Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 2% | 0 miles |
| 2020 | 7 | 3% | 3,000 miles |
| 2019 | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2018 | 15 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2017 | 134 | 17% | 59,000 miles |
| 2016 | 18 | 6% | 60,000 miles |
| 2015 | 14 | 5% | 43,000 miles |
| 2014 | 9 | 2% | 40,000 miles |
| 2013 | 51 | 4% | 33,000 miles |
| 2012 | 16 | 2% | 55,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 1% | 57,000 miles |
| 2010 | 22 | 6% | 65,000 miles |
| 2009 | 11 | 4% | 85,000 miles |
| 2008 | 10 | 3% | 120,000 miles |
| 2007 | 20 | 7% | 88,000 miles |
| 2006 | 8 | 5% | 82,000 miles |
| 2005 | 7 | 5% | 126,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 2% | 100,000 miles |
| 2003 | 32 | 14% | 78,000 miles |
| 2002 | 27 | 8% | 72,000 miles |
| 2001 | 28 | 9% | 90,000 miles |
| 2000 | 7 | 4% | 120,000 miles |
| 1999 | 6 | 5% | 164,000 miles |
| 1998 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1997 | 9 | 8% | 141,000 miles |
| 1996 | 5 | 5% | — |
| 1995 | 7 | 6% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The car was involved in an accident. It was going 5-10 mph and hit a light post. There was minor body damage and about 10-15 seconds after initial impact the airbags deployed and cracked my windshield. The car was considered a total loss.
I have contacted the dealer. I am almost ready to get a lawyer. This is the 4th lemon I've been sold. Seat belt is installed wrong. Software updates are available and screaming at me but the dealership Will not call Me back. Two days now. Hyundai finance has treated me Disrespectfully. I have error messages when I enter the car. The hood looks aftermarket and about to pop up. The NHtsa website says this car has recalls but not mine?? What ?? It smells like something is burning from the console. The brake collision is calibrated off. I would have a wreck. It's not safe. Period.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, a loud squeaking noise was present coming from the vehicle. Also, while driving up a slight incline or down an incline the vehicle would shake and vibrate while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, no fault was found. The contact was informed that the sound was normal. The manufacturer was not notified. In addition, the contact discovered that the passenger's side floorboard was soaked with water. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that rain had not fallen. The failure mileage was 300.
The hood of the car is clearly larger and "off-kilter" with the rest of the body (and front grill) of the car. Although the body indentations match, the hood looks as if it were from a completely different model. It also shifts down on the driver side of the vehicle giving concern that it may shift further and get damaged. A clear manufacturer defect and safety hazard. After the dealer told me they could do nothing, I opened a case with Hyundai Motor. Hyundai Motor has failed to reply or report back on a resolution. Initial report was made on 5/13/21 and a case # was assigned (case manager assigned on 6/5). As of today, 6/9/21, Hyundai Motor has not yet contacted me for a resolution. I am concerned about driving my vehicle if it causes the hood to shift even further and causes damages, detaches, bumps up against the front grill, or causes an accident.
The contact leased a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the cabin air filter replacement, she was informed that there were rodent feces, leaves, and grains inside the cabin filter. The contact was informed that the debris was also present in the blower motor, which caused the blower motor to make abnormal grinding sounds when engaging the heating system. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was caused by rodents. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a strong feces odor coming from the vents. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring, causing the cabin filter to be replaced approximately once a week. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Driving on a road trip, 2.5 hours in. All doors were locked. Drove over a road change from tunnel to bridge, small bump, and dashboard started beeping and flashing that a door opened. Driver side back door (where my child was sitting) opened, air was rushing in. We had to brake ( on a highway bridge to pull over) and unlock door to get it to close again. The door popped open while still locked. Called Hyundai and they said bring it in, but we probably didn't shut it. It was absolutely shut and locked.
I hit a small center divider in a parking structure going about 1 MPH which hit under the car. The three front airbags deployed. There is no body damage to the front of the car so I don't think that the airbags should have deployed. My local dealership can't fix it and I have reached out to Hyundai USA and they are not responding.
Paint fell off from the vehicle's body, specifically from the front of hood cover and the roof in large patches for no reason. After doing some research, I found I am not thr only one experiecing this problem, this actually has been a wide spread know issue among the 2017 - 2018 Hyundai Elantra models. Although it does not pose any immediate risk, the potential safety threat is obvious due to the rusting bodies caused by the paint patches fallen off. The manufacturer only provided an extended body warranty from 3 years to 5 years, though, without notifying the imapcted customers. Quite a lot of customers like myself were not aware of such as warranty extention until now and could not get the issue fixed within the warranty period. The issue is so wide spread and the quality of the painting is so poor, the manufacturer should not get away just providing such a program quietly. …
Related recalls (1)
Structure
Hyundai Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured from November 12, 2010, through March 5, 2013. A support bracket attached to the headliner may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA investigations
Rear suspension failure
Odi has received complaints pertaining to rear suspension problems.additional information is needed to fully understand the nature and circumstances of the canadian recall.furthermore, this investigation is opened to evaluate Hyundai's rational for not conducting a safety recall campaign to include the unite states population.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Elantra years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (134), 2013 (51), 2003 (32), 2001 (28) and 2002 (27) model years. Body complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2017.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Elantra body problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 13V-115 (structure, Apr 1, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Hyundai Elantra body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles; 36% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (349 mentions), followed by the body › door (36).
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.