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#BS-2004-HYUELA-38C7

2004 Hyundai Elantra

Based on reports from 209 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
209
Crashes
32
Fires
3
Recalls
5
TSBs
54
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 209 complaints, 32 crashes, 3 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

squealing noise when starting up

2 complaints • Severity 7/10

$X,XXX
2

paint coming off

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

oil pump failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

57 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 31K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control ModuleMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

64
0–30K
16
30–60K
24
60–90K
15
90–120K
6
120–150K
6
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (64 reports) • Median: 31K 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: Airbags (57 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

Airbags57 (27%)
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module34 (16%)
Air Bags:frontal18 (9%)
Engine12 (6%)
Seat Belts8 (4%)
Speed Control7 (3%)
Suspension6 (3%)
Air Bags:side/window5 (2%)

2004 Hyundai Elantra: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra, with 57 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 31,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 31K-mile mark.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module Issues

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-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

73
04
37
05
14
06
8
07
7
08
13
10
11
11
5
12
3
13
7
14
10
15
4
16
5
17
8
18
2
19
2
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra. Recent trend: stable.

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

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

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Recall History (5 recalls)

03V322000Aug 2003

AIR BAGS

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, IF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED OR IS OCCUPIED BY SOMEONE LIGHTER THAN 56.4 POUNDS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS DEACTIVATED AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IF A CRASH OCCURS. HOWEVER, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR MAY INCORRECTLY INTERPRET THAT A SEATED ADULT IS AN INFANT SEAT AND DEACTIVATE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IF SOMEONE HEAVIER THAN 56.4 POUNDS WHO IS SEATED WITH ONE LEG RESTING ON THE OUTBOARD OR INBOARD EDGE OF THE SEAT; WITH LEGS SPREAD; OR POSITIONED OFF-CENTER TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE AND WITH HIS OR HER ARM LEANING ON THE CONSOLE.

04V208000May 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

DURING AN INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) OFFSET FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, FUEL SPILLAGE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF FUEL TANK DAMAGE CAUSED BY CONTACT BETWEEN A VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP EAR AND THE FUEL TANK. THE VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP EAR WAS FOUND TO BE MISPOSITIONED AND FACING TOWARD THE FUEL TANK.

04V370000Oct 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

DURING AN INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) OFFSET FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FUEL TAN DAMAGE COULD OCCUR. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE FUEL TANK MAY NOT BE POSITIONED PROPERLY AND COULD CAUSE FUEL LEAKAGE.

05V395000Oct 2005

AIR BAGS

CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN ADULT HAS BEEN SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. IF THERE HAS NOT BEEN A 'KEY ON' ' KEY OFF' CYCLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EMPTY PRIOR TO INSTALLATION OF THE CRS.

05V479000Nov 2005

AIR BAGS

CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN ADULT HAS BEEN SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. IF THERE HAS NOT BEEN A 'KEY ON' ' KEY OFF' CYCLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EMPTY PRIOR TO INSTALLATION OF THE CRS.

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.

2004 Hyundai Elantra vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

209

Class avg

205

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2004.

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. 209 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 →

2004 Hyundai Elantra: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Hyundai Elantra?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Hyundai Elantra is related to the airbags, with 57 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2004 Hyundai Elantra has 209 complaints, 32 crash reports, and 3 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 2004 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 2004 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 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 131 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 31,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 209 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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