Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 5% | 3,000 miles |
| 2024 | 6 | 11% | 10,000 miles |
| 2023 | 6 | 6% | 30,000 miles |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 10 | 8% | — |
| 2020 | 14 | 5% | 9,000 miles |
| 2019 | 5 | 2% | 50,000 miles |
| 2018 | 15 | 4% | 16,000 miles |
| 2017 | 25 | 3% | 31,000 miles |
| 2016 | 18 | 6% | 62,000 miles |
| 2015 | 15 | 6% | 20,000 miles |
| 2014 | 27 | 7% | 27,000 miles |
| 2013 | 50 | 4% | 43,000 miles |
| 2012 | 27 | 4% | 60,000 miles |
| 2011 | 16 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2010 | 22 | 6% | 41,000 miles |
| 2009 | 18 | 7% | 86,000 miles |
| 2008 | 24 | 8% | 48,000 miles |
| 2007 | 9 | 3% | 69,000 miles |
| 2006 | 11 | 7% | 46,000 miles |
| 2005 | 14 | 10% | 33,000 miles |
| 2004 | 7 | 4% | 86,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2002 | 18 | 5% | 30,000 miles |
| 2001 | 9 | 3% | 40,000 miles |
| 2000 | 7 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 1999 | 6 | 5% | 130,000 miles |
| 1998 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 1997 | 5 | 4% | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 1995 | 2 | 2% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 20 MPH with a message was displayed "School Zone, 20 MPH", however the contact was not driving in a School Zone during the failure. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel and the center console display went blank. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Towards the end of January, my car computer was reset because the car was telling me that I needed an oil change early and the dealership told me it could just be a computer issue. I then took my car to get an oil change and full vehicle inspection on February 24th, 2 days after that on the 26th I was leaving my school parking lot when the vehicle accelerated awkwardly when I was leaving out of a parking spot, I was then able to gain control back over the speed until the vehicle again abruptly accelerated and jerked to the left sending my car over a curb, deploying the air bag, and completely totaling out the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while slowly pulling into the parking space the contact lifted off the brake pedal and while costing into the parking space the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and drove over a curb. During the incident the vehicle sustained damage to the undercarriage. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the fialure. The manufacturer was nofited of the incident. An engineer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. No further information was available. During the incident the contact suffered emotional stress and fear. The failure mileage was 30,000.
2023 Hyundai Elantra SEL. Car has been slow to start this week. When I depress the brake pedal and push to start, it will start then shut off in the middle of starting then I have to try again or it will sputter then fully start but every safety alert and electrical alarm will go off in my car and nothing clears it until I drive for about 5 minutes then they all clear. I went to AutoZone and they said my battery was normal health. When this slow start happens I also notice that my vehicle doesn't accelerate as well and it feels like it's trying too hard to the point it will jerk forward even when I'm only lightly pressing the accelerator. I noticed this, 2 winters ago (2024) as well and I thought it was due to the very cold weather we had. Brought it to my sister's fianc e and he couldn't find any DTC's but agreed something felt off. …
My vehicle was slowing down and was halfway into a parking spot. Then, it suddenly accelerated, jumped over commercial parking blocks, and ended up stopping after hitting a wall. My brake was not working at that moment. I initially reported it to Hyundai USA (as a dealership doesn't seem to consider this a serious issue at all), but decided not to let them investigate on their end based on their slow and unprofessional responses.
The forward collision warning stopped working several months ago. We gave the (leased) car to the dealer for repairs after 4 weeks of waiting (parts, etc.) We were told the car was fixed and ready for pick-up. I drove it from Baltimore to DC for a meeting and on several occassions when car stopped abruptly in front of me on the highway it did not give a warning, when I tried using cruise control, it would not engage because the conditions for doing so had not been met - same message I had when foward collision was not working. It's pretty clear that this was not fixed and instead they must have changed the messaging so that it does not appear as a warning when you start the car. …
The contact called on behalf of their son who owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while their son was decelerating, speed was unknown, and coming to a stop sign. The next thing their son was able to recall was that the vehicle had suddenly turned right crashing into an electrical pole nearby. The air bags deployed. The driver had lost consciousness during the crash making it difficult to recall all that occurred. The vehicle was towed but they had not yet received any confirmation if the vehicle had been totaled. The electrical pole had fallen and began to catch fire. The fire department had put out the fire. The contact was not completely sure of the damage done to the vehicle. The driver lost consciousness and received an injury on their right arm. Medical attention was needed. …
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in stop-and-go traffic, the engine light illuminated. While driving, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at 35-45 MPH three days later, the engine light illuminated again, and the vehicle started to decelerate. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer, who performed a combustion test. The dealer requested permission for a mechanic to take the vehicle to the residence for a road test. The contact declined the request. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact requested a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Elantra years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (50), 2012 (27), 2014 (27), 2017 (25) and 2008 (24) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Elantra acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Hyundai Elantra model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Hyundai Elantra acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles; 55% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (19 mentions), followed by the cruise control (10).
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.