Hyundai Elantra MD (2011-2015)

Do Not Buy This Car – My wife and her father bought this car at exactly the same time 2014 brand new. Father in law 200000km motor blew after constant ticking $8000. Wifes car always serviced 130000 ticking told need new motor. This seems to be a regular thing with people in the USA suing Hyundia in class action as they will not admit it is a fault in vechile. Show details

A nice car to drive,but – I really enjoyed my Elantra. I purchased with 29000 on the clock which employed the manual gear box. Nearly 7 years later and the clock now showing 145000 I have just traded. Apart from a clock spring problem which deployed the air bags, I had a very good run. The engine however developed the dreaded ticking sound which only means one thing… Read more

usually and that means engine replacement. Besides that the car developed steering problems, aircon leak, break light failure, immobilising problem and a new drive train for driver side window. Once you get past 140000 on this model you might as well forget it so the decision to sell was easy. Would I buy Hyundai again, no there is better stuff out there.

Another Hyundai Engine Fail - Elantra 1.8L NU – An engine that the dealer says needs replacing after 44,000km is an abysmal fail. Australian Consumer Law says a product should be free from defects, fit for purpose, durable and lasting. A reasonable person would expect a serviced car engine to last 250,000km or more as stated on one Hyundai site. Under ACL the car is a major fail and I wouldn't… Read more

have bought it if I'd known about the engine issues.

The car has been serviced exactly as prescribed by Hyundai at their dealership, but has the dreaded loud tick that leads to engine seizure - hopefully not at speed on the highway in front of a semi with your young family in the car as well. Hyundai refuse to acknowledge the known problem here, despite agreeing to an extension of engine warranty overseas because of this engine problem.

Search the internet & you'll find many similar cases.

Great car if you know how to maintain it – We love the car. Ours has done 150,000km with faults listed below. It is not luxurious inside but has loads of room. We go camping in the Northern Territory in this car, travelling at 110 - 130km/h which is a lot faster than the caravans we pass! Has effectively a bigger boot than our Ford Falcon and the same rear leg room. Engine is great… Read more

but must have oil changes every 15,000k. Use 5w-30 oil A3/B4 Castrol Edge or Shell equivalent. A3/B4 oil is required as it has much better life and wear qualities than other oils due to SAPS and HTHS specs. This allows 15,000k oil changes. Note that this oil is rated SL whereas the manual recommends SM or above for minor fuel economy improvement (but the manual does permit SL).

Added note. Owners who are concerned about premature engine failure in this and later Hyundai and Kia products should re-read the above comments. The use of specified 'environmentally friendly' low viscosity 5w-20 C3 or GF-4 oils may be a contributor, at least in part, especially in Australia with 45 deg C plus summer temperatures. The manual clearly says that higher viscosity oils 'ARE required for satisfactory lubrication in hot weather'. Despite this the chart shows these low viscosity oils to be adequate over 50 deg C, which I believe is contradictory. Why show a range of heavier oils in the chart if 5w-20 oil is in fact best practice? In reality, it simply isn't, particularly for long oil change intervals and short distance stop start running where fuel dilution is likely to reduce the oil's real viscosity. Neither are A5, C3 or GF-4 oils best practice, despite the manual's recommendations, based on emissions reduction. Use 5w-30 A3/B4 for long 15,000km oil change intervals.

The owners manuals in Australia also say that the auto transmission fluid does not need changing and so dealers don't do it. This is wrong however. The auto trans fluid needs draining every 40 to 50,000km. We found that gear changes were eratic and sometimes the car revved during changes. When we changed the fluid quite a bit of metallic particles came out which is alarming, but this is normal and is the reason why ATF fluid needs to be changed. When you drain the the fluid, only about half is changed as 3 or more litres remain in the gearbox. So a car that has covered (say) 100,000km will need the oil to be changed twice (about 100 or more km apart) if no prior changes have been done. This is easily done by a handyman. We use Nulon LV SYN ATF @ $50 per change because the local dealer doesn't stock the oem fluid.

The most common reliability issue is the driver's air bag. A light will come on. My understanding is that Hyundai charge a fortune to fix this - they wanted $150 just to do a quote. This is easily fixed however by replacing the clock 'spring' (an electrical cable) located behind the steering wheel. Can be done yourself if you buy the spring from Clock Springs Australia for less than $150. For instructions, all Hyundai workshop service manuals are on line at www.hemanual.org. Disconnect the battery negative 30 minutes before doing anything to prevent the air bag from popping! This renders it safe.

The second fault to be aware of is that the MD has excessive toe angle built into the rear wheel alignment. This cannot be fixed. Some forums say you can add washers to change the angles but as an automotive design engineer with 35years experience I strongly caution against this. To avoid abnormal tyre wear and extreme vibration, the tyres need to be swapped front to rear every 15000km as the manual says, or even more frequently.

The third fault is that later 2013 models have the MD-01 radio. This radio is prone to failure but the good news is that it is easily swapped out for the 2012 radio in about a half an hour. These are readily available second hand (eg. AusAuto Parts). Again follow the manual's instruction to install. The earlier radio has much better sound quality too! The last fault we had was a leak at the air conditioning compressor. Got the local air con technician to fit a new blow off valve and regas. Could be a one-off fault I think. Total cost of all faults over 9 years was $750 approx. when fixed myself (except for the air con.) but could have cost a lot with dealer repairs. I will have no hesitation in taking the car on a third 15,000km trip around Australia. Hope this helps somebody!

Update. Car has now completed 185,000km and running as new. The only recent extra ordinary maintenance is flushing of the cooling system with demineralised water (6 times to clear all old coolant) and refill with 3 litres Penrite blue coolant concentrate, top up with demineralised water to give 50% final concentration. Dont use distilled water for flushing as this is typically slightly acidic, sometimes more so.

The motor needs replacement only after 55,000 kms – We bought a 2013 Elantra second hand in late 2016 from a dealer with just under 30,000 kms on it. It also had nearly 2 years of warranty remaining. It worked well till about 6 months ago (so about a year after the warranty ran out) when I started hearing this rattly noise. After showing it to our mechanic, he advised us that this is a problem with… Read more

a motor (piston slapping) and apparently its quite common with Elantras. So this car is 6 years old, has done only 55,000 kms and needs a motor replaced. It has only been used lightly (did less than 30,000 kms in 3 years since 2016) to travel from home to work, school pick-ups/drop-offs and occasional shopping.

We contacted Hyundai dealer, the cost of replacing a motor is 9,500$. Hyundai Australia essentially told us it is our own problem and (even though this is a manufacturing defect) they are not going to contribute in any way to the motor replacement. We looked at the option of taking them to the ombudsman but it looks like it's a very long and hard process and we just don't have the energy to do it at the moment and we need a working car. We are replacing the motor with a second-hand one hoping we don't run into the same issue again. It's going to cost us 2,500$. Based on the customer service and the size of the problem we are certainly never buying a Hyundai again and definitely not recommending it to anyone.

Excellent Car for Everyone – I have had three Hyundai Elantra cars now and although I wanted something different this time round, I still ended up with another. I love the small price for a car that does everything and more another brand does. I have researched all similar cars and found that the Elantra has all the extras included in the price, whereas they are not included… Read more

with other brands. The best part though, is the performance. My last Hyundai was a 2.0L and this one has dropped to 1.8L. I was a bit skeptical at first but found it has more power than the old one and handles like a dream. The interior is spacious and has excellent leg room. I love the bluetooth connectivity. It is so easy to use. The only real fault with this model is the side vision. I find that is difficult to see cars over my shoulder and my daughter agrees with this. Other than that, the reversing sensors are fantastic. I don't know how people can drive without them now. I have the sun roof with my model but in Queensland it is usually too hot to make full use of it. It also comes with heated seats which warm up almost instantly, but once again, not much use to me in this hot climate. The running costs are very low too. Absolutely love this car.

Nice looking inside and out – Bought the manual 2012 model 2nd hand with 140,000km. It drives beautifully and looks great (I think). Everything is working nicely and so far have had no issues- we just do the regular services. It has just been used for commuting to work and back, half an hour each way, and a few big road trips to Snowy Mountains. No issues at all. Show details

We love ❤️ this car – Our Hyundai Elantra is the best car we have owned.We purchased this car in 2013 and have 4 trips to Melbourne from Queensland with no trouble and got 5ltrs to the 100 kl ,very economical and nice big boot for long trips.We love ❤️ this car Show details

Pretty good experience – Used it for uber and personal. Good milage and handling. Not much technical issues. Clockspring stopped working so replaced myself. Interior is fancy.. love it. 125K done and haven’t have any major issues. Show details

Love my Hyundai Elantra – I bought my Hyundai Elantra last year and am absolutely loving it. While I was more towards buying a Toyota initially, when I test drove Elantra, I immediately changed my mind as I loved the smooth ride so much. Fingers crossed, it hasn't been a problem yet and I would easily recommend this car to anyone. Show details

Crankshaft Sensor Malfunction – My 2013 Elantra has been diagnosed with a failed Crankshaft Sensor and faulty ESC Module, It only just out of warranty and Hyundai refuse to do anything about it. Also its under Dealer Warranty but they wont cover it under their warranty. No more Hyundai for me. My daughter has an i30 and is also unhappy. Show details

Mundane small car for the masses – After trading in our beloved Renault Clio, in preparation for our first baby - my partner sort the purchase of new Hyundai Elantra SE sedan. Inside the Hyundai was huge - plenty of room in the back seats for a baby capsule and nice big boot for the pram. Aside from that - I really struggled to find anything else I liked about the Hyundai. It… Read more

was under powered and dynamically uninspiring. The 'woody' steering feel and road noise was a particular highlight in its raw basic nature.

Inside the interior was awful with fake cheap leather seats, poxy sound system and cheap feeling power window buttons etcetc.

After some 2 years and just over 9,000 boring KM's I could help myself but TRADE IT IN... Being like new and with low KM's I didn't get a bad trade in ($14k).

Hyundai's are wonderful vehicles, they are reliable and good value for money but terribly underwhelming and just utterly boring.

You can only learn from things in life.

Great and Reliable – We purchased hyundai elantra base model in 2015. It was our first brand new car. It is a great and reliable drive. Stylish and easy to drive. Boot space is huge compared with similar sedan's and seats are comfortable. Fuel consumption is good to as it gives 13km per litre and more for long drives. Worth every dollar.  Show details

Reliable family car – Great vehicle to drive around town and on the highway. Very quiet engine went stopped at traffic lights or other reasons. I can travel from Bowen to Rockhampton on one tank of fuel. That’s over 600 kms. Easy to parking. Only my cruise control has failed recently. Otherwise all good.  Show details

What a car – This car has everything, its sporty comfortable not noisy has heated electric seats cruise control,great sound system great to drive reliable has never let me down,factory tinted windows,sunroof,reverse camera on the revision mirror CD player in the dash, USB ports economy switch electric mirrors,keyless entry all leather upholstery automatic and… Read more

manual,just so much going on with this car, sport exhaust, this car is a dream and looks great I added different wheels on it but the original wheels are nice as well hyundi need to bring out a updated version of this it would be the best seller I call mine the top of the range a beautiful car love it mines the MD PREMIUM still holding there value

PERFECT ALL ROUNDER ! – Brilliant all rounder. got this car on sale (the special edition model) sure I know its not a real leather interior, but its super comfortable, built well, and for a 20K car feels better than you expect for this price point. The engine is quite and will go when pushed. the gearbox is silky smooth and ride is great. The seats are very supportive… Read more

and conformable. The bot space is simply amazing and the biggest of this class of car. 60,000kms now and not a single fault, rattle, or anything.

great car with great price – I bought this car in 2013 as a second hand. Great price and I never had any problem with it. Very economic and no fancy expensive features. It has all we need as a family of three. The space in the back is enoght for two people and not big enough for more than two. We select Elantra over i45 and I guess it was a good selection  Show details

descent car – needs repairs from time to time, although has been a good car .. space seems to be less at the back boot is big and nice but the blue tooth dies very often twice replaced.. :( that was painful...three times replaced is too much broken now I have decided not pay any more on that.. as they told 150 for defect detection...  Show details

Some finishing and comfort issues – If you are the driver be prepared for low visibility, permanent blind spot, and road noise. Because this car is low to the road,out get alot of road noise. The passenger is worse off, with this front passenger seat non adjustable. This seat is really low, so much so that a shorter person cannot see above the dashboard. I have also found that he… Read more

carpet, seating and door trims are difficult to clean, don't wear very well and show stains easily. There is also limited legroom in the rear, and therefore I wouldn't recommend it for ten angers or adults in the rear. The plus for this car has been reliability and good fuel consumption per trip. The boot is also very large and takes a lot of luggage.

June 7th 2018 Update: Too close to the road, uncomfortable seating

While a test drive was good, later as a passenger in the front seat was awful. The driver seat has options to raise or lower the seat, however the front passenger seat sits extremely low, so much so that one cannot see over the dash. This makes a trip incredibly you comfortable, as the passenger almost sits on the same level as he tyres. Road noise in general is high, as is the rattles of the doors. Carpeting and seat covering is very basic, and door trims mark easily, and carpet underfoot wears thin in areas. Seats are easy to stain also. This car has advantages of being cheaper to run, and is very reliable. Visibility is relatively poor, and the small rear window gives way to a bigger blind spot. Paintwork is thin, and interior of the boot for example is basically just an undercoat. Good looking car on the road. Driver must take care of parking near gutters or barriers as the front and rear bumpers have strips which are easily dislodged.

Great car , hard to fault – I have owned my Elantra since new ( bought in 2012) and the only problem I've had is brakes grinding under very hard braking which went away after changing pads to Bendix, I changed the original 15 inch wheels to 17 inch alloys which really improved the handling, overall very impressed  Show details

Great low maintenance car – I have own quite a few cars since and Hyundai Elantra has been the best, I'm still driving it at the moment, very low cost to run. fuel efficiency, not many things to worry about really. The only thing is bluetooth speaker not working as great as others. I have also recommended my brother to get one. :) Great family car with not much problem and very low cost to run. Don't expect a high end luxury feel to it though as it is not.  Show details

Poor service. Bluetooth issue – Comming from VW. I had a golf and bought the Elentra from dealer this year. Running cost reasonably cheap. Reliability still not sure. Main concern: Poor and unreliable service. My car bluetooth mic is not working properly. When the car is running people from the other end can't hear me properly. I got my car serviced at mentone Hyundai… Read more

recently and told them about the bluetooth issue. Post servicing the mechanic told me that they couldn't find any issue with the bluetooth but they have updated the system and that should solve my problem. But it didn't. It's not fixed and the problem still exists. I never had this with vw. If there is a problem then they will fix it. I wanted to buy hyundai tucson but changed my mind after this.

Spacious and efficient – Wanted a larger car than our little hatch for a family of four but without the gas guzzling reputation of the larger sedans. The Elantra has plenty of space, a very large boot and is kind at the bowser. It's comfortable, quiet and styling is great. The sun roof stopped working though that may be more to do with the kids playing with it. A good all round car for those who want space in a mid-sized car.  Show details

Not powerful engine – I am not satisfied with the performance. The engine is not as powerful as what should be. It's very noisy when you want to accelerate however, In terms of Physical Appearance, I could say , It could be in luxury and beautiful cars category. 5 years Manufactory warranty is another positive thing about this car  Show details

Great car – This car drive beautiful, smooth and good, the interior is good plenty of room front and read, I particular brought this sedan as I needed to have two baby seats in the back, and they fit beautifully, with room for another person inbetween, (though only a small person) but at least I have the option  Show details

Value for Money – Have the 2014 Trophy, replacement from my 2013 Elite involved in an accident.Both are excellent cars, although I do miss the push button start etc.but gained leather seats.Currently getting 6.5-6.8l/100km on 91octane, running 70ks a day.Powerful and a sporty looking SML/med car, Can recommend this Model.Love the interior finish and the Candy Apple… Read more

Metalic Paint is a dream to clean.The only minus I have is the Transmission is a bit slow in changing up but if you drive it like a manual it gets of its Ar...se.

July 7th 2017 Update: Base Model's problem solved

If your thinking of purchasing an Elantra get one 2013 onwards as Hyundai have tweeked most of the minor problems now.Active is really base model, then comes the SE.Good, Then the Trophy with leather finish and the Elite comes with push button start.Highly recommend later models as far as upmarket cars go.

Just love this car! – I purchased a 2014 Elantra with very low kms and I couldn't be happier, very reliable, handles well, good fuel economy and runs like a dream. Haven't had any problems and a very good price when you compare with Toyota, Holden and Honda for such a great car that has immense street appeal.  Show details

Fantastic vehicle – I purchased a 2016 Elantra SE auto and I can't really fault the car. It runs well, handles well, and the fuel economy is fantastic. I do about 650km a week and that's in peak traffic and open freeway every day. Seats are comfy, stereo is pretty good for standard issue and there is heaps of room front, back and boot. 3 steering assist modes… Read more

make for easy driving depending on city or highway driving.

Vision is excellent all round the car.

All up I'd highly recommend this car. My previous car was a 2013 Accent SR which was just as good.

Faulty vehicle and bad customer service – I have had my car since Jan 2016, it is a 2015 SE Elantra purchased brand new. It has been back in for repairs more times than I should have had to for general servicing in 5 years. The air-conditioning stopped working within a couple of weeks. It took the repair guys at least three times for them to identify the problem. Then you have to wait for… Read more

parts and a loan vehicle which is more weeks wait....in summer with no air con. They had it for four days to replace the evaporator. Winter they finally got it working. Last week it stopped again......compressor this time.....still waiting to hear when it will be fixed....I will not be holding my breath......I will not buy Hyundai again.

The worst costumer service ever I had in Australia – I have an 2011 Hyundai Elantra Elite. I have a rear parking sensor issue. It beeps constantly while in reverse. It also does not happen every time. I happens mostly afternoon when after I drive 2-3 hours. Specially in hot weather conditions I realized. I also had exactly same problem about 5 months ago and Hyundai Essendon fixed the issue that… Read more

time for free because my car is under new car warranty.

1- I went to Hyundai Essendon at 09:00 am on 4th April 2016 as have been booked to inspect why there is constant rear parking sensor beeping while in reverse.

2- Daniel who is Hyundai Essendon worker told me there is only one rear parking sensor dislocated left side of rear bumper.

3- I asked him that did he checked the all the sensor and he was sure that dislocated sensor makes the constant beeping? He said confidently Yes.

4- That time there was no even constant beeping at all because I drove my house to Hyundai Essendon straightaway in 20 minutes and the weather was cold. I asked him in this condition how did you check all the the sensors and relative parts and then decided that dislocated sensor makes the constant beeping.

5- He told me this is common sense and firstly I need to fix the dislocated sensor and then He will check other things to fix the issue.

6- I told him he did not even check anything he did not even know that dislocated sensor makes the constant beeping but he told me he checked and he is confidently knows that dislocated sensor makes the constant beeping.

7- I was insisting him to check the car proper way and tell me what is really wrong.

8- He told me that I was being silly because it is common sense in front of 2 other Hyundai Essendon workers.

9- I was insulted and annoyed by [name removed] in front of 2 other Hyundai Essendon workers.

10- I had to leave the premises because I was afraid of that the next step of treating a costumer would be punch.

If your workers honest enough they will confirm everything I told you is true and there is no exaggerating.

I now ask the followings:

1- The real reason of constant beeping of rear parking sensor.

2- Explained reason of being told I was being silly. I am also expecting an apology in person for this.

You can post those to my address or email to me. That will make me decide that did I deserve this treatment as a customer who has a Hyundai car which is still under warranty so I can decide should I take any further legal action.

Please note: I do not know what makes constant beeping of rear parking sensor but I do not believe [name removed] states that dislocated sensor makes the constant beeping because he did not even check anything he did not even put the car in reverse. He just saw the dislocated sensor and he reckons it is happening because of that. I did have same problem about 5 months ago and they fixed it ever since than there was nothing wrong and nothing happened. However about 2 weeks ago the constant beeping started again.

Great Car – I purchased a 2015 MD3 Hyundai Elantra Premium. The car is great and handles well particularly cornering when steering is set to sport mode. Flex steer is a great feature! Car is roomy for a small sized sedan and the boot space is massive! The car looks the part, drives well and has a great amount of features. For a 1.8 engine it goes pretty… Read more

good and overtaking on the freeway is effortless for the car of its class. It would be good to see a higher spec engine model but never the less it's a great car.

Full size alloy spare included, non of this space saver or crappy tool kit.

Great Family Car – Had a 2015 Hyundai Elantra SE for over 6 months purchased brand new from Hyundai, and cannot fault it. It handles really well and you can also select the steering type you prefer (i.e. soft, normal and sport) I tend to leave it in normal most of the time. It's relatively quiet on the road. The interier is quite spacious for a small sedan, we fit… Read more

a infant capsule in the backseat without having to pull the passenger seat all the way forward. The boot is also quite spacious and features a full size spare wheel which you don't get in all cars these days. It is a fun car to drive. This is my second Elantra, first being a 2004 model. Hyundai puts some extra features in their base models which sets them apart from the other car makes. I would recommend this car.

Hyundai catching up – Have now had this car, the current model for 2.5 years and traveled just under 30k.Bought it new and got the base model as this was the only model with a manual gearbox. The car is fitted with all the latest safety including all round curtain airbags. The ride around town is precise, the steering maybe a little light but quite enjoyable and… Read more ·  1

the gearbox easy to work through but it is no sports gearbox. All the controls are easy to operate and in close reach, with steering wheel controls for the stereo. Over the 30k journey with an occasional country drive I have averaged 7.5 lt per 100k, with the tank costing about $55 to fill. It equates to me filling the tank maybe once a month and on a country drive getting a blip over 800k from the tank.

Reliabilty hasn't been a problem so far nor should it for a car in it's third year, servicing is once a year/15k and costs about $220. It comes with a 5 year warranty and free roadside assistance whilst the car is serviced by Hyundai.

The only negative I can come up with is the carpet used is pretty cheap and my wifes heel in her boot wore a hole in it after 18 months, of course if I had stumped up the $95 for factory fitted floor covers, it wouldn't have happened. As it was Kmart had a generic version that cost $12.

The car is big enough for four adults, not five unless it is a short trip, the boot holds a good deal more than it looks from outside. The pick up in the manual version is fine without being outstanding in the manual version but less than inspiring in the auto version, still it is a 1.8 litre engine which hasn't been worked so should last you the journey of 15 years.

For the price, these cars are an impressive effort and well worth the look at if you are deciding between the car makers under 2 litre models, they have definitely closed the gap on Toyota for reliable small cars.

Love it! – My new Elantra is extremely comfortable around town and also on freeways. It handles winding roads accurately and has enough power to climb hills easily. What surprised me the most was the value for money: the standard model is fitted with options usually reserved for more expensive cars! Recommend it to anyone!  Show details

Awesome car – Is there a camera on my Elantra? I’ve tried to figure out how I could do it through my settings but it won’t allow it Show details