BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-2003-HYUELA-38C7

2003 Hyundai Elantra

Based on reports from 310 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
310
Crashes
59
Fires
1
Recalls
5
TSBs
66
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 310 complaints, 59 crashes, 1 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

no heat or ac when stopped in motion only

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

radiator busted

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SuspensionHIGH

33 owners reported suspension issues — failures commonly reported around 66K miles.

!Inspect the AirbagsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

47
0–30K
52
30–60K
46
60–90K
38
90–120K
17
120–150K
21
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (52 reports) • Median: 66K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Suspension (33 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Suspension33 (11%)
Airbags28 (9%)
Brakes19 (6%)
Air Bags:frontal15 (5%)
Steering15 (5%)
Fuel System14 (5%)
Structure:body13 (4%)
Suspension:front13 (4%)

2003 Hyundai Elantra: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Suspension Issues

Suspension complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, with 33 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 65,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 66K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, with 19 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
02
33
03
42
04
21
05
7
06
16
07
23
08
31
09
29
10
8
11
6
12
15
13
22
14
9
15
15
16
5
17
4
18
8
19
5
20
2
21
1
22
7
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Hyundai Elantra. Recent trend: increasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (5 recalls)

03V257000Oct 2003

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR BRAKE TUBES PASS BEHIND THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER. TWO STEERING GEARBOX MOUNTING BRACKETS ARE WELDED TO THE CROSSMEMBER. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS), THE REAR BRAKE TUBES COULD CONTACT BOTH STEERING GEARBOX MOUNTING BRACKETS. ON VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ABS, THE REAR BRAKE TUBES MAY CONTACT ONLY THE LEFT MOUNTING BRACKET. CONTACT BETWEEN THE REAR BRAKE TUBES AND THE STEERING BRACKETS COULD CAUSE WEAR AND CORROSION THAT COULD RESULT IN BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE.

03V496000Jan 2004

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE TUBES FOR THE REAR BRAKES CAN CONTACT THE STEERING GEARBOX MOUNTING BRACKETS.

04V178000Jun 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES CONTAIN A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE WITH A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED WERE TO ROLL OVER, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.

04V369000Oct 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY" A VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY MAY NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. IF A VEHICLE ROLLS OVER AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED, FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.

09V125000Jul 2009

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 160,904 MY 2001-2003 ELANTRA AND MY 2003 TIBURON VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. ROAD SALT USED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IN THESE JURISDICTIONS MAY RESULT IN INTERNAL CORROSION AND THINNING OF THE STEEL IN THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THE CORROSION MAY PROGRESS TO THE POINT WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM'S UPPER AND LOWER PANELS BECOME PERFORATED. A PERFORATED FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM MAY FRACTURE BETWEEN ITS BALL JOINT ATTACHMENT AND THE FORWARD AND REARWARD PIVOT ATTACHMENTS TO THE CHASSIS.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Hyundai Elantra is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2003 Hyundai Elantra vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

310

Class avg

231

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2003.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 310 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Hyundai Elantra Model Years

202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990
View all Hyundai Elantra years →

2003 Hyundai Elantra: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Hyundai Elantra is related to the suspension, with 33 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2003 Hyundai Elantra has 310 complaints, 59 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 Hyundai Elantra problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Hyundai Elantra has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Hyundai Elantra problems start?
Based on 221 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 65,500 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 2003 Hyundai Elantra Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 310 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees