2018 Hyundai Elantra: What to check before buying

Sudden engine failure is the main pattern. Engines stall at speed, knock, or seize, often with no low-oil or check-engine warning first, and dealers then call for a replacement engine. Many reports describe heavy oil burning, with owners adding a quart every 600 to 1,000 miles or finding the oil nearly gone before the next change. Failures show up between about 55,000 and 77,000 miles. Four complaints involve fire, including smoke and flames after a loud pop on the highway. Owners disagree on recall coverage, and second owners report denied warranty claims.

Stalling while driving leads this category, including one shutoff at low speed that ended in a crash. Several reports tie stalls and engine fires to oil disappearing between changes, and one car burned while parked and turned off in a garage at 40,000 miles. Owners describe misfire codes that return after new plugs, coils, injectors, and wiring. Other faults include an ABS pump failure with multiple warning lights, an airbag light triggered by moving the passenger seat, dead climate controls and lights, and a rear door that would not open from inside.

Most complaints here are engine failures, not transmission faults. Cars stall in traffic, restart with loud knocking, and crawl at 10 to 30 mph before dying. Shops find broken rod bearings or metal in the oil, often under 80,000 miles, and one repair quote topped $16,000. Second owners report Hyundai refusing the powertrain warranty. Dual-clutch cars hesitate and lose power pulling away from a stop, with one clutch failing at 117,000 miles. One fire broke out while the car was being towed in neutral, injuring the owner.

Two problems dominate. At highway speeds around 70 mph, the car sways and wanders in its lane, worse on grooved or wet pavement and in wind. New tires, alignment, and a tie rod do not fix it, and dealers call it normal. Separately, the steering locks up or turns very heavy with the power steering warning light on, then works again after a restart. Dealers diagnose a steering column replacement, with one failure at about 83,000 miles. Several theft reports are also filed under this heading.

Bulbs burn out again and again, mainly the brake lights, tail lights, high-mount brake light, headlights, and license plate lights. Some owners report replacing the same bulb several times, and one found melted brake light wiring. A false check-brake-light message appears even when the lights work. Headlights set to auto shut off while driving at night, and parking lights cycle on and off with the car locked. Many owners also say the low beams aim too low, leave a dark shadow ahead, and fail to light road signs.

Peeling paint makes up nearly every report. Paint bubbles, cracks, and flakes off the hood and roof in large, growing patches, sometimes down to bare metal, within three to four years. White and Pearl White cars come up most, though silver is also mentioned. Owners say Hyundai extended body coverage from 3 to 5 years without telling them, and dealer claims often stall. Rust follows where paint is lost. One report describes violent wind buffeting with only the rear windows down at 55 mph.

Serious crashes end with no deployment. Six of the 9 complaints involve a crash and three report injuries. Reports include a side impact that spun the car, a highway pileup that crushed both ends, and a deer strike at 55 mph, all with nothing deploying. In one case the bags inflated but stayed in their housings. Other owners report the airbag warning light coming on without a crash, including at 33,000 miles and within a week of buying the car from a dealer.

The brakes fail to stop the car hard enough in emergencies. Owners describe a soft, spongy pedal that has to be pumped, a car that keeps rolling under full pedal at 55 mph, and skidding with a firm pedal at 65 mph. One near miss is logged as crash-related. A hissing pedal led to a faulty brake booster diagnosis at 18,000 miles. Other reports describe sudden harsh stops at low speed in traffic and an automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning system that does not work.