Free Preview
#BS-2008-HYUELA-38C72008 Hyundai Elantra
Based on reports from 423 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 423 complaints, 57 crashes, 39 fires, and 7 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.7x the class average.
Top reported problems
brakes lockup
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
front end rumbles shutters and pulls to one side
1 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
air bag light is on
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
Preview: What's in your full report
Each card shows a real sample from your report β unlock all 10 sections from $1.20
Mechanic Inspection Checklist
53 owners reported steering issues β failures commonly reported around 56K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0β30K miles (123 reports) β’ Median: 56K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Steering (53 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2008 Hyundai Elantra: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, with 53 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 55,819 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 56K-mile mark.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, with 50 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, with 41 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra, with 36 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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Hyundai Elantra. Recent trend: decreasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (7 recalls)
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 65,000 MY 2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES WITH 2.0 LITER BETA ENGINES. THE FUEL PUMP MOTOR MAY NOT HAVE THE PROPER UNIFORM INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SURFACE CONTACT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO PRODUCE LESS PUMPING PRESSURE THAN REQUIRED TO SUPPLY THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO (HPR) IS RECALLING 347 MY 2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES. THE FUEL PUMP MOTOR MAY NOT HAVE THE PROPER, UNIFORM INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SURFACE CONTACT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO PRODUCE LESS PUMPING PRESSURE THAN REQUIRED TO SUPPLY THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
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 CERTAIN WEIGHTS OCCUPY THE SEAT. THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR THE WEIGHT SENSOR IS LOCATED UNDER THE CENTER CONSOLE, BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THE CONNECTOR COULD BECOME CONTAMINATED AND MALFUNCTION SUCH THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY REGARDLESS OF THE WEIGHT OF THE OCCUPANT.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2006, THROUGH AUGUST 29, 2007. THE DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK POSITION SENSOR DETERMINES THE SEAT'S FORE AND AFT POSITION AND ALLOWS THE DRIVER'S FRONTAL AIR BAG TO DEPLOY AT THE PRESSURE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT SEATING POSITION, WITH A LOWER PRESSURE DEPLOYMENT IN THE MOST FORWARD SEATING POSITIONS. THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE MAY RECEIVE AN UNSTABLE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL FROM THE SEAT TRACK POSITION SENSOR SUCH THAT, IN A CRASH THAT REQUIRES DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY AT THE HIGHER PRESSURE THAN INTENDED IF THE SEAT WAS POSITION IN ONE OF THE FORWARD POSITIONS IN WHICH A LOWER PRESSURE DEPLOYMENT IS INTENDED.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
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, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
+ 2 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Hyundai Elantra is the 2013 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2008 Hyundai Elantra vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
423
Class avg
246
1.7x the class average β significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 423 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Hyundai Elantra Model Years
2008 Hyundai Elantra: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Hyundai Elantra?
Is the 2008 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Hyundai Elantra problems?
Does the 2008 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?
What mileage do Hyundai Elantra problems start?
Whatβs in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
What if the report isnβt useful?




Get the Full 2008 Hyundai Elantra Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 423 owner reports. Know before you buy.