CarComplaints.com Notes: Be aware that there's a significant trend of owners complaining that the Elantra's fuel economy is significantly less than the EPA estimates.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,791 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Hyundai Elantra electrical problems

electrical problem

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2012 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 4 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #58

Nov 232015

Elantra

  • 35,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Intermittent start failures. Car fails to start several times a week. Had the battery tested and it checked ok. Seems to be related to the automatic transmission shifter. The shifter seems to think the car is not in park, but is is. Switching it back and forth out of park sometimes works, but not always. Very frustrating. Unreliable. Took it to the dealer and they "corrected a grounding anomaly". failed to start again the next day. Online reports have been very helpful in seeing how widespread this problem is. If Hyundai doesn't recall this problem, their rising reputation will be dashed. I wish I had not bought this car.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

problem #57

Oct 172015

Elantra

  • 42,000 miles
I parked my car at home and shut it off. I immediately attempted to restart it in order to adjust the car's position, and found that the interior lights would come on, but not the engine. 3 dash lights--engine, battery, and I don't remember the third one--remained lit. Took it in to the dealership the following Monday (10/19), and they replaced the starter.

- Urbandale, IA, USA

problem #56

Aug 102015

Elantra

  • miles
Does not start all the time.the panel lights come on when you turn the ignition on but it will not start all the time.after 5to 20 minutes and moving the gear shifter it may start.

- Wexford, PA, USA

problem #55

Oct 012015

Elantra

  • 23,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Failure to start; car does not recognize that the car is in park and it prevents the car from starting, even though it is in park. Car cannot be taken out of park or put back in sometimes after it is started and idling. Happens intermittently, very frustrating. Have bypassed the situation by taking the samll clip from the center console off, then depressing transmission engager and moving the gear shift into reverse and then back into park. The vehicle will then start. After all the complaints I have seen for this very same situation, I cannot believe there has not been a recall Hyundai?

- Lutz, FL, USA

problem #54

Oct 012015

Elantra

  • 0 miles
The vehicle will not turn on when pushing the push start. This keeps happening this is not safe. This needs to be recalled, my safety could be in jeopardy.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #53

Sep 012015

Elantra

  • 51,000 miles
While the vehincle being in park and trying to start the vehicle it did not start. It does some clicking and after turning on and off the key the vehicle starts. It has aggravated more over the course of these past two weeks and its doing it almost every other time I try to start the engine. The dealer has checked the battery and also taken it to autozone and confirmed the battery is ok but the vechile still does not start. I have an appointment for this coming 9/21/15 for the dealer to take a look at it but reviewing all of the electrical complaints it seems that there is a common trend of affected vehicles with the same issue. Have not seen the experience of the vehilce stalling on me during the highway but because of the daily traffic I take to commute home-work I just hope I dont get into a situation where my safety gets compromised. Do not know how many complaints need to occurr before Hyundai does something to solve the issue and really prevent a major safety one.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #52

Sep 082015

Elantra

  • 45,740 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I turn the key and the dashboard lights turn on. The radio turns on also. The problem is the engine doesn't start. There is no noise where you should hear the starter. Just silence.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #51

Aug 282015

Elantra

  • 85,000 miles
Failure to start. Car does not recognize that the car is in park and the inhibitor switch prevents the car from starting, even though it is in park. Car can not be taken out of park or put back in. Could present a potential safety hazard because someone could get stranded somewhere with no way to start car. I have seen numerous complaints about this issue online and actual youtube videos about the problem. I have real concerns about my daughter driving this relatively new car and then getting stranded somewhere

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #50

Aug 172015

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 55,002 miles
Yesterday, August 17, 2015, I parked at my apt complex to get my mail, turned car off completely, I was literally out of my car for 40 seconds. I got back in started it up, and nothing. It would not even turn over, no sounds, no clicks, just dead silence. All of the panel lights were lit, however, and the air vents were blowing air from the fan, the radio turned on, but not the engine. The battery was newly installed on October 2, 2015 when I purchased the vehicle as a certified pre-owned. I used my Hyundai roadside assistance, someone arrived in a normal vehicle to jump start my car. First try, it started up just fine. He was trying to sell me a new battery for $150, indicating that because I live in Arizona now, the heat does strange things to cars. I didn't take the offer. I let the car run while I was parked for about 20 minutes, then drove to the carport where I park my car normally in my apt complex. I shut the engine off, and hesitantly tried to start it again, and to no avail. Nothing again. It wouldn't start. After searching online, I found a few sites where others had the same issue. One person mentioned to turn the ignition to acc and throw the shifter into neutral, which I did, and then magically my car started up perfectly fine. I tried turning it off and on again about 5 more times, and it did just fine, no stalling. Since I've had this vehicle there have been many times (at least 20+) that it won't start up on the first try, but seconds later I'll retry the ignition, and it'll start up, but it sounds as if it's going to conk out. Like it's barely hanging on. I've had no other issues with my car besides this. After reading on multiple forum sites, it seems like it's fairly common, and I think there should be a recall set for this. Thank you.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #49

Jul 012013

Elantra

  • 30,000 miles
I have a Hyundai Elantra limited, 2012, with the technology package. There are multiple issues with my car, that have occurred since I purchased it brand new off the lot in 2011. Whenever I take the car to the shop to have the issues checked, I am always told that they were unable to replicate the problem, so couldn't find anything to fix. First, there are serious issues with the transmission. When taking the car out of park and into drive or reverse, it often lurches into gear, which then continues as I drive into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes 4th gear. It shifts really hard, as if the car were a manual and I was not shifting very well between gears. A couple of months ago (~June 2015) the check engine light came on for the first time, and the shop said that it was a transmission temperature sensor error. The check engine light came on the 2nd time this week on 7/14, and turned off within 24 hours. I've continued to have this jerking shift issue, though it never seems to happen when it's at the shop. Second, there is some kind of electrical issue/short in the car, because sometimes when I have windows down and I hit the lever to roll the driver's window up the sunroof also starts to open/close! or, the windows don't go up/down as hard/soft as I move the lever. Also, in the past month or so (July 2015) the proximity key seems to not work, and I have to press the button on the door handle multiple (up to 10) times before the car will lock/unlock. This also prevents me from being able to start the car (ignition switch) because it doesn't recognize the key is inside the vehicle. Please help!

- Glen Burnie, MD, USA

problem #48

May 152015

Elantra

  • 49,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Left tail/brake light is malfunctioning. When the headlights are on, the tail light is on; however, that same light is also the brake light, and when the brake is applied, the light will not illuminate.

- Daly City, CA, USA

problem #47

May 102015

Elantra

  • 71,000 miles
Periodically my car refuses to start. The battery is good, all lights on the dash are normal, headlights work, radio works, car is in parked position, yet when I turn the key it refuses to start. This is the second set of occurrences of the same issue. I experienced this issue last year (2014), at which time I had to take the car into service on more than three occasions before the figured it out. They eventually sorted out the issue in November of 2014. Now 6 months after, in May 2015, the same issue occurs only to find out that Hyundai will only warranty the part but not the labor costs. Today while at the dealership, there was at least one other Hyundai Elantra owner with the same issue. I'd hate that the car refuse to start in an emergency situation this is obviously something that Hyundai is aware of, yet refuse to take full responsibility and remedy the situation for myself and all other customers. I believe there should be a recall for this. I also have a second issue with this car, from the day of purchase. The car shakes at speeds between 40mph and 55mph. I have taken the car in on multiple occasions to two different Hyundai dealerships, yet they cannot figure out the issue. They have balanced the tires, aligned the wheels, rotated the tires, etc, yet none of their attempts have resulted in a solution. This issue make driving the car feel very unsafe, and very unpredictable in wet conditions

- Coconut Creek, FL, USA

problem #46

Apr 272015

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 32,986 miles
This is a problem that has been going on with other Elantra drivers. There are videos on you tube with this issue. The vehicle doesn't start at times and it should be a recall on this issue. This is a new car and should have issues like that. It seems to be a problem with the starter or the ignition switch.

- Portsmouth, VA, USA

problem #45

Apr 012015

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 33,400 miles
The car won't start. This is a push button start. I thought perhaps there was something wrong with the key that has to be in the car at the time of starting the car. This is the third time this is happened in three weeks. Then I went online and found out there are hundreds of other owners with the same problem. I called an online number and found out that the manufacture is aware of this problem. They are not issuing a recall but they call this a campaign and have a number for this problem which is 933. They will not pay for a rental car, but they will pay for the repair. Then I called a dealer and they said they did not know anything about this problem but to bring the car in. I feel this is all hush-hush, to the disadvantage of the owner, who could find themselves in a very dangerous situation if all of a sudden there car will start. Please investigate, including an online search, to determine if a nationwide mandatory recall should be initiated.

- Etiwanda, CA, USA

problem #44

Dec 102012

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
Periodically my car will not start or turn over to start. The normal wear and tear parts are young and a couple forums I have found on the internet show that other people with similar model years and the same year are having the same problem. There should be a recall on this issue. It was reported it might be the range switch or the shift interlock. Thank you for your concern. When I called into my local Hyundai dealership they sounded perplexed.

- Billings, MT, USA

problem #43

Feb 152015

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 66,565 miles
The car wont start. The battery and starter are fine. It doesn't happen all the time, just periodically, maybe every other day or twice a week. There doesn't seem to be a pattern. The car starts eventually after numerous turns of the key. It doesn't seem to matter if I turn off the lights, radio etc..

- Orange Park, FL, USA

problem #42

Feb 052015

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 41,400 miles
2012 Hyundai Elantra would not start when in park, even though the battery has a full charge. Shifted to neutral and back to park, and it started on the first try.

- Ambler, PA, USA

problem #41

Jan 172015

Elantra

  • 67,000 miles
Car would not start. After multiple attempts at turning key, it finally started. Lights and horn functioned properly, but I replaced the battery anyway. Car would still not start on first few attempts. Engine would not turn over at all, then after several attempts at turning key, it would start, as if nothing was wrong. Brought it to dealer, they said they cleaned out some parts of the engine and updated the computer. The next day I had the same problem again. Brought it to the dealer, and they said they changed some fuses. Less than a week later, still the same problem. There are multiple incidents of this happening for other owners of this car which I found online when I was looking to diagnose the problem.

- Mahopac, NY, USA

problem #40

Aug 152013

Elantra 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, there was a loud grinding noise as the vehicle stalled. In addition, the electronic stability control warning light illuminated. The vehicle could be restarted. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,000. MA 10/8 updated 9/12/12

- Centereach, NY, USA

problem #39

Oct 172014

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 56,375 miles
We were on vacation in the smoky mountains. We hiked for a couple hours and returned to the car. I turned the ignition key, nothing. Tried several times, nothing. Lights came on bright, power windows worked, dashboard lights bright. I tried taking it in and out of park, tried turning the key different speeds, nothing. The engine did not try to turn over, no clicking, just silence. We tried to get help, no one stopped. After an hour or so, tried it again, started right up. We drove back to our cabin. It started fine the rest of the time we were there. When we got back home, took it to the Hyundai dealer. Explained the problem. He said if it was working fine now, not much they could do. He also advised me that if they diagnosed it for days, found the problem, but it was a loose connection or something that did not require replacing a part, the entire labor cost was mine to pay. That's when I found out that the Hyundai 5 year, 60K warranty does not cover labor after 36K. Ouch! a buyer beware/read the fine print moment. So, I left since it hadn't happened in a couple weeks. This first incident was in mid-October. Three weeks ago, after 2 months, around Dec 20th, 2014, it happened again. Same thing. Just dead. Battery fine. Everything working but the car. Tried a half dozen times, moving the tranny shifter, etc. Went in the house, came back out, started like nothing was wrong. A week ago, same. This morning, Jan 8, 2015, again, same thing. I checked the battery and connections, both fine. After 20 minutes or so, tried again, started. It is happening more now. I researched on the internet and hundreds of folks have had the same problem with this make, model, and year. There also are you tube videos of it. So, this makes me wonder why there hasn't been a recall. My Elantra has almost 59K on it, so I will be at the 60K limit in a month or so. What can I do? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Peachtree City, GA, USA

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