2015 Hyundai Elantra Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 74,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The vehicle experienced severe, sudden loss of power while driving, leaving the car unable to exceed approximately 40 MPH on public roads and highways. This restriction creates an immediate rear-end collision hazard and severely degrades acceleration under traffic conditions. Diagnostic & Technical History: The vehicle previously…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I purchased the vehicle from a private party on 8/18/21 with 38,310 miles. Almost immediately after owning the vehicle I noticed the engine oil level was low.. The owner had said she had just got an oil change so I thought maybe the shop just left it low. Then I noticed it low again a month later, and that was the start of my nearly 5…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 56,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the sound was like an airplane propeller spinning. The contact stated that the following day, while driving out of the driveway, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 174,000 miles

I received a notice in the mail of the recall from Hyuandai. I set an appt with Dick Smith Hyandai in Greenville, SC and when I arrived they said they could not do any recall work at the moment due to issues with their computer system and that I should call them again in a few weeks.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am writing to formally report a serious vehicle safety concern involving a 2015 Hyundai Elantra, VIN [XXX], which is owned by my mother. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering assistance, creating an immediate and significant safety concern. This could have caused a series issue to myself and others on the road.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

When driving the car loses power steering and is harder to control. I am at risk because I cannot control the car how I am suppose to. I have called before but there are no Hyundai service dealers close to me. There was nothing prior but now that it is happening there are warning lamps on.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 182,204 - 215,000; and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 152,572.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 152,572 miles

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making right or left turns, the vehicle inadvertently shut off. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as designed. The contact stated that failure also occurred while driving straight. The cause of the failure was not yet…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 54,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail. In addition, the air bags did not deploy. The contact was taken to the hospital and was treated for facial fractures.…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 150,000 miles

My wife was in an accident. She was doing 35 mph and hit a Honda Accord. The airbags in the Honda deployed, but the air bags in our Hyundai did not deploy.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 67,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was at a red light waiting to go an when it was time to go my car would not go. It was on it would not go into gear. It will reverse. It just won't go forward in auto or manual. Im the 1st owner of this car. I bought it new. I need Hyundai to take care of this problem. Asap please. It happened the car only has 133,718 miles on it and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The engine blew once at 38,000 miles and now the new engine blew at 85,000 miles (47,000 on this engine). The car was driving fine, 5 minutes into driving i heard a slight knocking noise, 10 minutes after that I was stranded on the side of the road.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Car will accelerate and get stuck in a high gear rpm gauge will not work as well You will come to a stop not knowing you are stuck in a high gear car will not downshift. I tried to cross the intersection from a stop and almost got hit because I could barely accelerate. I was stuck in 5th gear. Car will also stall while stuck in in a high…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The car stalls when you come to a stop after the engine has warmed up from driving. Stalls every time the car idles after warm up. Car is drive by wire with all electronic gas pedal and throttle body. No means of increasing the idle setting. Stalling can be averted by keeping right foot on the gas and braking with left foot. Not a safe…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 82,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 37,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (14).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

i received a Manufacturer's Service Campaign 984 Notice from Hyundai. I made an appointment for a treatment of an underbody cavity wax and undercoating spray to prevent corrosion at King Hyundai in Deerfield Beach, FL, the closest dealer. When I arrived at the dealership I was informed that the correction could not be made because…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Cars with Pearl White paint have large pieces of paint flaking off of both the hood and trunk, this is a common issue found with others.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 70,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Drove my 2015 Hyundai Elantra on the coldest day of the year to an appointment. Car was fully warmed up. Pulled into a gas station to park and was going less than 3 mph, making a left hand turn into the space. Elantra suddenly accelerated hard and the car hit a cement pole, causing extensive front end damage. If car had full insurance…Owner complaint, filed 2025

On [XXX] I was parking in my parking spot outside my house, went to pull up 3 more inches in my parking spot when the vehicle accelerated at an extremely rapid speed, went over the high curb, up my front lawn into the tree in my front yard. It was a battle between the brake and the gas acceleration event. Then I put it gently in reverse…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The tire exploded while in the trunk of the car on 7/27/22 around 6:45PM. The tire says it was made in France. The US pat appears to be 3838726. Also has a RH 476 or maybe it is RH 475. Tire size: T 125/80 R 16. Also says 97M. It is a tubeless tire.Owner complaint, filed 2022

2015 hyundai elantra. 2 years old. Driver's side tire (and passenger's side, but not as much) starts thumping when driven over 60 MPH, or will inconsistently start thumping randomly at different speeds. Feels very unsafe as it feels like I am driving on a flat tire. Each time that this has happened, I had to pull over on the highway to…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 29,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Issue began 12mo w 2 new cars. Non adjustable rear suspension determined thru md-bbb hearing to be fault of poor handling and excessive tire wear. Determined by bbb to be caused by bent suspension parts. Owner was found not negligent for for parts bending implying that normal driving dynamic forces are causing parts to warp. Due to an…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 28,800 miles

The contact owns a 2015 hyundai elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle hit a bump in the road which caused the rear of the vehicle to sway. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The [VIN] was not notified of the failure. The…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 400 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 hyundai elantra. While driving in a rural area, the headlamps failed to offer adequate visibility. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlamps met the [VIN] alignment standards. The vehicle was not repaired. The [VIN] was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 9,000 miles

I am submitting a vehicle safety complaint regarding a vehicle purchased on March 5, 2026. Within days of purchase, the vehicle exhibited multiple safety-related issues despite reportedly passing a Virginia safety inspection on February 27, 2026. The safety concerns identified include: - Driver-side headlight partially inoperable, which…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to latch as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 106,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driver's side head rest failed to remain in the downward position. As a result, the contact was unable to see the rear window in order to reverse. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 8 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am submitting this complaint because in the fall of last year 2023, I received a recall notice in the mail from Hyundai advising me of a safety recall with the ABS Module and risk of fire. As of today, the manufacturer has not made any efforts to remedy this issue and I am advised to park my vehicle away from structures to avoid fire.…Owner complaint, filed 2024