Hyundai Elantra 2007–2010 problems by year and mileage
4th generation · HD
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,213 complaints, 940 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2007 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 73,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 267
- Recalls naming this year
- 6
Most reported on the 2007
- Airbag system46 reports · median 66,000 mi
- Visibility/wiper42 reports · median 68,000 mi
- Steering34 reports · median 71,000 mi
6 recall campaigns name the 2007: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Exterior lighting — brake lights; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2008 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 54,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 314
- Recalls naming this year
- 7
Most reported on the 2008
- Steering55 reports · median 71,000 mi
- Airbag system38 reports · median 56,000 mi
- Fuel system36 reports · median 1,500 mi
7 recall campaigns name the 2008: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Steering — electric power assist system; Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2009 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 78,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 253
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
Most reported on the 2009
- Steering133 reports · median 78,000 mi
- Airbag system42 reports
- Electrical system24 reports
4 recall campaigns name the 2009: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Steering — electric power assist system; Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 64,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 379
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2010
- Steering195 reports · median 73,000 mi
- Electrical system48 reports
- Airbag system46 reports · median 64,000 mi
3 recall campaigns name the 2010: Service brakes, hydraulic — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Steering — electric power assist system; Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2009 reports latest and the 2008 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2008 has had 1 more year on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2007–2010 Hyundai Elantra reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 68,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 140,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 940
- Recalls
- 9
Most reported
- Steering34.4% of complaints · median 76,000 mi
- Airbag system14.2% of complaints · median 69,000 mi
- Electrical system11.0% of complaints · median 65,000 mi
Owners filed 1,213 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007–2010 Hyundai Elantra; the steering leads with 34.4% of them, and half of the 940 that record an odometer reading came by 68,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 34,000 and 101,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2007–2010 Hyundai Elantra last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2007–2010 Hyundai Elantra, half of the 940 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 68,000 miles and 90% by 140,000 miles.
77 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 15 past 200,000 — each one proof that an Elantra reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Elantra 2007–2010 · 940 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 120 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 15 complaints (1.6%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 5,200
- 25%
- 33,500
- Median
- 67,902
- 75%
- 100,700
- 90%
- 140,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 120 | 12.8% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 42 | 4.5% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 48 | 5.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 64 | 6.8% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 70 | 7.4% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 58 | 6.2% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 79 | 8.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 70 | 7.4% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 79 | 8.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 57 | 6.1% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 54 | 5.7% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 39 | 4.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 36 | 3.8% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 27 | 2.9% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 20 | 2.1% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 15 | 1.6% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 24 | 2.6% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 11 | 1.2% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 8 | 0.9% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 4 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 15 | 1.6% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
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.
Common Elantra problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Hyundai Elantra 2007–2010
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Throttle and speed control73 reports49,00030,000–87,000Throttle and speed control: 73 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 30,000 to 87,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline79 reports49,00025,000–83,000Transmission and driveline: 79 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 83,000 miles.
- Electrical system134 reports65,00035,000–103,000Electrical system: 134 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 103,000 miles.
- Airbag system172 reports69,00032,000–113,000Airbag system: 172 reports, median 69,000 miles, middle half 32,000 to 113,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise66 reports76,00028,000–123,000Problems owners could not categorise: 66 reports, median 76,000 miles, middle half 28,000 to 123,000 miles.
- Steering417 reports76,00046,000–101,000Steering: 417 reports, median 76,000 miles, middle half 46,000 to 101,000 miles.
- Brakes102 reports79,00044,000–108,000Brakes: 102 reports, median 79,000 miles, middle half 44,000 to 108,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 417 | 34.4% | 76,000 | 46,000–101,000 |
| Airbag system | 172 | 14.2% | 69,000 | 32,000–113,000 |
| Electrical system | 134 | 11.0% | 65,000 | 35,000–103,000 |
| Brakes | 102 | 8.4% | 79,000 | 44,000–108,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 79 | 6.5% | 49,000 | 25,000–83,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 73 | 6.0% | 49,000 | 30,000–87,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 66 | 5.4% | 76,000 | 28,000–123,000 |
| Engine | 64 | 5.3% | 101,000 | 57,000–140,000 |
| Body structure | 63 | 5.2% | 78,000 | 53,000–112,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 55 | 4.5% | 72,000 | 43,000–100,000 |
System by system, in words
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 68,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The steering accounts for 34.4% of complaints (417 reports, 325 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 76,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 46,000 and 101,000 miles.
A single system taking 34.4% 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 airbag system accounts for 14.2% of complaints (172 reports, 131 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 32,000 and 113,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.0% of complaints (134 reports, 97 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 103,000 miles.
The brakes account for 8.4% of complaints (102 reports, 70 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 44,000 and 108,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.5% of complaints (79 reports, 62 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 83,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 6.0% of complaints (73 reports, 60 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 87,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2007–2010 Elantra
Airbags 2007–2010
Occupant classification system faults disabling the passenger airbag; also Takata inflator recall exposure on later model years.
Before you buy a 2007–2010 Elantra: the 3-minute check
Generated from 940 mileage-tagged complaints, 9 recall campaigns, 1 documented problem area. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 9 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check airbags on 2007–2010 cars. Occupant classification system faults disabling the passenger airbag; also Takata inflator recall exposure on later model years.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 34,000 and 101,000 miles, with a median of 68,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the steering and the airbag system 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 69,000, 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.
Elantra problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi43% below | At 90k mi67% below | At 120k mi83% below | At 150k mi92% below | At 200k mi98% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 46,000–101,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Airbag system | 32,000–113,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 35,000–103,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 44,000–108,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 25,000–83,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Throttle and speed control | 30,000–87,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 28,000–123,000 | in window | in window | in window | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Hyundai Elantra 2007–2010 · 940 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 43% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 67% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 83% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 92% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 98% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 98%: the remaining 1.6% of reports (15) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2007–2010 Hyundai Elantra recalls (9)
NHTSA records 9 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the exterior lighting (3), the airbag system (2), the fuel system (2). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Feb 2020 · 2007–2010 · Service Brakes, HydraulicAn electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned…
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the…
What can happen. An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall…
Feb 2015 · 2008–2010 · SteeringIf power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds…
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering…
What can happen. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…
Apr 2013 · 2007–2010 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe…
What can happen. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the…
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall…
Mar 2011 · 2007–2008 · Air BagsA higher pressure deployment than intended increases the risk of injury resulting from airbag deployment.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Elantra vehicles manufactured from july 14, 2006, through august 29, 2007. The driver's seat track position sensor determines the seat's fore and aft position and allows the driver's frontal air bag to deploy…
What can happen. A higher pressure deployment than intended increases the risk of injury resulting from airbag deployment.
The free fix. Dealers will reprogram the air bag control module free of charge. The safety recall is expecting to begin during april 2011. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Mar 2011 · 2007–2009 · Air BagsThe front passenger air bag could deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy, increasing the risk of…
The defect. Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Elantra vehicles manufactured from july 14, 2006, through november 1, 2008. The front passenger seats in the vehicles contain a weight sensor designed to deactivate the right frontal airbag when occupants of…
What can happen. The front passenger air bag could deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant from the deployed air bag.
The free fix. Dealers will install a protective cover over the weight classification system connector to prevent contamination. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expecting to…
Jul 2009 · 2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 Elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and accent vehicles. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on september 2, 2009. Owners may contact Hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.
Apr 2009 · 2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling 532,633 my 2006-2007 accent, entourage, sonata, my 2007 azera, Elantra and santa fe, my 2005-2007 tucson and my 2007-2008 veracruz vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 29, 2009. Owners may contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Dec 2008 · 2008 · Fuel System, GasolineAs a result, poor engine staring and hesitation may result.
The defect. Hyundai de puerto rico (hpr) is recalling 347 my 2008 Elantra vehicles. The fuel pump motor may not have the proper, uniform internal electrical surface contact. This may cause the fuel pump to produce less pumping pressure than required to supply the fuel…
What can happen. As a result, poor engine staring and hesitation may result. Other engine performance issues may also result and lead to a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the vehicle's fuel pump subassembly. The recall began on february 9, 2009. Owners may contact hpr at 1-800-981-0188.
Aug 2008 · 2008 · Fuel System, GasolinePoor engine starting and hesitation may result.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling 65,000 my 2008 Elantra vehicles with 2.0 Liter beta engines. The fuel pump motor may not have the proper uniform internal electrical surface contact. This may cause the fuel pump to produce less pumping pressure than required to supply…
What can happen. Poor engine starting and hesitation may result. Other engine performance issues may also result increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the fuel pump subassembly free of charge. The recall began on september 15, 2008. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,213 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 132 (10.9%)
- Fires
- 56
- Injury reports
- 99
- Fatality reports
- 1
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Elantra problems by model year
The 2010 drew the most complaints of this generation, 379, most of them about the steering, and the 2009 the fewest, 253. A typical year drew about 290.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 267 | 223 | 73,000 | Airbag system (46) | 6 |
| 2008 | 314 | 258 | 54,000 | Steering (55) | 7 |
| 2009 | 253 | 186 | 78,000 | Steering (133) | 4 |
| 2010 | 379 | 273 | 64,000 | Steering (195) | 3 |
What Elantra owners reported
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost power steering assist. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated during the failure. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the…
2009 · 46,000 miles · Steering
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to turn into the driveway, there was a burning odor and white-grayish smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to slow down as intended. The…
2007 · 101,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V061000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the TPMS and powertrain warning lights illuminated, but the vehicle drove normally. The contact stated that a month…
2009 · 168,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated…
2009 · 118,000 miles · Steering
Built from 940 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Elantra generations
- Elantra 1996–2000 163 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline
- Elantra 2001–2006 952 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Elantra 2011–2016 1,970 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Elantra 2017–2020 503 reports with mileage, most about the engine