2011 Hyundai Elantra Brakes Problems

The brake lines in our 2011 Hyundai Elantra have rusted out and no longer hold brake fluid, which means the car is not safe to drive. Luckily we were able to get the car to our sidewalk and park it without injury. We found that Sauder Schelkopf is investigating a potential class action lawsuit against Hyundai for underbody corrosion and brake line failure in 2011-2016 Hyundai Elantra vehicles. It has been alleged that the underbody coating of these vehicles suffer from premature wear and failure, allowing the underbody to prematurely corrode. It has been further alleged that the failure of the underbody coating on these Hyundai vehicles can cause brake line failure and the failure of other essential components resulting in serious safety issues. Hyundai has a recall out to provide underbody coating free to customers but no mention of brake line replacement.

NHTSA ID

11710685

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

Unknown but my car shakes and makes a loud grinding noise

NHTSA ID

11657547

Incident

Mar 11, 2025

My car was recalled by Hyundai for a critical safety issue and has been at the dealership since July of 2024 awaiting repairs due to missing parts. Despite repeated follow-ups, Hyundai has been unable to provide a timeline for the repair. Recently, they offered to buy back the car, but the offer was far below its fair market value. When I declined, they stated they would return the car to me unfixed and unsafe. This situation has caused significant inconvenience and feels coercive, as I am forced to choose between accepting an unfair buyback or taking back an unsafe vehicle. I am seeking NHTSA's assistance to ensure Hyundai repairs the vehicle promptly, investigates their handling of recalls, and protects consumers from being placed in such unfair situations.

NHTSA ID

11638939

Incident

Jan 27, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11612334

Incident

Mar 28, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a fellow motorist alerted the contact that the vehicle was smoking. The contact pulled over and waited for an extensive period before restarting the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the destination while driving at a slow speed. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel since owning the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled upon depression of the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the recall was not serviced due to poor customer service. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11605080

Incident

May 1, 2023

I was driving my 2011 Elantra, and when I needed to brake, it didn't feel the same as usual. The brake pedal felt kind of soft. After a while, when I needed to brake at an intersection, the brakes completely failed. The brake pedal went all the way to the floor, and there was no braking. My speed was about 30 mph, and I couldn't stop. I was really lucky that there were no other cars at the intersection, and I just passed the stop sign without stopping. I was so scared. I didn't understand what happened and immediately changed my plans to drive home. Luckily, I was only a few minutes away. I used the hand brake for the rest of the drive. After I parked the car, I saw brake fluid leaking at the bottom, and when I moved the plastic cover, I saw that the brake line was completely rusty.

NHTSA ID

11603663

Incident

Jul 21, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11591019

Incident

May 28, 2024

I received a recall notice some time ago about the ABS issue (251) Although they mention you can still drive the vehicle you shouldn’t park near buildings. I have a driveway and do not feel compelled parking car in the street where a potential vehicle fire could harm my neighbors. It is taking far too long for a remedy in this case. I would like for Hyundai to get this resolved. Right now I have disconnected the battery for fear of fire. Luckily i currently have another vehicle to drive.

NHTSA ID

11590114

Incident

Sep 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11584406

Incident

Oct 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brake, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11579396

Incident

Mar 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part not available.

NHTSA ID

11576617

Incident

Mar 11, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V3651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11573586

Incident

Feb 23, 2024

Starting in the summer of 2023 my car started making screeching noises when applying brakes, turning, etc. All 4 brakes and rotors were replaced. My car continues to screech. More concerning is that the steering wheel started clicking when turning in the Fall of 2023 and has progressively worsened, now clicking whenever moved left or right even a few inches. The steering feels very loose. Although the car is a 2011, it only has 36,000 original miles on it. This is very frustrating and feels very unsafe to drive. Repair/evaluation appointment with the dealership is scheduled for 2/1/24 to see what they say. My issues sounds VERY familiar to many other complaints on here and from other research I have done. I am not sure why this is not a recall to correct this common problem in the Elantra. Other Hyundai models have had steering column recalls. I see that the rubber coupling warranty in the power steering assembly was extended to 10 yrs/100,000 miles, however I was never informed of any safety or warranty issues when purchasing this vehicle in early February of 2020 which would have been within the 10 years. Extra disappointing is that the previous 2 owners were the sales manager and general manager of the dealership where I purchased it from.

NHTSA ID

11568824

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11563362

Incident

Jan 3, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11561532

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle, prompting her to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle was towed. The low tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed an electrical failure with the tire pressure monitoring system. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.

NHTSA ID

11558968

Incident

Dec 7, 2023

Mileage

89,000 mi

I have been forced to park my car outside in case it catches on fire due to the faulty brake system that cannot be fixed. This puts my car in danger of vandalism and harsh winter conditions. This is unacceptable that Hyundai has not yet found a way to fix the dangerous brake system!!

NHTSA ID

11557615

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

We received notice from Hyundai in mid-November about the anti-lock brake system modules problem (could leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short over time. This increases the risk of an engine compartment fire while parked or driving) There is still no date for fixing this problem. We now need to park this car outside our garage, which increases the risk of the car being stolen.

NHTSA ID

11557438

Incident

Nov 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11556638

Incident

Nov 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11550839

Incident

Oct 19, 2023

El carro aveces pone los frenos muy duros y no se detiene. El mismo se acelera solo y en otras ocasiones baja las revoluciones hasta apagarse. Aveces comienza a temblar y prende la luz de check. Aún desconozco si ha sido evaluado anteriormente por algún especialista. También el mismo demora en prender algunas veces. Me gustaría saber si el mismo puede ser evaluado por algún y especialista ya que entiendo que no es muy seguro el mismo. Me gustaría saber cuál es el costo de esto para así guardar el presupuesto para el mismo. Le agradeceré me dejen saber. Gracias anticipadas

NHTSA ID

11492365

Incident

Nov 1, 2022

Brake pedal stopper deterioration. The brake pedal stopper pad deteriorates, allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights stay illuminated, preventing accurate communication to following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of "park" without depressing the brake pedal. Consequently, the risk of a crash increases with either condition. This is an issue Hyundai has had to recall other models/years for! This issue drained my battery completely and I had to pay $60 out of pocket to figure out what was going on. The brake pedal stopper pad is just $1.80 USD at the dealership. Hub Hyundai wanted to charge me $80 initially to install it, when they DID NOT report this problem to me when they "inspected" my car on 08-10-21, I took it to them because of another recall on my vehicle. They supposedly "inspected" my car and gave me a list of repairs "needed" which didn't include this issue. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure occurred. This happened on 08-27-21. It was my neighbor who told me the lights on my car were on all night! I usually don't go out at night, no way to notice they were not turning off. No wonder why my battery got drained!

NHTSA ID

11431727

Incident

Aug 27, 2021

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the rear brake lights failed to illuminate while depressing the brake pedal. Upon inspection, it was discovered that all three brake lights were inoperable. The contact replaced the bulbs and the pedal switch however, the failure persisted. In addition, the traction control warning light remains illuminated while operating the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

NHTSA ID

11418602

Incident

May 21, 2021

Mileage

118,000 mi

MY BRAKES LIGHT STAY ON AND IT THE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHT IT JUST STARTED TWO DAYS AGO. *TR

NHTSA ID

11326931

Incident

May 29, 2020

MY RECENT FACEBOOK POST: HYUNDAI OWNERS BEWARE. HYUNDAI CURRENTLY HAS 3 RECALLS THAT AFFECT MY CAR BY PRODUCTION DATE, YET THERE ARE "NO OPEN SAFETY RECALLS OR SERVICE CAMPAIGNS FOR THIS VEHICLE". THE SAME LAST YEAR WHEN WE TRIED TO CORRECT THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION HARNESS ISSUE - IT SOMEHOW DIDN'T APPLY TO OUR VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE PART NUMBER WAS IDENTICAL TO THAT WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. NOW THERE'S A NEW ISSUE - THE VACUUM ASSISTED BRAKE BOOSTER CANNISTER FAILED DUE TO ROT/PERFORATION , RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE. OKAY FOLKS, ARE WE SEEING A PATTERN HERE? SOMETHING LIKE THIS: INDUSTRIAL MONEY MATTERS, YOU DON'T. BUY OUR CRAP, BUY MORE OF IT, KEEP ON BUYING. WE FOLLOW THE RULES, YET WE DON'T. WE MAKE 155,000 CARS IN A CALENDAR YEAR AND YOU GET TO PAY FOR OUR MISTAKES BECAUSE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ARE DESIGNED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S FAVOR - THEY COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT YOU.

NHTSA ID

11269522

Incident

Oct 15, 2019

Mileage

177,000 mi