2013 Hyundai Elantra Brake Problems

Which parts fail

• Antilock › Control unit/module
  4
• Power assist › Hydraulic › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
  1
• Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › ABS warning light
  1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  3732%
• 25k–50k
  1513%
• 50k–75k
  2118%
• 75k–100k
  109%
• 100k–150k
  2219%
• 150k+
  98%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Hyundai Elantra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that after she had parked the vehicle in her residential driveway and had turned the vehicle off after shifting to park (P) she had noticed that the "vehicle in a skid" symbol was illuminated. The contact was in her residence when she began to smell a burning odor. The contact observed that white smoke was being emitted from under the hood. The contact stated that her father used a garden hose to attempt to cool the hood off but was unable to open the hood. The contact stated that the fire department was called, however the engine compartment had been engulfed in flames. The contact stated that the fire department arrived and the firemen had pried open the hood and extinguished the flames with water. The contact stated that the engine had been damaged and all plastic parts and hoses had been melted. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the ABS warning light was illuminated and a smoke odor was present inside the vehicle. The contact was able to enter a nearby gas station to inspect the vehicle. While attempting to inspect the hood, the contact noticed smoke and a few flames coming from the passenger's side engine compartment near the ABS module. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with sand and the fire was caught in time. A fire department report and a police department report were not filed. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated. The following day, while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact's dog woke up the contact around 5:00 AM, at which point the contact discovered that the vehicle was on fire. The Fire Department extinguished the fire and informed the contact that the fire appeared to be electrical; however, it was unknown whether a fire report was filed. The contact stated that the fire appeared to have originated underneath the hood, which left the front end of the vehicle completely burned. There was no other property damage, and no injuries were reported. A Police report was filed. The vehicle remained in the driveway, and the insurance company had not yet been notified of the fire. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for approximately 7 hours and upon starting, the ABS and traction control warning lights. The contact began to drive to her residence and an abnormal humming sound was present from the engine compartment. Upon arriving at her destination, the vehicle was parked in the driveway and a neighbor who was a firefighter disconnected the battery to the vehicle. Shortly afterward, flames were coming from the driver-side engine compartment. The fire was extinguished on its own and the fire department did not come to the scene. A police and fire report was not filed. There were no injuries reported. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal became loose while depressing and the steering wheel was abnormally stiff. An unknown warning light illuminated. In addition, the driver saw an abnormal amount of smoke coming from under the hood and had inhaled smoke while attempting to exit the vehicle. The vehicle caught on fire moments later when the driver safely exited the vehicle. The local fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No police report was filed. The driver sustained minor injuries but no medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to an insurance lot for further investigation. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while accelerating at slow speeds or while idling at a stop, the vehicle hesitated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition coil and alternator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while accelerating at slow speeds or while idling at a stop, she heard an abnormal humming and ticking sound coming from under the hood of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that upon searching the NHTSA website, she confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to two independent mechanics, who informed the contact that the oil level was significantly low, although an oil change was performed two weeks prior to the failure. The mechanics determined that the timing components, timing cover gasket, water pump belts, valve cover, spark plugs, and other unknown components needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed went to the floorboard and failed to come to a complete stop. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the brake fluid reservoir was empty. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the brake master cylinder. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the brake master cylinder. The vehicle was not repaired. …

Traffic ahead of me rapidly decelerated. Upon applying the brakes, the peddle froze and then went to the floor without any resistance. I attempted to pump the brakes without success. I impacted the car ahead of me at 40 mph, the posted speed limit, creating substantial damage to both vehicles. The brakes failed to operate and the airbags failed to deploy upon impact. The vehicle failed to slow down and was reacting as if the accelerator was stuck. There were no system warnings at the time of the accident or afterwards. Braking abilities resumed immediately after impact. There is no visible evidence of any fluid leaks, brake fluid or otherwise. The vehicle was last serviced by the dealership for an oil change at the end of January 2024. A brake inspection was performed at that time. I was aware of a recall notice Campaign 251 regarding the brake ABS system. …

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The air bag warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the air bag warning light illuminated on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. …

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Brake complaints in other Elantra years