Your vehicle report
2010 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
- 380
- Received Mar 2010 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly60 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving51 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes28 complaints · 7.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V061000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
- Recall #15V100000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenlyFirst signal: Mar 2016
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 45 crashes, 9 fires, 48 people injured, 1 death.
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 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine stalls and loses power while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
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 |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12 |
| 2011 | 13 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2013 | 19 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 35 |
| 2016 | 32 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 36 |
| 2020 | 33 |
| 2021 | 28 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 7 |
| Total | 380 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 60 | 16% | 13.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2016 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 51 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #15V100000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 28 | 7.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 24 | 6.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 17 | 4.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 17 | 4.5% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 15 | 4.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 12 | 3.2% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 10 | 2.6% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 2.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 3 | 0.8% | – | NHTSA recall #13V113000 |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 3 | 0.8% | – |
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 #20V061000February 4, 2020476,111 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
NHTSA recall #15V100000February 23, 2015204,768 vehicles affected
steering: electric power assist system
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.
If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127.
NHTSA recall #13V113000April 1, 20131,712,336 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
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 2010 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