CarComplaints.com Notes: We're not used to seeing any major problems with Hyundai, which makes the early signs of trouble with the 2013 Elantra very surprising, in a bad way.

Early trends show problems with the steering wandering / pulling to one side along with premature tire wear. Elantra owners have tried sensor adjustments, wheel alignments, even replacing axles, most with no luck. Hyundai has made vehicle buybacks through arbitration, but that rarely works out well financially for owners in the end.

Also there is a pattern of complaints about the 2013 Elantra brakes grinding at very low mileage. It seems there was a bad batch of OEM pads & rotors, but so far Hyundai is not doing a recall. Instead Hyundai issued a TSB & dealers have been replacing pads & rotors on a per-complaint basis.

The final straw is that for several years in a row, Elantra owners report significantly lower gas mileage than the EPA estimates, & there's a small trend of engine problems.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 10
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,327 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.

2013 Hyundai Elantra electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 5 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #59

Jul 242017

Elantra

  • 134,500 miles

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

I bought this car used in June of this year. About a month after purchasing, I started having problems with the car not wanting to accelerate and then car losing power completely on interstate. My father came and the car started right up and drove fine. Two weeks later same thing. My mother came to get me and when she got there, there was no power to car but keys were stuck in on position and car was still in gear as I had to pull emergency brake to get the car to stop. The car would not start and we had the car towed to local Hyundai dealer. My mother told tow truck driver that battery would most likely be dead as the car had been sitting in on position waiting for tow and then trip to dealer. Dealer stated bad battery and car was out of gas. Although no gas was added to car but they performed all their tests and updates to ECM per manufacturer with car out of gas (but running). Replaced battery and came out of work not long after and car would not start. I hit steering wheel in frustration and tried again and car started. Drove it home, left it in accessory position, lost power. Did same thing as before with hitting steering wheel, started again. Recently moved away to college, drove it all day, went back to my parent's house for a couple hours went to leave and the keys would not turn (could not even get steering wheel unlocked), it sat overnight at my parents for at least one night maybe two while I drove my mother's car. The original dealer came to take it back and see if he could figure it out, started the first time he tried to start it. Turned it off and tried again and he could not get steering wheel to unlock and key to turn, waited a couple minutes and tried again and it has been running fine since. The dealer I bought it from is willing to let me trade the car back to him for something else if I can find something I want but I love my car.

- Troy, IL, USA

problem #58

Aug 082017

Elantra

  • 85,000 miles
Our cruise control (cc) switches on the steering have stopped working! the behavior was un-predicable and dangerous for while when hitting cancel button would "engage" the cc. This is a serious safety issue since it could cause accidents. I believe this is due to the poor design on the connector that connects the wires from the cc switches to the steering case. The connector is placed right under the horn cover and we believe the connector gets squeezed every time the horn is used. I tested this myself and was able to get the cc to work after lifting the horn covers forward section which reduced the pressure from the connector right underneath it ! when I did this, hitting the cc. Once again this is a serious safety issue cause drivers could assume they are disabling the cc, when they could actually be activating cc which will cause accidents.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #57

Oct 112015

Elantra

  • 45,368 miles
Update to ticket # 1119161 - 4 separate appts, with,90 plus days accumulated total at a hyunda service center expanding 21 months and 15000 miles. 43 days at current service dept with no update, vehicle continues to stall while driving, electrical malfunctions continue to expand after interior was soaked from a confirmed/repaired defect in sunroof frame. Beyond the ability of service technicians to diagnose, engineer inspected and confirmed vehicle stalling while driving and messed up interior July 2016 from sunroof leak, repairs have been made but vehicle continues to stall while driving, in addition electrical malfunctions continue to devolop that Hyundai will not resolve, vehicle was in buyout review with Hyundai but was stopped due to my complaint filed which South Carolina Consumer Affairs requesting a repurchase that Hyundai denied. Vehicle is not safe nor am I being told what's going on. If technician cant diagnose a confirmed issue by their engineer then why is vehicle still at service center and why are they not calling to advise after 43 days.

- Ladson, SC, USA

problem #56

Jun 132017

Elantra

  • 66,000 miles

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

The car is not covered on the campaign #146 even though the vehicle's make, model & year were corresponding to the recall. They need to widen the VIN numbers effected as my vehicle was effected by this same issue. The break stopper broke into many pieces all over my floorboards and my break light was continuously on. It then killed my car battery by using the battery to power the break lights with the car off and keys out the car. It wont show if you are pressing the breaks and it makes it dangerous to drive as drivers behind you will not know if you are hitting the breaks. Please advise them to broaden the recall #146 as this affects many drivers.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #55

Jul 032017

Elantra

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While the vehicle was parked, the battery died and the vehicle had to be jumpstarted in order to get to the contact's residence. The battery was replaced and the brake lights remained illuminated. The contact entered the vehicle and could not shift gears even when the brake pedal was depressed. The brake lights continued to remain illuminated at all times. The contact called the dealer (jenkins Hyundai in leesburg, Florida) and was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

- Clairmont, FL, USA

problem #54

Mar 112017

Elantra

  • 63,000 miles
I bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra limited new. 3 years later the car stalls out when stopped and it difficult to start. Have taken the car to the dealership so many times (10) within a 2 month period, I use the loaner more than my own car. The last time I picked it up they had changed out the timing cover with oil pump, cam shaft and timing chain. Called me to come pick my vehicle up as it was ready. When exiting the dealership, I came to the stop light and the car stalled once again with it being difficult to start. Turned around and the vehicle would not drive faster than 20 mph. The service manager came out and asked what was wrong. I asked him to get in the vehicle that they had just fixed. He drove it and they now have my car once again and I'm driving the loaner. They can't seem to find out what the problem is and say they keep calling the manufacturer for input. Apparently no one knows what is wrong and I will not buy another Hyundai as it seems they can't repair their vehicles with these similar problems.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #53

Oct 202016

Elantra

  • miles

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

On or about 10/20/2016 my car all of a sudden would not start, I was working out in the field went into a patients home and the car as I turned the ignition key, nothing happened. The lights would come on and off. Called lutes Kia for service. They said it was battery put new battery in. The next day the exact same thing happened would not start, called lutes Kia after several days I was told they were not sure what was wrong and replaced the starter. I get my cars oil changed every 3000 miles, keep up on my maintenance. Electrical is affected something keeps shorting out head lights/ tail lights. I have receipts and service orders. It loses power on load and is very unstable. I have been pulled over several times because of the headlights and turns on when it wants to.

- Placerville, CA, USA

problem #52

Jan 062017

Elantra

  • 69,000 miles
O2 sensor needs recalibration

- East Islip, NY, USA

problem #51

Jan 182017

Elantra

  • 36,110 miles
The engine of my 2013 Hyundai Elantra gls failed to start the morning of 1/3/17 while parked in the driveway. I turned the key in the ignition numerous times without success. The dash lights would illuminate, but the car wouldn't start or even try to turn over. After appx. 15 attempts, it finally started. I bought a new battery hoping that would fix problem. However, the problem repeated on 1/18/17, again while parked in driveway. After roughly 50 attempts to start the car and trying to wiggle the gear shift, it finally started. I then drove to the dealership and left the car with them overnight. The following day I was advised by the service department that since they could not get the car to duplicate the problem or trigger any diagnostic codes, they could not repair it or replace any parts. Fortunately, to date I have been in safe places during daylight hours when my car failed to start. However, I may not always be so fortunate and could possibly be stranded in a very vulnerable location in the future. Out of the 430 complaints listed against the 2013 Elantra on the NHTSA website, roughly 7% of the owners reported experiencing this identical problem. A further search of the internet reveals many, many more such complaints. One might believe that could indicate the existence of a widespread problem; yet, it does not appear that the manufacturer has issued any recalls or service bulletins specific to my vehicle model to address/fix this engine failure.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #50

Jul 132016

Elantra 4-cyl

  • miles
Parking lights won't turn off, car won't start within minutes/seconds later, had 7 roadside assistance to jump start me in two months, plus others from security guards, etc. My car is on recall for these problems, just my VIN number isn't, the Hyundai-it dies within seconds.it happens when I am waiting in my car, no engine on, when I run the radio engine off, always after the engine is off, with or without radio playing or everything is shut off, it happens--my parking lights stay on unless I get out of the car, open the door, and lock it immediately if I take a few steps and come back to lock it, it's already dead, has left me at work, school, in middle of the night, everywhere, anywhere, engine cuts of and on when taking off or making a slow curve, car dies while parked dealership said they could approve my issues to be fixed because no recall on my VIN # but I have no car half the time engine cuts off and on while driving, brakes grind strange noise.

- Deer Park, TX, USA

problem #49

Dec 142016

Elantra

  • 35,000 miles

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

Intermittently will not turn over. Battery is fine. Inhibitor switch was changed, all recalls performed. Had the car to the dealer 3 times and they cannot replicate. Had it towed there last time. If you fiddle with the shifter, and key long enough (10 minutes or so, it will eventually turn over and start as normal. There has been no help on this, and the dealer keeps charging for diagnostics, even thought the vehicle is under warranty. The problem seems to be extremely more prevalent in the winter or when the temp is below 35 degrees F.

- Wilkes Barre, PA, USA

problem #48

Nov 022016

Elantra

  • 85,000 miles
Push button start. Car will not start right away after depressing the start button. When start button is depressed, indicating lights on the dash will illuminate, and approximately 10 second later, the radio and the air conditioning will kick in. At this point I have approximately 10 seconds to attempt to start the car and 75% of the time the car will start; otherwise, I have to turn the car off and attempt to restart again. This issue has been going on for approximately two months now. Took it into the dealership and they stated they could not recreate the problem as the car started for them every time apparently and could not do anything to solve my issue, even though they admittedly tightened up terminals for the battery. The car seemed to start every single time for about a week after the visit, and now it's doing it again. Called Hyundai and they knew nothing about issue. I've resorted to taking video to help describe the issue to technicians, and the latest dealership basically told me that they still would not be able to use my video but would have to recreate the problem themselves. This is going to be really bad if I'm stuck in somewhere because my car won't start and Hyundai claiming they cant do anything about it.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #47

Oct 072016

Elantra

  • 28,000 miles
Vehicle was stationary. Check engine light and lack of digital engine temperature gauge alerted driver to issue. Upon inspection at authorized Hyundai service center, it was noted that rodents had gnawed through wiring and connectors located in the engine bay. Per service center's recommendation, vehicle was considered unsafe to drive, and vehicle was left at service center pending appropriate repairs/replacements. It was noted that the wires that were chewed through were coated with soy-based materials instead of plastic which had been used in earlier models. Service center claims to see this issue at least a few times per month. Rodent deterrent tape is being purchased from Honda (who already acknowledges this issue and is current the subject of a class action lawsuit). Tape will be wrapped around wires following repairs.

- Carmel, IN, USA

problem #46

Sep 082016

Elantra

  • 80,000 miles
I have noticed that my vehicle's airbag light is turning on and off while the vehicle is in motion on a city street and on highways. I do not know what triggers it to turn off and on. It also turns on and off while the vehicle is not in motion. I believe this is a major security issue because if I am involved in a major car crash and the airbags are not on then I will not be secured.

- Tulare, CA, USA

problem #45

Aug 252016

Elantra

  • 56,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving approximately 50 mph, the electrical power seized and the ESC warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. The VIN was not available.

- Euatoi, GA, USA

problem #44

Aug 062016

Elantra

  • 57,200 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,200. The VIN was not available.

- Town Point, IN, USA

problem #43

Jul 272016

Elantra

  • miles
Takata recalll. My car does not crank, but the dash lights up as if it is going to crank. Makes a clicking noise when trying to crank it.

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #42

Nov 102015

Elantra

  • miles
The lights in the inside come on by it self when while driving the dome lights N the other panel light. Suspension under the bottom of the car rattle. Also when stopping the car when it raining it slids

- St. Rose, LA, USA

problem #41

Nov 042015

Elantra

  • 45,000 miles
I own a Hyundai 2013 Elantra and I have had several issues with this car. The car has several times refused to start and the break pad gets stuck and I can't move the car out of park. I've had to call the tow truck several times and the only way to make the car start again is to manually shift it into neutral. This is a huge safety hazard, the car almost ran over me, once when I didnt apply the emergency break on when the person was manually putting the car in neutral!!!! additionally, the car shakes. I took it in to the dealership and because it was still under warranty they inspected it. Once I came back they said that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, and that the shaking was due to the power of the motor, that I needed to get use to it!! I've had to also replace my tires because they seem to wear off, and I can't drive the vehicle over anything without swerving. I've had the car aligned and my car still swerves/pulls to the left! there needs to be a recall on this car!! I cant get my car fixed because the dealership cant find anything wrong with it! I am now stuck making car payments to a lemon car! I've had two accidents on this car already one I reported to the my insurance and they were able to fix it. There was a tire on the highway and I was too scare to swirve the car to avoid it because I know the car cant handle something like that. So I had to get the impact of it. Please recall this car!

- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA

problem #40

Oct 272015

Elantra

  • 45,235 miles
I have owned my car for a little over 3 years now. I started having problems with my fob not unlocking my car. I would had to press the unlock button several times to unlock. Then I also started having problems with not being able to turn on my car(with the push start) because the brake pedal was really stiff. I had to press hard on the brake in order to successfully turn on my car. Recently I've had a check engine light come on sporadically. Sometimes the light comes on and off while during my drives in the city. Two days ago, I attempted to turn on my car and the car began to start, but continued to make the ignition start sound for several seconds--about 10 seconds-- than usual. This was of course not the norm, so I pressed the start up button to turn off the car. When I attempted to turn on again, it turned on fine with the check engine light on again. I went to pep boys and meneike to check this out and they said that I had a P2096 problem. This code was followed with the description as follows: Post catalyst fuel trim system too lean bank 1. essentially I was told that the ratio of oxygen and fuel, the engine take is off. They thought it was a leak that would cause the lack of fuel going into the engine, but when they investigated it, they didn't find a leak. As of now, I don't have a real diagnosis for my car. I'm not sure if all of these problems correlate or have a domino effect on each other, but the issue will take a while to take care of.

- Northridge, CA, USA

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