2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Engine Problems
24 NHTSA complaints on file
Engine Issues in the 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
24 engine complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. Of these, 2 involved a crash, 11 involved a fire, and 1 resulted in injury.
24
Complaints
2
Crashes
11
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Engine Complaints
The car was being driven nomore than 1hr. It began to smoke under the hood. The ABS EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE Then the EPS lights were on. The vehicle was pulled over and stopped. Fire was then observed falling from under the car. The hood was then popped to see the engine mainly on the driver side was totally catching fire. Then it spread. The engine needle never showed over heated. The car took no more than 6 minutes to catch fire from the time it started smoking. It was very scary
When removing the key from the ignition, the cars engine was still running, as I was unable to turn the vehicle off. After a few tries the car was off and the engine stopped. I drove 1/2 mile, smelled something burning, looked down and saw smoke coming up from my lap area, and immediately turned the car off and jumped out of the vehicle..The engine continued to run while the key was removed... Car was eventually towed by Insurance Company tow company to the Factory Authorized service center
2008 Elantra should be added to the crankshaft Theta II recall. 2098 Elantra has the 2.0L engine unlike its prior years where they are made with a 1.6L engine. Last week my 2008 Elantra exhibited all the signs of this malfunction (A knocking noise from the engine that increases in frequency as the engine rpm increases. Reduced power and/or hesitation and vibration. Illumination of the “check engine” light in the instrument cluster. Illumination of the “engine oil pressure” warning lamp.) When this occured i had taken it to Auto Zone and had the computer scanned for error codes. (See attached report). Based on the report a tune up was done, ignition coil replaced and sensor replaced. Car would still not start. When my mechanic furthe diagnosed it (he could not find the issue until he used his scope camera)he found the issue was that there is damage to the "trigger...
brakes locked up and engine was knocking and car stopped running , it won’t turn over anymore and when it does it just shuts off .
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving when a person waved the driver down that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was driven some more until the contact noticed that there was heat come up the leg on the driver's side. The contact stated that once exit from the vehicle, noticed that there were flames coming from the hood. The fire department extinguished the fired and informed that it was due to electrical. A police report was filed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
When I am driving the vehicle all of a sudden it will jump back really fast And the check engine will go on and If I continue to drive the vehicle it seems like I'm putting pressure on the gas for it to go But then once I turn off the vehicle the check engine light will all of a sudden be gone. If I drive the vehicle again the problem won't happen right away it will be some time before it happens again all of a sudden.
MY CAR WOULDN'T START AND HISSED WHEN IT DID KING HYUNDAI SAID "HISSING WAS THE CONDENSATION BECAUSE IT HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR SO LONG" (3 YEARS - JUST WENT OUT AND STARTED IT ONCE IN A WHILE). KH TOLD ME AFTER EXTENSIVE CHECKING & VIDEOING THE UNDERSIDE OF CAR (THEY SENT ME VIDEO) THAT IT WAS THE BATTERY. IT DIED ON THE WAY HOME ! AND THEN: - KH MISDIAGNOSED MY CAR THREE TIMES ! - HEAD GASKET NOW - KH TOLD ME THEY TOOK "SEVERAL TEST DRIVES" YET THE MILEAGE IN & THE MILLAGE OUT ON THEIR INVOICE WAS EXACTLY THE SAME ! - TOOK OVER A MONTH TO GIVE ME ESTIMATE - WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS (30+ CALLS) TO THE SERVICE MANAGER - DEALER MANAGER FAILED TO RETURN MY CALLS ALSO - EVEN THOUGH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CARE DEPT THEMSELVES SUGGESTED THE DEALER HONOR THE 100,000/10 YEAR WARRANTY...
THE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS. IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT OUR HOUSE ON FIRE IF NOT FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT HER HOME AND CAUGHT ON FIRE INDEPENDENTLY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE RECENTLY RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V061000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND BELIEVES THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VEHICLE FIRE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000. *BF*JB
THE CAR WAS PARKED IN GARAGE. AT 4:40 AM MY NEIGHBOR WOKE ME UP TO TELL ME MY GARAGE WAS ON FIRE. FIREFIGHTERS CAME AND SAW THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE WHICH BURNT DOWN THE WHOLE CAR AND MY GARAGE
WHILE DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER A RAINY DAY, THE ABS LIGHT AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. I CHECKED THE PARKING BRAKE; IT WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE BRAKING ON ITS OWN AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE. UPON ARRIVING HOME, THERE WAS SOME SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WHICH, AFTER IT DISSIPATED, I ASSUMED TO BE HOT, LOCKED UP BRAKES. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER MY HOUSEMATE CALLED TO ME FROM THE LIVING ROOM TELLING ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE AND TO CALL 9-1-1. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, UNDER A MAGNOLIA TREE. THE FLAMES ENGULFED THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR, AND WERE ABOUT 4-5FT HIGH. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND HOSED THE CAR DOWN, TAKING ABOUT AN HOUR TO PUT OUT THE BLAZE. THE FRONT TIRES WERE FLAT, HAD MELTED, AND THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS...
MY 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HAS THE AIRBAGS LIGHT ON FOR ABOUT FEW YEARS. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM ON MY CAR THAT IS RECENTLY STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING UP. IT HAS TUNE UP, NEW SENSORS, NEW COILS, AND ETC. I BOUGHT A FUEL PUMP OEM AND THE PUMP IS NOT 2 YEARS OLD.
MY DAUGHTER'S 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WAS PARKED ON THE STREET OUTSIDE HER APARTMENT COMPLEX. THE FRONT OF THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 30-35 HOURS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 236,000.
CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHILE PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY THE ENTIRE DAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THE CAUSE OF FIRE IS UNKNOWN BUT IT APPEARED TO HAVE START AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD.
TAKATA RECALL. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND OVER CORRECTED AND HIT A TREE WHICH PUSHED HER INTO ANOTHER TREE. THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS WRECKED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE NEVER CONTACTED ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE CAR SO WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE DEFECTIVE.
DROVE CAR TO GROCERY STORE 6 MILE ROUND TRIP PARKED CAR IN GARAGE AT 10:15 AM. I PERFORMED YARD WORK IN FRONT OF AND WAS IN AND OUT OF GARAGE FOR 4 HOURS. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A HINT OF SMOKE OR BURNING. THEN CUT GRASS FOR 2 HOURS. AT ABOUT 4 PM SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT OF THE GARAGE. I OBSERVED FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM AROUND THE FRONT HOOD. UNABLE TO LIFT HOOD TO REACH FIRE SOURCE WITH EXTINGUISHERS OR GET CAR INTO NEUTRAL TO PUSH OUT OF GARAGE. I WAS DRIVEN BY SMOKE AND FLAME OUT OF GARAGE. BOTH THE 2008 HYUNDAI AND ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE TWO CAR GARAGE BURNED COMPLETELY. ALL CONTENTS IN GARAGE DESTROYED EXTENSIVE SMOKE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT HOUSE. FIRE FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR THINKS IT WAS CAUSED BY THE BATTERY BUT THERE WAS TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO MAKE MUCH OF AN INFORMED COMMENT AS...
ON 8/16/16 AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 HOURS THE AFOREMENTIONED 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BEARING A VIN NUMBER OF [XXX], HAD SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT CAUSE. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES SUSPECTED IT TO BE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT OF POSSIBLE FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI DIRECTLY AND BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION THE INCIDENT IN WHICH OCCURRED ON THE SAID DATE. HYUNDAI IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A THIRD PARTY VEHICLE INSPECTION COMPANY EN ROUTE TO CONDUCT THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION. THERE HAS ONLY BEEN A RECALL TO MY KNOWLEDGE IN 2011 IN WHICH I PERSONALLY TOOK THE SAID VEHICLE TO HYUNDAI OF WELSEY CHAPEL FLORIDA AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I AM AWARE OF THE PAST RECALLS CONDUCTED BY HYUNDAI DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF...
CAR LOSES POWER WHEN DRIVING CAR AT LOW SPEED, CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN AND WOULD NEED TO PLACE IN PARK AND RESTART THE CAR, ALSO LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING CAR ON THE FREEWAY, CARD WHEEL LOCKED AND CAR LOST ALL POWER, WAS ABLE TO PLACE IT IN PARK AND RESTARTED IT, BUT WAS WITH OUT POWER STEERING, CAR SHAKES WHEN DRIVING PASSED 70 MILES AN HR.
LEAVING THE PARKING LOT AT WALGREEN IN TONAWANDA,NY. I WAS BACKING OUT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. PUTTING THE CAR IN DRIVE.THE CAR LEAPED INTO A VERY HIGH ACCELERATED SPEED LIKE A JET WITH THE ENGINE RACING. THE BRAKE DID NOT HELP. THE CAR HIT THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE STORE AND THE ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES.THE DISTANCE WAS ONLY A MATTER OF YARDS.THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELT KEPT ME FROM GOING THRU THE WINDSHIELD THE FORCE OF THE CRASH TOTALED THE CAR. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THIS AREA OF THE PARKING LOT THANK GOODNESS IT WAS 10AM SUNDAY MORNING. I DO NOT KNOW WHO CALLED THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE.. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS SITUATION HAPPEN SO FAST YOU DON,T HAVE TIME TO BLINK. I AM NOW LEFT WITH NO CAR AND A TWISTED BACK.
I WAS MERGING ONTO I-275 E FROM I-471 AND AS I WAS PRESSING MY FOOT DOWN ONTO THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING UP THEN CONTINUED TO SPEED UP WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE LOCKED AT 65 MPH. I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THEY WERE LOCKED AND WOULDN'T WORK. I PUT THE CAR IN 2ND GEAR WHILE I STILL HAD MY FEET THE BRAKE. THAT DID NOT SLOW THE CAR. I THEN SHIFTED THE GEAR INTO 1ST GEAR WHILE KEEPING MY FEET ON THE BRAKE. I TOOK BOTH FEET OFF THE BRAKE THEN BACK ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR SHIFTED INTO 1ST GEAR AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHILE MAKING THE HIGH ENGINE NOISE. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AFTER THE CAR SHIFTED INTO 1ST GEAR.
THE CRUISE CONTROL ON HYUNDAI ELANTRA FAILED TO DISENGAGE WHILE I DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH DESPITE REPEATEDLY PUSHING THE "CANCEL" AND "OFF" BUTTONS. FIRM BRAKING ALSO FAILED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I MANAGED TO STOP ONLY AFTER PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND APPLYING HEAVY/MAXIMUM BRAKING. SMOKE. TIRES DESTROYED. SCARY! MY CHILD AND I ALMOST DIED. THE ABS AND ESC OFF LIGHTS CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. KIA AND HYUNDAI RECENTLY RECALLED 1.9 MILLION VEHICLES TO FIX THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT SUGGESTS THAT HYUNDAI HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE MY CAR HAD THE RECALL PROCEDURE COMPLETED ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT OCCURING.
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, INCHING ALONG AT LOW SPEED FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILES; STOPPING AND STARTING ALL THE WAY, SUDDENLY DURING ONE OF THESE STOPS, THE MOTOR STARTED TO REV AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, WHILE PARKING THE CAR IN A PARKING SPACE, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I HAD ALREADY STOPPED AND WAS PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI GARAGE WHERE THEY DID ROAD TESTING. COMPUTER TESTS SHOWED NO CODES; SO NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. WHEN THE TECH LINE OF THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ON THIS MATTER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO CASES RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM ON FILE. HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SPORADICALLY SINCE 2010. LAST REPORTED AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM TO THE HYUNDAI GARAGE EARLY IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012....
Other 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA Problem Areas
Steering
53 complaints
Air Bags
33 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
32 complaints
Service Brakes
32 complaints
Electrical System
28 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
24 complaints
Unknown Or Other
22 complaints
Exterior Lighting
19 complaints
Power Train
19 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
16 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
12 complaints
Suspension
11 complaints
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
9 complaints
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump
8 complaints
Structurebody
7 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
6 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
6 complaints
Visibilitywiper
6 complaints
Air Bagsfrontal
5 complaints
Air Bagssidewindow
4 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingengine
4 complaints
Exterior Lightingbrake Lightsswitch
4 complaints
Fuel System Other
3 complaints
Seat Belts
3 complaints
Service Brakes Electric
3 complaints
Equipment
2 complaints
Parking Brake
2 complaints
Structure
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
2 complaints
Visibility
2 complaints
Wheels
2 complaints
Carry Handle Shell Base
1 complaint
Electrical Systemhorn
1 complaint
Electrical Systemwiring
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Control
1 complaint
Equipmentelectricalradiotape Deckcd Etc
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingtail Lights
1 complaint
Otheri Am Not Sure
1 complaint
Power Trainclutch Assembly
1 complaint
Power Traindrivelineconstant Velocity Joint
1 complaint
Seat Beltsfront
1 complaint
Steeringlinkages
1 complaint
Structurebodytrunk Lid
1 complaint
Tirestemporaryemergency Spare Tire
1 complaint
Visibilityglass Siderear
1 complaint
Visibilitypower Window Devices And Controls
1 complaint
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
1 complaint