2005 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
180 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 50,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2005 Hyundai Elantra has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2005 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“Airbag light comes on intermittently, with an adult in the passenger seat. Took vehicle to dealer and was told there was nothing they could do.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 131 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 56,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 17,800 and 96,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.
CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S OCS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) TO REMOVE THE FEATURE THAT MAY CAUSE THE CRS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN ADULT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2005. OWNERS MAY…
CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S OCS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) TO REMOVE THE FEATURE THAT MAY CAUSE THE CRS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN ADULT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 31, 2005. OWNERS MAY…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH THREADED PORTIONS OF THE STEERING GEARBOX ASSEMBLY'S LEFT AND RIGHT INNER BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES THAT CONTAIN INTERNAL CRACKS IN THE MATERIAL STRUCTURE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING GEARBOX ASSEMBLIES ON THESE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WERE CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE BEGINNING ON APRIL 8, 2005, AND INSTRUCTED NOT TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES.…
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2005 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 2005 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2005 Hyundai Elantra drew 180 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2005 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra are airbags (74 complaints), electrical (16), and speed control (14).
At what mileage do 2005 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Hyundai Elantra problems around 56,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 17,800 and 96,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 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.