RoadVitals

1998 Hyundai Elantra Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Aug 2, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 55 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Hyundai Elantra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Aug 2, 2001

VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT 20 - 40 MPH. NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. FELT LIKE BRAKES WERE APPLIED VERY HARD WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. *AK

NHTSA ID
893275
Incident
Jul 15, 2001
Engine
Filed Jan 12, 2001

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
878094
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
EngineFuel system
Filed Nov 20, 2000

COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON, ENGINE ALMOST STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. BROUGHT TO DEALER AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. STILL GET SLOW DOWNS IN ENGINE FROM TIME TO TIME. SECOND BIG PROBLEM WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO FILL GAS TANK. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT CAR. FIRST TIME 02/99.*AK

NHTSA ID
736631
Incident
Sep 15, 1998
Engine
Filed Jun 25, 2000

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK AND STALL AT ALL RATES OF SPEED. NLM

NHTSA ID
784716
Engine
Filed Apr 7, 2000

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 40-60 MPH. DRIVER MUST PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND RESTART VEHICLE. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT DEFECT 4 TIMES, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
859876
Engine
Filed Mar 14, 2000

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY "JUMP" OR "SKIP", AND THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON. THEN IT QUITS AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL; THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SO FAR; AM REPORTING TO DEALER NOW. *AK

NHTSA ID
720095
Engine
Filed Feb 3, 2000

WHEN DRIVING AT VARIABLE SPEEDS, THE ENGINE CUTS OUT THEN CUTS BACK ON. NO CONSISTENCIES TO WHEN OR WHY IT CUTS OUT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. CONTACTED DEALER AND HAVE TAKEN IT IN THREE TIMES FOR THIS. DEALER APPARENTLY FINDS NOTHING WRONG. FIRST SERVICE, DEALER KEPT CAR FOR 10 DAYS ONLY TO REPLACE THE GAS CAP. SECOND AND THIRD VISITS FOUND NOTHING TO SUBSTANTIATE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAUSE. YET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY AND STAYS ON FOR DAYS. AFTER 44000 MILES, ENGINE SOUNDING DIFFERENT THAN WHEN PURCHASED. BURNING SMELL COMES FORM ENGINE PERIODICALLY, SMELLS LIKE A BELT BURNING BUT NO APPARENT BELT IS CINGED. AT TIMES ENGINE DOES NOT APPEAR TO CHANGE GEARS SMOOTHLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
718248
Incident
Nov 12, 1999
Engine
Filed Dec 20, 1999

INTERMITTENTL VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND DIES WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
854181
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 13, 1999

DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND COMPUTER - STILL STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS - AFTER THE CLUTH IS PUSHED IN AND ARE APPROCHING A STOP THE ENGINE WILL STUMBLE AND EITHER PICK BACK UP OR STALL - THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS HAS NEVER HAPPENED WHEN THEY HAVE IT - HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 27 DAYS TOTAL. *AK

NHTSA ID
707510
Incident
Oct 28, 1998
EngineFuel system
Filed May 7, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, AND VEHICLE STALLED. ALSO, WHEN TRYING TO PUT FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL LEAKS OUT AND THE CONSUMER CAN'T PUT FUEL INTO VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. *AK

NHTSA ID
837637
Incident
Dec 13, 1998
EngineSuspension
Filed Jan 8, 1999

THIS IS A 1998 VEHICLE THAT IS GIVING CONSUMER PROBLEMS WITH STALLING. ALSO THE FRONT END SHAKES VERY HARD WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
833207
Incident
Dec 1, 1998
Engine
Filed Oct 30, 1998

I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 8 TIMES. THE ENGINE CUTS OUT AT ALL RATES OF SPEED. CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND POWER STEERING. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS BUT THE CAR IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN PUMPING GAS, WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, THE PUMP DOESN'T SHUT OFF. GAS THEN POURS OUT OF MY CAR AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAR. HYUNDAI HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE A PART THAT CAN FIX IT BUT THEY HAVEN'T MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ID
700210
Incident
Jun 17, 1998

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Transmission13

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .