Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 50 safety complaints
about the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT with the US government. Of those, 1 mentions a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the electrical system.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 29 complaints, 58% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 6,883 miles,
the median across the 16
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers May 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
50 complaints on file
50
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
1
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
Complaints rose 33% year on year: 8 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 6 in the twelve before.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 29 · 58%
29 58%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 · 14%
7 14%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 10%
5 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 8%
4 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 8%
4 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 · 8%
4 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 · 8%
4 8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 · 6%
3 6%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 4%
2 4%
TIRES 2 · 4%
2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 4%
2 4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 2%
1 2%
01531
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 50.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2022 at 10.
12 9 6 3
182018192019212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Hyundai ELANTRA GT, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.7%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
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
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
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
I am seeking legal assistance regarding an engine failure in my Hyundai and Hyundai’s refusal to cover the replacement. I purchased the vehicle from a used-car dealership in Walpole, Massachusetts, on April 22, 2024. At the time of purchase, I was not informed that the vehicle had a known engine issue that had been the subject of prior recalls, notices, claims, and a class-action lawsuit. When I contacted Hyundai, I was told that the notices regarding the issue had stopped being sent months before I purchased the vehicle. Therefore, I had no reasonable way of knowing about the problem. The engine has now failed, and Hyundai is refusing to provide a replacement under the applicable …
NHTSA complaint 11764027, 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.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed December 14, 2018.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst