2018 Hyundai Elantra Engine Problems
Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 38,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil change” (9% of reports).
- 141engine complaints
- 38,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $9,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil change: mentioned in 13 of 141 complaints (9%)
- Shuts off: mentioned in 8 of 141 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra at $9,300, and half of them between $3,550 and $10,900.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 141 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 1 an injury.
Hyundai Elantra engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Elantra | 3 | 14% | 4,000 |
| 2024 Elantra | 8 | 15% | 43,000 |
| 2023 Elantra | 19 | 19% | 7,645 |
| 2022 Elantra | 11 | 11% | 28,913 |
| 2021 Elantra | 13 | 10% | 71,250 |
| 2020 Elantra | 109 | 43% | 32,500 |
| 2019 Elantra | 133 | 53% | 76,000 |
| 2018 Elantra | 141 | 50% | 38,000 |
| 2017 Elantra | 290 | 38% | 49,000 |
| 2016 Elantra | 111 | 38% | 73,000 |
| 2015 Elantra | 92 | 35% | 73,500 |
| 2014 Elantra | 166 | 43% | 82,500 |
| 2013 Elantra | 233 | 18% | 65,000 |
| 2012 Elantra | 139 | 21% | 68,585 |
| 2011 Elantra | 92 | 21% | 81,000 |
| 2010 Elantra | 15 | 4% | 91,250 |
| 2009 Elantra | 13 | 5% | 86,500 |
| 2008 Elantra | 24 | 8% | 112,283 |
| 2007 Elantra | 12 | 4% | 140,000 |
| 2006 Elantra | 2 | 1% | 80,540 |
| 2005 Elantra | 4 | 3% | 104,250 |
| 2004 Elantra | 5 | 3% | 99,597 |
| 2003 Elantra | 1 | 0% | 3,500 |
| 2002 Elantra | 2 | 1% | 80,300 |
| 2001 Elantra | 4 | 1% | 126,100 |
| 2000 Elantra | 6 | 3% | 30,750 |
| 1999 Elantra | 2 | 2% | 150,000 |
| 1997 Elantra | 1 | 1% | 189,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
While driving the engine light came off and car shut down instantly. I see there is issues with the 2018 Hyundai Elantra but Iâm coming ot if picket. $7678.50 I purchased the vehicle I. ZMay and purchased a standard warranty that covers $2500 per repair. I have a 30/3 Tucson and love that…
After the car was started, I drove 3 houses over when there was a loud knocking sound and the car just shut off. When trying to restart it wouldn't and the check engine, battery, and oil lights came on. After pushing it out of the road we checked the oil and it was empty. The oil has just been…
On July 13, 2026, my engine light came on and I don't understand why. My oil change was update and not sure what else can be wrong. So, I went to AutoZone so that can do a diagnostic and they gave me a printout of the problem. Took the vehicle to the shop gave him the printout from AutoZone so that…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Hyundai Elantras have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 141 owner complaints about engine for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra (50% of the 283 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 38,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners report a typical cost of $9,300 (half paid between $3,550 and $10,900), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra?
The most frequent phrase is “oil change”, in 13 of 141 complaints, followed by “shuts off” (8).
See all 2018 Hyundai Elantra problems or engine problems across all Elantra years.