FaultScore

2001 Hyundai Elantra headlight problems

11 of the 445 complaints about the 2001 Hyundai Elantra are about the lighting — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 40,000 miles.

C

11

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Headlights 6 54.5%
Exterior Lighting 3 27.3%
Switch 1 9.1%
Switch 1 9.1%

Lights across every Hyundai Elantra year

2001 11 2.9%
2002 19 5.1%
2003 13 3.5%
2006 39 10.4%
2007 25 6.7%
2008 24 6.4%
2011 10 2.7%
2012 18 4.8%
2013 74 19.8%
2014 10 2.7%
2017 23 6.1%
2018 16 4.3%
2019 65 17.4%
2020 27 7.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 35,700 miles SAN Antonio, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF WHICH DRAINED THE BATTERY INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V496000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND 03V257000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,700.

NHTSA complaint #10608153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 125,000 miles O'fallon, MO

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, ALL OF THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR REGULATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA complaint #10443168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Chattanooga, TN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

2000 SERIES HYUNDAI ELANTRA HEADLIGHTS. INTERIOR SURFACE OF HEADLIGHTS MELT, RAPIDLY REDUCING EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF VISION BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHT FOGS UP. CONTINUOUSLY OCCURS AND HEADLIGHTS GET WORSE OVER TIME. DEALER CHARGES $100 DOLLARS A HEADLIGHT TO TEMPORARILY FIX IT.

NHTSA complaint #10319952 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,000 miles Taylorsville, UT

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

HEADLIGHTS BURNING OUT FREQUENTLY WAS THE FIRST SIGN OF PROBLEMS, REPLACED THEM AS THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS INHERENT TO THE 2001 ELANTRA. IN AUGUST 2006 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT WAS ON, HEADLIGHT OUT AGAIN, TOOK CAR TO DEALER, THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN OVER CHARGING AND NOT ONLY WAS THE OVER CHARGING BURNING OUT THE HEADLIGHTS IT ALSO HAD TAKEN OUT THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE, AND AIR BAG MODULE. CAR HAD ONLY 42000 MILES ON IT, AND WAS 2 WEEKS FROM BEING OUT OF THE 5 YEAR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. WELL HERE IT IS 6 MONTHS LATER AND 47000 MILES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON, I HAVE SINCE PURCHASED A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO READ THE CODES. THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AT IDLE. THE CODES CAME UP AS MIS FIRE ON CYLINDER 3, TPS SENSOR FAILURE AND MAP BAROMETER FAILURE. I REPLACED THE PLUGS AND WIRES, ENGINE STILL RAN ROUGH. TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER THEY REPLACED THE TPS, STILL RUNNING ROUGH, THEY SUGGESTED THAT BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY TPS THAT THE EXCESSIVE DUMPING OF FUEL INTO THE JETS COULD HAVE CAUSED ONE OF THEM TO BE CLOGGED. I HAD THEM CLEAN THE JETS AS WELL AS REPLACE THE PLUGS AND WIRES AGAIN (THEY HAD ALSO FOUND THAT #3 WIRE HAD BEEN ARCING.) THIS TOOK CARE OF THE IDLE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND THE NEXT DAY DRIVING THE CAR WOULD SURGE BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR, ENGINE LIGHT BACK ON. STILL HAVE THE MAP ERROR. DEALER ENDED UP REPLACING THE MAP SENSOR. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A MONTH SINCE THIS LAST OCCOURENCE AND ALL I CAN DO IS CROSS MY FINGERS UNTIL I TRADE IT IN. *AK ABL.PCO

NHTSA complaint #10188009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lancaster, PA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE HEADLIGHT CONSTANTLY WERE BLOWING OUT, IT GUZZLES GAS LIKE CRAZY! THEN NOW TWO SENSORS ARE BAD AND PER THE DEALER THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE SENSORS BUT WON'T REPLACE THEM? I LOVE HYUNDAI ALWAYS HAD ONE BUT THIS ONE TURNED OUT TO BE A PAIN IN THE BUTT.

NHTSA complaint #10087017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Huntington, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

INCIDENT DATE IS ESTIMATED. I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 17,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE DURING THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR (NEVER MORE THAN 20K OR LESS THAN 15K) AND ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ALL BETWEEN 9 AND 15 MONTHS APART, MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED. ON ONE OCCASION BOTH LAMPS FAILED WITHIN A TWO WEEKS AND BEFORE I COULD REPLACE THE FIRST FAILED ONE RESULTING IN A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHERE I WOULD HAVE HAD NO HEADLIGHTS. EACH TIME MY LOCAL HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER HAS REPLACED THEM AND ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, MADE COMMENTS SUGGESTING THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH MY MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE. INTERESTING TO NOTE, THE FAILURES HAVE ALWAYS OCCURRED IN THE WINTER.

NHTSA complaint #10082244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,000 miles Hiawatha, KS

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

ONE OR THE OTHER OF THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS.

NHTSA complaint #10052506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Patchogue, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WITH IN A YEAR.

NHTSA complaint #10000260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

NEW Bloomfield, MO Crash 2 injured

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

WE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES WITH IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING OUR HYUNDIA ELANTRA WHEN ON OCTOBER 5, 2002. THEY WENT OUT RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. MY HUSBAND SWITCHED FROM BRIGHTS TO DIM FOR ON COMING TRAFFIC WHEN HE NOTICED HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SEEING DO TO THE FRONT HEAD LIGHTS BURNING OUT. HE MISSED SEEING A FOUR WAY STOP SIGN AND SIDE SWIPED ANOTHER CAR GOING ABOUT 35MPH. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND SHATTERED MY LEFT WRIST WHICH HAS RESULTED IN 3 SURGERYS AND DAILY PHYSICAL THERAPY WITH HOPES OF GETTING THE USE OF MY HAND BACK. DT

NHTSA complaint #769706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hayward, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

I HAVE HAD SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED THE CAR. TRIED TO RESOLVE THESE WITH HYUNDAI BUT THEY SAID UNLESS THEY WERE CURRNETLY HAPPENING WHEN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. THE MIRROR WILL SOMETIMES MOVE ON ITS OWN AND SOMETIMES THE ELECTRICAL IN THE CAR WILL ALL GO ON WITHOUT THE CAR BEING ON. THE MALFUNCITON LIGHT LIGHTS UP HERE AND THERE ALSO. ALSO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY FRONT END SUSPENTION BEING VERY SHAKEY AND MY BRAKES SHAKE WHEN STOPPING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR A YEAR. ONE MORE PROBLEM THAT IT HAS IS A MAJOR BOLT IN THE FRONT SUSPENTION WENT BAD A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND SO THE DEALER FIXED THAT BUT THEY SAID IT CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE THAT WAY. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS STARTED A MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW. I HATE MY CAR.

NHTSA complaint #756791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rensselaer, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS HAVE UNEXPECTEDLY BURNED OUT FOUR TIMES, PARKING LIGHTS REMAIN ON AFTER THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, AND POWER CONTROLLED DOOR LOCKS OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP INDICATED AFTER-MARKET PRODUCT WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #8002082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2001 Hyundai Elantra problems

← Full 2001 Hyundai Elantra report