FaultScore

2005 Hyundai Elantra engine problems

10 of the 180 complaints about the 2005 Hyundai Elantra are about the engine — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 59,962 miles.

D

10

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 4 40.0%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 3 30.0%
Engine 2 20.0%
Exhaust System 1 10.0%

Engine & Cooling across every Hyundai Elantra year

1995 25 1.3%
1996 23 1.2%
1997 28 1.5%
1998 16 0.8%
1999 28 1.5%
2000 54 2.8%
2001 24 1.3%
2002 13 0.7%
2003 22 1.1%
2004 16 0.8%
2005 10 0.5%
2007 18 0.9%
2008 41 2.1%
2009 13 0.7%
2010 20 1.0%
2011 97 5.1%
2012 142 7.4%
2013 236 12.3%
2014 165 8.6%
2015 94 4.9%
2016 112 5.8%
2017 292 15.2%
2018 143 7.5%
2019 133 6.9%
2020 105 5.5%
2021 16 0.8%
2022 11 0.6%
2023 19 1.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 136,000 miles Newark, OH

ENGINE

WHILE SLOWING DOWN AFTER DRIVING ON HIGHWAY OR STOPPING AT AN TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR STALLS AND LOSES POWER STEERING. NEEDS TO BE PUT IN NEUTRAL TO RESTART BUT IF STOPPING AT ANOTHER LIGHT, IT DIES AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #11327016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 143,000 miles Deltona, FL

ENGINE

ENGINE ACCELERATED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A CITY 4 LANE HWY & BRAKE PEDAL WOULDN'T STOP THE CAR. FINALLY WAS STOPPING AND I SHUT THE CAR OFF. HAD IT TOWED HOME WHERE IT HAS BEEN UNUSABLE SINCE OUT OF FEAR. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS ON DIFFERENT HYUNDAI MODELS AND DIFFERENT YEARS BECAUSE OF THE CARS' ACCELERATING ON THEIR OWN. WHY HAVEN'T THESE CARS BEEN RECALLED? ???

NHTSA complaint #10860689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 72,500 miles NEW City, NY

ENGINE

WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ENGINE ACCELERATED TO 3500 RPM'S FORCING ME TO JAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS.

NHTSA complaint #10667179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 59,925 miles NEW City, NY

ENGINE

VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE IN PARK AND IN NEUTRAL TO 3000RPM. SLOWED DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL ACCELERATION.

NHTSA complaint #10507125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 60,000 miles Saint Charles, IL Crash 1 injured

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ON DECEMBER 10, 2011, I WAS TURNING FROM NORTHBOUND GARY AV. ONTO EASTBOUND LAWRENCE AVE. AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. WHILE I WAS TURNING MY ACCELERATOR STUCK THE ENGINE SPED OUT OF CONTROL TO AT LEAST 40 MPH. I SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A TRUCK TURNING ONTO GARY AND MY CAR WENT OVER THE SOUTH CURB.. AND MY ATTEMPTS TO BREAK WERE FAILING ALL THIS TIME... I CRASHED THROUGH A FENCE INTO SOMEBODY'S BACK YARD WENT DOWN HILL ABOUT 50 FEET AND RAN INTO A TREE. I THEN TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE INVESTIGATING BLOOMINGDALE POLICE OFFICER STARTED THE CAR AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS STILL STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION. THE BODY SHOP PERSONNEL ALSO CONFIRMED THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK.

NHTSA complaint #10444885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 31,000 miles Petaluma, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I BOUGHT IT FROM HYUNDAI DEALER ON DEC 16, 2009 WHICH ONLY HAD 31000 MILES THEN. IT STALLED THREE TIMES WITHIN ONE WEEK JUST ONE WEEK AFTER I BROUGHT. ONE STALLING HAPPENED WHEN BACKING UP AND ONE TIME HAPPENED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND ONE TIME WHEN LEAVING A STOP. I BROUGHT IT TO DEALER ON DECEMBER 31,2009. THEIR REPORT INDICATED THAT THEY FOUND A CODE FOR RANDOM MISS FIRE AND THEY REPLACE SPARK PLUG WIRES. THINGS TEMPORARILY WENT WELL AFTER THAT. THEN THE CAR TOTALLY DIED ON ONE MORNING, AROUND FEB 10,2010. THEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE AND DEALER CHANGED THE BATTERY. BUT THE STALLING PROBLEM CAME BACK THIS WEEK AND IT HAD HAPPENED TWICE. ONE HAPPENED WHEN TURNING AROUND AT PARKING LOT AND ANOTHER WAS HAPPENED WHEN TURNING AROUND ON LOCAL ROAD. I AM GOING TO GIVE DEALER FOR ANOTHER FIX TOMORROW.

NHTSA complaint #10323694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 45,621 miles West Seneca, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

ON 12/10/2009 I HAD TAKEN MY AUTO IN FOR SERVICE AT THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER. I TOLD THEM WE WERE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A FUNNY SMELL COMING OUT OF THE DASH WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED AND IT CONTINUES (THE ODOR) WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. THE ODOR IS NOT THERE WHILE VEHICLE IS NOT STARTED OR RUNNING? THEY PERFORMED THE NEW YORK STATE SAFETY AND EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND THE VEHICLE PASSED.THEY THEN WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE ODOR THAT IS COMING OUT OF THE VENT IS A NORMAL CONDITION FROM CONVERTER AND FUEL WINTER BLEND ? I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE DAY ONE AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE? THIS IS MY FIFTH WINTER. I ALSO HAVE 2 OTHER VEHICLES AND WE BUY OUR GAS AT THE SAME STATION AND I AM NOT HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH EITHER ONE. I WAS TOLD THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE? BUT WHEN I ASKED FOR A COPY I WAS TOLD HE COULDN'T FIND IT ,AND WHEN I WENT ONLINE I COULDN'T EITHER. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS ISSUE OR NOT BUT IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION I WOULD APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE AS FAR AS THE DEALER IS CONCERNED THIS IS NORMAL AND I DON'T SEE WHAT'S NORMAL ABOUT IT .THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10295776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 98,000 miles Hadley, MA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ON 10/24/09 I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND A HALF WHEN I NOTICED A SLIGHT JERKING FEELING. IT REPEATED ONCE OR TWICE. LATER WHEN DRIVING HOME, AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR IT STARTED UP AGAIN. THEN ABOUT AN HOUR LATER IT STALLED AT A RED LIGHT, I HARDLY MADE IT HOME. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND IT WASN'T DISPLAYING THE PROBLEM. IT STARTED UP THE NEXT DAY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT PULLED A PO 420 CODE. I CHANGE THE O2 SENSOR, DIDN'T FIX IT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BACK ON SAME CODE. I CHANGED MY MID CAT CONVERTER DIDN'T FIX IT, LIGHT BACK ON SAME CODE...MY MECHANIC THINKS WE SHOULD CHANGE UPPER CAT CONVERTER, I CALL THE DEALER. THEY SAY THE UPPER CAT IS CONNECTED TO THE MANIFOLD WHICH MEANS I'M STILL COVER UNDER THE 100K WARRANTY. MIND YOU I HAD MY MANIFOLD CHANGED AT 72K BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD GONE ON 18MONTHS EARLIER (I HADN'T THOUGHT ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY.) NOW I'M AT 99K AND NEED A NEW MANIFOLD???? SO THE DEALER REPLACES THE MANIFOLD, STILL NOT FIXED. BREAK DOWN ON SIDE OF THE ROAD. DEALER SAYS IT'S MY PROBLEM, THEY FIXED IT!!! BACK TO MY MECHANIC PO 420 AGAIN. HE THINKS THE OLD UPPER CAT BLEW OUT THE NEW MID CAT BEFORE WE REPLACED IT. IT'S UNDER WARRANTY SO I WAIT A WEEK FOR THE PART TO COME IN... YOU GUESSED IT STILL NOT FIXED! I'M BRINGING IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC TOMORROW AND CALLING THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP. IT'S BEEN 7 WEEKS, $900 AND MY CAR IS STILL BROKEN.

NHTSA complaint #10294653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,000 miles Lakeworth, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2005 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH 12000 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 70 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A GARAGE, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE FELL, AND WAS RESTING ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16000.

NHTSA complaint #10183782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 417 miles Imperial, PA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I HAVE A 5-SPEED GT HATCHBACK THAT STALLED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN IN JULY OF 2005. THE CAR WOULD RUN ERRATICALLY AND TRY TO STALL WHILE MOVING. IT SEEMED TO DO IT WHEN THE COOLING FAN CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER 8/1/05. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY DID REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. I HAD 417 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. I HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 3/30/06. THE FIRST WARM DAY IN PA AND THE CAR STARTED STALLING AGAIN, AND LEAKING FUEL IN THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL. WITH ONLY 6900 MILES. I HAVE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT 4/3/06. LET'S HOPE I CAN GET THIS FIXED THIS TIME BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS. IT SEEMS TO ONLY STALL WHEN WARMED UP AND THE OUTSIDE TEMP IS ABOVE 65 DEGREES.

NHTSA complaint #10154350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Hyundai Elantra problems

← Full 2005 Hyundai Elantra report