2018 Hyundai Elantra problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra include 1 fatality report, 12 crashes and 7 fires across 284 filings.

284
Complaints
0
Recalls
12
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
6
Injuries
62.2
Severity index

Severity index 62.2 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 62.2p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 46 of 122 by severity index among 2018 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 62% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2018 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 142 complaints (50.0%)142 50%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 54 complaints (19.0%)54 19%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 43 complaints (15.1%)43 15%Power TrainPower Train: 24 complaints (8.5%)24 8%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 19 complaints (6.7%)19 7%SteeringSteering: 16 complaints (5.6%)16 6%Exterior LightingExterior Lighting: 16 complaints (5.6%)16 6%StructureStructure: 15 complaints (5.3%)15 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE14250.0%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5419.0%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4315.1%
POWER TRAIN248.5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM196.7%
STEERING165.6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING165.6%
STRUCTURE155.3%

Complaints filed per year

025502018: 252019: 212020: 202021: 272022: 502023: 392024: 402025: 362026: 26 (partial year)18192021225023242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
201825
201921
202020
202127
202250
202339
202440
202536
2026 (year to date)26
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2020 to 2022 (115 against 97).

Other Hyundai Elantra model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-10-23. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.