2001 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Elantra years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 315 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Hyundai Elantra. That ranks 8th out of 32 Elantra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (118 complaints, 37%), typically at around 62,000 miles. Complaints mention 71 crashes, 4 fires, 59 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 315owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 71complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Hyundai Elantra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 118 | 37% | 62,000 | “air bag” (54%) | $1,400 |
| Suspension problems | 81 | 26% | 85,956 | “control arm” (64%) | — |
| Structure | 28 | 9% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 24 | 8% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 7% | 71,757 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 7% | 34,597 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 6% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 5% | 68,099 | — | — |
| Power Train | 16 | 5% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 83,179 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 2% | 27,694 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 2% | 138,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 2% | 67,198 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 126,100 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 85,143 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 42,099 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 7,364 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | 59,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Hyundai Elantra recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm
Problem: Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.
Risk: The fracturing of the control arm could an owner's control over their vehicle that may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms for corrosion damage. If specified levels of internal corrosion damage are found, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms incorporating additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front lower control arms do not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the front lower control arms and will treat the front lower control arms with rust-proofing materials to arrest the internal corrosion process. These procedures will be performed free of charge. The recall began on august 17, 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Hyundai is recalling certain my 2001 elantra vehicles. If a liquid is spilled in the area of the cupholder on the center console, it may seep through the console opening for the parking brake lever and then drip onto the air bag control module electrical connector. The spilled liquid may contaminate the air bag control module and its electrical connector to the air bag wiring harness and cause the supplemental restraint system (srs) warning light to illuminate.
Risk: This condition may affect the driver and passenger frontal air bags and may prevent air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the srs air bags may increase the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger under certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will install a protective cover over the vehicle's air bag control module connector. The recall owner notification began on november 30, 2008, and letters will be sent out in six mailings. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Hyundai is recalling certain my 2001-2002 elantra vehicles. Movement of the side impact air bag wiring harness mounted under each front seat, possibly caused by contact from materials placed under the seat, may result in an electrical resistance that would cause supplemental restraint system (srs) warning light illumination.
Risk: This condition only relates to the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bags and may prevent seat mounted side impact air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the srs air bags may increase the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger under certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will install new side impact air bag wiring harness connector clips and revised side impact air bag wiring harness attachments under the driver's and front passenger's seats. The recall is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2008, and will be sent out in six mailings. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets.
Risk: Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering gearbox mounting brackets may result in rear brake tube wear and corrosion, increasing the risk of brake fluid leakage. Brake fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes, install brake tube clips, and apply anti-corrosion material to the rear brake tubes. Owner notification began january 22, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-800-633-5151.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (abs), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped with abs, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage.
Risk: Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The supplemental restraint system side air bag satellite sensors installed were improperly manufactured, causing the air bag warning light to illuminate and the side air bags to not deploy as intended in the event of a crash.
Risk: Non-deployment of the side air bags could increase the risk of injury during a crash where side air bag deployment is intended.
Fix: Dealers will replace the two satellite sensors.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front lower control arms rusting (PE09011) — opened Feb 18, 2009, closed Apr 21, 2009, led to recall 09V125000.
- Air bag light illumination (EA08012) — opened Jul 10, 2008, closed Nov 14, 2008, led to recall 08V532000.
- Air bag light illumination (PE08017) — opened Mar 10, 2008, closed Jul 10, 2008.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Electrical issues with power locks. The vehicle overall is unsafe due to the progressive motor, electrical, and complex issues effecting the basic usage of my car.
The air bag light keeps coming on and off while in motion..
All 4 brakes started to randomly lock up. I was driving and had to run it almost a 1/2 mile for a shoulder to pull over at. Upon stopping, the brakes were smoking all around the car and the front driver side actually caught flame. I'm guessing brake booster is the cause. Also front control arms are…
Takata recall. The airbag light is illuminated on dash. The vehicle has never been in an accident yet the light is on. Not sure if airbags will work if an accident ever does occur. Cannot have full coverage insurance because air bag light is on. Vehicle was stationary when light came on. Unknown…
All four windows stopped functioning at once. Researched this problem and it is extremely common. This is a major safety problem in case windows are needed to escape from vehicle due to accident. The temperature of vehicle can also exceed safe degree due to windows not opening. No warning was given…
Other Hyundai Elantra years
← 2000 Elantra · 2002 Elantra →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Elantra | 22 | 0 |
| 2024 Elantra | 54 | 1 |
| 2023 Elantra | 99 | 2 |
| 2022 Elantra | 102 | 5 |
| 2021 Elantra | 132 | 6 |
| 2020 Elantra | 254 | 3 |
| 2019 Elantra | 251 | 1 |
| 2018 Elantra | 283 | 0 |
| 2017 Elantra | 768 | 4 |
| 2016 Elantra | 293 | 2 |
| 2015 Elantra | 262 | 3 |
| 2014 Elantra | 386 | 2 |
| 2013 Elantra | 1,314 | 4 |
| 2012 Elantra | 653 | 4 |
| 2011 Elantra | 433 | 5 |
| 2010 Elantra | 380 | 3 |
| 2009 Elantra | 254 | 4 |
| 2008 Elantra | 314 | 7 |
| 2007 Elantra | 267 | 6 |
| 2006 Elantra | 155 | 1 |
| 2005 Elantra | 137 | 4 |
| 2004 Elantra | 182 | 5 |
| 2003 Elantra | 234 | 5 |
| 2002 Elantra | 342 | 6 |
| 2001 | 315 | 6 |
| 2000 Elantra | 197 | 1 |
| 1999 Elantra | 128 | 2 |
| 1998 Elantra | 55 | 0 |
| 1997 Elantra | 115 | 3 |
| 1996 Elantra | 100 | 3 |
| 1995 Elantra | 112 | 1 |
See all Hyundai Elantra problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
Embed this 2001 Hyundai Elantra badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners most often report air bags, suspension, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 118 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Hyundai Elantra?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Hyundai Elantra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Elantra model years, the 2001 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.