2002 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
431 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 30/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 92,909 miles.
Typical
Where 2002 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“A control arm failed causing the vehicle to swerve wildly into oncoming traffic and then back across the original lane. Collisions with other vehicles and a wheelchair-bound pedestrian were barely avoided. This was supposed to have been corrected through a recall when the car was returned to the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Elantra
“2002 hyundai elantra. Srs airbag light came on instrument console. The passanger seatbelt tensioner detonated about a month later. About two months after that the driver side seat airbag deployed on its own while i was driving..no impact whatsoever. Car now in dealer for module replacement and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Elantra
“Vehicle brakes continuously squeal, when they are depressed. The brake pads are not worn per the dealership. The dealership replaced the master cylinder, cause the brake pedal was going all the way to the floor. The cause of the squealing noise is unknown. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Elantra
“While traveling on the highway without prior warning. There was a oil smelll coming inside of the vents please provide additional information dealer is aware of the problem. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Elantra
“Was traveling home at 6 pm and i was coming over a hill and a car stoped short i swerved to avoid collission and side swiped a telephone pole.the airbags went off and i was hit with a piece of sharpnal that went into my lip causing me to get stitches and has left my face disfigured.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 300 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,225 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,888 and 110,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 160,904 MY 2001-2003 ELANTRA AND MY 2003 TIBURON VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS FOR CORROSION DAMAGE. IF SPECIFIED LEVELS OF INTERNAL CORROSION DAMAGE ARE FOUND, THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW FRONT LOWER…
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MY 2001-2002 ELANTRA VEHICLES. MOVEMENT OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS MOUNTED UNDER EACH FRONT SEAT, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY CONTACT FROM MATERIALS PLACED UNDER THE SEAT, MAY RESULT IN AN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE THAT WOULD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CLIPS AND REVISED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS ATTACHMENTS UNDER THE DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATS. THE RECALL IS…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY" A VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE ROLLS OVER AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE IS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.
SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES CONTAIN A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE WITH A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED WERE TO ROLL OVER, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE TUBES FOR THE REAR BRAKES CAN CONTACT THE STEERING GEARBOX MOUNTING BRACKETS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPOSITION THE REAR BRAKE TUBES, INSTALL BRAKE TUBE CLIPS, AND APPLY ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL TO THE REAR BRAKE TUBES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR BRAKE TUBES PASS BEHIND THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER. TWO STEERING GEARBOX MOUNTING BRACKETS ARE WELDED TO THE CROSSMEMBER. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS), THE REAR BRAKE TUBES COULD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPOSITION THE REAR BRAKE TUBES SO THEY DO NOT CONTACT THE MOUNTING BRACKETS, INSTALL BRAKE TUBE CLIPS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE REAR BRAKE TUBES, AND APPLY ANTI-CORROSION MATERIAL…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V125000.
Led to recall campaign 08V532000.
Technical service bulletins
77 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Elantra TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2002 Hyundai Elantra drew 431 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 30/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra are suspension (100 complaints), airbags (72), and brakes & stability (36).
At what mileage do 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems around 72,225 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,888 and 110,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Hyundai Elantra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.