CarComplaints.com Notes: We're not used to seeing any major problems with Hyundai, which makes the early signs of trouble with the 2013 Elantra very surprising, in a bad way.

Early trends show problems with the steering wandering / pulling to one side along with premature tire wear. Elantra owners have tried sensor adjustments, wheel alignments, even replacing axles, most with no luck. Hyundai has made vehicle buybacks through arbitration, but that rarely works out well financially for owners in the end.

Also there is a pattern of complaints about the 2013 Elantra brakes grinding at very low mileage. It seems there was a bad batch of OEM pads & rotors, but so far Hyundai is not doing a recall. Instead Hyundai issued a TSB & dealers have been replacing pads & rotors on a per-complaint basis.

The final straw is that for several years in a row, Elantra owners report significantly lower gas mileage than the EPA estimates, & there's a small trend of engine problems.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,345 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Hyundai Elantra steering problems

steering problem

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 10 of 14)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #88

Jan 222018

Elantra

  • 34,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel made a loud clicking noise. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,300.

- Aventura, FL, USA

problem #87

Jan 182018

Elantra

  • 9,000 miles
Steering is very still, causing driver to over correct and going from side to side in the lane on the interstate.

- Mandeville, LA, USA

problem #86

Jan 022018

Elantra

  • miles
TL-contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra --- ESC light came -- electronic steering light vehicle has 58000 miles on vehicle and is not under warranty --- called dealership and dealership stated vehicle is out of warranty. Steering locked up on contact and that contact had to pay for repairs. Contact left a voicemail for Hyundai dealership and dealership has not returned phone call. Contact given number to Hyundai

- Mechanicsville, VA, USA

problem #85

Nov 172017

Elantra

  • 62,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I went to apply the brakes and every light on the dashboard lit up and my brakes failed. When I took it to the shop they said it was a bad yaw sensor and a bad G sensor. I dont feel safe in my car anymore and Hyundai refuses to do anything about it.

- Gilmer, TX, USA

problem #84

Nov 152017

Elantra

  • 33,500 miles
Purchased my 2013 Hyundai Elantra new from the dealership. While driving one day the electronic stability control indicator light came on and the can became hard to steer. Looked in my operator's manual to see what this light meant, it instructed me to disable the ESC by pushing to ESC off button which I located and did. This turned the trouble light off, and I continued to drive. However, my vehicle still to this day is hard to steer and control and I have to keep both hands on the wheel. When you turn the steering wheel there is a loud popping sound. Have scheduled a service visit, but they want to charge me a large diagnostic fee just to find out what the problem is. Searched the internet and found that there are a lot of people reporting this very same issue. Hope to hear that they will issue a recall, but probably not until a lot of people get killed.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #83

Aug 102017

Elantra

  • miles
I have been having electrical issues for about 1 1/2 years. The radio turns off when breaking and signaling. Not every time but about 2/3 of the time. Occasionally the dash will go out. The interior lights flicker (all the time) as well as the head lights. Not sure about the back lights because I can't see them but I assume. The temperature gauge does not light up sometimes. No bars are displayed. The trip computer resets at least 4 times a week. The avg mpg, mph, trip a and B will start over at 0.0. turning left makes the car shutter and turn off in mid traffic or when in a drive thru. The steering wheel locks up/stiff steering. The eps light comes on. Have to turn car off and back on to alleviate the issue. While the car is idling with the air conditioner on the car will cycle and just about turn off

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #82

Oct 122017

Elantra

  • 45,800 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving down the freeway, upon approaching a slight right-hand corner, the steering did not respond. The car drifted into the left lane and finally into the median, causing a rollover accident.

- Morgan, UT, USA

problem #81

Jul 142017

Elantra

  • 48,280 miles
On July 14, 2017, I was driving my 2013 Hyundai Elantra and was attempting to make a left hand turn at a signalized intersection at a speed of about 15 miles per hour. About midway into the turn the steering wheel locked and I could not turn the steering wheel to complete the left turn. In addition, I was braking and the ABS braking did not function properly and did not stop the vehicle until it ran into a concrete curb. The result of the malfunctions of the steering and braking on my 2013 Hyundai Elantra was damage to the front right of the vehicle, including bumper, wheel, tire, radiator support, etc. I am very thankful that I was not hit by another vehicle or injured. I am concerned about the performance - or the lack thereof - on July 14th. Something happened and no one seems to be able to explain it despite inspecting scanning codes, etc. The vehicle engine kept running, the key was in the ignition, and there was deployment of the airbag(s). There have been other complaints about the electric assisted steering and braking on the 2013 Elantra according to research. I want to make you aware of an additional complaint regarding my Elantra. The damage required replacement fright front wheel, right front tire, right fender liner and inner bracket, radiator support, right hinge pillar, right lower control arm, right fender, painting and 4 wheel alignment. The vehicle steering malfunctioned and locked even thought the engine was still running. This malfunction prohibited me from turning the steering wheel and completing the left turn safely. The braking system failed as it did not stop the vehicle and I noticed a slow ABS sound versus the typical very rapid ABS sound when hard braking. The malfunction of the steering and the brakes could have caused a catastrophic failure but fortunately did not.

- Lancaster, PA, USA

problem #80

Aug 012017

Elantra

  • 60,000 miles
Unknown. The brakes are having difficulty holding up on the street while coming to a complete stop. Once stopped or stopping, there is a slight humming noise coming from the front wheels as if the car is having trouble staying in place. The back left tail light occasionally flickers on and off while driving and continues to flicker when tapped. The brake light is completely out now and has been adjusted before without replacement of the bulb. While driving on the street and night there are rare moments were the brake light and tail light will work again. The steering wheel has a hard time motioning and positioning itself when driving from five to twenty mile an hour, when turning and while making a U-turn. NHTSA campaign number: 16V574000

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #79

Mar 102014

Elantra

  • 28,000 miles
The rear end of the car jumps around and feels unstable in wind or on wet or uneven surfaces. It feels like I could easily lose control, very frightening. I have 4/32 tire tread left on 60K michelins after only 32K miles driven. The first set of tires lasted only 28K. This form will not let me proceed without a date, but this is a continuous problem, not a one time thing.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #78

Nov 252016

Elantra

  • 43,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Rear suspension is unsettling. First off, the car destroys tires in a relatively short time. Second, over bumpy terrain the car's rear shakes back and forth like it's trying to steer itself. Third, when it's icy or slippery and the road surface isn't smooth the rear of the car tries to swing out when one side has grip and the other doesn't.

- Machesney Park, IL, USA

problem #77

Oct 192016

Elantra

  • 35,000 miles
Steering, will over steer at time's. feel's as if power steering pressure drop's, making steering wheel tight to turn. And when it come's back the car tends to over steer.

- Beaufort, NC, USA

problem #76

Oct 032016

Elantra

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that a part fractured within the rack and pinion which caused the steering wheel not to function while the vehicle was in motion. The contact was unable to steer left and right due to the failure. The dealer diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V100000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

- South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

problem #75

Nov 092016

Elantra

  • 50,450 miles
My car drives funny over the road and on hill and steering really feels bad like something wrong with the car this is driving in my town. I just brought the car fom the dealer what can I do?

- Tifton, GA, USA

problem #74

Dec 052015

Elantra

  • 40,000 miles
If I hit any bump in the road while driving my vehicle fishtails causing the vehicle to steer into the next lane. I do no know what is causing the vehicle to fishtail. I believe that one day this can cause an accident and put myself and others at risk of hitting each other.

- Tulare, CA, USA

problem #73

Aug 192016

Elantra

  • 95,000 miles
My son 2013 Hyundai Elantra would not stop correctly while he was driving it causing it to turn in a semi circle and ultimately crashing into a shoulder on a freeway to stop. After which the wheels broke off on the right side of it.

- Rowland Heights, CA, USA

problem #72

Aug 242016

Elantra

  • 56,000 miles
The ESC indicator/traction control activated while I was driving 50 mph. I lost complete control of the vehicle, the car headed straight for a cement guardrail on a bridge. The car decelerated, I was unable to steer and the tires screeched on the ground. I was able to push the ESC off button and recover control of the car, avoiding the crash. I knew about the off button only because we have had this problem since June and Hyundai was unable to fix it because it did not duplicate for them. Previously we were driving at a very slow rate of speed, this time it almost killed my daughter and me! my car has been with Hyundai auto-nation, columbus, ga since August 24, 2016 I called on August 25 but the car VIN # was not asked of me, the complaint ticket number is 1010763 the first time the ESC activated my husband was driving. The ESC turned on, while he was accelerating onto an on-ramp back in June 2016. We turned the car off, researched it on the side of the road, found the "off" button and brought to Hyundai the next day and they were unable to fix the problem! a week later the ESC turned on in a parking lot while I was driving, hit the ESC off button and the car behaved until Aug 24th. I called Hyundai to report, but since it didn't occur again, they said do not bring it in. On August 24th, the ESC came on while I was in a school zone, I hit the off button, I took the off button off, to see if it would activate again so I could bring it into Hyundai (they said it had to be malfunctioning at the time of visit to be fixed) it malfunctioned! almost killing my myself and my daughter! if I hadn't known about the ESC off button, I would definitely have crashed!

- Upatoi, GA, USA

problem #71

May 192016

Elantra

  • 56,800 miles
Over a period of 1-2 days, vehicle steering became " more heavy" - in other words -- more resistance in the steering --- it required a little more effort to turn the steering wheel. Hyundai dealership indicated the vehicle needed a wheel alignment. The condition still exists

- Clarkdale, AZ, USA

problem #70

Jul 202015

Elantra

  • 39,000 miles
Takata recall. My complaints involves the steering and brakes. When in motion and apply pressure to steering either direction nothing happens. Its very sticky. Apply more pressure and it over steers. His to the point that it is extremely aggravating and dangerous. When in motion the brakes chatter terribly. Even worse in rainy conditions. Vibrates the whole car. I found that Hyundai is well aware of these problems. Why haven't they corrected these problems " are they simply using their buyers as guinea pigs " or do they even care about the quality of their product. This is the second time I've made these complaints and as of now, still no response. Wasted my hard earned money for sure as well as my time. Thanks.

- Florence, MS, USA

problem #69

Aug 192015

Elantra

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. While driving at various high speeds, the steering wheel became inoperable which resulted in the vehicle swerving without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Knotts Island, NC, USA

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