NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 287 owner complaints for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra. Most complaints involve steering (145) and air bags (50). The EPA rates it 27–28 mpg combined.
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.
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.
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.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Complaints for each Elantra model year we’ve synced.
| Model year | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 101 |
| 1997 | 118 |
| 1998 | 56 |
| 1999 | 133 |
| 2000 | 200 |
| 2001 | 329 |
| 2002 | 348 |
| 2003 | 234 |
| 2004 | 182 |
| 2005 | 137 |
| 2006 | 155 |
| 2007 | 267 |
| 2008 | 316 |
| 2009 | 287 |
| 2010 | 455 |
| 2011 | 461 |
| 2012 | 676 |
| 2013 | 1,330 |
| 2014 | 387 |
| 2015 | 262 |
| 2016 | 293 |
| 2017 | 770 |
| 2018 | 284 |
| 2019 | 252 |
| 2020 | 254 |
| 2021 | 132 |
| 2022 | 102 |
| 2023 | 101 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 22 |
| 2026 | 3 |
“The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and stationary, the vehicle was started and the steering wheel was very stiff. The contact originally thought that the issue was battery related; however, replacing the battery failed to resolve the issue. Due to the failure, the EPS and TPMS warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the part was not available. The local dealer was contacted but was unable to receive the part. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 209,000.”
“Air bag light is on as soon as car power on until it turns off passenger airbag is off I dont know if my airbags will deploy if I get in an accident . While driving steady speed of 50-60 mph while pressing gas sometimes it doesn’t increase speed but instead jerks until I let go of the gas and then depress it again it happenes maybe 2-3 times during a drive .”
“Got in the car to come home put the key in ignition turned it and battery was dead went to turn off and something popped and cloud of smoke started rolling out from underneath the hood once hood was up the smoke got stronger from behind the motor the battery we had to get the battery unplugged and pulled out to get the electricity out the vehicle because of the battery being dead but sill plugged up at the time it would continue smoking more and more and thicker thicker so My husband pulled the battery out immediately as doing so we both inhaled some smoke but we was more concerned about it catching on fire so we pulled through it . We are confused on how or why this happened nothing has broke or went wrong with my vehicle but serpentine belt brake and tire ware my mother had car inspected and service back in May nothing was said that there is or will be wrong with my car. We had no idea that there was anything wrong no warning lights no signs of any problems up to this incident.”
Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.
| Version | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elantra Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,200 | 317 |
| Elantra Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive | 24 | 33 | 27 | $2,300 | 329 |
| Item | Miles | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | 5,000–10,000 mi | 6–12 months | Follow the oil-life monitor if fitted |
| Tire rotation | 5,000–7,500 mi | Every oil change | Check pressure monthly |
| Engine air filter | 15,000–30,000 mi | 1–2 years | Sooner in dusty areas |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000–25,000 mi | 1–2 years | |
| Brake fluid | — | 2–3 years | Absorbs moisture over time |
| Coolant | 60,000–100,000 mi | 5–10 years | Long-life coolants last longer |
| Spark plugs | 60,000–100,000 mi | — | Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end |
| 12V battery | — | 3–5 years | Heat shortens battery life |
4 safety recalls as of Nov 9, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.
Owners filed 287 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are steering (145), air bags (50), electrical system (28). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.
The EPA rates the 2009 Hyundai Elantra at 27–28 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (2 versions rated).