Problems · by component
2013 Hyundai Elantra electronic stability control (esc) problems
46 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Hyundai Elantra cite electronic stability control (esc), 3% of all 1,330 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
46
3% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY STEERING COLUMN MAKES AN AWFUL NOISE LIKE A CLICKING NOISE THE WHOLE TIME I'M DRIVING IT REALLY SCARES ME BUT I HAVE TO DRIVE IT BC IT'S MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. NOW MY BREAK LIGHTS ALL THE WAY ACROSS DOESN'T WORK AND IT'S NOT A FUSE.LAST THING IS MY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON ALSO WHICH SCARES ME .PLEASE SOME ONE HELP GET THESE ISSUES RESOLVED QUICKLY I'M THE SECOND OWNER SO I PROBABLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE RECALLS ABOUT THESE ISSUES.PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME .THANK YOU”
“JUST BOUGHT THE 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, 12/21/2019, AFTER ABOUT 100 MILES OF DRIVING WE NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL IS OFF CENTER. WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AND ON HIGHWAY SHIFTING LANES IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO AND IT WILL PULL HARD LEFT OR RIGHT ALMOST CAUSING TO RUN OFF THE ROAD. 12/25/2019, WHILE ON THE WAY HOME I ALMOST STRUCK ANOTHER CAR. MORE NOTICEABLE FROM 30 TO 55 WORSE OVER 55. DRIVING ON DIRT ROAD FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO FISH TAIL. STEERING IS STICKY YET A LOT OF PLAY. INTERMITTINGLY WHILE BRAKING IT SOUNDS LIKE SCRAPPING LIKE WHEN YOUR BRAKES ARE BAD. BRAKING SLOWLY OR ABRUPTLY MAKES NO CHANGE. WET ROADS IS WORSE WITH BRAKING.”
“CAR WAS PARKED AND LOCKED WITH ALL SYSTEMS OFF. LATER I NOTICED BRAKE LIGHTS ON. CALLED HYUNDAI AND INFORMED THEM INQUIRING IF THERE WAS A RECALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE TO DEALER AND HAVE THEM PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC TO DETERMINE CAUSE. THEY SAID IT WAS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH.DEALER CHANGED SWITCH(2),RELAY. PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *JS”
“THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A CLICK IN IT . THE EPS LIGHT AND TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME WENT TOO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY SAID IT WASN'T A RECALL ON THIS COMMON PROBLEM IT HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE AT CITY SPEED”
“ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO MY 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BECAME SLUGGISH IN ACCELERATING. IT HAS GRADUALLY GOTTEN WORSE. I TRIED FUEL CLEANERS, PREMIUM GAS, AND NOW A TUNE UP REPLACING COIL PACKS AND PLUGS. THE VEHICLE CRAWLS AND DOES NOT ACCELERTE AS QUICK AS IT SHOULD. IT CUTS OFF OR REFUSES TO MOVE WHEN GIVEN GAS AT ALL STOPS. I SWITCH OFF THEN ON AT RED LIGHTS AS IT SEEMS TO WANT TO TAKE OFF WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED. WHEN I REACH ABOUT 50MPH THE RPM HAND GUNS AND THE BOTTOMS OUT TO STAY AT ZERO WITH NO CHANGE IN ACCELERATION. THERE IS NOW A WHIRRING NOISE SPORADICALLY COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER THE TI E UP THE ISSUES CONTINUE WITH CUTTING OFF ,ROUGH IDLING, EXTREMELY SLOW SNAIL ACCELLERATION WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STABILITRAK AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SLOWLY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. RANCHO GRANDE MOTORS (1404 AUTO PARK WAY, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93405, (805) 543-4745) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,600.”
Showing 6 of 46 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.