Hyundai Elantra 2001–2006
3rd generation · XD (facelift XD2 from 2004)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,784 complaints, 1,257 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 28,000 and 100,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 27 complaints (2.1%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 6,000
- 25%
- 28,000
- Median
- 66,026
- 75%
- 100,000
- 90%
- 140,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 119 | 9.5% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 45 | 3.6% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 47 | 3.7% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 38 | 3.0% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 40 | 3.2% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 37 | 2.9% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 40 | 3.2% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 32 | 2.5% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 42 | 3.3% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 37 | 2.9% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 42 | 3.3% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 44 | 3.5% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 53 | 4.2% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 47 | 3.7% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 57 | 4.5% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 46 | 3.7% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 49 | 3.9% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 34 | 2.7% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 33 | 2.6% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 47 | 3.7% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 38 | 3.0% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 28 | 2.2% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 34 | 2.7% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 14 | 1.1% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 30 | 2.4% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 13 | 1.0% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 24 | 1.9% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 17 | 1.4% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 13 | 1.0% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 12 | 1.0% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 19 | 1.5% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 7 | 0.6% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 14 | 1.1% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 4 | 0.3% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 5 | 0.4% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 7 | 0.6% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 9 | 0.7% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 200,000+ | 27 | 2.1% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,784 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001–2006 Hyundai Elantra, and 1,257 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 28,000 and 100,000 miles. The median is 66,026 miles.
The most-reported areas are the airbag system (27.8% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles), the suspension (14.6% of complaints, typically around 92,000 miles), body structure (6.1% of complaints, typically around 79,000 miles).
What fails, and when
- Airbag system50,000median 50,000 miles, middle half 15,000 to 92,000
- Suspension92,000median 92,000 miles, middle half 67,000 to 127,000
- Body structure79,000median 79,117 miles, middle half 57,000 to 120,000
- Hydraulic brake circuit21,000median 21,344 miles, middle half 10,000 to 51,000
- Exterior lighting75,000median 75,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 105,000
- Electrical system72,000median 72,255 miles, middle half 40,000 to 113,000
- Engine and its cooling system50,000median 50,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 73,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 496 | 27.8% | 50,000 | 15,000–92,000 |
| Suspension | 260 | 14.6% | 92,000 | 67,000–127,000 |
| Body structure | 109 | 6.1% | 79,000 | 57,000–120,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 100 | 5.6% | 21,000 | 10,000–51,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 89 | 5.0% | 75,000 | 50,000–105,000 |
| Electrical system | 77 | 4.3% | 72,000 | 40,000–113,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 73 | 4.1% | 50,000 | 16,000–73,000 |
| Steering | 70 | 3.9% | 88,000 | 32,000–125,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 69 | 3.9% | 44,000 | 22,000–72,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 64 | 3.6% | 48,000 | 26,000–78,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 66,026 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 27.8% of complaints (496 reports, 347 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,035 and 91,785 miles.
A single system taking 27.8% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The suspension accounts for 14.6% of complaints (260 reports, 207 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 92,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 67,198 and 127,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 6.1% of complaints (109 reports, 72 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,117 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 57,000 and 120,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.6% of complaints (100 reports, 73 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 21,344 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 50,644 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 5.0% of complaints (89 reports, 63 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 75,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 105,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 4.3% of complaints (77 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,255 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 113,400 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2001 model year drew the most — 445 complaints — while 2005 drew the fewest at 180. The median year sits at 259.
The first year of the generation, 2001, sits above the median. That is a common pattern — early production of a redesigned vehicle tends to surface problems that later years do not repeat — and it is worth weighing when choosing between years.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
Of the 1,784 complaints filed against this generation, 351 reported a crash; 26 reported a fire; 290 reported an injury; 3 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 19.7% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 28,000 and 100,000 miles, with a median of 66,026. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the suspension are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine Management
Crankshaft position sensor and ignition coil failures causing stalling and misfire.
Emissions
Premature catalytic converter and oxygen sensor failure driving check-engine complaints.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 445 | 289 |
| 2002 | 431 | 308 |
| 2003 | 310 | 221 |
| 2004 | 209 | 131 |
| 2005 | 180 | 138 |
| 2006 | 209 | 170 |
What owners reported
At highway speeds approaching 65 MPH, steering wheel begins to shake. I was originally told by the dealership that the tires were out of balance or out of round. Had tires professionally inspected and balanced, and checked various times.... It is not the tires. I have lifetime balancing and alignment so the tires are…
2001 · 10 miles · Steering
ODI id number : 10010329 ODI id number : 10016373 please add me to the list of Hyundai Elantra owners who have severe steering wheel shake at speeds above 60 MPH and Hyundai has no idea how to correct the trouble. This has occurred since the vehicle was new and numerous attempts to fix the trouble have been…
2001 · 100 miles · Suspension
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. The contact was unsure of the exact details in regards to the failure but stated that the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on numerous occasions where the vehicle was repaired. The failure continued. The…
2001 · 500 miles · Airbag system
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. The front passenger side window air bag was replaced in 2004. The day after the replacement, the air bag light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they stated that they could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact discovered an…
2001 · 1,000 miles · Airbag system
Built from 1,257 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page