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.

6.5

fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
79,700 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (3 reports)
  2. new transmission (1 reports)
2013 Hyundai Elantra transmission problems

transmission problem

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2013 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments

problem #4

Sep 272021

Elantra Limited

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,467 miles

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

I've loved this car and it only has 51,000 miles. There is no reason a gently run car should need a new transmission.

I also have engine knocking. In 2018 I had my oil changed at the dealership and they forgot to put the plug back in so my engine was ruined. They put in a new (faulty engine) on July 29, 2018. The Hyundai Elantra engine ticking noise has caused a proposed class-action lawsuit that includes all consumers who are former or current owners and lessees of 2011-2016 Hyundai Elantras equipped with “Nu” 1.8-liter engines. I'm now experiencing that and the dealership says it is not conclusive.

Why is it that I purchased a Lease vehicle and was the first actual OWNER yet the warranty does NOT cover me?

- Polly L., Michigan City, IN, US

problem #3

Aug 012017

Elantra GLS 1.8L 4-cyl 6a

  • Automatic transmission
  • 107,000 miles

107,000 miles, several times during the last YEAR OR SO at 35-40 mph the car's rpm's will race (car goes vrooooom) with constant pressure on the accelerator, the speed of the car slows down, and then picks back up almost instantly and drives normal again. The car will not leave any type of code. I've had it at the dealership numerous times and the problem will not duplicate itself. So if anyone has had the same experience and got it remedied, please let me know what you were able to find out and if so, how was it resolved, if any. Thanks.

- James L., Longmont, US

problem #2

Dec 212018

Elantra GL

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,328 miles

I can best describe this issue as though you have a clutch pedal and you're slow to let the clutch up, so instead of finding the gear you want to shift into next when accelerating, it revs. It only occurs for about a second, but that's enough to rev significantly and then find the correct gear and this is very much in the infancy of the issue so I would think it logical to expect it's going to get worse.

I did take the 7 year warranty on this vehicle and it was purchased 11/2012 so I have some 11 months left on the bumper to bumper warranty, the car is only at 116,000km/72,000 miles and has been a familiy car, never driven aggressively and always followed the manufacturer's suggested maintenance schedule so I'm surprised it's having issues already but I do now notice the "clunker" rating on Car Complaints which is disappointing, I used this site before purchasing this year's vehicle which helped me choose a 2015 Odyssey Touring over the previous two years models which had tranny complaints up the yazoo.

Anyway, I'll update the complaint as I find out more.

- Steve B., Toronto, ON, Canada

problem #1

Sep 302017

Elantra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,000 miles

88,000 miles, several times during the last month at 35-40 mph the car's rpm's will race (car goes vrooooom) with constant pressure on the accelerator, the speed of the car slows down, and then picks back up almost instantly and drives normal again. The car does not code with an OBD, so I'm sure when I bring it in I'll be told you are SOL! As it is only doing this about once a week and probably won't duplicate for them. But since my drive train warranty is almost up, I need to do something besides trade this driving hazard in.

I'm looking for solutions to suggest to Hyundai to fix this. PLEASE!

Last time my car had a problem, the traction control locked up on me at 55 miles per hour! It had been in the shop 2 times prior before they finally fixed the problem after the car tried to kill me, yet I'm still driving the hazard. Just an FYI! The traction sensor is UNDER the passenger front seat and was damaged due to something rolling around under the seat! Yeah! That's safe! NOT!

- Patricia F., Columbus, US

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