S AT THE SHOP. SECOND, THERE IS SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL ISSUE/SHORT IN THE CAR, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE WINDOWS DOWN AND I HIT THE LEVER TO ROLL THE DRIVER'S WINDOW UP THE SUNROOF ALSO STARTS TO OPEN/CLOSE! OR, THE WINDOWS DON'T GO UP/DOWN AS HARD/SOFT AS I MOVE THE LEVER. ALSO, IN THE PAST MONTH OR SO (JULY 2015) THE PROXIMITY KEY SEEMS TO NOT WORK, AND I HAVE TO PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE DOOR HANDLE MULTIPLE (UP TO 10) TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WILL LOCK/UNLOCK. THIS ALSO PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO START THE CAR (IGNITION SWITCH) BECAUSE IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE KEY IS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP!

I WAS ACCELERATING TO ENTER FLOWING TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 14 IN WASHOUGAL ,WASHINGTON WHEN THE ELANTRA BLOWS A CLOUD OF BLUE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST (BURNT ENGINE OIL). THE INCIDENT CAUSED THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME TO SLOW DOWN UNTIL THE CLOUD CLEARED. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED A ACCIDENT IF I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY.THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPEN TO ME TWICE BEFORE.I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE FORUMS ON THIS PROBLEM @ FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/13025/HYUNDAI/ELANTRA....UPDATED 10-13-15 *BF. THE DEALER RECOMMENED THE CONSUMER USE A HIGHER GRADE OF FUEL. UPDATED 12/31/15. *JB UPDATED 01/04/16.*JB

REAR END FISHTAILS SEVERELY WHEN I HIT A POTHOLE, SEWER LID OR ANY BUMP IN THE ROAD. I HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO HITTING OTHER CARS BESIDE ME AND HEAD ON FROM THIS PROBLEM. I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY OWN NEW CAR. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND IT OPERATES AS DESIGNED, YET THEY HAVE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT THEY DID LOWER THE PRESSURE IN THE TIRES AND SUGGESTED I PUT CASES OF WATER IN MY TRUNK TO WEIGH DOWN THE BACK END OF THE CAR. I HAVE ADDED 70 POUNDS OF WEIGHT IN THE TRUNK AND STILL IT DOES NOT HELP AT ALL. I HAVE READ THAT IN THE SNOW THE PROBLEM IS TEN TIMES WORSE. I LIVE IN A STATE WHERE WE GET PLENTY OF SNOW AND I DREAD THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO DRIVE THAT CAR DURING THAT TIME. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW UPSET THAT I AM.

EARLIER THIS MONTH, TWO ATTEMPTS TO TURN OFF/RESET THE RED AIRBAG SYMBOL FAILED LEAVING ME WITH A CONSTANT FEAR OF SAFETY FOR MYSELF AND PASSENGERS WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. INEXPLICABLY, THE RED AIRBAG SYMBOL POPPED UP ONTO MY DASHBOARD SCREEN EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH THIS CAR. I AM THE FIRST AND ONLY OWNER AND SOLE DRIVER OF MY AUTOMOBILE. ACCORDING TO MECHANICS WHO HAVE CHECKED THE AIRBAG PROBLEM, IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION THE AIRBAG WILL MALFUNCTION POTENTIALLY SETTING OFF A SERIOUS SCENARIO FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. TWO ATTEMPTS TO READJUST THE AIRBAG SYMBOL AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM WERE MADE BY GLENDORA HYUNDAI IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOLLOWED BY A REPUTABLE AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SHOP. THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE TRACED OR IDENTIFIED USING STATE OF THE ART DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, THUS, THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM REMAINS A MYSTERY. AGAIN, AS LONG AS THE SOURCE OF THE AIRBAG PROBLEM REMAINS UNDETECTED THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE CORRECTED AND MY VULNERABILITY TO BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED IS A VIABLE SPECTER THAT WILL NO DOUBT BE REALIZED IN THE EVENT I EXPERIENCE THE MISFORTUNE OF A VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COLLISION.