2018 Hyundai Elantra GT

Typical pattern

12.2% of complaints about the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2018 vehicle — around the middle of the 182 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (29 complaints), typically at 5.6 yr or about 32,000 miles.

Complaints: 74
Median age at failure: 5.2 yr
Median mileage: 800 n=20
Crash / fire / tow: 1.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

18V891000 2018-12-14

Electrical system

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.

If the sunroof does not detect an obstacle while closing and then retract, there could be an increased risk of injury.

In owners’ own words

Engine 800 mi 1.0 yr in service

CAR SHUT OFF WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY RANDOMLY STARTED SHAKING. ALL LIGHTS TURNED ON CHECK ENGINE,MOTOR OIL LIGHT BATTERY LIGHT. CAR SHUT OFF TO THE POINT WHERE I COULDN'T ACCELERATE. SO IMAGINE BEING ON THE HIGHWAY AND YOUR CAR SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY WHILE YOUR IN MOTION AND CANT ACCELERATE TO MERGE TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THIS HAPPENED 4 MORE TIMES ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP LESS THEN 800 MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Engine 32,000 mi 3.3 yr in service

I WAS DRIVING ON A THE INTERSTATE GOING 75 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE, I LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. I HAD TO STRUGGLE TO MANEUVER AND STOP THE CAR TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. IT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER THAT DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE TIMING CHAIN ALSO DAMAGED OTHER INTERNAL PARTS THROWING FLUID THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE AND CAUSING METAL SHARDS FROM OTHER INTERNAL COMPONENTS. THE CAR HAS 32K MILES AND LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD.

Engine mileage not reported 4.2 yr in service

Driving down the freeway when my engine starting making strange noise before a boom occurred from the front of the car and completely shut off. No warning lights either

Other Elantra GT model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Elantra GT model years

How to read this