I've written a complaint regarding the piston slap issue on the car 2 years ago. I previously owned a 2007 Elantra that I drove for 13 years and never had a single issue with. After purchasing the 2013 Elantra Limited I noticed that when the car goes over a bump/pothole/road grooves, the rear end literally jerks and skids. It almost feels like the rear wheels are lifted off the ground. After being a loyal Hyundai owner with 2 different Elantras over 15 years, I have to say I think it's time to return to Toyota/Lexus.

This car has been so much trouble from the engine issues, to paint issues, accessory issues, tires/brakes issues. Ive had it for two years and have spent as much in repairs as I paid for the car ($7k). The car is not safe to drive. The brakes wear quickly, the suspension causes the car to skid, over steer, under steer, and generally feels like a car with twice the mileage and 20 years older. I am currently looking for a new vehicle to purchase and was thinking about giving the Elantra to my niece who recently started driving (she's in high school), but given the issues Ive had with car, along with the suspension issues, I don't feel it would be a safe vehicle for a new driver.

I am even feeling guilt about reselling the vehicle as the new owner would likely not know about the suspension issue. Bottom line, do not buy a 2011-2016 Elantra, and if you currently own one, get rid of it immediately.

Update from Feb 20, 2023: 02/2023 Update

This pile of junk continues to blow my mind regarding its shoddy build quality and unreliability. Over 2 years of ownership I have replaced the tires 3 times, new brakes TWICE, endless bulbs (there are 4 bulbs in each taillight assembly of which all have went back 4 times in two years on both rear assemblies. The head light assemblys have 3 bulbs per assembly and have replaced all bulb in both assembly's twice in two years). I currently have the car for sale as I'm done with it.

In 2 years and 23,000 miles, I have incurred almost $6600 in repairs (I paid $7k CASH for it) from Struts, to bulbs, to tires, to brakes (ALL NEW ROTORS CALIPERS AND PADS TWICE!!!!!!!, fuses, blower motor, steeering wheel controls, drivers power window switch, drivers side heated power mirror failed, TWO windshields, the engine still ticks like when I first got it. I had an 07 Elantra for 13 years that was so relaible. Thats why I bought this. I will never buy another Hyundai AGAIN and I suggest you dont either! They are trash!

Like just about everyone here, when I test drove my Elantra Coupe, it was perfectly fine. Soon after the ink was dried on my loan, however, it went from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde in less than a month; first it was during the rain... perfectly normal to assume the instability during the rain, but I was the only one on the interstate as hobbled as I was! Then there was snow; light, but I ended up arse- first!

This was the first time I complained to Hyundai about this, and the first time I had a case number. Also the first time my concerns fell on deaf ears. But not the last time, that's for sure! Since then I've had countless over-steer issues; in September of 17 I got sideswiped by a road-rager who jumped the left shoulder and then rammed my left front wing; I held on for dear life, then went into the grassy median arse-first again, once the other car disconnected!

In November of that year, on dry ground, I was merging into interstate when I had to swerve to avoid someone in my blind spot, and the Elantra fishtailed so violently one wheel went airborne; I had not gotten to 55 mph, much less the 65 mph limit! So, another escalation, another fruitless case, and the local Hyundai service desk gave me 'tude about 1: this car was engineered this way and 2: how DARE I put aftermarket KYB rear shocks in February (after the first escalation)! Well, the 1960-64 Chevy Corvair was engineered to do what it's supposed to, and we all know what happened to THAT one! Currently, it's escalation #3; this time I want a vehicle swap!

I have kept up with the maintenance on my Elantra to a tee, always at a certified Hyundai dealer (no exceptions), which included timely tire rotations. Around 150,000km, I started noticing a loud vibrating noise in the back end. Turns out my rear tires were cupping and wearing fast. It was suggested that I didn't rotate my tires or skipped recommended alignments, which was not true (had all service records to prove). Also, the car would sway/jostle sharply in the rear end at speeds above 60 km/h when going over bumps and potholes. This problem was more pronounced when going around corners, on the highway, in the rain, and/or on windy days. It was discovered my rear shocks were leaking, and I replaced with upgraded KYB shocks as recommended in a related Elantra forum. I also replaced the back tires. Time will tell if the cupping returns, but the rear-end sway/shimmy/jostling still remains, and is getting worse. I'm now around 175,000km. I informed my dealer that the problem still persisted. They had no solution, only to say that it is characteristic of a car with a solid rear axle. The car runs flawlessly otherwise, but if Hyundai cannot find a solution to this, I will be trading it in as driving the car is becoming more and more unnerving.

So I bought my Hyundai Elantra limited brand new ( < 10 miles) from the dealer in May 2013, but I don't have an accurate "fix" date (too lazy to look it up). Also may have been after 6K miles not 3K (too lazy to look it up). From day one, the suspension has always been "loose" (bouncing up and down) and at certain times the rear end would wiggle. More noticible under wet conditions and more noticible as time went on.

One night driving the highway in the rain, I had to slow to 45 mph because the rear end would be wiggling constantly making the car very dangerous to drive. It was a very scary 30min drive. Anyways in the morning, I was checking the rear tires and found that they were balding already, so promptly took it back to the dealership. They said that the sawy bar must have been "damaged" during assembly , so they replaced it AND replaced two tires (had to get approval for the tires).

Suspension still soft/bouncy and very noticible at higher speeds. The ticketwriter as also pointed out that he could tell I didn't damage it because there were no markings around the sway bar/suspension (I guess there would be marks if I bottomed the car out regularly?)

36K miles on the car now, depending upon road conditions I can/still feel it, but I know where those roads are and I stay out of those freeway lanes. Just have to be careful on unfamiliar roads where the road is well worn, and the car will sway and bounce.

I've owned this car for 11 months with it driving just fine. One day recently, when I was driving 40 mph and turning, the car started fishtailing severely after hitting a small groove in the road (a road i've driven every day for YEARS with no problems). Completely lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road into shallow ditch, swiping a traffic sign along the way. Did not regain control until the car came to a complete stop by braking.

Thankfully no other cars were on the road because it could have easily led to a head-on collision, but it resulted in over $3000 worth of cosmetic damage to the body as well as popping off the side-view mirror. This sort of thing had never happened to me before, but two weeks later the car fishtailed the same way again on a different stretch of road, while turning at around 35mph, only there were no noticeable grooves in the road this time to cause it. Thankfully a second collision was avoided because I was able to stop earlier, but nonetheless it was very scary and I can't tell what caused it.

I don't know what the problem is but now I am afraid to drive the car because I don't trust it not to get me in another accident. Based on comments from other people having this problem, it seems like it could be a suspension issue, and I will be investigating with the dealership but it sounds like they have not been much help to others.

Add my complaint to suspension/tire issues causing saftey issues. This car cannot take even the slightest uneven conditions without fear of losing control. The shock of hitting small roadway imperfections certainly gets you attention, and even short patches of slightly uneven pavement cause the rear end to swerve and the car to vibrate in such a way that anything short of a death grip on the steering wheel could cause loss of control --- feels like the Starship Enterprise going through one of those worm holes. I have to ask passengers for damage assessments.

In my experience, various maladies make this car dangerous and tiring to drive. Where is Ralph Nader when you need him ---- "Unsafe at Any Speed." It's a shame because the Limited Package is loaded with goodies at a fair price ---- until one starts replacing tires, brakes and suspensions out of pocket. The local dealership is a complete joke and has uttered the same (and even worse) comments tantamount to "relax and enjoy it."

I brought my car into Midas to get an oil change and for them to check out tires since the car felt bouncy and less traction. Bought new tires June 2014 at 25,000 miles; current miles were around 50,000. Guys at Midas said I had a strut issue and should be covered under warranty with Hyundai. Called Hyundai to make appointment. Brought car into Hyundai on a Thursday, guy stated nothing was wrong with car. BTW, my rear drivers tire is cupped and chopped diagonally (Midas showed me tire). I told Hyundai that I refused to pick up car until it was fixed.

Service manager called me today (Tuesday) to again tell me that I only need new tires and that the struts were fine. I only have 25,000 miles on new tires and they are a 60,000 mile tire (Continental ContiProContact). Had an alignment completed in February 2015. The guys at Midas have been going to bat for me and attempting to talk with Hyundai (screening calls) regarding this issue. I have been going to the same guys at Midas for years.

Hyundai says that Midas is trying to scam me; my opinion is that Hyundai doesn't want to fill out a warranty claim on my strut or tire. I have children and am currently 5 months pregnant, so I do not feel comfortable driving in a car that the tire is bouncing down the road with no tread pattern on numerous parts of one tire. Midas is more than happy to warranty me the remaining miles on my tires for new ones (cost me half the price). I won't put new tires on until the strut issue is fixed or this will continue to happen on my new tires.

Hyundai is getting under my skin!!!!!

If I had gone over potholes while test driving the car, I might have become aware of how awful the suspension is on this vehicle. Makes awful noises and seems to bottom out with any speed bump. Friend's 2013 Mazda3 takes all of the same bumps and potholes with ease. Only when I drove other vehicles did I realize how bad the ride not this car really is. Rear wheels easily lose traction when hitting holes. Suspension also sways awkwardly with certain turns. Only getting more and more noticeable as the car continues to age (rapidly).

I have noticed what many others have, that while going over a bump, even a small one, the car seems to leave the road and jump to one side. I have also noticed very recently, within the past few months, that when going over small bumps in the road, even at very low speeds, the car scrapes as if bottoming out. And, these are not conditions for bottoming out by any sense. Also, we park on a sloped driveway. After parking with the emergency brake on, the car creaks and inches backward. Sometimes it will do this multiple times and even hours later.

(I plugged in generic starting dates and mileage, as I am not certain of either.)

My car feels very unsafe. When driving on the road with a slight amount of snow (1/8 th of an inch) on the road or when the road is cold and wet or right after the road has been plowed the car feels EXTREMELY unstable. It feels like the rear of the car wants to swing around or spin around. I have to continually make tiny corrects with my clenched hands on the steering wheel in order to keep the car driving straight along a straight road. The car drives like this at approximately 45Kph or greater. I have 28 years driving experience in snowy winters. I have owned or driven at length approximately 15 different cars and trucks manufactured by GM, Mazda, Hyundai, Dodge, Ford and Toyota and had not experienced this consistent driving experience with any other vehicle. I have 4 Pirrelli road hazard winter tires installed with plenty of tread remaining. Last year I drove this same vehicle with 4 Hankook road hazard winter tires and the driving issues were identical. I have read several forums where this same issue under the same driving conditions have occurred with the same model and year. Please help. 2013 4 door Elantra GL

We first noticed the issue when going over simple bumps in the road. It felt like the back end of the vehicle was loosening up and somewhat fish tailing like you didn't have control. Then winter came, and we quickly discovered that any amount of snow or ice magnified this problem ten-fold.

During a snow storm, I had to drive from Chicago back to northeast Wisconsin with this vehicle. Honestly, it was a terrifying experience. I thought the roads were just that slippery, but noticed other vehicles going much faster than myself. I soon realized that the existing issue with the back end was being amplified on the bad roads. It took twice as long to get home as it should have. I probably never exceeded 35 mph the entire way home. Several weeks later, I was driving through an area on the road where there was a narrow strip of ice and wanted to see how the car would respond with two wheels on dry pavement and two wheels on the ice. IT WAS NOT GOOD! The rear end of the car immediately wanted to pull right. Very bizarre - never had a vehicle respond like that.

When taking the car in for regular maintenance, we questioned the dealer about this issue. He explained that because this vehicle is built for fuel economy, it is "intentional" that it doesn't really grip the road. This provides less resistance. I don't even know what to say to that. It seems ridiculous. Our lease will be up soon and we will be happy to see the car go back to the dealer. We wanted small, zippy, good fuel economy...not unsafe. Please fix this problem, Hyundai!

This has been a reoccurring problem any time the road surface has been compromised. This handling problem occurs even when only one lane of the road surface is compromised. This is what makes the problem either with suspension or tires. The tires are Michelin now and were put on the vehicle when it had only 15,000 miles on them and they did not resolve the problem. The computer aided handling of this car, in my opinion, is the problem although after speaking with the service representatives from two different dealerships neither one would agree. The reps (both) recommended the purchase of different tires with softer rubber.

The dealership service reps spoken with would not say whether or not others had similar complaints. FYI This problem was noticed and reported to the service reps shortly after the vehicle was purchased.

This vehicle is not owned by me. A friend who is 83 years of age owns it and had me drive it many times so that I could experience it first hand. This problem is very frightening!!

Felt pushed by the salesman to get this new supposed better car and replace my rock solid amazing 2011 Elantra Touring with the all new 2013 Elantra GT . I was sold on the fact that it looked better and was of course a new car with many more upgrades . I was so wrong in amusing this was a good safe family vehicle . I had no idea what I was in for and am now dealing with . My issue began when I noticed the rear of the car would do a little dance to the right when hitting small road bumps at any speed . The rear would sometimes feel as if the rear wheels were not touching the pavement anymore and the car would fallow the slope of the road or highway and bounce in that direction . I thought it was just a winter issue as we bought the car in October and thinking perhaps ice or snow was filling the wheel wells or even that it does this because of being a new car and suspension . By 6000 km the car began to really show it's true stripes with horrible handling characteristics and even changed lanes for me a few times without my interaction in snowy weather at speeds below 60 kph . No other vehicles around me had problems driving threw this certain part of the roadway . I was very confused. The 2011 Elantra Touring was a rock solid car on the highway and in all weather and I never had an issue with it while I owned it suspension wise . The 2013 Elantra GT is the most dangerous vehicle I have ever been in and having driven very many front wheel drive vehicles over the years I have never ever driven a car with these characteristic of feeling unsafe and never knowing what this car may do while driving . My daughter just got her G1 and I am very hesitant to let her drive this vehicle because of what could happen . A novice driver could be injured in this car because of this horrid suspension . I have brought this issue up with my car dealership and have met with the Salesman , Sales manager , Service manager , Service Mechanics and they all told me the car is safe . I told them that the car was unsafe and that I do not want to drive it anywhere! . There is something wrong with it !. I was told the suspension design on the 2013 Elantra GT is used on many types of front wheel drive vehicles and is perfectly safe . I adamantly disagreed with them and was basically laughed out of the dealership by the employees and mechanics saying that I was incorrect and that I know nothing about how cars should behave or how suspensions should control a vehicle . I have had ongoing communications with Hyundai Canada and with my Hyundai Dealership since this suspension issue arose . I was told by Hyundai Canada that the car is safe and that they have other models in there fleet that does not have the suspension that the 2013 Gt currently has so basically they are telling me to buy one of there other vehicles to eliminate this problem I am having with the Elantra 2013 GT . I was very insulted by this comment and this in no way addresses a very unsafe vehicle issue . I am arranging another meeting with my Hyundai dealership and Hyundai Canada to address this problem as I feel unsafe in this vehicle for myself and my family . I had asked that the CEO of Hyundai Canada drive this car and tell me nothing is wrong with it , but they refused , It sits in my driveway and I refuse to drive it anywhere accept to the dealership . I am not letting this go . The car now has 11,000 plus km and I don't want to get behind the wheel . It upsets me so much ever time it hit's a bump and does it's little GT dance all over the place in all weather conditions . Just horrible . Why is Hyundai not accepting these complaints as I am noticing that I am not alone on this issue as apparently it is also a major issue with the Elantra model and not just the GT issue ? Will someone have to become seriously injured before Hyundai will take note ???

As with previous reports of unstable footing of the car when negotiating a turn with bumps and the back of the car wants to come around. This is particularly bad on wet pavement. At 14,000 miles the drivers rear tire is cupping, When brought to dealers attention they told me to change my driving style. Most of the miles were put on the vehicle on long highway trips. This would be a very serious problem in a panic stop on wet pavement or in a turn.

I will keep contacting the dealer personnel until I reach someone that will listen.

I will also advice any person about my experience with the dealer and the product.

I'll keep posted on progress to a solution.

I purchased a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS with 13461miles from a Hyundai dealership. After the first week of driving I noticed how clunky the suspension was and that the rear end of the vehicle bounces and pulls when driving over bumpy uneven roads. Also when you drive over a pothole or major blemish in the road the brakes grind as almost the ABS kicks in.

A Hyundai tech drove the vehicle and stated that it drives as designed and is cheaply made. He noted the solid rear suspension is not going to drive smooth like a independent rear suspension. Why would Hyundai design a poorly made vehicle? For a new vehicle it is very unstable and unsafe to drive. I feel that Hyundai should stand by their product!!!