The Most Common Hyundai Problems

A young man shouting with his eyes closed

Hyundai vehicles tend to break in certain ways. So we comb over complaint, recall, and investigation data to come up with a list of the most likely problems an Hyundai owner is going to face.

We can then compare that to lawsuits, service bulletin repair information, and owner submitted ideas to give you some options for what to do when a specific problem happens.

  1. Elantra Nu Engine Tick

    The 1.8L Nu engine has been ticking owners off with its constant ticks, connecting rod knocks, predispostion to engine bearing failure and problems with oil sludge. These problems all happen within Hyundai's 10-year / 100,000 mile warranty,…

    Continue reading article "Elantra Nu Engine Tick" A Nu engine with the pistons, cam shaft, and timing chain covered in oil.

  2. ZF-TRW Crash Sensor Defect

    Millions of vehicles built after 2009 have defective airbag control units manufactured by the company ZF-TRW. An ACU takes information from crash sensors and decides when to deploy the airbags and seat belt pretensioners. But the crash sens…

    Continue reading article "ZF-TRW Crash Sensor Defect"

  3. ABS Fire

    There are a disturbing number of fires starting in the antilock braking system (ABS) of Hyundai vehicles. The fires start from short-circuits within the ABS due to liquid contamination and corrosion. At first the problem was li…

    Continue reading article "ABS Fire" An isolated dual-clutch transmission on display.

  4. Rodents Chew Hyundai's Soy Wiring

    The wiring in cars used to be coated in a petroleum-based plastic, but recently automakers, including Hyundai, have switched to a soy-based material. The soy is biodegradable and helps keep plastic out of the landfill (yay!). Unfortunately …

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Hyundai's Soy Wiring" A hamster holding a record in front of a green Kia Soul, from an advertising campaign.

  5. Seat Belts Detatch During Crash

    Cars these days have airbags, sensors, crumple zones, tempered glass, and other safety features. But the OG, and arguably the most important, safety feature is the seat belt. Only trouble is, Hyundai's seem to be detatching from the body of…

    Continue reading article "Seat Belts Detatch During Crash" An illustrated and oversized seat belt over a red Hyundai.

  6. Hyunda's Inflated MPGs

    Hyundai Motor Group was caught cheating on their fuel economy ratings (MPG) by the EPA in 2012. MPG estimates were 1 or 2 miles higher than they should have been, which doesn't sound like much. Except when you consider who's picking up the …

    Continue reading article "Hyunda's Inflated MPGs" A yellow and white gas pump with the words Fuel Save on the front

  8. Blue Link Standard Feature?

    Messages that self-destruct and dastardly extortion – it all sounds like the plot to Mission Impossible, right? But it’s actually the story of Hyundai’s Blue Link systems. Pay up, or it’ll blow up ... or at least shut off.

    Continue reading article "Blue Link Standard Feature?" Superimposed red radiation sign over a Blue Link infotainment screen.

See Something We're Missing?

There are so many problems out there it's easy for us to miss some. Let us know if there's a problem you'd like to see us cover.

Suggest a Problem