The Verdict
Worst problem area
Steering
Steering leads by volume: 145 of 287 complaints (51%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (16) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 316 in 2008 to 287 in 2009.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 287
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $2,200–$2,400
- Combined MPG
- 26–28
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
Advertisement
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | vs. 2009 Midsize Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,200–2,300 | 2,200–2,300 | 2,200–2,400 | 2,150–2,400 | 1,950–2,400 | |
| Combined MPG | 27–28 | 27–28 | 26–28 | 26–29 | 26–32 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 24–25 / 33 | 24–25 / 33 | 23–25 / 30–33 | 23–26 / 30–35 | 23–28 / 30–38 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 317–329 | 317–329 | 317–342 | 306–342 | 278–342 | |
| Complaints filed | 267 | 316 | 287 | 455 | 462 | |
| Recalls issued | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 21 | 38 | 28 | 49 | 21 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 13 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 9 | |
| Injuries reported | 17 | 41 | 24 | 53 | 13 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2009 Hyundai Elantra have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Hyundai Elantra?
Steering: 145 of 287 NHTSA complaints (51%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2009 Hyundai Elantra get?
EPA rates it 26–28 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2009 Hyundai Elantra?
EPA estimates $2,200–$2,400 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (4)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.0L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 24 mpg | 33 mpg (high) | 27 mpg | $2,300 | 329 g/mi |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.0L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 25 mpg (high) | 33 mpg (high) | 28 mpg (high) | $2,200 (low) | 317 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 3 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.0L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Station Wagons | 23 mpg (low) | 31 mpg | 26 mpg (low) | $2,400 (high) | 342 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 4 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.0L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Station Wagons | 23 mpg (low) | 30 mpg (low) | 26 mpg (low) | $2,400 (high) | 342 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 14 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 39 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 145 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 51 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 14 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 16 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (4)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.