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2019 Hyundai Elantra: True Cost, Problems & Verdict

246 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
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Owner complaints: 246 filed with NHTSA

Complaints per year on the road: 35.14

Engine128Exterior Lighting65Electrical System37Unknown Or Other25Power Train11Steering9

What owners say

Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.

About two months ago, I had to replace the camshaft on my vehicle. Then about 3 weeks ago while driving down the road I began to hear a grinding slap near the front right of the vehicle. Then the power died and the vehicle limped into a parking lot. After stopping for about 30 minutes, I was able to restart the vehicle and get it home. The same noise occurred the whole drive. I couldn't start it again, and had it tow…
At 86,000 miles After replacing the camshaft and timing chain with a mechanic friend, we turned the engine over and heard the beginning of an engine knock, he said this engine is notorious for knocking and failing before 100000. Kia recalled the exact same engine. However Hyundai did not. I feel this is very unsafe.
While driving vehicle on a highway exit ramp, the engine suddenly failed. There were no warning lights, messages, noises, or other signs before it happened. The vehicle lost power and became undrivable, which was scary and dangerous because I was still on the road near highway traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership inspected it and said the engine had failed. I was given a repair esti…

Recalls: 1 campaigns

2021
CampaignComponentSummary
21V301000EngineHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engin…

True cost of ownership

EPA combined 35 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,750

Fuel (your region) $1,750
Maintenance band (your region) $0$978
Estimated running cost this year (age 7) $2,728

Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.

02468101214$4,208vehicle age (years)
fuel/energy + maintenance band (annual, USD, estimate)

Run your own numbers in the true-cost calculator →

FAQ

What is the most common problem with the 2019 Hyundai Elantra?

The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (128 complaints in our indexed sample).

Is the 2019 Hyundai Elantra a good used car to buy?

Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 43/100, computed from 246 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.

Does the 2019 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Hyundai Elantra, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 28/04/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

What will a 2019 Hyundai Elantra really cost YOU per year?

Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.

Open the true-cost calculator

Data 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: 2026-08-20.

43RELIABILITY / 100
AVOID
  • 246 NHTSA complaints on record (35.1/yr of exposure)
  • 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems

How this score is computed →

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