2003 Hyundai Elantra

ON APRIL 14, 2009, HYUNDAI MOTOR CORPORATION SUBMITTED TO ODI A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT INDICATING THAT IT WOULD RECALL A SALT-BELT POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 155,317 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 THROUGH 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA VEHICLES TO REMEDY A DEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF A CRASH WHILE DRIVING (09V-125).THE AFFECTED VEHICLES COVER ALL MY 2001, MY 2002, AND MY 2003 THROUGH JANUARY 13, 2003 PRODUCTION.THESE INCLUDE ELANTRA VEHICLES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN.THE TOTAL THREE-YEAR PRODUCTION POPULATION FOR THE ELANTRA VEHICLES IS APPROXIMATELY 350,000. ACCORDING TO HYUNDAI, ROAD SALT CAN COLLECT IN THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM AND MAY RESULT IN INTERNAL CORROSION LEADING TO THINNING OF THE STEEL IN THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS.THE CORROSION MAY PROGRESS TO THE POINT WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM UPPER AND LOWER PANELS BECOME PERFORATED.A PERFORATED FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM MAY FRACTURE BETWEEN ITS BALL JOINT ATTACHMENT AND THE FORWARD AND REARWARD PIVOT ATTACHMENTS TO THE CHASSIS.THIS COULD AFFECT THE DRIVER'S CONTROL OVER THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY.HYUNDAI'S RECALL PROCEDURE INSTRUCTS DEALERS TO MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF THE STEEL IN THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS.IF SPECIFIED LEVELS OF CORROSION DAMAGE HAVE OCCURRED, THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH ADDITIONAL HOLES IN THE UPPER AND LOWER PANELS. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA SHOWS 220 COMPLAINTS AND 1,033 WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR THE TOTAL APPROXIMATELY 350,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES SOLD THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, RESULTING IN A COMPLAINT RATE OF 62.82 PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND A CLAIM RATE OF 0.3 PERCENT.ODI'S ANALYSIS FOUND 7 COMPLAINTS AND 90 WARRANTY CLAIMS IN 132,475 VEHICLES SOLD IN NON-SALT BELT STATES, RESULTING IN A COMPLAINT RATE OF 5.3 PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND A CLAIM RATE OF 0.1 PERCENT. ODI'S ANALYSIS FURTHER FOUND 196 COMPLAINTS AND 943 WARRANTY CLAIMS IN 155,317 VEHICLES SOLD IN SALT BELT STATES, RESULTING IN A COMPLAINT RATE OF 126.2 PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND A CLAIM RATE OF 0.6 PERCENT.ODI IDENTIFIED 34 INCIDENTS OF LOWER CONTROL ARM FRACTURE RELATED TO CORROSION, ALL OF WHICH OCCURRED IN SALT BELT STATES.THE DATA DO NOT SHOW A DEFECT TREND IN VEHICLES OUTSIDE THE REGION COVERED BY HYUNDAI'S RECALL. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS CLOSED.

IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 AND 2002 VEHICLES, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT OR INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT FROM LIQUID CONTAMINATION OF THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE.THE CONTROL MODULE IS LOCATED BENEATH AND NEAR CENTER CONSOLE CUP HOLDERS.ODI IS ALSO AWARE OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION DUE TO LOSS OF PROPER AIR BAG ELECTRICAL INTEGRITY IN WIRING AND CONNECTIONS LOCATED UNDER THE FRONT SEATS.UNDER INVESTIGATION PE08-017, HYUNDAI PROVIDED 472 OWNER REPORTS AND 9,108 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THESE ISSUES FOR MY 2001 AND 2002 VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 12/14/2001.ODI IS ALSO AWARE OF SIX INCIDENTS OF SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER/AIR BAG INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENTS DUE TO LIQUID SPILLS.TO ADDRESS THE ABOVE ISSUES, ON 04/25/2001, HYUNDAI ADDED A CARPET COVER/SHIELD OVER THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AREA AND UPGRADED THE CABLE ROUTING AND ATTACHMENT POINTS TO IMPROVE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON VEHICLES BUILT AFTER 12/14/2008.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS BEING UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-012) FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN MY 2001-2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 12/14/2002.

The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. Additionally, while attempting to complete a turn, the contact heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front driver’s side of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the driver's side brake pad and rotor were abnormally worn and needed to be replaced; however, the power train failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V125000 (Suspension) and 04V369000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11559695

Incident

Dec 12, 2023

Mileage

132,000 mi

Live in Indiana where the weather is super salty in the winters and all of the salt in Indiana has really really affected the whole underside of my car. The whole subframe is falling apart and the rust has gotten to everything under the car. I have spent about 4 thousand dollars into this car doing all the work myself to make this car run In pristine conditions. I am very very worried that my whole back end will just fall apart going down the road due to the rust.

NHTSA ID

11551132

Incident

Oct 21, 2023

*The rear sub-frame assembly nearly rusted through. Steering and Handling noticebly effected with rear of vehicle feeling soft and sluggish in turns. *The vehicle is available for inspection and was brought to my attention when the mechanic was beginning rear brake maintenance. *The mechanic is a licensed mechanic and the Repair shop is a licensed service facility. *The mechanic called me and asked me to return to the shop to show me the extent of the rust damage, to which I did return to the shop to examine his findings. I did take photos. *There were no warning lamps or messages. The symptoms were as described above.

NHTSA ID

11522292

Incident

May 15, 2023

Driver and front passenger inside plastic handles for doors broke apart from normal use. Drivers side outside plastic door handle also broke off. Getting out of the car requires power windows to be energized and lowered to access outside handles. The problem first appeared about a year ago.

NHTSA ID

11459928

Incident

Apr 1, 2021

MY REAR SUBFRAME IS RUSTING SO BADLY THE REAR SUSPENSION IS FALLING APART.

NHTSA ID

11408580

Incident

Apr 10, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE CONTROL ARM BECAME DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSED DIFFICULTY TO STEER THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT THEN CALLED SUPERIOR HYUNDAI SOUTH (238 W MITCHELL AVE, CINCINNATI, OH 45232) WHERE SHE MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND WAS INFORMED TO CHECK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON HER VEHICLE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT LINKED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V125000 (SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING UPON DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE O2 SENSOR WHICH WAS THEN REPLACED. DESPITE THE O2 SENSOR BEING REPLACED, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000.

NHTSA ID

11352466

Incident

Jul 5, 2020

Mileage

153,000 mi

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND TURNING RIGHT; A TIRE BLEW. ON INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC, THE FRONT PASSENGER CONTROL ARM WAS BENT WITH RUST ON THE EXPOSED METAL. THE BENT CONTROL ARM ALLOWED THE TIRE TO RUB AGAINST THE INTERIOR FENDER, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO THE TIRE FAILING. THE TIRE WAS IN GREAT CONDITION BEFORE THE SUDDEN FAILURE. ON RESEARCHING: THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA FOR FRONT CONTROL ARM PROBLEMS. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V125000. THIS RECALL CITES THAT ROAD SALT USED IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS CAN CAUSE INTERNAL DEGRADATION OF THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS: LEADING TO FAILURE. LOOKING BACK THROUGH THIS CAR'S HISTORY: IT WAS ORIGINALLY REGISTERED IN OHIO, ONE OF THE STATES USING ROAD SALT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS CAR ESCAPED RECALL, BUT IT'S HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS OTHER 2003 ELANTRAS.

NHTSA ID

11319551

Incident

Feb 15, 2020

Mileage

92,000 mi

WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S METAL TO METAL, THE STEERING MAKES A FUNNY NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO CAR KEEPS SAYING 02 SENSOR BUT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON BECAUSE OF IT.*DT

NHTSA ID

11319404

Incident

Jan 7, 2020

Mileage

41,000 mi

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.

This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.

This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.

Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.