2012 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
919 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 49/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 55,002 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“I turn the key and the dashboard lights turn on. The radio turns on also. The problem is the engine doesn't start. There is no noise where you should hear the starter. Just silence.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
“The engine started making a significant knocking sound , the vehicle only has 111000 miles on it, and the repair quotes are $6,500 which is almost what the vehicle was worth.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
“Airbag light came on at 197,000 miles. The vehicle was not in any type of accident where the airbag deployed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
“We had our oil change done, my husband drove out highway at nite going straight and all of sudden car started drive odd.saw oil light on pulled over,towed to dealership.they in turn said engine was bad,had to sell us another car. Has that happened to others?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
“The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
“Takata recall. When driving up to 40 mph my steering wheel starts making some funny noise and it shakes really bad at the same time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 574 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 62,998 miles. Half of those reports fall between 35,000 and 97,000 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 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013…
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10,…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, 2012 Accent and Veloster vehicles. The 12V accessory socket outlet may have been over-tightened during installation, possibly disabling the thermal fuse and…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire Mobility Kit accessory outlet plug with a direct-to-battery connection wire harness kit, free of charge. The recall began September 28,…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Elantra vehicles manufactured October 29, 2010, to October 25, 2011. Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall began June 6, 2016. Owners may…
Hyundai Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured from November 12, 2010, through March 5, 2013. A support bracket attached to the headliner may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units…
Led to recall campaign 13V115000.
Technical service bulletins
116 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2012 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2012 Hyundai Elantra drew 919 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 49/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2012 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Hyundai Elantra are electrical (144 complaints), engine (140), and airbags (124).
At what mileage do 2012 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Hyundai Elantra problems around 62,998 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 35,000 and 97,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Hyundai Elantra. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.