2018 Hyundai Elantra GT: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT
On the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 15 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 0 miles. Overall it scores 86 out of 100, severe risk for a 2018.
Severe risk for a 2018 — 1st riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. 73 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 24 named failure modes on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT, and the three most-reported carry 44% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 15 reports and about 174 per 1,000 vehicles.
Excessive oil consumption follows with 13 reports, median 105,000 miles.
Fuel pump failure follows with 4 reports, median 0 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (33), adas (10) and brakes (7).
At what mileage it happens
20 of the reports on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 0 miles.
Cumulatively, 90% by 50,000 miles and 95% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 60% of the dated reports.
90% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 24. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 1 a fire and 1 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.07, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, excessive oil consumption at $900–$6,500, fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600 and ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
49% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 15 | 2 | — | 28k | — | 174.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 13 | 1 | — | 106k | — | 151.2 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 4 | 4 | — | 87 | — | 46.5 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 34.9 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 34.9 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 34.9 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 1 | — | 800 | — | 34.9 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 1 | — | 17k | — | 34.9 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 34.9 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 23.3 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 138 | — | 23.3 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 23.3 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 800 | — | 23.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11.6 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 32k | — | 11.6 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11.6 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11.6 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Intake carbon buildup | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11.6 | $400–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 300 | — | 11.6 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 11.6 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 11.6 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11.6 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 250 | — | 11.6 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 11.6 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 46.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT draws about 849 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 100th percentile of complaint rates among 2018 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 86 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2018 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Car shut off while on the highway randomly started shaking. All lights turned on check engine,motor oil light battery light. Car shut off to the point where I couldn't accelerate. So imagine being on the highway and your car shuts off randomly while your in motion and cant accelerate to merge to the emergency lane. This happened 4 more times on my way to the dealership less then 800 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 40 mph a loud ticking noise was suddenly present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.
Fuel pump failure
While on highway car motor stopped working could not get car to turn back on. This happened on a busy highway. After 8 days in dealership so far received a call saying the cars fuel pump may be the problem
I bought a 2018 hyundai gt sport 3 months ago. Since day one car has been stalling and having a hard time starting. I was on the highway doing 75mph and the car just turned off no warning. I called the dealer in my area let them know about the starting issues and the stalling issues with the car I took it in to them few days later. They kept it for 3 days and told me sorry we do not know what to tell you. Took it home and that day the car stalled on my way home. I took the car back to the dealer and they had it for 23 days and replaced the fuel pump and the injection system and still did not work. The dealer I bought it from replaced the battery, keys starter and alternator before I bought it and they did not tell me this car was having issues. The car is back at the dealer 3/7/2019 with stalling issues and rust build up on the bottom of the car. I have a case with hyundai and they keep telling me take it to another dealer 4 dealers later and nothing.check engine light came on flashing one day but went off and no codes found. This has been going on for about 21/2 months car is out of service now for a total of 26 days now…
Recalls on the 2018 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT, affecting an estimated 86 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover electrical system. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
86 vehicles 2018-12-14- Defect
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT vehicles. The panoramic sunroof motor may be incorrectly programmed, preventing the sunroof from detecting an obstacle while closing.
- Consequence
- If the sunroof does not detect an obstacle while closing and then retract, there could be an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the panoramic sunroof, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 179.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2018 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2018 — 1st riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 3 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2017 comes out best at 73 and 2018 worst at 86, with 2018 itself at 86.
If the model year is negotiable, 2017 and 2019 score lower than 2018 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2013–2020 generation specifically, 2017 is the strongest year at 73 and 2018 the weakest at 86.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2013-2020 generation, 2017 Hyundai Elantra GT scores best at 73 and 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT worst at 86.
What this page cannot tell you
73 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 73 reports, 20 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 27% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (15 reports, median 30,000 miles), excessive oil consumption (13 reports, median 105,000 miles) and fuel pump failure (4 reports, median 0 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT reliable?
It scores 86 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 1st riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2018 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Hyundai Elantra GT is best?
Within the 2013–2020 generation, 2017 scores best at 73 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 86. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed