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 9 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #97

Jul 212018

Elantra

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving 54 mph, the service indicators illuminated, the headlights failed to illuminate, and the steering wheel seized. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and attempted to turn the headlights on and off, but they failed to respond. The contact continued driving, but the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was pushed to the contact's residence. The contact called van Hyundai (1301 S interstate 35E, carrollton, tx 75006, (972) 437-8334), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was not available.

- Hubbard, TX, USA

problem #96

May 152018

Elantra

  • 47,500 miles
Steering wheel makes clunking noises when turned from side to side. Progressively worsens per use. Car is at 48,000 miles.light driving, moderate conditions. No snow or ice. Car is scheduled for repair Monday July 17,2018.

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #95

Mar 012018

Elantra

  • 81,000 miles
Steering wheel makes noises when turning wheel told from a mechanic it's the cylinder in the steering wheel

- Missouri City, TX, USA

problem #94

Jun 252018

Elantra

  • miles

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

The steering wheel feels loose and clicks every time I turn the wheel. It then shakes when I get over a speed of 50 and hit my breaks

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #93

Jan 192018

Elantra

  • 90,000 miles
This is a pubic recall. My car is experiencing the problems that has been warned. I would like to bring my car to get seviced to make sure their are no high risk to me as a driver. Thank you for announcing the problem with the vehicle.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #92

May 212018

Elantra

  • 49,900 miles
My father-in-law drives a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. It car only has 49K miles. Today I found out that the steering wheel has a clunking noise. It feels like the steering wheel is going to come lose. I searched and found this youtube video that explains the problem. Here is a link to the video. Https://www.youtube.com/watch"V=rxtcfnykutc it shows that there is a small gear inside the steering motor, which breaks apart little by little, until you cannot longer maneuver the car. This is very dangerous. Talk about an accident waiting to happen. I took the car to Hyundai dealer for repair, but they want to charge $400 to fix it. This is a car defect, I should not have to pay for this. Furthermore, the dealer was very familiar with the problem. They told me that it is a recall on the Hyundai sonata but not on the Elantra. What do I need to do to make them fix it at no charge? can you add this to your recall list" it is going to cause many accidents, if it hasn't already

- South Miami, FL, USA

problem #91

Nov 302017

Elantra

  • 45,000 miles

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

The steering wheel block, has parts which brake and that make the car impossible to maneuver. The steering coupling is defective in this car and most cars of this brand startin on 2011. Dealer has been unable to assist. The problem is present under all driving conditions, speeds, and types of roads.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #90

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 #89

Mar 032018

Elantra

  • miles
Ta kata recall, my steering wheel column rattles and shakes when I am driving. It sounds like the steering wheel is going to fall off. The steering wheel feels loose

- Texarkana, AR, USA

problem #88

Jan 222018

Elantra

  • 34,300 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel made a loud clicking noise. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,300.

- Aventura, FL, USA

problem #87

Jan 182018

Elantra

  • 9,000 miles

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

Steering is very still, causing driver to over correct and going from side to side in the lane on the interstate.

- Mandeville, LA, USA

problem #86

Jan 022018

Elantra

  • miles
TL-contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra --- ESC light came -- electronic steering light vehicle has 58000 miles on vehicle and is not under warranty --- called dealership and dealership stated vehicle is out of warranty. Steering locked up on contact and that contact had to pay for repairs. Contact left a voicemail for Hyundai dealership and dealership has not returned phone call. Contact given number to Hyundai

- Mechanicsville, VA, USA

problem #85

Nov 172017

Elantra

  • 62,000 miles
I went to apply the brakes and every light on the dashboard lit up and my brakes failed. When I took it to the shop they said it was a bad yaw sensor and a bad G sensor. I dont feel safe in my car anymore and Hyundai refuses to do anything about it.

- Gilmer, TX, USA

problem #84

Nov 152017

Elantra

  • 33,500 miles
Purchased my 2013 Hyundai Elantra new from the dealership. While driving one day the electronic stability control indicator light came on and the can became hard to steer. Looked in my operator's manual to see what this light meant, it instructed me to disable the ESC by pushing to ESC off button which I located and did. This turned the trouble light off, and I continued to drive. However, my vehicle still to this day is hard to steer and control and I have to keep both hands on the wheel. When you turn the steering wheel there is a loud popping sound. Have scheduled a service visit, but they want to charge me a large diagnostic fee just to find out what the problem is. Searched the internet and found that there are a lot of people reporting this very same issue. Hope to hear that they will issue a recall, but probably not until a lot of people get killed.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #83

Aug 102017

Elantra

  • miles
I have been having electrical issues for about 1 1/2 years. The radio turns off when breaking and signaling. Not every time but about 2/3 of the time. Occasionally the dash will go out. The interior lights flicker (all the time) as well as the head lights. Not sure about the back lights because I can't see them but I assume. The temperature gauge does not light up sometimes. No bars are displayed. The trip computer resets at least 4 times a week. The avg mpg, mph, trip a and B will start over at 0.0. turning left makes the car shutter and turn off in mid traffic or when in a drive thru. The steering wheel locks up/stiff steering. The eps light comes on. Have to turn car off and back on to alleviate the issue. While the car is idling with the air conditioner on the car will cycle and just about turn off

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #82

Oct 122017

Elantra

  • 45,800 miles
Driving down the freeway, upon approaching a slight right-hand corner, the steering did not respond. The car drifted into the left lane and finally into the median, causing a rollover accident.

- Morgan, UT, USA

problem #81

Jul 142017

Elantra

  • 48,280 miles
On July 14, 2017, I was driving my 2013 Hyundai Elantra and was attempting to make a left hand turn at a signalized intersection at a speed of about 15 miles per hour. About midway into the turn the steering wheel locked and I could not turn the steering wheel to complete the left turn. In addition, I was braking and the ABS braking did not function properly and did not stop the vehicle until it ran into a concrete curb. The result of the malfunctions of the steering and braking on my 2013 Hyundai Elantra was damage to the front right of the vehicle, including bumper, wheel, tire, radiator support, etc. I am very thankful that I was not hit by another vehicle or injured. I am concerned about the performance - or the lack thereof - on July 14th. Something happened and no one seems to be able to explain it despite inspecting scanning codes, etc. The vehicle engine kept running, the key was in the ignition, and there was deployment of the airbag(s). There have been other complaints about the electric assisted steering and braking on the 2013 Elantra according to research. I want to make you aware of an additional complaint regarding my Elantra. The damage required replacement fright front wheel, right front tire, right fender liner and inner bracket, radiator support, right hinge pillar, right lower control arm, right fender, painting and 4 wheel alignment. The vehicle steering malfunctioned and locked even thought the engine was still running. This malfunction prohibited me from turning the steering wheel and completing the left turn safely. The braking system failed as it did not stop the vehicle and I noticed a slow ABS sound versus the typical very rapid ABS sound when hard braking. The malfunction of the steering and the brakes could have caused a catastrophic failure but fortunately did not.

- Lancaster, PA, USA

problem #80

Aug 012017

Elantra

  • 60,000 miles
Unknown. The brakes are having difficulty holding up on the street while coming to a complete stop. Once stopped or stopping, there is a slight humming noise coming from the front wheels as if the car is having trouble staying in place. The back left tail light occasionally flickers on and off while driving and continues to flicker when tapped. The brake light is completely out now and has been adjusted before without replacement of the bulb. While driving on the street and night there are rare moments were the brake light and tail light will work again. The steering wheel has a hard time motioning and positioning itself when driving from five to twenty mile an hour, when turning and while making a U-turn. NHTSA campaign number: 16V574000

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #79

Mar 102014

Elantra

  • 28,000 miles
The rear end of the car jumps around and feels unstable in wind or on wet or uneven surfaces. It feels like I could easily lose control, very frightening. I have 4/32 tire tread left on 60K michelins after only 32K miles driven. The first set of tires lasted only 28K. This form will not let me proceed without a date, but this is a continuous problem, not a one time thing.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #78

Nov 252016

Elantra

  • 43,000 miles
Rear suspension is unsettling. First off, the car destroys tires in a relatively short time. Second, over bumpy terrain the car's rear shakes back and forth like it's trying to steer itself. Third, when it's icy or slippery and the road surface isn't smooth the rear of the car tries to swing out when one side has grip and the other doesn't.

- Machesney Park, IL, USA

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