2003 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
310 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 94,032 miles.
Typical
Where 2003 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“My lower control arm broke in two away from the body and other drive components due to rust and i'm not sure what else. I was driving at a slow speed heard a pop noise got out looked and the tire was all the way against the wheel well.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Elantra
“Driving at 45mpd air bag light activated. Went to my repair service ram auto(ft. Pierce,fl. Tech tested with car diagnostic device. Could not find issue. Tried to delete code for air bag, light comes back on. Suggested i see if any recalls for this vehicle- no reports of air bag recalls for a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Elantra
“The car continues to make whistling sound when travel at sppeds in excess of 50 mph. The noise is distracting”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Elantra
“Brake lights will not go off, even when ignition is off. Replaced brake light switch and tge problem remains.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 216 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,477 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
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.
Technical service bulletins
68 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 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 2003 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2003 Hyundai Elantra drew 310 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2003 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra are suspension (62 complaints), airbags (49), and body & structure (33).
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Hyundai Elantra problems around 67,477 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.