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 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,985 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 7 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #91

Aug 062018

Elantra

  • 114,000 miles

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

While driving home from work the check engine light turned on. I drive eight miles with it on. It didn't make any sound or anything that concerned me, aside from the light. Parked it at home and went to get a code reader. Tried to start it and it wouldn't start. Had to flat bed it to a repair shop and they said the engine needed replaced. I only have 114K miles. Kept up on maintenance. Had it in a month prior for brakes and it was looked inner with no problems. Hyundai will do nothing because it is over warranty. Prior to all of this I had problems with it within the first six months of owning it. Have had the power steering rack replaced, master cylinder, slave cylinder twice, along with multiple other issues including sporadically pulling hard to the left for no apparent reason, before it was even at 16K.

- Ripley, NY, USA

problem #90

Jul 092018

Elantra

  • 33,000 miles
Engine failure after 33,000 miles. Hyundai states it will takes 6 to 8 months to fix. All of these engines are on back order. The 100,000 mile warranty does not mean anything if you cant get parts. My dealer has 40 Elantras waiting for engines. Just guess how many they are waiting for nation wide.

- Lakeside Park, KY, USA

problem #89

Jul 112018

Elantra

  • 68,200 miles
Hyundai replaced my 2013 Elantra's engine (68K miles) as a "goodwill gesture" due to a flaw in the original engine which wasn't allowing enough oil to get to the engine. Two days after the engine replacement the car died while being driven in which they suspected it be a fuel pump issue. After resolving that suspected issue the car again shut off while in motion during the test drive and caught fire while the car was pulled to the side of a city street after being driven for only one block.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #88

Jan 172018

Elantra

  • 100,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving 55 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle decelerated independently. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off, restarted, and then operated normally. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to fuccillo Hyundai (3975 w ridge rd, rochester, NY 14626, (585) 720-9000) to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.

- Spencercourt, NY, USA

problem #87

Jun 202018

Elantra

  • 63,210 miles
My car has 63,300 miles on it. I bought it used in December 2017, six months and my mechanic is telling me it is the engine and it needs to be replaced. When I bought the car it had a ticking sound, very low. I thought once it idled and I start driving it would go away. I was driving on the freeway recently and my car would not go over 60 mph. The RPM would not go past 2.5. when I exited the freeway, and stopped at the light I had whit smoke coming from my car. When I use my air, I can't accelerate over 40 mph. Everyday it's driven it, get's worse.

- Livonia, MI, USA

problem #86

Jun 252018

Elantra

  • miles
Takara recall I live in trinidad and tobago I have an Elantra 2013 the car jerks when slowing down acceralating and sometimes while driving. Mileage 88,000km. This can cause a fatal accident at times the gears slam in while changing Hyundai should address this issue as it is life threatening I don't feel safe driving. Can Hyundai please assist.

- Arima, Trinidad And Tobago, NY, USA

problem #85

Jun 242018

Elantra

  • 88,000 miles

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

My car started developing a ticking/knocking noise from the engine at startup- specially cold startup. The noise seems to go away after the engine is sufficiently warmed up- like driving 5-6 minutes on cold days and a minute on warm ones. Recently, I have started experiencing shudders in the drivetrain-- these feel like sudden motions, like the engine is trying to stall. Went to the dealer, and he said everything is alright, although my local mechanic says that this sounds similar to several other complaints he has received from his other customers. Their seem to be thousands of affected Hyundai Elantra customers who are complaining of the same issue only to be ignored willingly by the dealers and the manufacturer. My car started developing these noises around 80,000 miles- and Hyundai offers a 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty. Does not seem like Hyundai is honoring its warranties at this point. Hyundai America seems to be testing the strategy where most of the affected customers will run out of warranties or will sell their cars for second hand owners to discover that the original 100,000 mile warranty doesn't apply to them anymore. Hyundai should issue a recall on my model year and affected model year vehicles that are affected by this issue. There is a potential safety concern of engine failure at highway speeds where the occupants of the vehicle may get involved in a fatal incident.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #84

May 242018

Elantra

  • 110,000 miles
I am the only owner of my 2013 Hyundai Elantra that I bought brand new. I have had several issues electrical with lighting turning on and off - I thought I was burning through bulbs quickly but I can go over a bump and brake lights or interior lights will start to work again. This has been ongoing. I recently started hearing a loud engine knock which the Hyundai dealership told me is normal and would go away once it warmed up. Turns out when I took it to a mechanic who is honest and know what he is talking about that it is a wrist pin....which means a whole new engine. My car is now just out of warranty and Hyundai does not want to assist even though there are many cases with 2013 Hyundai motors that are bad. There should be a recall on this but isn't. the NHTSA should step in and make Hyundai do the right thing.

- Harrison, OH, USA

problem #83

Nov 102017

Elantra

  • miles
My 2013 Elantra coupe SE M/T started makeing a ticking noise while ilding about 55,500 miles, it now has 59,609 miles. Thought it was just because it was getting broke in. I have had reg oil changes. I have read that other people have had the same problem with there engine. It seems to be getting louder now that it has more miles..my coworkers are able to here it now.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #82

May 262018

Elantra

  • 64,440 miles
This vehicle is under 70,000 miles and has powertrain issues. The car makes a ticking noise when it starts up as well when driving. The car really makes this noise when you try to accelerate up an incline or over 40 mph. It seems to have a difficult time getting to go over 2000 RPM's at times. The car has also cut off multiple times when in D.

- Smyrna, GA, USA

problem #81

Dec 152017

Elantra

  • 78,000 miles

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

The car died at an intersection in Dec 2017 after it just started shaking at a stop light. Eventually I was able to get the car started but it was locked in drive. I took it to a mechanic and the check engine light turned on and replaced the spark plugs; however, the engine had a ticking noise when I picked it up still when I picked it up. I brought it back to the mechanic and I was told it was something inside engine. So I could only replace the engine because everything they found was working and too much money and time to take apart the engine. The engine has continued to make a ticking noise as soon as I start the car and when I press the gas. The noise has got louder and with the warm weather, when I turn on the air the car is shaky.

- Lombard, IL, USA

problem #80

Mar 062018

Elantra

  • 0 miles
We are the original owner of our 2013 hyundia Elantra. Our car developed a ticking noise around 110,000 miles. We let the car sit for two months while we waited for money to get a diagnostic. The 14 of July 2017 we brought it into the dealer to research the knocking noise and it was returned to us saying there was not a problem. When our mechanic told us we needed a new engine we were confused. On March 6th 2018 after being told there was no problem the noise has gotten louder. When serviced again at the same dealer for recalls again was told there was no problem with the knocking. So we stopped driving the car till we figured out the problem, researching over the internet our cars engine was built at the Alabama plant and now have found out the metal shavings has destroyed the engine. There is a recall for NHTSA 15V 568000 and numerous reports on the internet for the Elantras 1.8 for the noise problem. We are confused why the dealership would tell us there is no problem when there is a huge problem in safety for my son driving the car, which we have not done so, and now the car sits in our driveway for fear that the engine will stall and we will get in an accident. What is hyundia motor company doing about this and have you heard about another recall for the 2013 Elantra 1.8 engine series out of the Alabama plant? please help and can you provide us with a complaint number.

- Valley Center, CA, USA

problem #79

May 102018

Elantra

  • 70,000 miles
Engine experiencing same issues as the 2011-2014 sonatas. There are metal shards in the engine left over from the manufacturing process, as diagnosed by the local Hyundai of evansville dealership service center. These metal shards will likely eventually cause my engine to fail, more than likely when the car is on the road as for some reason the engine being hot seems to perpetuate the issue. There is substantial risk that when this occurs I could wreck the car harming either myself or other individuals on the road. The local Hyundai dealership informed me that they hear the noise which my engine is making quite often and tell people that, "it is likely no big deal. Hyundai submitted a recall for the sonatas so maybe they will make one for the Elantra eventually." Not liking this answer I brought the car back in to the same dealership for a diagnostic in which I was told that the car was completely unsafe to drive. Hyundai is refusing to take responsibility for their manufacturing mishap and their dealership is even going as far as lying to people that this "noise" in their engine is no big deal, at least until the person calls them on their bluff and informs the service center that they know this is not no big deal, then the dealership's story about the safety of the vehicle suddenly changes. I feel unsafe in my car and fearful for others who have also been lied to about the safety of their 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Hyundai is refusing to take responsibility and fix this problem.

- Newburgh, IN, USA

problem #78

May 152018

Elantra

  • 106,000 miles
My car started making a ticking noise in engine one day to the next took the car to dealer to dealership they told me it needs a new engine. After looking the problem up there has been many complaints of this problem happening to everyone with a 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Elantra with a 4cyl engine

- Paramus, NJ, USA

problem #77

Dec 152015

Elantra

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving various speeds, the engine made a loud ticking noise. The vehicle was taken to jim click Hyundai auto mall (700 w auto mall dr, tucson, AZ 85705, (877) 888-2231) where it was diagnosed that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #76

May 092018

Elantra

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While the vehicle was idling, a ticking noise was heard underneath the hood without warning. The vehicle was taken to dave hallman Hyundai (2104 state St SE, erie, pa 16503, 814-452-6731) where it was diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Erie, PW, USA

problem #75

Mar 272018

Elantra

  • 68,126 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. Prior to the failure, there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to ourisman Hyundai (2404 crain hwy, bowie, md 20716, (855) 818-7744), but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and that the manufacturer would not cover any repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 68,126.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #74

May 022018

Elantra

  • miles
When I was driving my 2013 Hyundai Elantra in January of 2018 a very distinctive clicking noise started to come from the engine, without any cause. After taking my vehicle to multiple mechanics, the problem was diagnosed as a faulty engine that could not be repaired. I have never had an engine fail on me before and I know that in some cases it can be very dangerous. I was fortunate enough to get my engine replaced without having the engine fail, although it sounded, and drove, like it was almost there. This problem got so bad that it wouldn't allow me to even drive on hills anymore because the engine couldn't withstand it. I only had this car for not even 3 yrs and this occurred. I got the car at 39,400 miles and I only put 25,00 on it from driving it so their is no way this should have occurred. I paid 1900 to replace the engine and was not happy at all

- Cortland, NY, USA

problem #73

Apr 242018

Elantra

  • 35,000 miles
1. engine noise (knocking sound, ticking sound) 2. air conditioning system failed too early and replaced it around 45,000 miles. 3. axle boot (left side) grease leaked too early (around 50,000 miles) 4. inner fender (right side) tore down. Replaced 5. two bubble tires (we changed the tire eight months ago!) replaced 6. clicking sound on passenger side door when I changed the gear (50,200 miles) 7. engine mount replacement (35,570 miles)

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #72

Jan 152018

Elantra

  • 49,000 miles
Engine has a ticking noise

- Windber, PA, USA

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