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:
8 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,455 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 steering problems

steering problem

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 3 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #217

Jan 032023

Elantra

  • miles

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

I noticed extra play in the steering when I turned the wheel (either direction.) At first, it was minor but over time, the play and noise in the steering got worse. I took it to Tire Choice to have it examined and was told the steering couple was bad and should be replaced but referred me back to a dealer as they felt the repair should be covered. I was told that it is not covered and the repair is costly. I am not able to afford the repair and am concerned about the safety of continuing to drive this vehicle but it is the only car I have.

- Powells Point, NC, USA

problem #216

Aug 012022

Elantra

  • miles
Steering wheel coupler deteriorates and needs to be replaced. All 2007-2015 Elantra sedans have received an extended warranty for this common issue but the 2013 Elantra coupe was left out

- West Orange, NJ, USA

problem #215

Dec 092022

Elantra

  • miles
Starting in 2020, my 2013 Elantra GT, with very low mileage still less than 40K today, started to develop clicking sound when I turned the wheel. This year, the clicking sound is getting louder and more frequent. Today, I was advised by the mechanic who performed the required annual safety inspection that "steering wheel coupler" should be fixed ASAP. After doing some research this is a well known problem caused by the disintegration of the "steering wheel coupler" in the power steering motor. I received a quoted price of $599 from Hyundai Chantilly (dealer) in VA to fix it as it will take about 2.5 hours. I believe this Hyundai cross-models-cross-years wide issue should have been covered by the manufacturer extended warranty to avoid steering lockup accidents.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #214

Oct 012022

Elantra

  • 122,007 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an unknown speed, there was an abnormal clunking noise detected in the steering wheel. The contact stated that while he was driving there was a lot of play in the steering wheel and inside the vehicle. The vehicle was driving roughly, and he could feel the bumps in the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,007.

- Acworth, GA, USA

problem #213

Sep 012022

Elantra

  • miles
My car only has low miles for the year. The coupling at the base of the steering shaft is loose causing me to not have full control over my steering. I especially feel it going over rough patches of road. It has affected my alignment causing the car to list right when straight. I-??ve seen mechanic shops and they have seen the same issue many times with this year and make.

- Plainview, NY, USA

problem #212

Sep 252022

Elantra 4-cyl

  • miles
My 2013 was stolen because of defective car. The manufacturer choose to sip safety for dollars they could have place a immobilizer in all Hyundai form 2011 until current but did not in the United States, but in Canada it is a must have item.

- Columbus , OH, USA

problem #211

Sep 302022

Elantra

  • miles

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

My wife's car has had some play in the steering wheel for about 20,000 miles. It currently has 135,000+. I wrote it off as normal wear and tear. Recently it has started having a clunking noise and a little more play. I researched this and found that this is a common problem on a few years of Hyundai cars. It is the steering coupler in the steering motor on top of the steering column. I even saw posts that said that their vehicles steering had actually locked up while driving. I have tried contacting Hyundai motors themselves and all I get is an automated response. I have contacted the dealership and there is no recall or safety bulletin, or that's what I'm being told. It is a $10-$20 part but $400+ in labor to fix it. I don't have that kind of money laying around but I am scared to let my wife drive it more than a few miles. In my eyes this is a severe safety issue and think this should be taken very seriously by Hyundai but they don't seem worried at all. Myself I would like to have a safe car for my wife and not have to worry if she is going to be OK.

- Morganfield, KY, USA

problem #210

Jun 012022

Elantra

  • miles
I own an 2013 Elantra GT, that currently has about 89,000 miles. Over the last several months, there is a very loud clunk when I turn the steering wheel or when driving over uneven roads (like pot holes). As the noise got worse, I was concerned about something broken in the car. I took this to a national tire dealer (Big O) and was informed that the noise was from a very well known issue in the Elantra vehicles, I made an appointment at the Hyundai dealer and without looking at the car, I was told it did not fall under the service bulletin and the repair would cost over $400. This seems to be one of the few Elantras that Hyundai has not issued the extended warranty for. I'm very concerned that this issue will cause the loss of steering control and will cause an accident or even death. Hyundai needs to extend the warranty to cover the Elantra GT along with all the other Hyundai models

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #209

Aug 092022

Elantra

  • miles
Driving on highway and the steering locked up and unable to steer vehicle. I was able to roll to a safe area and vehicle was towed to a repair shop and steering column needs replacement. Thank God I was not injured.

- Castleton, NY, USA

problem #208

May 042022

Elantra

  • miles
Sudden Play in steering with clunking noise before steer Upon googling I see many hyundai cars having this issue A 10$ part replacement that costs 500$ labor

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

problem #207

Jan 012019

Elantra

  • miles

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

Steering column has clunking sound due to failed steering coupling adapter. This problem has been covered through recall in Elantra and Sonata sedans but not in Elantra coupes. (https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/TXX7/MicroSiteTemplate/MicroSiteTemplateVINValidat e/2688) This repair should be covered by Hyundai as a recall campaign to eliminate any potential safety issues.

- Brandon, MS, USA

problem #206

Apr 022022

Elantra 4-cyl

  • miles
[XXX] Steering coupler failure. There is a recall on other Hyundai models for this same issue, but not the GT models. The flexible steering couple 56315-2k000fff is a known issue, yet Hyundai is saying its not a recall. This is a manufacture design flaw that renders the vehicle unable to be driven safely due to steering wheel shaking uncontrollably. It seems all Hyundai Elantra models using this coupler are covered under a manufacturers special warranty with the exception of the coupe models (this one). Hyundai's website states: "Hyundai Motor America is revising the warranty coverage for the rubber coupling in the motor driven power steering (MDPS) assembly on 2007-2015 Elantra Sedans, 2009-2012 Elantra Touring models, 2011-2014 Sonata Sedans, and 2011-2015 Hybrid Sonata Sedans to 10 years from the date of original delivery or the date of first use, or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first." This is a major safety hazard the manufacturer refuses to recall/repair. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Del Rio, TX, USA

problem #205

Jun 252021

Elantra

  • miles
I will upload the files. I wrote to Hyundai complaining that I needed to be reimbursed for an expense I incurred with my car. See attachments.

- Donaldsonville, LA, USA

problem #204

Jan 272022

Elantra

  • miles
Sometime around last November or December, I took my vehicle for oil change and other services performed at Pep Boys, I was notified that all four tires are almost worn out and needs to be replaced. All four tires were replace sometime in December 2021 and they also did the wheel balance and wheel alignment. Around January 2022, while driving, I could feel the tightness on the steering wheel and also my car pulling left and at times crossing into the adjacent lane and was tough on the steering wheel to bring it back to the previous lane. I informed Pep Boys and they carried out some tests and also did a wheel alignment at no cost. The problem hasn't been fixed, there's a knocking noise in the steering wheel and the car is still pulling right, there's also the sensor light flashing in the dashboard, which the mechanic at Pep Boys is unable to fix even after carrying out diagnostic tests. The vehicle is available for inspection, it has been inspected by Pep Boys, the warning lamp for the wheels is continuously flashing and Pep Boys has been unable to determine the course.

- Wildomar, CA, USA

problem #203

Dec 032021

Elantra

  • miles
Steering Coupler inside steering motor has disintegrate. Causing a clanking noise as you turn the steering wheel. There is just a service bulletin recommending you switch this part out, but no recall yet. If the coupler bushing were to completely disintegrate you would have a locked steering column or lose complete control of your electric steering.

- Santa Barbara, CA, USA

problem #202

Nov 292021

Elantra

  • miles
Subframe is rotted. It snapped while driving; braking the control arm in the process. The lives of my children and myself were put at risk. If we had been on a busy road or highway, ourselves and others would have been at serious risk of sever injury and/or possible death. It has not been seen by a service center, incident happened 11/29/2021. The vehicle was inspected by a personal mechanic to find the cause of the malfunction. There were know warning signs before the component failure.

- West Greenwich, RI, USA

problem #201

Jan 062021

Elantra

  • miles
The steering wheel has weird noices that jerks in the high way. It is scary keeping control of lanes.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #200

Oct 192021

Elantra

  • miles
The HYUNDAI Genuine OEM Flexible Steering Couple 56315-2K000FFF has failed. The steering wheel clicks and has a clunking feel and is getting more pronounced. There is a manufacturing design flaw in the rubber compound causing it to disintegrate within the unit. For some reason, all Hyundai Elantra models using this coupler are covered under a manufacturers special warranty with the exception of the Coupe Models that they made for only 2 years.

- Palmyra, VA, USA

problem #199

Sep 152021

Elantra

  • miles
There was a recall on previous Hyundai models for this same issue. The HYUNDAI Genuine OEM Flexible Steering Couple 56315-2K000FFF. I began to notice a slight sound a year ago, & it got worse. This is a KNOWN issue, yet Hyundai is saying its not a recall. This is an $8 part but in a spot that will cost $300+ in labor. This is a manufacture design flaw that should have never happened. Driving down the road the wheel is not stable.

- Sharpsburg, GA, USA

problem #198

Sep 012021

Elantra

  • miles
1. There is an electrical issue with the power steering. 2. This poses a HUGE safety risk, as the power steering could completely give out and we could lose control of the vehicle. 3. A local mechanic we use confirmed this. 4. No warning lights came on. We had started to hear a "clunking" or "knocking" sound when turning the wheel so took it in to get inspected.

- Olympia, WA, USA

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