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Hyundai · NHTSA safety record

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

49

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT have filed 49 safety complaints with NHTSA between May 2018 and April 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 28 of them (57%). The typical failure was reported at 6,883 miles, the median across the 16 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

18V891000 · December 14, 2018

The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT vehicles. The panoramic sunroof motor may be incorrectly programmed, preventing the sunroof from detecting an obstacle while closing.
The risk
If the sunroof does not detect an obstacle while closing and then retract, there could be an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the panoramic sunroof, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 179.

Hyundai Motor America · up to 86 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 49.

ENGINE 28 57%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 14%
POWER TRAIN 5 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 6%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 4%
TIRES 2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 10.

2018 2022 2026
2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1 injured · fire · towed · 19,000 miles

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated on one occasion, while driving the transmission locked up at two stop lights while in neutral (N) and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Additionally, the contact stated that while powered off, and being towed in Neutral (N) by a motor home, a passing driver notified him of a fire in the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road where fire was observed emanating from the engine compartment. The flames spread to the rear of the motor home and the contact attempted to disengage the hitch. The contact sustained a hand injury but did not receive medical attention. The fire department extinguished the fire. A

NHTSA complaint 11565057, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The vehicle is experiencing engine-related excessive oil consumption, which has led to failure of the catalytic converter and emissions system. The root issue appears to be an internal engine defect causing oil to burn during operation. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request, including the engine and catalytic converter components. The excessive oil consumption creates a risk of engine damage or sudden engine failure while driving, which could lead to loss of power in traffic. Additionally, a failing catalytic converter can cause reduced engine performance, stalling, or overheating, increasing the risk of unsafe driving conditions, especially on highways or in heavy

NHTSA complaint 11730804, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine consumes large amount of oil requiring oil refill every week, without turning on check engine and/or engine oil light. Raising the chances to cause accidents due to engine failure while driving, and requiring mechanical intervention to rebuild the engine or a total engine swap. There are over 40 other complaints about this same issue, and it needs to be addressed.

NHTSA complaint 11711527. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I've contacted Hyundai to try and do a recall repair on my Hyundai Elantra GT 2018 both through a local dealership (Planet Hyundai in Golden, CO) and Hyundai corporate. The engine is stalling and knocking very bad to the point where it's no longer drivable. It's burning oil non-stop and I am constantly adding oil to it. I'm getting pushback from Hyundai saying I never fixed the recall when I was actually not notified to begin with. I'm the 2nd owner of the car so if I was never notified, how can I be responsible for something I was never told about? Now they are saying this little sensor was supposed to help let you know there's a problem with the engine (sounds like a check engine light?).

NHTSA complaint 11711029, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I purchased the car on April 7th, 2022 with roughly 115k miles on it and got a blinking CEL shortly after. The engine was listed as a recall and was swapped with 115,610 miles on it directly after the swap. During this, the Hyundai dealership representative called Hyundai's engineer department twice, trying to get this taken care of by Hyundai/paid for by them and they denied it twice, causing me to have to pay half of what the company I got the car from covered. I was told it was denied due to being the 2nd owner and for high mileage/being out of warranty because of this mileage. I submitted all repair invoices and proof of payment through the Hyundai Campaign Reimbursement Portal, got

NHTSA complaint 11710651, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Car was being driven home when car started shaking heavily and check engine light started flashing. Car had been needing 1qt of oil every 600-800 miles, depending on drive (highway would go longer). Pulled off to the side and plugged in code reader - found that cylinder 3 misfired and catalyst system below threshold. Was able to get the car home. Towed it to Hyundai dealership the following week once they were available and they found a bad cylinder head and leaking cylinder. Assumption is the amount of oil it was using ended up backing up carbon buildup. Car has less than 100,000 miles on it and even with maintenance it needs a new engine.

NHTSA complaint 11696512. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine is burning excessive amounts of oil regularly.

NHTSA complaint 11686907. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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Other 2018 Hyundai models

Every Hyundai on this site — 201 vehicles, 276 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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