2010 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
504 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 35/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 77,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2010 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“Eps light came on, almost lost control while driving. Later i found out about a recall. Steering wheel locked on me. Had to pull to side as much as i can off to the side of the freeway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
“The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the battery became inoperable overnight. There were five unknown instrument cluster warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
“I was driving my hyundai 2010 i hit a parked car driving about 35mph none of my airbags deployed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
“When I started my car, the brake lights were on and the brakes were not responding. I took it to a mechanic who replaced a brake line and reported that there was rust on other brake lines as well”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
“The transmission of the car will have hiccup when it shifts into different gears when driving around 30-40 mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
“Car stalls while driving on both highway and side streets. Won't start up right away. Each time it happened it took longer and longer for it to start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 333 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 63,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,000 and 96,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2010 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 2010 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra drew 504 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 35/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2010 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra are steering (196 complaints), electrical (56), and airbags (46).
At what mileage do 2010 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 Hyundai Elantra problems around 63,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,000 and 96,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 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.