Fellow Elantra owners,

Unfortunately I can now relate. My 2012 Elantra with 65 000 kms now needs a short block replacement. The engine started ticking when running after a cold snap here in Edmonton. It was -30 for a couple of days before it began knocking if that makes any difference. I stopped driving it and took it to the dealership where I have now been told I need a short block replacement.

I am the second owner and have only driven the vehicle myself for 15 000 kms so I am quite upset with this. The dealership is currently in talks with Hyundai Canada regarding the issue to determine whether or not Hyundai will pay to fix this issue. Hoping for the best, fingers crossed. It just seems like such a joke to me that a car with only 65 000 kms has such major engine issues.

I bought my 2012 Elantra in March of 2016. At the time the engine had this strange ticking and I told the car salesman that I would not buy the car until we knew what was wrong and fixed. He took it to a Hyundai dealer and they got a certified engine block and replaced it. The noise stopped. That was at 42,000 miles.

I have had some little issues since then that were caused by the Hyundai dealer, but they would not take the blame. So I paid for it myself. That was an improperly installed valve cover gasket. Anyway, my check engine light went on and my mechanic said it was the timing chain. That cost me 60 dollars. When I called Hyundai corp. they said to take it to an authorized Hyundai dealer. I did and they said they got the light off, charged me 150 bucks and said there was metal flakes in my engine. They had no explanations for it other than not changing my oil enough and not using a certified Hyundai filter. I said I had proof that I changed my oil more than I was suppose to. As for the Hyundai oil filter, why was I not told to do that in the first place?

Anyway, I started an internet search and many Hyundai's have this problem. Many! Not just Sonatas I found many Elantras, mostly 2012 and 2013. I went back to my mechanic and asked him what the metal in the engine was. He didn't know, but suggested that I unload my car to a poor unsuspecting person while it was still driveable. He said the engine was going to go soon.

I'm bummed because I love my car and I certainly don't have the money or time to get another car right now. Hyundai needs to come clean with us consumers. Right now! I'm going to bug them until they do! This is unconscionable! I had a 2003 Sonata that never caused me any trouble for years. I'm thankful for this sight and also for social media. Does anyone out there want to start a class action suit?

Sincerely, Disgusted in Olympia

I bought a used 2012 Hyundai Elantra that starting ticking five months after our purchase. I took it to the car dealership and they said it was a bad wrist pin and that they recommended a total engine replacement. I went to an independent mechanic for a second opinion and he was in total disbelief that could be the case. After he looked the engine, however, his findings were the same. He said this HAS to be a manufacturer's defect and that this issue should never occur. There was quite a bit of confusion with Hyundai Customer Care and the local dealership on the warranty for a subsequent owner. At first it seemed like it would be covered, but in the end no one will step up and help. As we continue seeing this issue reported more and more online (and a potential class action lawsuit), I have kept the car and hoped for a recall. We drove it for a while longer (short trips near home only), but we had to stop driving it as I was worried about safety. Very disappointed to say the least.

Thought I would try a Hyundai since I heard so much about their quality and only previously owned US car company vehicles.

I was the second owner of this Elantra so I understood that the Powertrain Warranty was reduced to 60,000 miles instead of the 100,000 mile for the original owner. At just over 60,000 miles an engine "ticking" started when it was cold. It gradually got worse and at 64,888 miles, the "ticking" became a "knocking". Turned out to be a main rod bearing and had to have the short block replaced.

While I am able to accept almost any repair "out of warranty", a main rod bearing is not acceptable to me.

The crank and main bearings are the main artery of the engine and I don't expect to ever have a problem with this. Short search online showed others having the same problem. Obviously an engine defect. The Dealer and I both talked to Hyundai America but they would offer no compensation.

Unacceptable outcome. Not sure what's going to prevent the same problem from happening again?

I bought this 2012 Elantra as a lease back and it had 58,000 km on it. The purchase price was $13,500 CDN. It drove perfectly fine for two years until one night it got really cold, like minus 30 and the next day i started it up and it had been ticking ever since. The engine blew completely at 115,000 km and it won't start now at all. I have been a loyal Hyundai buyer for a decade now but no more, not only that but my entire family who buy Hyundai have decided to switch as well. What a terrible company, this is a known defect regarding defective cylinder wall coating used in the Alabama manufacturing facility and there was never a recall done on this issue. So basically I paid 16k for a car that lasted only 56k kms. NEVER AGAIN HYUNDAI, I will tell everyone i know or ever come across to never ever buy your cars. Pretty convenient that the engine failed right after the warranty expired.

Update from Mar 17, 2017: If Hyundai actually would fix this problem for me I might be convinced to buy a new 2017 Elantra with the better 2.0 Atkinson cycle engine, but I doubt they are going to do anything so I will be buying a Mazda3, Corolla or Civic.

Update from May 25, 2017: Hyundai put in a new short block for me free. Car was over 100k warranty. They delivered the goods. Thanks hyundai.

Week #1:

I have a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited and have about 78k on it. This week, I have noticed a loud clicking (tapping or clacking) noise upon startup and continues for about 10 minutes coming from the engine. The noise is loud and can be heard inside the passenger compartment. It (the noise) tends to subside after 10 minutes or so after the engine is warmed up and its rate changes as the RPM changes. I took my car into Hyundai of Frederick, Md. to have them look over it on 3/10/17. The first thing the dealer rep. asked is if I was using an Hyundai oil filter and oil, as non OEM filters may have a different flow rate. Before they even look at my car, I had to agree to a $113 inspection, if in the event that they don't find anything wrong, the inspection doesn't fall under Hyundai's warranty--only if they find a reparable warranty, do they cover the inspection. The next morning, I get a call from the rep. and he tells me that the will have to replace to engine oil and filter (OEM oil/filter, $35.00) to see if that clears up the noise. Several hours later, I get a call back from the rep. and he advises that the noise is still there. Now, the rep. advises that they will now have to tear-down the engine to get a better idea as to what is going on, and then check with Hyundai USA to see if they will cover it. This will take a good part of a week, say Wednesday or Thursday before I hear back. I will keep everyone up to date as to my progress with this and to the quality of Hyundai's warranty service. I believe I should not have to pay the $113 inspection fee and the "diagnostic" oil & filter change, since this is a verified warranty claim.

Week#2:

Well, I'm back with an update. It's almost a week later (03/16/17) and I have some good and bad news. I got a call this afternoon from the service department who explained that the engine was trashed, not in those words, but kaput! He stated that metal shavings were found in the area of the valves, the oil pan, and timing chain--lots and lots of metal shavings! He told me that he now has to contact Hyundai USA for approval to do the work and that someone would call me tomorrow to advise if it would be covered. About an hour later, I received another call from the same service employee who said that Hyundai approved the work and was going to cover the repair and the provide a rental for the time while the car was being repaired. The repair in question will be a short block and not the long block. My understanding is that the lower half (short block) will be factory new, while the upper engine head (valves, lifters, valve cover, etc.) will be re-machined. A long block (a full engine replacement) repair is better. I think you get the cheaper (short block) fix if you car has a lot of miles on it, as it is closer to the end of its warranty and will no longer be covered. Look to get a long block repair if your car has few miles and metal particles throughout. As far as Hyundai is concerned, their short block replacement only has to last 22K miles.

I asked the service representative what caused the damage but he was not able to give me a definitive answer. The inspection consisted the removal of the valve assembly, which revealed metal flakes. They then checked the oil pan and found more flakes; along with flakes in the area of the timing chain (say what?). At that time, they then declared the engine dead and started the approval process; not finding what the root cause was. Perhaps they will later. It was only a matter of time that the engine was going to fail in a big way. So far, I am very happy with the way the dealer and Hyundai USA has handled this situation. They've kept me informed throughout the process and moved quickly on repairs and provide me with a rental car. If everything turns out the way it should, this will go along way for me to consider buying another Hyundai product, Hyundai stands behind its product. This is going to be a very expensive repair/replacement for an engine with 78K and it shouldn't have failed at a relatively low mileage.

Major takeaways so far: 1) Keep excellent records of your oil changes and servicing. Stick with the recommended service intervals or sooner; however, be consistent where you take your car for its service (helps with record keeping). 2) You don't have to take it to the dealer for service, just make sure you are consistent and the place you take it to and they uses the manufacture specified "like quality parts and tolerances" (non-OEM oil and filters)--they don't have to be Hyundai parts, just places that use exact similar part (e.g. Midas, Jiffy Lube, etc.). The easiest though, is just taking to the dealer, because they of course use OEM part and keep unquestionable records. 3)They seemed to focus on any engine repairs to the vehicle. This may be used to red-flag the vehicle. 4) Do your internet research before going to the dealer for repairs. Knowing what you are up against will help you. All-in-all, pretty good so far!

To be continued.....

Update from Mar 29, 2017: I just got my car back from the dealership today (03/29/17) and returned the Hyundai rental car. The dealer representative let me take a look at their invoice and what they are charging Hyundai for the warranty work to my car. The total cost of repairs is close to $10,000.00 ($9,700-ish). The repair/replacement consisted of a new engine head and a re-manufactured short block. I was told that Hyundai is currently out of long blocks and this was the only option. The rep. said that I would have received a long block replacement if they were available. I had dealer take this opportunity to replace the plugs w/ new ones; as the originals were still in use w/ the old block and need replacing anyway, along with a new serpentine belt, new water pump, and alternator. No labor was charged for installing the new none-block replacement parts, as they were not covered under the warranty, but felt is this was cost effective move, since there was no labor charge involved and I was starting out with essentially, a new engine. The ticking noise is now gone! The car seems to have more pep (improved engine response)and runs much quieter. Overall, I am very happy the way Ideal Hyundai of Frederick and Hyundai USA handled this situation; confirming that Hyundai does indeed stand behind their product. The major takeaway is this: Keep good records of your oil changes (using OEM parts preferably, per manufactures specifications, and be the original owner of the vehicle, as they are the only ones that are covered by the 10yr/100K power train warranty.

The engine tap became more noticeable over a period of time but was not that bad. Meanwhile a C/V joint went out at about 73000 miles. When I took it in for the C/V joint I said by the way can you check out that tap. They called and said yep, you need a new engine. Hyundai approved the work and they furnished us with a rental. Which is a good thing because it took almost three months to get the engine from Hyundai. They did decide to replace the head as well (long block). I really have no complaints about the repairs (which were just completed yesterday, as I write this) so far or the service from the dealership (they warned me up front it was going to be at least a couple months). Here is the snag. The title for the car was transferred from us to my daughter. Technically, so I have read, the 100,000 mile power train warranty is not transferable, period. The dealer (which is where we bought the car) presupposed that we were still the owner. They did not ask for a current registration until 30 minutes after we got the car back home after the repairs were finished. The dealer rep who called for the registration said it should not be a problem because of the title transfer being to an immediate family member who does live with us. So far I have heard nothing back from the dealer. I am hoping that Hyundai will treat like a recall repair instead of a warranty repair and they will pick up the tab in spite of the transfer of title. One thing I think we can all agree on is; an engine should last more than 73,000 miles. This wheel however is still in spin.

I own 2 - 2012 Hyundai Elantras both are experiencing the same issues. Arapahoe Hyundai in Centennial, CO has had one of my Elantras for over a month still not fixed. I was told twice that they just received all the parts including a new engine. However today I was told that Hyundai would only approve piece meal tactics and decided to have the engine head resurfaced and working on a couple of the cylinders. When asked what happened to the new engine they said that Hyundai wants to take the cheap way out. Really I have two same make year and models and they want to take the cheap way out. It appears Hyundai has issues on their hands that they are not being forth coming about. Both have about the same mileage and experiencing the same issues seems peculiar to me.

Long Block Whole Engine Failure!!! Warning Elantra owners they have the same engine as the Sonata's that have won a class action lawsuit. I don't understand why the Elantra's aren't part of the same lawsuit or why Hyundai won't incorporate both models for Sonata's recall campaign #125 should be the same for the Elantra's. I hope more Elantra owners read my review and post there stories. I want to help out others who had to pay for new engine and car rental expenses out of pocket. I am lucky enough to be under my 60,000 mile warranty barely with 1,000 miles left and the dealer gave me a loaner car.

Since the start of owning my car the engine has alway ridden rough. I had times starting my car the RPM's would shoot up high and sounded like my car would drive through my garage. I've also had issues with my steering wheel coupling being replaced would make ticking noises. Not until recently the knocking started in the engine with the cold weather. So far I have been without my car for a month because of the back order of engines for Sonanta's. Hyundai customer service won't even give a date when I will get my car back. Hopefully, the law firm who started the class action lawsuit for Sonanta's can incorporate Elantra's as well. www.girardgibbs.com.

Took car to dealership on Tue 5/31/2016 to find out what the ticking sound was in car. Was worse with accelerating. Was told by friend it sound like a lifter. Dealership said it would be $62.00 for them to look at it. Sat for about 45 mins. Service person came and told me that the tech said it was a piston slap.

They gave me a rental car to use till mine was fixed. She said she would call me later in the day. No phone call. So I called them around 5:00pm they close at 6pm. She stated that they were ordering a new engine. Say WHAT! They were ordering engine. It would be in a day or two. Called Wed. to see it the engine was a short, long or crate engine. It was the short one. Ok. Then was told that the engine was on hold by Hyundai. They wanted pictures sent to them by dealership. She would let me know if and when it would be in. She also said it was not the dealership fault.

I have read on line that this is a prop let with Hyundai engines. And the do not want to do a recall due to cost to them. The need to honor there warranty that they stress as a selling point. Back up what the sale. The deal ship and Hyundai. So many cars on YouTube have this problem. If I get a new engine will I have the same problem down the road. And there should be a 10/100,00 mile warranty on the new one. If I know this I would of never bought this car. My car is a 2012. 69,400 miles. I have had other cars and never had this problem at all. Will never buy another one.

I had an appt. with Kelowna Hyundai on January 18th. Reason was, I was hearing ticking in the engine which was quite loud. When I took it in and the technicians looked at it, they said that it was because the aftermarket place I take my car to for oil changes did the oil change wrong and they (Hyundai) had to do a hot oil flush and fix it. (How can an oil change place, where all they do all day is oil changes screw up an oil change?) They said that the sound went away after they did the hot oil flush. WRONG!!!!!

Driving home that day after picking up my car I still heard the ticking, although it was a little more faint. I thought that maybe once I drove it across the city the new oil would have a chance to make it's way through the engine and that things would be okay. Boy was I mistaken. The next day when I went to start up my car for work....the ticking was even louder. I phoned Hyundai to tell them "It's still ticking!". I got a hesitant "so...do you want to bring it in again?" Uh....YEAH!!!!! So I took it back in. They had to keep it over night so that they could get a "cold start" on it. Well, once they started it after having it over night, they finally heard the ticking. Got a phone call from the service dept. to tell me that basically my car was safe to drive, but that my short block needed to be replaced and that was going to take about 2 days to do. I immediately asked if this repair was under warranty to which they said that it would but the work they did with the hot oil flush had to get them to this diagnosis. WHAT? REALLY? They charged me for something I probably didn't need done to get this diagnosis? I was also informed that the only thing I would have to pay for is all the fluids again. There is NO way I am paying to have all the fluids replaced again because of their misdiagnosis.

Before they can repair my engine, I had to show proof of my last 6 oil changes. After reading some of the stories on line about other car owners with this same problem with their Hyundai I am now pretty suspicious that Hyundai knows there is an issue with ticking engines and they aren't informing their customers. Apparently the parts for this repair are on backorder and no date has been given to me to let me know when I can expect this issue to be fixed.

I am noticing now that my car is "bucking" and is hesitant at times to gain speed when I accelerate. Is this because of this engine problem? I am so worried that my car is going to go up in a cloud of smoke like another owner's did and that I am going to be stuck somewhere. According to Hyundai Kelowna, they said they will provide me with a courtesy vehicle, but at this point I don't know if I can trust them. I have learned from reading other's posts that I will make sure to get everything in writing from them about a courtesy vehicle use, etc.

It seems I have had nothing but bad luck with my Hyundai. I purchased it new and the reason I purchased a new vehicle was so that I didn't have to worry about any major repairs like I would with a used vehicle. This sure puts a bad taste in my mouth about ever wanting to purchase another Hyundai vehicle again. My old vehicle was a Dodge and other than maintenance I didn't have any issues with it until a number of years later with some repairs that are to be expected with higher mileage. Maybe next time I will go back to Dodge and never step foot in another Hyundai dealership again.

I can tell you, if I don't get satisfaction from Kelowna Hyundai, I won't keep my mouth shut about it.

Long Story Short: In my opinion, Elantras are "lemons in hiding". Engine Tick = Engine Replacement. Alabama engines were defective and Hyundai knows that.

Full Story:

This problem began months prior to the discovery of the real issue and well before my warranty expired. First the gas mileage began to drop off, then there were odd losses of engine power while accelerating. After multiple trips to the dealer mechanics with a lot of head scratching and the answer of "unable to replicate the issue", I was repeatedly sent packing with ECM software updates that did nothing. Then one winter day I heard a quiet tick coming from under the hood. I called Hyundai and was told this is normal during cold days startup, but the tick got worse over the days to come until it was so loud you couldn't hear anything else while driving. I took it back in and the mechanic again told me it was normal. They really do think you are an idiot. But in reality, by this time it was already way too late. The engine tick is the last symptom you will see before your engine blows out.

After searching online I came across a technical service bulletin for ticking lifters and thought that this could be the culprit. Ticking lifters means that one or more of them isn't getting proper oil pressure. I was quoted hundreds of dollars for the job to replace them by my personal mechanic and by the dealer, but Hyundai had an indefinite back order on the part, and so I ordered them and waited.

It was my family mechanic that found the real issue. It bothered him that a new engine would have that problem. "A hydraulic lifter ticks because of low oil pressure or blockage inside it" he told me. The oil pressure in the Elantra was not enough to raise the lifters anymore. He said after investigating further that it was a known problem some engines that the cause was the short block in the engine but there was no active recall on the engine to fix the issues.

A few days after that, my engine blew out in a big cloud of black smoke and a loud grinding noise while driving at about 40km/h. Not pleasant. I had it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer and explained what happened. They first tried to tell me that it would cost $7500 for a new engine and that there was nothing they could do, and then flat out told me they wouldn't do anything at all to help me since I was just out of warranty. Hyundai makes the dealers themselves cover the costs of the repairs and then reimburses them if it deems it worthy, Or SO I WAS TOLD. So I had the car towed to another, friendlier, dealer where I could deal with the problem more effectively.

The very first thing that the service department representative asked me when I told them I had a blown engine was "Do you have all of your oil change records?". To me this says they DEFINITELY knew about the issue. Lucky me, I keep every scrap of paper related to the cars and was able to prove every oil change and maintenance date. They said that they would do a "diagnostic test", make copies of all my receipts, and let me know what they could do to help (Sure!). I took the day off of work and sat in the parking lot watching my vehicle for 9 hours (yes I am crazy). The tech came out, started it, turned it off, and went back inside. Just before closing the shop for the day I got a call from the service department that their "diagnostic test" came back that it needed a new Short Block. They said my car was out of warranty and again told me it would be $7500 to replace. Not good enough. On a 3 year old car on which all maintenance was completed (and which would have been in-warranty in the USA), I opened a complaint file at Hyundai corporate. It took 2 weeks of explaining, complaining, arguing, cajoling, and finally a very heated call in which I threatened to go to the media, they finally agreed that there MIGHT be an issue and they would 'open an investigation'. By this time I had my file "reassigned" to 7 different people. During this time dealing with corporate, I had 0 communication with the service department at the Hyundai dealer, having left dozens of messages with numerous persons there, none of my calls were ever returned. When I went in person, I was told to speak to the service manager, who never seemed to be around at the moment.

One week after that fateful final call, the heavens opened and the service manager at the dealer finally called me back to let me know that a "Special Internal Recall" had been "Expanded" to include any and all Elantra engines manufactured at the Alabama plants in the USA. The reason why they hadn't been up front about this "internal service campaign" originally was that it only affected cars at "one of the factories" and my engine had been manufactured at the "other factory". Hyundai had FINALLY agreed that there was an issue with the cars, and to replace my short block and rebuild the engine at their expense.

Following this, I was "allowed" to rent a car and bill it to the dealership. I was without a vehicle for 3 weeks before they gave me one to drive while resolving the issue. It took another 41 days for them to order the engine block and get the car repaired because short blocks were "in short supply" across North America. When the car was complete, I test drove it and had them fix some other minor issues related to the replacement (leaking coolant connections and loose vacuum lines are ones to watch for if you get this repair done). I took what I got and never looked back. Yes Hyundai did fix this issue, but it was one of the most stressful and unpleasant encounters of my life. I will never buy, or allow anyone I know to buy a Hyundai ever again. If you have one, I would just say "beware". If you have one, keep all your oil change receipts and hope you never hear "The Tick".

Heard the car becoming louder about a month ago, in the middle of a harsh winter. At first I thought this might be an exhaust leak somewhere. As it turns out...I was told this was a defect in the production of a certain run of Elantra models. There is a coating on the inside of the piston wall used for sound dampening that prematurely wears away causing a raucous ticking sound on idling or accelerating. It's not dangerous, but loud, annoying and no repair possible. Complete engine replacement needed. Fortunately it sounds like the dealer will take care of it under warranty, but will take about a month.

I took it in for the ticking noise... The service manager comes back to me after they check it out.... she hands me a paper advising that I need a short block replaced and acts like it was nothing serious.

Short block is half of your engine... BIG PROBLEM.

Thankfully the warranty covered it... I am still concerned with my car... after driving it a year... I find my car idles too loudly now. So I am sketched out if its the problem is coming back. Still have warranty

Update from Mar 19, 2015: P.S. I do not have my vin number on me, but I could provide it if anyone from Hyundai wants to look into this more.

Also the date is not exact, but the month I am fairly sure it was June or July 2014.

It also may have had lower KMs.... don't have paper work on me. Just thought I'd post this since I was checking recalls. Thank you all.