2009 Hyundai Elantra
This year's complaint volume is within 30% of this model's typical year.
This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.
COMPLAINTS PER YEAR
View as data table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1992 | 29 |
| 1993 | 24 |
| 1994 | 76 |
| 1995 | 112 |
| 1996 | 100 |
| 1997 | 115 |
| 1998 | 55 |
| 1999 | 128 |
| 2000 | 197 |
| 2001 | 315 |
| 2002 | 342 |
| 2003 | 234 |
| 2004 | 182 |
| 2005 | 137 |
| 2006 | 155 |
| 2007 | 266 |
| 2008 | 314 |
| 2009 | 247 |
| 2010 | 378 |
| 2011 | 431 |
| 2012 | 649 |
| 2013 | 1307 |
| 2014 | 379 |
| 2015 | 258 |
| 2016 | 286 |
| 2017 | 759 |
| 2018 | 274 |
| 2019 | 242 |
| 2020 | 240 |
| 2021 | 128 |
| 2022 | 95 |
| 2023 | 90 |
| 2024 | 52 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 0 |
KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS
51% of complaints: steering — 127 distinct reports on file.
CRASH INJURYShow complaint excerpts
I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE JUNE 5TH AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE.
NHTSA ODI report, 20180709
16% of complaints: air bags — 40 distinct reports on file.
CRASH INJURYShow complaint excerpts
March 26, 2024 Hello; Re: 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring VIN# [XXX] On [XXX], I while driving on a very icy slippery road to do low temperatures and the city not salting the roads like they should have!
NHTSA ODI report, 20240410
COULDN'T STOP IN TIME TO AVOID REAREND COLLISION MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA 09 AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY ,THE FRONT CLIP WAS TOTALED. HYUNDI SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR MY INJURIES WHICH IS SEVERE NECK AND BACK PAIN. I NEED SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO PROCEED. *TR
NHTSA ODI report, 20100421
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH THAT INVOLVED FIVE VEHICLES. HER VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE FRONT WHICH CAUSED HER VEHICLE TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE FRONT AS WELL.
NHTSA ODI report, 20091020
9% of complaints: electrical system — 23 distinct reports on file.
CRASH FIRE7% of complaints: vehicle speed control — 17 distinct reports on file.
CRASH INJURYShow complaint excerpts
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HIT A CONCRETE WALL RESULTING IN $4,227.40 IN DAMAGES. IT WAS THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED THIS YEAR.
NHTSA ODI report, 20121010
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED DURING THE CRASH.
NHTSA ODI report, 20120426
7% of complaints: service brakes — 17 distinct reports on file.
CRASH FIREShow complaint excerpts
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT SWERVED INTO THE SHOULDER LANE, TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY HANDBRAKE.
NHTSA ODI report, 20180801
SAFETY TIMELINE
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2006, THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2008. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATS IN THE VEHICLES CONTAIN A WEIGHT SENSOR DESIGNE
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE WEIGHT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CONNECTOR TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTING TO BEG
Campaign 11V143000 — check if this car was fixed
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall
Campaign 13V113000 — check if this car was fixed
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010.
Remedy: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.
Campaign 15V100000 — check if this car was fixed
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020.
Campaign 20V061000 — check if this car was fixed
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
BUY-SMART CHECKLIST
2009 Hyundai Elantra — pre-purchase inspection
- Test/inspect for steering issues (127 reports on file for this year).
- Test/inspect for air bags issues (40 reports on file for this year).
- Test/inspect for electrical system issues (23 reports on file for this year).
- Verify recall 11V143000 (air bags) has been completed.
- Verify recall 13V113000 (exterior lighting) has been completed.
- Verify recall 15V100000 (steering) has been completed.
- Verify recall 20V061000 (service brakes, hydraulic) has been completed.
OTHER YEARS OF THIS MODEL
BEST YEARS
WORST YEARS
FAQ
Is the 2009 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2009 Hyundai Elantra is rated "typical".
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Hyundai Elantra?
The most-reported component is steering, accounting for 51% of complaints on file.
How many recalls does the 2009 Hyundai Elantra have?
4 recalls on file for this model year.
Data updated 2026-07-11 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.