2009 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Elantra years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 254 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Hyundai Elantra. That ranks 14th out of 32 Elantra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (133 complaints, 52%), typically at around 78,000 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 11 fires, 24 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 254owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 28complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 133 | 52% | 78,000 | “steering column” (21%) | $3,000 |
| Air Bags | 42 | 17% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 9% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 18 | 7% | 46,543 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 7% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 13 | 5% | 86,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 4% | 65,750 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 4% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 4% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 3% | 78,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 135,535 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 56,130 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 1% | 14,630 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 133,900 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 300 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 72,127 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 5,600 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Hyundai Elantra recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: 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 result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: 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 sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 127.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: 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 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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 electrical connector for the weight sensor is located under the center console, between the front seats. Under certain circumstances the connector could become contaminated and malfunction such that the front passenger airbag will deploy regardless of the weight of the occupant.
Risk: The front passenger air bag could deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant from the deployed air bag.
Fix: Dealers will install a protective cover over the weight classification system connector to prevent contamination. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expecting to begin during april 2011. Owners may contact hyundai's customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
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
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) module has failed due to moisture intrusion that caused an internal electrical short circuit, destroying the ABS Primary Pressure Sensor. A few days after the vehicle was parked outside during heavy rain, I was driving on a busy highway when it suddenly lost…
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost power steering assist. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated during the failure. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the…
I am reporting Hyundaiâs failure to complete open Campaign 127/NHTSA Recall 15V-100 on my 2009 Hyundai Elantra. I acquired the vehicle from a family member in late July 2026 after the previous owner died and the vehicle was delayed in probate. I sought recall service immediately after legal…
Power steering assist motor stopped working, leaving the car with hard manual steering. Dealer inspection confirms the issue across several year models, inclding my 2009. There were 2 other year models with the same issue in their shop with mine that day. One was 2018. One was a 2023. Car is very…
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V061000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the TPMS and powertrain warning lights illuminated, but the vehicle drove normally. The contact…
Other Hyundai Elantra years
← 2008 Elantra · 2010 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 | 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 Elantra | 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners most often report steering, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 133 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Hyundai Elantra?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 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 2009 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.