Your vehicle report
2003 Hyundai Elantra
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 234
- Received Aug 2002 to Dec 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes31 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Frame rusts and corrodes through28 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking15 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #09V125000Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.
- Recall #04V369000Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 42 crashes, 1 fire, 33 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Engine stalls and loses power while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 26 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2005 | 19 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 11 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 26 |
| 2010 | 27 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 234 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 31 | 13% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 28 | 12% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 15 | 6.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 4.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 11 | 4.7% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 8 | 3.4% | – | NHTSA recall #04V178000, #04V369000 |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 8 | 3.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 8 | 3.4% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.6% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 6 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #03V257000, #03V496000 |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #09V125000April 16, 2009160,904 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm
Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 Elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.
The fracturing of the control arm could an owner's control over their vehicle that may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms for corrosion damage. If specified levels of internal corrosion damage are found, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms incorporating additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front lower control arms do not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the front lower control arms and will treat the front lower control arms with rust-proofing materials to arrest the internal corrosion process. These procedures will be performed free of charge. The recall began on august 17, 2009. Owners may contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #04V369000July 26, 2004919 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" 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.
Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact Hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.
NHTSA recall #04V178000April 9, 2004263,968 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Some passenger vehicles contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began on june 30, 2004. Owners should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #03V496000December 3, 20031,993 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes Can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets.
Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering gearbox mounting brackets may result in rear brake tube wear and corrosion, increasing the risk of brake fluid leakage. Brake fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes, install brake tube clips, and apply anti-corrosion material to the rear brake tubes. Owner notification began january 22, 2004. Owners should contact Hyundai of puerto rico at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #03V257000July 22, 2003312,292 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage.
Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. Owners should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN