2013 Hyundai Elantra Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 1,345 owner complaints for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra.

Recalled components: brakes, exterior lighting, and air bags. Most-described problem: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (110 complaints, 8%). Most-reported area: brakes (286 complaints, 21%; median mileage when it happened: 55,000).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

Includes the Elantra GT hatchback and the Elantra Coupe.

4 safety recalls for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2013 Hyundai Elantra, not counting audit queries; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 1,345 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Elantra. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Airbag warning light or airbag fault110 · 8%
  Median 81,500 miles at failure, from 61 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement82 · 6%
  Median 67,600 miles at failure, from 48 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off66 · 5%
  Median 61,000 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
• Steering rack problems: sticking, play or pulling59 · 4%
  Median 69,000 miles at failure, from 32 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration58 · 4%
  Median 52,500 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
• Won't start43 · 3%
  Median 59,900 miles at failure, from 35 reports with mileage
• Check engine light42 · 3%
  Median 99,000 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
• Headlight or exterior light problems39 · 3%
  Median 88,500 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Brakes286 · 21%
  Median 55,000 miles at failure, from 113 reports with mileage
• Steering273 · 20%
  Median 41,000 miles at failure, from 173 reports with mileage
• Engine238 · 18%
  Median 65,500 miles at failure, from 154 reports with mileage
• Air bags171 · 13%
  Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 107 reports with mileage
• Electrical system155 · 12%
  Median 55,500 miles at failure, from 94 reports with mileage
• Suspension99 · 7%
  Most named: rear (3) · Median 18,500 miles at failure, from 79 reports with mileage
• Wheels81 · 6%
  Median 10,000 miles at failure, from 65 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other128 · 10%
  Median 46,000 miles at failure, from 61 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Hyundai Elantra recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2013 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Elantra drew the most (347).

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2013 Elantra MPG

Questions