2010 Hyundai Elantra problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra has 454 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 4 of 11 Hyundai Elantra model years by complaint volume. The worst year is 2013 (1,330); the cleanest is 2023 (98). 3 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2010 a good year for the Hyundai Elantra?
The spread across this nameplate is wide: the 2013 draws 14 times the complaints of the 2023. On a run like that the model year you buy matters more than the badge, and 2010 sits in the middle of it.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 98 | 2 |
| 2022 | 101 | 5 |
| 2020 | 252 | 3 |
| 2019 | 251 | 1 |
| 2018 | 283 | 0 |
| 2017 | 767 | 4 |
| 2015 | 262 | 3 |
| 2014 | 385 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1,330 | 4 |
| 2012 | 675 | 4 |
| 2010 ← this page | 454 | 3 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
This retrieval holds 11 of the nameplate’s model years. 2011, 2016, 2021 are absent, which means no records came back for them — not that they were clean. The ranking above is among the years shown.
The 2010 accounts for 9% of every complaint filed against the Hyundai Elantra in this retrieval, which works out to 28.4 complaints per year on the road across the 16 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Which recalls cover the 2010?
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles.
Free remedy: 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 began April 2, 2020.
Steering
The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may…
Free remedy: 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.
Exterior Lighting
Free remedy: 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.
Take the campaign number to any franchised Hyundai dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2010 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the Hyundai Elantra?
Across every Hyundai Elantra year, not the 2010 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Engine — 832 reports
- Steering — 768 reports
- Electrical System — 550 reports
- Service Brakes — 426 reports
If your 2010 is doing something now, these are the guides for that system — each opens with whether it is safe to keep driving:
Which other Hyundai Elantra years should you compare?
2012 Hyundai Elantra → · All Hyundai Elantra years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Hyundai Elantra page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2010 before you commit
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