Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Hyundai Elantra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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
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
MY LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE IN TWO AWAY FROM THE BODY AND OTHER DRIVE COMPONENTS DUE TO RUST AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE. I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED HEARD A POP NOISE GOT OUT LOOKED AND THE TIRE WAS ALL THE WAY AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL.
RIGHT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM AND RIGHT FRONT AXLE, BROKE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL, WHICH WAS DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. REPLACEMENT OF THE CONTROL ARMS WERE NOT REQUIRED AT THE TIME. INSPECTION, UNDERCOATING AND ,DRILLED DRAINAGE HOLES WERE THE FIX. WHILE STRANDED ON THE ROAD, A CROSS COUNTRY DRIVER STOPPED. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE IS SEEING THIS SAME PROBLEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE 2002 AND 2003 ELANTRAS. IT LOOKS AS IF THE RECALL FIX ONLY POSTPONED THE PROBLEM. THE ARMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED, NOT HOLES DRILLED TO LET THE WATER DRAIN, THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS, AND NOW WITH SO MANY OF THESE CARS STILL ON THE ROAD,, WE ARE LOOKING AT A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HAD JUST EXITED FROM A MAIN HIGHWAY, ONTO A LOCAL ROAD WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, NO ONE WAS INJURED. A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT SCENE. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS AAA REPAIR SHOP , INVOICE FOR THE REPAIR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, SHE NOTICED THE SUSPENSION MALFUNCTIONED WHICH CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM FRACTURED BETWEEN THE BALL JOINTS DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V125000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000...UPDATED 08-28-14 *BF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 09/11/14
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM FRACTURED, ALLOWING WHEEL TO TURN 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT RESULTING IN AN UNCONTROLLED SLIDE DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THIS ALSO BLEW OUT THE TIRE AND SEPARATED THE AXLE FROM THE TRANSMISSION, SPILLING TRANSMISSION FLUID. VEHICLE WAS UNCONTROLLABLE, AND ONCE STOPPED IMMOVABLE, AND SO STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. *TR
POWER STEERING LINE WORE HOLE IN LINE WHERE LINE CROSSES OVER FRAME. POWER STEERING LINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED FROM FRAME AND ELEMENTS OF ROAD SALT AND WATER TO KEEP FROM WEARING OUT. VERY MUCH OF A SAFETY MATTER, SHOULD BE RECALLED & FIXED PROPERLY TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. *TR
WHEN DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 2003 HYUNDAI, SHE HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING (VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHEEL)...WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE THAT HAD DETERIORATED. WE ARE WONDERING IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR HER. COULD THIS BE RELATED TO OTHER ISSUES UNDER THE CAR RELATED TO CORROSION??? *TR
DURING A RAPID STOP AT LOW SPEED THE PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM SNAPPED RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSTEERABLE. HAD THIS OCCURED AT HIGHER SPEED IT IS LIKELY THAT SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY WOULD HAVE ALSO OCCURED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT INTO THE NEXT LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR WHEEL ALIGNMENTS BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE ROADS WERE CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.
WIFE WAS DRIVING ELANTRA, MADE HARD BRAKE FOR RED LIGHT. CONTROL ARM FAILED RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, APPROXIMATE SPEED AT FAILURE WAS 35 MPH. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT, TOTAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 800. RESEARCHED ISSUE AND LEARNED THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR 2001-2003 ELANTRA CONTROL ARMS, HOWEVER NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL OR HEARD ABOUT IT. LOCAL MECHANIC AND DEALERSHIP BOTH CONFIRMED SEVERE RUST THROUGH OF CONTROL ARMS. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN NC AND NOT SUBJECT TO SALT, CONTROL ARMS RUSTED THROUGH ANYWAYS. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE PUBLICIZED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM HIGH SPEED CONTROL ARM FAILURE. I HAVE RESEARCHED ISSUE ONLINE AND BELIEVE THAT MANY ELANTRA FATAL CRASHES ATTRIBUTED TO "DRIVER ERROR" ACTUALLY RESULTED FROM CONTROL ARM FAILURE. *TR
DURING SERVICE ON 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT TO REPAIR THE SUBFRAME AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS DUE TO CORROSION DAMAGE (THIS WAS PART OF RECALL CAMPAIGN), THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE 2 HOSES TO AND FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DEALER BROKE THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE LEAK. BOTH THE HIGH PRESSURE AND RETURN HOSES HAD CORRODED BEYOND REPAIR AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. *TR
POWER STEERING FAILURE. 2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CORROSION OF POWER STEERING HIGH PRESSURE HOSE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 HYUNDAI ELECTRA I LOST POWER STEERING. I BROUGHT IT TO AMECHANIC SHOP THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE HAD CORRODED AND WAS LEAKING POWERSTERRING FLUID FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR TO A SAFE STOP THEN HAD IT TOWED HOME I NOTIFIED MY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THEY RESPONDED BY INFORMING ME THEIR WERE SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED I WISH THE E NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WOULD LOOK INTO THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR
THE CONSUMER'S SON'S BRAKES FAILED AND LOST STEERING CONTROL WHEN DRIVING DOWN AN EXIT RAMP. *SC RECALL CAMPAIGN: NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10004464. CAMPAIGN 061 PROVIDES THE PROCEDURES FOR REPOSITIONING THE REAR BRAKE TUBES TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER'S STEERING GEAR BOX MOUNTING BRACKETS. THE VEHICLE HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF BRAKES AND STEERING. EARLIER IN THE WEEK THE CONSUMER FELT A VIBRATION AT 60 MPH. *TC
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON SLAMING ON THE BRAKES GEAR AUTOMATICALLY PUT ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK UP. ALSO,THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
BRAKES FAILED, AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 35 MPH. STEERING FAILED, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS. RECALL 03V496000 WAS ISSUED. *AK
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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