2008 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
424 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 31/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 74,575 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“The epa light came on as i was driving on a city street and then the power steering went out as i turned left.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
“The EPS sensor trips when making a turn rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. I have to put the vehicle in park, shut it off, then turn it back on to continue moving. This is highly dangerous if it were to happen on the highway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
“The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that a week after the dealer performed the recall repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V061000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); the contact was made aware that the brake lights had remained illuminated after the vehicle was parked and turned…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
“The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with fuel pump failure. The contact stated that the vehicle…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
“The car was hit by another car going and the airbags failed to deploy resulting in injuries. My car was turning left at about 15 mph and the other driver blew through a red light at 60 mph. Photos available from esurance.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
“My daughter's 2008 hyundai elantra was parked on the street outside her apartment complex. The front of the car caught on fire after the car had been parked for about 30-35 hours.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 327 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall…
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…
Fix: Hyundai will verify the proper operation of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and update the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…
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,…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall…
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2006, THROUGH AUGUST 29, 2007. THE DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK POSITION SENSOR DETERMINES THE SEAT'S FORE AND AFT POSITION AND ALLOWS THE DRIVER'S FRONTAL AIR BAG TO DEPLOY…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTING TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT…
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2006, THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2008. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATS IN THE VEHICLES CONTAIN A WEIGHT SENSOR DESIGNED TO DEACTIVATE THE RIGHT FRONTAL AIRBAG WHEN OCCUPANTS OF…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE WEIGHT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CONNECTOR TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTING TO…
HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO (HPR) IS RECALLING 347 MY 2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES. THE FUEL PUMP MOTOR MAY NOT HAVE THE PROPER, UNIFORM INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SURFACE CONTACT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO PRODUCE LESS PUMPING PRESSURE THAN REQUIRED TO SUPPLY THE FUEL…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP SUBASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 9, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HPR AT 1-800-981-0188.
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 65,000 MY 2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES WITH 2.0 LITER BETA ENGINES. THE FUEL PUMP MOTOR MAY NOT HAVE THE PROPER UNIFORM INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SURFACE CONTACT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO PRODUCE LESS PUMPING PRESSURE THAN REQUIRED TO SUPPLY…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP SUBASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 08V429000.
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and steering — are on file for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 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 2008 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2008 Hyundai Elantra drew 424 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 31/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2008 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra are steering (55 complaints), electrical (54), and brakes & stability (50).
At what mileage do 2008 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Hyundai Elantra problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.