2009 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
319 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 79,384 miles.
Typical
Where 2009 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“Eps light comes on intermittently and shuts off the power steering while driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Elantra
“I was driving from work and my airbag light come on so i got it tested and they said it was my passenger seat is it safe to drive my car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Elantra
“NHTSA 20V-061 (Hyundai 188): ABS/HECU Module NHTSA 15V-100 (Hyundai 127): Electric Power Steering (EPS) NHTSA 13V-113 (Hyundai 110): Brake Light Switch”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Elantra
“The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 232 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 78,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,000 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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 2007-2009 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…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 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 2009 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2009 Hyundai Elantra drew 319 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 21/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2009 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra are steering (132 complaints), airbags (42), and electrical (27).
At what mileage do 2009 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Hyundai Elantra problems around 78,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,000 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.