2013 Hyundai Elantra GT: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
1,293 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
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Used Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and Elantra: beyond the engine recall, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 1,293 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 99.46
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My engine has a piston slap. I have the 1.8l 4cy nu engine. It causes the car to stall unexpectedly creating a potential for serious accidents.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was very loose. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact was forced to grip the steering wheel with force with the front of the vehicle abnormally shaking. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the shaking of the front of the vehicle increased. There were no warning lights il…
Hi I recently brought my car in for recall repairs involving the ABS fuse and brake pedal stopper. Right after the service, my traction control light came on, and the car struggled to move forward. I took it to a mechanic who said the front brakes were locked. When I brought it back to your service center, I was told the hydraulic calipers were bad and that the brake pads and rotors were rubbing against each other…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes277 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Steering266 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Engine223 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags166 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System150 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other123 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Hyundai Elantra GT years
Hyundai Elantra GT years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (277 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 46/100, computed from 1,293 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT's most common problem?
277 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT cost to run per year?
About $6,289 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $31,448 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 1,293 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 1293 NHTSA complaints on record (99.5/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (29.7/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems