HYUNDAI ELANTRA · model year

2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

312 NHTSA complaints, 39 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009HYUNDAIELANTRA carries 312 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 39 crashes, 16 fires, 29 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 ELANTRA is steering with 126 filings, followed by air bags (40) and electrical system (22). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 2009 ELANTRA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

312
Complaints
39
Crashes
16
Fires
29
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

312 filings

Crashes Reported

39 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING126
AIR BAGS40
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL17
SERVICE BRAKES16
ENGINE13
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
STRUCTURE:BODY9
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC7
POWER TRAIN6
TIRES3
WHEELS3
VISIBILITY/WIPER3
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY2

Recalls (4)

15V10000023/02/2015

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

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 (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sens

11V14300015/03/2011

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

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 CERTAIN WEIGHTS OCCUPY THE SEAT. THE ELE

20V06100004/02/2020

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

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 Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and resul

13V11300001/04/2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

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, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburo

Recent Complaints

20251022UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Taylor Hyundai of Findlay FAILED too complete these recalls. X3 times !

20250825FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Got in the car to come home put the key in ignition turned it and battery was dead went to turn off and something popped and cloud of smoke started rolling out from underneath the hood once hood was up the smoke got stronger from behind the motor the battery we had to get the battery unplugged and pulled out to get the electricity out the vehicle because of the battery being dead but sill plugged up at the time it would continue smoking more and more and thicker thicker so My husband pulled the battery out immediately as doing so we both inhaled some smoke but we was more concerned about it catching on fire so we pulled through it . We are confused on how or why this happened nothing has broke or went wrong with my vehicle but serpentine belt brake and tire ware my mother had car inspected and service back in May nothing was said that there is or will be wrong with my car. We had no idea that there was anything wrong no warning lights no signs of any problems up to this incident.

20250515CrashSEAT BELTS

During a car accident yesterday. Upon impact at about 30 mph the seatbelt ripped and provided no deceleration during a head on collision. If it wasn’t for the airbag I would have been very seriously injured. It has not yet been inspected by insurance but I have a few videos of the failure for the seatbelt to work.

20241109STEERING

About 3 years ago the EPS light came on. Brought it to the dealer who said it needed 3500.00 dollars worth of work to replace the steering column. Refused the work and they reset the light. Now after checking i see this was part of a recall 127 . My car was checked and stamped fine so out of luck. Car works good for 3 years now it is doing it again. Just driving straight down the road and power steering stops working, then starts working. Right now steering is fine and the PS light is on all the time. Any help would be appreciated. Car only has 120,000 miles and is in great shape except forthe steering.

20241030STEERING

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THAT IT INDICATES A PLROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE SHARCHED AND READ THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. ON MY 209 HYUNDIA ELANTRA BUT WHEN I VIN IT SAYS NO OPEN RECALLS. DOES THIS MEAN IT HAS BEEN FIXED BEFORE OR IS MINE NOT COVERED UNDER ECALL. MY VIN IS [XXX] ANY HELP WOULD BE HELPFUL. I AM A DISABLED MAN. THAT THIS IS MY ONLY CAR TO TAKE CARE OF MINE AND MY DISABLED SON NEEDS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20241012STRUCTURE:BODY

I previously brought my car in for a recall in 2014 for underbody corrosion and it was repaired; however, now there has been severe corrosion of the underbody, not just the components listed in the recall but nearly the whole underbody is severly rusted and corroded (see pictures below). My mother was driving my car in July 2024 when the rear subframe completely snapped near the control arm while she was driving. Luckily she did not get injured or hurt, but it could have been potentially fatal especially with this happening. I reported this to Hyundai Motor America and towed my car to the dealership. The dealership has submitted a goodwill request to cover the repairs of the recall not the other ones; however, I raised a potential oversight for the previous recall whereby the corrosion of other components not explicitly named in the campaign such as the sway bars and backing plates which could also directly impact the vehicle’s structural integrity and safety if corroded. The

20241001AIR BAGS

I backed into my driveway, placed the vehicle in park and as I was setting the parking break the drivers side airbag deployed. The vehicle was still running.

20240929ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The radio turns on and off in its own heat blows threw the vent when heater is off abs lock showed not working when inspection then showed as it was working air bag light always on none of the dash board lights work lock buttons work when it wants to

20240925STEERING

This vehicle is part of RECALL CAMPAIGN 127. This vehicle had a software update to "Fix" problem but is now recurring. The dealership says they will not fix it.

20240812STEERING

On several occasions, starting in the Fall of 2023 and occurring most recently on 8/9/24, I observed my Elantra's red EPS warning light turn on, and the steering wheel became very "stiff" while driving. Power steering was instantly disabled, resulting in momentary loss of control of the rate of turning in the vehicle. These symptoms are in accordance with Hyundai Recall Campaign 127, but a VIN search revealed the vehicle has been serviced for the recall. I have reached out to Hyundai customer service and a dealership, neither of which attempted to fix the issue.

20240730FireSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that on one occasion when the vehicle was turned on, the brake and ABS warning lights illuminated. On another occasion, while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied for approximately 5 days, there was smoke coming from the front of the hood of the vehicle. The department extinguished the fire and a fire report was filed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. A dealer was contacted and confirmed there were no recalls associated to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20240525AIR BAGS

Air bag light is on as soon as car power on until it turns off passenger airbag is off I dont know if my airbags will deploy if I get in an accident . While driving steady speed of 50-60 mph while pressing gas sometimes it doesn’t increase speed but instead jerks until I let go of the gas and then depress it again it happenes maybe 2-3 times during a drive .

20240525VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Air bag light is on as soon as car power on until it turns off passenger airbag is off I dont know if my airbags will deploy if I get in an accident . While driving steady speed of 50-60 mph while pressing gas sometimes it doesn’t increase speed but instead jerks until I let go of the gas and then depress it again it happenes maybe 2-3 times during a drive .

20240424SERVICE BRAKES

February, 2024 - brakes "soft" at times, seems not catching unless stepped on almost to the floor. I brought it to the dealership same day. Since I did not have an appointment, a test drive was done and was told it was working fine and let them know if the brake warning lights will turn on. No record of this was noted. March, 2024 - I had to bring it back because the brakes feel like it will quit as I have to really step on the pedal to the floor before the car will slow down. The master cylinder was changed. Multi-point inspection was done. I got the car back March 14, 2024. April 12, 2024 - I had to bring it back because of the brake and ABS lights on the instrument panel lighted up. I was told it's the HECU that's the problem. I had to drive back the car to home because of the quoted cost of $3,266.58 estimate that I have to make a decision of. This was on April 23, 2024. I was told that the ABS module may not work in event of inclement weather or quick stops. A multi-point inspecti

20240424ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

February, 2024 - brakes "soft" at times, seems not catching unless stepped on almost to the floor. I brought it to the dealership same day. Since I did not have an appointment, a test drive was done and was told it was working fine and let them know if the brake warning lights will turn on. No record of this was noted. March, 2024 - I had to bring it back because the brakes feel like it will quit as I have to really step on the pedal to the floor before the car will slow down. The master cylinder was changed. Multi-point inspection was done. I got the car back March 14, 2024. April 12, 2024 - I had to bring it back because of the brake and ABS lights on the instrument panel lighted up. I was told it's the HECU that's the problem. I had to drive back the car to home because of the quoted cost of $3,266.58 estimate that I have to make a decision of. This was on April 23, 2024. I was told that the ABS module may not work in event of inclement weather or quick stops. A multi-point inspecti

20240419FireSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at their home, the engine of the vehicle caught on fire. The fire was extinguished by the Horry County Fire Rescue Station. A fire report was filed but not provided to the contact The contact stated that no injuries occurred, and no police report was filed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V061000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to repair was unavailable. The vehicle was currently at the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but was unable to confirm when the part was to become available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20240410CrashAIR BAGS

March 26, 2024 Hello; Re: 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring VIN# [XXX] On [XXX], I while driving on a very icy slippery road to do low temperatures and the city not salting the roads like they should have! I was going approximately 22 mph & somehow I lost control of my car & slammed into a light pole & the whole entire front end of my car was destroyed! Meanwhile, none of the airbags deployed & I slammed into the steering wheel! I had my seatbelt on & it immediately locked up on me & someone had to cut me out of the seatbelt! I was transported to the hospital emergency, while my car was towed to "E. End Auto" @ 64 10th Ave. Dickinson, ND I suffered severe injuries such as back & neck injuries, 4 bruised ribs & horribly severe bruises to my left eye & scars! As soon as I possibly could I contacted "E End Auto" to find out what to do next & they informed me that the tow charges were approximately $700 & that was less than a 2-mile tow! Additionally each day the car sat in their storage lo

20240301STEERING

The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the electric power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to turn the steering wheel but was unable to do so. The contact stated there were other unknown warning lights illuminated, that were unrelated to the failure. The vehicle was at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 311,500.

Mileage: 311,500

20240221STEERING

I purchased this vehicle in December of last year and the steering was fine. The next day I took it to the Waco Hyundai dealership and was told they didn't have the software to do the EPS recall. A few days later, the power steering went out. I called Killeen Hyundai and made an appointment two weeks out to have them look at it. Long story short, after almost 2 months of them having my vehicle they were unable to update the recall. I was told I had 24 hours to pick it up. Where do I go from here?

20231220ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

For the past month I have broke down multiple times. Used all my aaa tows. Everything turns off while driving 60mph with kids in the vehicle. Absolutely no power steering. I haven’t had interior lights, radio etc in 6 months. 8 belts since March. I’m a single mother stranded again freezing

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NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA have?
The 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA has 312 NHTSA complaints, 39 crashes, 16 fires, 29 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA?
Yes, the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA?
The most-complained component for the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA is STEERING with 126 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.