There are 20 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Elantrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
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
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 inspection was done prior to release of vehicle. I never received a recall on the Hyundai HECU. It was only when I researched it after I got the car back. I made it known that I want to be sure I will not get in an accident due to the brakes not working. I was informed that I can drive it but be mindful of the ABS module not working in cases as noted, that the lights were alerts but could be a problem later on. What is my recourse since I did not receive any recall notice? I was trying to fill up the complaint form and it said that the car is impacted by the HECU complaint. it will not let me complete the form. It was frozen on the reimbursement requested. The dealership never did inform me of the recall. I bring this car to this dealership for maintenance and repairs.
THE ABS MODULE JUST STARTED SMOKING TODAY. SMELL OF BURNING BREAKS. WE WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY AND STOPPED AT A MALL AND NOTICED THE SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL.
THE SENSITIVITY ON THE ALARM SYSTEM IS WAY OFF. I CAN'T EVEN SET THE ALARM BECAUSE IF A SEMI DRIVES PASSED IT, THE ALARM GOES OFF. IF A CAT JUMPS ON IT, THE ALARM GOES OFF. IF A STRONG BREEZE GOES BY AND A TWIG DROPS, IT GOES OFF. EVEN THOUGH THE LOCAL HYUNDAI REPAIR PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS WRONG, THEY STILL WANT TO CHARGE AN ARM AND A LEG. FOR SOMETHING THAT ISN'T MY FAULT. JUST RECALIBRATE YOUR EQUIPMENT. YOU HAVE THE COMPUTERS TO DO SO BECAUSE YOUR EQUIPMENT HAS DONE IT BEFORE. MAYBE FIX IT?
STARTED THE CAR AND MOTOR/ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS THE MORNING OF 12/18/18. IT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY MOMS HOUSE (ON THE STREET).
AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED LIT AFTER STARTING CAR, BEGINING IN OCTOBER 2018. PROBLEM SEEMED INTERMITTENT; STAYED OFF AFTER START UP WHEN THERE WAS WEIGHT IN PASSENGER SEAT. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND A DIAGNOSIS WAS RAN. CODES SHOWED EITHER THE BATTERY OR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR. HAD THE 3 1/2 YEAR OLD BATTERY REPLACED TO RULE THAT OUT. NO AIR BAG LIGHT ISSUE FOR ABOUT TEN DAYS, BUT PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN. A FEW MORE WEEKS PASS AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN THAT LIGHT IS ON. I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDI THAT AIR BAG PROBLEMS WOULD BE PAID BY THEM, BUT NOT FOR RELATED SENSOR ISSUES. SEEMS THE SENSOR IS EQUALLY AS DANGEROUS. NO AIR BAGS, ARE NO AIR BAGS. I BOUGHT THE CAR (USED) BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH SAFETY RATINGS FOR MY TWO TEENS TO DRIVE. I THINK ANY ITEM EFFECTING THE AIR BAGS SHOULD BE RECALLED ASAP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE.
ON 09/17/2018 I WOKE UP AROUND 5 AM TO FIND THE ELANTRA FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN THE FRONT END. IT WASN'T RUNNING, NOTHING LEFT ON, IT HAD NOT BEEN RUN FOR 4 HOURS SO THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COLD. NO DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS BEFORE. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED, PUT THE FIRE OUT AND STATED THAT THEY SAW NOTHING SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE FIRE AND THAT I SHOULD CHECK ON PROBLEMS WITH HYUNDAI. THIS CAR ONLY HAD 70000 MILES ON IT WITH A 10 YEAR 100000 MILE WARRANTEE .I WENT TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT. THIS CAR WAS COLD, PARKED, NOTHING ON, NO KEYS IN IT, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON IT SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THANK YOU.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WHY MY VIN WAS NOT PUT IN WITH THE RECENT RECALL OF THE ABS AND ESC AND HAS BEEN SHORTED OR DRAINED BATTERY AND MY VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF AND THE ELECTRICAL HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH MY BREAK LIGHTS AT ONE POINT. I HAVE REPLACED MY ABS SENSORY 2 TIMES ALREADY AND THE LIGHT STILL APEARS.
MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING 2009 EPS LIGHT COMING ON.
THE PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE CAR SHUT DOWN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND AS SUCH NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WILL FUNCTION. THE DEALER QUOTED ME AT NEARLY $2,000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND MENTIONED REPLACING THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM. REQUIRING A COMPLETE SEAT REPLACEMENT FOR A SIMPLE SENSOR SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW. MEANWHILE, THIS REALLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AS THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRUNK LID OPENED INDEPENDENTLY, THE ALARM ACTIVATED, AND ALL THE DOORS LOCKED AND UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE, WHICH FAILED TO SHIFT INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DIAGNOSED THE FIRE AS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.
I PURCHASED THE CAR IN FEB 2012 AT 34,214 MI AND IN 1 YR TIME, I KEPT BLOWING LIGHTS...HEADLIGHTS, FOG, BRAKE AND TAIL. I PUT A LOT OF MILES ON MY CAR SO BY THE TIME I BECAME ANNOYED BY IT, I JUST MISSED MY WARRANTY SO I LET IT GO. FFWD TO SEPT 2014, I COULDN'T KEEP MY TAIL AND BRAKE LIGHTS FUNCTIONING AT THE SAME TIME. AFTER SEVERAL BULB REPLACEMENTS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT WASN'T THE BULBS THAT KEPT BLOWING, BUT RATHER THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE LIGHTS ON, IT WOULD POP. NOV 2014 AT 118,470 MI, I BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM RESEARCH...AFTER 3 DAYS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE WIRES THAT GO AROUND THE LICENSE PLATE FRAME WERE BEING PINCHED BY THE SCREWS CREATING A DIAG SHORT SO IT WAS ADJUSTED AND I MOVED ON. JAN 2015, SAME PROBLEM!! I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND AFTER THEY TORE APART THE CAR AGAIN, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGED WIRING TO THE R/S PLATE LAMP TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY WERE MELTED TOGETHER AND EVERY TIME THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON, IT WOULD SMOKE. THIS IS A SEPARATE ISSUE THAT WAS NOT SEEN IN NOV. IT WAS REPAIRED SO IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT THAT WAS 3 YEARS OF ELECTRICAL DRAMA THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I STILL HAVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES INSIDE THE CAR, BUT AT LEAST MY EXTERIOR LIGHTS WORK. *TR
AIRBAG SENSOR PASSENGER SEAT ASSEMBLY READS THAT THERE IS SOMEONE SITTING IN PASSENGER SEAT WHEN NO ONE IS IN SEAT. *TR
I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME AND APPROACHING A STOP WHEN MY SRS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING MALFUNCTION OF AIRBAG. NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED, BUT LIGHT WOULD NOT GO AWAY. BROUGHT IT INTO AUTHORIZED HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER, AND THEY STATED RIGHT FRONT SEAT TRACK SENSORS HAVE FAILED. THE COST FOR REPLACING THIS PART IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, AND DRIVING WITH THIS LIGHT ON I THINK WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD IF I GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS OF OTHER OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEM. CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU. *TR
BRAKE LIGHTS(ALL THREE) STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. DESPITE CHANGING FUSES AND BULBS, THEY STILL WILL NOT WORK. WIRES APPEAR TO CONNECT PROPERLY. *TR
CAR ALARM ACTIVATES AT RANDOM WHEN PARKED, INCESSANT NOISE AND WORK PROBLEM. CAR GEAR STUCK-STOP LAMP SWITCH REPAIRED-LATER RECALL, CD MALFUNCTION-ATE DISC, DOOR SENSOR INDICATOR LIGHTS STUCK ON, BATTERY DIES DESPITE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR REVEALING NO PROBLEMS. *TR
PANIC ALARM ENGAGES ON ITS OWN (WHILE PARKED) IN DRIVEWAY OR WORK PARKING LOT. CHECKED ALL DOORS, HOOD, TRUNK TO ENSURE THEY WERE CLOSED. HAS NOT HAPPENED WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. WHEN USING KEY FOB(MANUF SUPPLIED) PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. PRESS LOCK DR BUTTON(30-40 MIN LATER) ALARM SOUNDS,PRESS UNLOCK BUTTON(40-60 MIN LATER) ALARM SOUNDS OR DOES NOT COME ON AGAIN. PRESS LOCK BUTTON TO SECURE CAR, DOORS CLICK TWICE BUT ALARM ENGAGEMENT SOUND OR LIGHT VERIFICATION DOES NOT HAPPEN. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM SO I AM SURE IF TAKEN TO DEALER IT WILL NOT HAPPEN OR THEY WILL NOT CONFIRM IT IS HAPPENING. I CAN NOT SEE ANY LOOSE WIRES, BLOCKED CONTACTS OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT CAUSE PROBLEM. DON'T THINK IT IS THE BATTERY. ITS HAS TO BE A SHORT OR A COMPUTER PROBLEM.
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD TURN ON WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS MOVED FORWARD. WE RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE ISSUE AND IT "APPEARED" TO FIX THE ISSUE ONCE COMPLETED, BUT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE PAST FOUR YEARS. TODAY, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES AS OF JULY 5, 2015.
ESC SWITCH FAILURE CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS TO GO OFF. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026