Traction Control complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 0% | 5,000 miles |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% | 10,000 miles |
| 2017 | 9 | 1% | 45,000 miles |
| 2016 | 5 | 2% | 34,000 miles |
| 2015 | 1 | 0% | 77,000 miles |
| 2014 | 14 | 4% | 8,000 miles |
| 2013 | 50 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2012 | 44 | 7% | 59,000 miles |
| 2011 | 34 | 8% | 70,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2009 | 10 | 4% | 89,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 2% | 84,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% | 82,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 1% | 91,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% | 84,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My car had recently began to shake and buck violently while driving with no warning lights or indicators at 38,000 miles. Three weeks ago before a regular maintenance appointment at my Hyundai dealership where I bought the !car, as I turned over the ignition and accelerated the car began to buck and shake violently. As I pressed the gas, the car would not accelerate. I was in the middle of traffic in washington, d.c. So once I was able to safely move over, I turned the car off and back over. No shaking and continued as normal. Once I took the car in the following week, I was told everything was fine and made sure to mention the shaking and bucking and was told that they didn't see anything. The next day following service and receiving my car back, my car began to shake violently again. Still no warning light indicator. …
3 occurrences: leave from parking space- turn on engine- wait until tachometer goes to 1- with foot on brake, shift into d- tachometer reaches 5 on speeding engine before able to turn off ignition. Driving very slow- with foot on brake- in forward to large parallel parking- speeds up- brakes spongy- does not stop car. Only high curb prevents car from climbing on sidewalk and giving me time to turn ignition off. Stopping at traffic light on road with a 35 mile speed zone. After stop, brake becomes spongy, car's wheels begin skidding- can only turn off ignition to stop the car. Everything back to normal when I turned ignition back on, as was the case with the first and second occurrences listed above. Vehicle was stationary in the first occurrence, was in motion in a park in the second occurrence and on a county road with a slight turn to the left in the third occurrence.
I purchase a brand new Hyundai Elantra end of January 2016. When I start driving it the car started giving me problems for 2 and 7 months I've been having so much problem with my car when going to dealer constantly since I had it now I took my car back to the dealer on Tuesday and the dealer called me on Wednesday with the mechanic explain what's going on with the car on Thursday the dealer called me back saying the corporate company came out they have to replace my whole engine on my car I am really not happy with my car I don't want it I want them to take the car back I am so done and the service department is so bad there. They gave me the run-around norm reeves Hyundai in cerritos and also the henry inn in garden grove also.
When entering a fairly severe curve, like a 270 degree freeway on-ramp or off-ramp to an overpass, or 90 degree curves on mountain roads, at normal speeds, the ESC appears to sporadically turn on and off aggressively. The behavior is severe. The brakes are applied, hard, about twice per second. Hard enough to feel like you hit a pothole. The throttle seems to be cut as well. Pressing the accelerator does nothing while in this state, as if its been disconnected. After straightening out of the curve, the behavior stops. Disabling via the ESC button has no effect, the problem persists. A trip to the dealer (10/2015) resulted in the diagnosis of a bad 'lateral sensor' - that it wasn't communicating to the ESC. However the problem apparently was more involved: they kept the car for 17 days and had two other 2016 Elantra gt models in the service department with the same issue. …
Takata recall on 9/23/2018, about an hour after a rainstorm (car was garaged during storm) my car was in motion at 40 MPH in the left lane on a curve of a southbound interstate exit i275. The car suddenly went sideways, and began fishtailing. I tried to pump the breaks but they were not working. The vehicle then smashed the front side of bumper into the guard rail, and pushed me across two traffic lanes. The vehicle stopped in the right lane, facing north in a southbound exit. I tried to put it in reverse to get into the shoulder, and there was no acceleration. The engine had shut off on me while driving on the interstate. I do not know what failed the engine, or why it shut off. Hyundai corporate was contacted and they opened a case, and performed a full inspection. …
The ESC (traction control) randomly comes on while cruising at highway speeds on straight, level, dry roads (often on interstates). Sometimes the ABS lights also light up. Brakes are applied and power to the engine is suspended making the can nearly impossible to control properly. My car has been in the shop now under warranty for over 60 consecutive days and the dealership and Hyundai cannot determine the reason for this malfunction. After repeated requests to have the car repaired under warranty, this car has been in an accident and I have asked Hyundai to determine the relevance of this repeated malfunction in the accident where the car would not stop quickly enough to avoid another motorist. This car was purchased used with 20,185 miles on it and currently has around 22K miles and is under a bumper to bumper warranty.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the electronic traction stability warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle was losing forward momentum. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle slowed to approximately 15 MPH and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
In December 2017 & January 2018 on multiple occasions the cars ABS light came on for no apparent reason and the car would not stop as if the brakes were not applied at all. A vibration was noticed like the brakes would in a skidding situation but that was not the case. The failure resulted in a couple few calls and finally an accident . It was brought to the Hyundai dealership where we were told there were no failures or codes in the computer to indicate a problem. A week later we received a recall notice from Hyundai - NHTSA campaign number 17v-769 (Hyundai campaign 170). This was the stopper pad recall and it did fix the problem. Looking at the invoice from the dealer the recall was done but we were never told it was related to the problem. The recall notice did not seem to properly state the serious risk of the problem. …
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Elantra vehicles manufactured October 29, 2010, to October 25, 2011. Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied unexpectedly and the engine power may be reduced.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall began June 6, 2016.
NHTSA investigations
Stop lamp switch failure
By letter dated April 15, 2009, Hyundai notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 09V122) to replace the stop lamp switches on many of its model year 2005-2008 vehicles.see recall 09V122 for a complete list. The agency opened its investigation based on five complaints of stop lamp failure across several 2007 Hyundai models.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Elantra years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (50), 2012 (44), 2011 (34), 2014 (14) and 2010 (12) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Elantra traction control problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 15V-871 (electronic stability control (esc), Dec 23, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Hyundai Elantra traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 45% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic (asc) (1 mentions).
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.