2013 Hyundai Elantra

Typical pattern

8% of complaints about the 2013 Hyundai Elantra came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2013 vehicle — around the middle of the 210 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (267 complaints), typically at 6.8 yr or about 42,000 miles.

Complaints: 1,845
Median age at failure: 6.1 yr
Median mileage: 45,000 n=1145
Crash / fire / tow: 12% of reports
Safety recalls: 4 1 do not drive

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Steering

267 reports · 42,000 mi

6.8 yr

3.7%

Engine

233 reports · 66,000 mi

6.4 yr

10.7%

Air bags

167 reports · 70,000 mi

6.8 yr

25.1%

Service brakes

161 reports · 37,422 mi

6.0 yr

17.4%

Electrical system

152 reports · 57,200 mi

6.3 yr

11.8%

Service brakes, hydraulic

121 reports · 130,000 mi

11.2 yr

6.6%

Other

121 reports · 50,000 mi

7.3 yr

5.8%

Suspension

97 reports · 18,500 mi

2.2 yr

4.1%

Wheels

74 reports · 11,000 mi

1.8 yr

12.2%

Exterior lighting

68 reports · 67,000 mi

5.2 yr

2.9%

Power train

56 reports · 60,300 mi

5.3 yr

5.4%

Tires

53 reports · 12,000 mi

1.7 yr

5.7%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V651000 2023-09-22 Do not drive

Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

17V769000 2017-11-30

Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Elantra sedan, coupe and GT vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. This will allow the brake lights to remain illuminated continuously. It can also allow the shift lever to be moved without depressing the brake pedal, or activate the engine management brake pedal override feature.

If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of PARK without depressing the brake pedal. Either condit

16V574000 2016-08-02

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model 2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured December 1, 2012, to April 30, 2013. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released.

13V115000 2013-04-01

Air bags:side/window

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.

If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes 60 mi 0 mo in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD HE MOVED HIS RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO THE BRAKE AND HIS SHOE BECAME STUCK UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO A SIGN. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT FENDER AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR BECAME DAMAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR POSING A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60.

Service brakes 20,900 mi 1.0 yr in service

I HAD TO STOP MODERATELY HARD AT 50 MPH AND WHEN I DID MY BRAKES MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATED VERY ROUGH. I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A HYUNDAI TSB CAMPAIGN FOR THE BRAKES ISSUED DECEMBER 2012 AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER BEFORE THE CAR WAS SOLD BUT THE DEALERSHIP (KEY HYUNDAI IN JACKSONVILLE, FL) NEGLECTED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PADS. *TR

Service brakes 17,000 mi 9 mo in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE BUT THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000.

Visibility 16,000 mi 1 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING ON I80 IN INDIANA I HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE ROOF AREA, SO I SLID THE COVER ON THE SUNROOF OPEN AND FOUND THE GLASS SPIDERWEB. BY THE TIME I PULLED OVER THE GLASS WAS TOTALLY SHATTERED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WERE NO TRUCKS NEAR ME NOR WAS I NEAR AN OVERPASS. *TR

Other Elantra 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.