280 owner complaints filed with the United States safety regulator · top issue: Engine · verdict AVOID 44/100
“While the car is in drive, it would power off in the middle of driving. Took the car to repair and advised regarding the engine. My safety was at risk because I loss power to operation the car in the middle of traffic, which could have called an accident for myself and others. The problem have been confirmed a repair shop. No, the manufacture stated since my vin # is not included in their recall, it will not be cove”NHTSA complaint, 2018 Hyundai Elantra owner
“Since having our car, the check engine light came on several times with us being told we will need an engine replacement. Recently, our car stalled out several times while driving on different occasions leading us to look up the recalls.”NHTSA complaint, 2018 Hyundai Elantra owner
“The factory paint on the hood, roof, and front fenders is delaminating, with the largest defect being on the hood. These are available for inspection upon request. As this is progressing, structural pieces may begin to rust, but this also presents a critical visibility issue. During one drive on 6/8/2026, the hood paint began flaking away significantly at highway speeds, which could have jeopardized my or following”NHTSA complaint, 2018 Hyundai Elantra owner
On the federal record it scores 44/100: 280 owner complaints (35 per year on the road) and 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems.
The most-reported component in NHTSA complaints is Engine, with 139 of 295 categorised reports.
The 2018 Hyundai Elantra scored 44/100 on the federal record.