Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Hyundai Elantra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINS ON STEADY AS I WAS DRIVING IN RESIDENTIAL SECTION TODAY, AROUND 10PM. IT HAS BEEN 104 DEGREES WITH HUMIDITY FACTOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
I HAVE REPLACED MY HEADLIGHTS APPROXIMATELY NINE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. *TR
SHORT HEADLIGHT BULB LIFE (LESS THAN 12 MONTHS). *TR
THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS FOGGED UP CAUSING THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LAMP TO DIMINISH TO THE POINT WHERE I FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS AND I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HYUNDAI AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THEM AT MY EXPENSE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. AS WITH OTHER ELANTRA OWNERS I HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS CONSTANTLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. *TR
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS 4 TIMES IN THE PAST 3 YEARS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. BOTH OF THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN OUT AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND IS THE CONTACTS RESPONSIBILITY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,247 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 3/25/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED REPLACED 5 TIMES FOR EACH HEADLIGHT FOR A TOTAL OF 10 HEADLIGHTS. UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR
HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT EXCESSIVELY. EVERY 1-2 MONTHS, ONE BURNS OUT AND ALTERNATES BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. *CN
HEADLAMP BULBS BURN OUT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. I WAS USING AFTERMARKET BULBS WHICH HAVE NO WARRANTY. AFTER I WENT THROUGH 4 BULBS. I PURCHASED NEW BULBS FROM DEALER AND HAVE NOT HAD AN ISSUE WITH THEM FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AND STILL WORKING FINE. I REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY TO MAKE SURE THE BULBS WERE IN CORRECTLY AND SECURE AND I MADE SURE TO USE A TISSUE SO NOT TO HAVE ANY OIL FROM MY HANDS GET ON THE BULBS EACH TIME WHICH COULD MAKE BULBS BURN OUT QUICKER. *JB
HEADLIGHT BULBS ON MY 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BURN OUT EVERY FEW MONTHS. MOST RECENTLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2006 AND AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2006. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER, GARY ROME HYUNDAI, HOLYOKE, MA, (413) 536-4328, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE $90/HOUR TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD FIND IT. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE BULBS WERE BEING INSTALLED IMPROPERLY, AND ALSO OFFERED TO LIMIT WORK TO 1/2 HOUR. *NM
MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE BULB IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE - NOT ROOM FOR FINGERS TO ROTATE BULB IN AND OUT. REPLACEMENT LIGHTS ARE EXPENSIVE. HAD NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER CAR. *NM
HEADLIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE KEEP BURNING OUT TO RAPIDLY. THIS WILL BE THE 4TH TIME I HAVE REPLACED THEM SO FAR. I HAVE USED HYUNDAI BULBS TO VERY EXPENSIVE BULBS AND THE RESULT IS THE SAME AND THE DRIVER SIDE BULB IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE. *NM
I HAVE TO CONTINUALLY REPLACE MY HEADLIGHTS. SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR IN 2002 I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS AT LEAST 3 TIMES A PIECE. DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS THE BULBS I WAS BUYING BUT I AM BUYING HYUNDAI BULBS. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY ANNOYING. IT IS HARD TO REPLACE DRIVER SIDE BY MYSELF. VERY EXPENSIVE TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP TO BE CHANGED. ALSO THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN THE BULB BURNS OUT, HAD TO WAIT FOR COPS TO PULL ME OVER TO FIND OUT. *JB
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS TWICE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2002. *JB
2002 ELANTRA HEADLIGHT BULBS BURN OUT EVERY TWO MONTHS. FIRST ONE THEN TWO WEEKS LATER THE OTHER, JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AUTO HEADLAMPS GENERALLY LAST FOR YEARS! VERY EXPENSIVE AND ANNOYING PROBLEM. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS WERE CLOUDY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BULBS IN THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT AT LEAST 4 TIMES (THIS WILL BE THE 5TH) AS THEY CONTINUE TO BURN OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN COMPARISON TO OLDER CARS THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED, I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE LAMPS WITH SUCH FREQUENCY. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR KEEP FAILING WHICH PREVENTS ME FROM DRIVING SAFELY OR DRIVING AT ALL. AS OF THIS DATE THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED 4 TIMES NOW; TWICE ON EACH SIDE WITH THE LATEST OCCURRING THIS PAST WEEK. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP (ROWE, 207-854-2555) THAT HAS BEEN REPLACING THE LAMPS AND ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE HEADLIGHTS KEEP FAILING. THEY SAID THEY DIDNT KNOW BUT INSINUATED THE LAMPS WERE CHEAP . HE THEN STATED THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE BULBS AT NO COST UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SITUATION. IF THE REAL PROBLEM IS AS SIMPLE AS THE LAMPS BEING DEFECTIVE OR CHEAP THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A QUALITY PRODUCT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IN A THUNDER STORM INTERIOR AND DIMMER HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AT SAME TIME. THERE WAS NO WARNING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. *AK *TT
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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