Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Hyundai Elantra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
*The rear sub-frame assembly nearly rusted through. Steering and Handling noticebly effected with rear of vehicle feeling soft and sluggish in turns. *The vehicle is available for inspection and was brought to my attention when the mechanic was beginning rear brake maintenance. *The mechanic is a licensed mechanic and the Repair shop is a licensed service facility. *The mechanic called me and asked me to return to the shop to show me the extent of the rust damage, to which I did return to the shop to examine his findings. I did take photos. *There were no warning lamps or messages. The symptoms were as described above.
Live in Indiana where the weather is super salty in the winters and all of the salt in Indiana has really really affected the whole underside of my car. The whole subframe is falling apart and the rust has gotten to everything under the car. I have spent about 4 thousand dollars into this car doing all the work myself to make this car run In pristine conditions. I am very very worried that my whole back end will just fall apart going down the road due to the rust.
I had a wreck today on a highway where I was traveling at 40 MPH and I slammed on my brakes and hit the car in front of me when the vehicle in front of me stopped suddenly. My chest rammed into the steering wheel and the bags did not deploy.the car was totally smashed in the front and the door had a hard time opening. I was rushed to the er and had contusions to my sternum area of my chest. *I did wear seat belts.
I had a low speed accident approximately 10-20mph in a parking lot where I hit a cement surrounding of a pole on the driver side and the airbag deployed on the passengers side causing significant damage to the windshield, busted the dash vents, locked my drivers seatbelt and shattered windshield glass all over the car.
The whole rear metal beam holding the rear suspension rusted out and fell off while driving sent csrd into a spin before we got it stopped could have been killed driving on interstate 70 from warrenton to wentzville mo yesterday mourning at 5:30 am.
Our 2003 Hyundai Elantra is suffering from severe corrosion on the subframe/unibody, a problem for which a class action settlement was approved (see the following link http://saltbeltcorrosion.hyundaiusa.com/ for details regarding the cirulli v. Hyundai motor America settlement, which reached final approval on May 25, 2011). The settlement provided reimbursement for repairs. Although Hyundai performed a "rustproofing/wax" repair in 2010 on this car, as well as a subframe repair/replacement in 2015 (which is considered by Hyundai to have solved the problem as originally described in the class action lawsuit), we believe that the defect as described in the class action settlement was in fact not rectified, and thus consists of a failure of recall repair. …
My daughter was driving home from school and the strut/axle broke and caused her to skid off the rode, luckily she was not injured and was able to come to a stop in an empty lot. The tire was ruined and the fender was also damaged. We were able to get this fixed at the repair shop, for just under $500, however now the vehicle will not pass inspection due to the subframe being deteriorated. Upon researching the cost to replace this, I found that the vehicle has had several recalls, and wow both of these were on the list. My concern is that the vehicle is 2003 and we are not the original owners. I am concerned now that the other recalls May also affect their vehicle. The safety of my daughter and grandson is top priority. What can you help me with. Can we still use the recall to have the vehicle repaired?
Front passenger side control arm rusted through on 3-18-09. No warning. Going 30 MPH in very light traffic. Felt like we fell into a big pothole and car would not move. Happened very close to police station so they helped but no report made. Was late so car towed to house then to dealership in morning. No injuries (2 adults and 2 small children in vehicle). Other damage- front axle broke, damage to wheel well, front bumper, wiper fluid reservoir and other incidental parts. All fixed by Hyundai including body damage and paint under extended warranty. Dealership claims to have examined drivers side arm and stated it was "fine". We do not trust this and are having it looked at by another mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. When attempting to stop for a stop light the axle, control arm, and ball joint fractured and the tire separated. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility and the vehicle was repaired. The mechanic stated that sub-frame corrosion caused the failure. The dealer was contacted and they asked for all invoices of the repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The technician confirmed that the sub-frame had corroded. He was advised that the vehicle was safe to drive. The parts were ordered for the repair. The failure and current mileages were 81000.
I own a 2003 Hyundai Elantra gt that currently has about 58000 miles on it. While driving home, when I was approx 2 miles away I noticed that the car started to pull to one side a bit. Thinking it was a flat, I drove slow for the remaining mile or so and when I was about 200 yards from my destination, the front end dropped and the car stopped. Upon visual inspection, it looks like the frame where the passenger front tire meets the steering rod completely rotted through and broke. After looking on the web, it seems very similar to investigation pe09011.
Body complaints in other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, 14% of the model year's 234 complaints. The component named most often is body (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Hyundai Elantra body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Elantra body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.