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NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 1998 Hyundai Elantra.
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
No recalls found for the 1998 Hyundai Elantra.
CAR DOWNSHIFTS END ENGINE REVS. IF PUT INTO REVERSE, FORWARD TRANSMISSION CAN THEN USUALLY BE SELECTED. CAN PUT FOOT ON GAS AND ENGINE/TRANSMISSION WILL "IDLE/REV". *TR
AFTER ENTERING A HIGHWAY MY ELANTRA CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY FROM 65 MPH AND THE ENGINE DIED. I LATER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES AND WHEEL BEARINGS ON THE SIDE I SWERVED INTO AND I'M SURE THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. I HEARD A WOMAN COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS SAME SITUATION THAT HAPPENED TO HER TWICE TO A DEALERSHIP MECHANIC WHILE SHE WAS HAVING THE TRANSMISSION ON HER ELANTRA CHECKED OUT. I THINK THIS PROBLEM RESULTS FROM THERE BEING NO LOCK ON THE SHIFTER BETWEEN NEUTRAL AND DRIVE. IT TAKES VERY LITTLE EFFORT TO POP THE SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL (LIKE A COAT SLEEVE) AND I THINK I TOUCHED IT WHILE REACHING FOR MY RADIO.THIS SENT THE ENGINE INTO VERY HIGH REVS WHICH CAUSED THE VACUUM SYSTEM TO FAIL AND THEN CAUSED THE POWER BRAKES TO FALL TO THE FLOOR. *AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD PROBLEMS FILLING THE GAS TANK. WHEN HE TRIED TO FILL THE GAS TANK THE GAS IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SPILL OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VARIOUS MECHANICS, EACH MECHANIC GAVE A DIFFERENT REASON FOR THE PROBLEM. NO SOLUTION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CORRECTING THE DEFECT.*AK
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1998 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS SPORADIC AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT ANY GIVEN TIME THE VEHICLE WILL JERK TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP AS IF SOMEONE HAS PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. THIS WILL HAPPEN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND HAPPENS WHETHER OR NOT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE AS IT FRIGHTENS ME TO DRIVE MORE THAN 20 MPH. I USE MY VEHICLE FREQUENTLY FOR MY EMPLOYMENT AND HAVE BEEN RENTING A VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS NOT AS UNCOMMON AS IT APPEARS TO BE. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON HYUNDAI (ACCENT)AND ELANTRAS WHERE THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS THE SAME. I THINK THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVER OF THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLE, BUT ALSO TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND. I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS DURING THE DOWNSHIFT, BUT LUCKILY NO ACCIDENTS. I HAVE READ ARTICLES WHERE THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED AS MANY AS FOUR TIMES IN ONE YEAR AND STILL THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. AS YOU KNOW, TRUST WORTHY AUTO MECHANICS ARE A RARE BREED, AND I CAN NOT AFFORD TO GO THROUGH NUMEROUS PARTS REPLACEMENTS WHILE THEY TRY TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE SEEMS TO COST AT LEAST $24.95 TO OBTAIN AND I STILL DON'T KNOW IF I AM GETTING THE INFORMATION I NEED. I KNOW THAT HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HIDE THE DETAILS FROM CONSUMERS. THE LAST TIME I DROVE MY VEHICLE, I ARRIVED HOME IN TEARS, SHAKING FROM HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL SO TIGHTLY IN CASE IT DECIDED TO JERK TO A STOP. PLEASE HELP. *JB
The 1998 Hyundai Elantra has 0 NHTSA recalls and 60 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED TWO SETS OF FIRESTONE SUPREME TIRES FOR TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES. ALL EIGHT TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION, EACH OCCURRED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. DEALER ONLY HONORED THE WARRANTY FOR THE FIRST SEVEN TIRES. THE LAST TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE TOTALED, CAUSING INJURY TO CONSUMER'S CHILD. ON THE EIGHTH TIRE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT HE HAD TO SEND THE TIRE AND ALL CLAIM INFORMATION TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE, TO BE TREATED AS A PROPERTY DAMAGE CLAIM. FIRESTONE, SUPREME SI, P185/ 65 R14 855 M+S. CONSUMER WAS UPSET THAT THE LEGAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF BRIDGESTONE / FIRESTONE INTERVENED AND TOOK OVER THE CLAIM FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS BECAUSE OF THE CHILD INJURY , AND REJECTED THE CLAIM , STATING THEY NOT RESPONSIBLE. THEY TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE TIRE MUST HAVE BEEN UNDER INFLATED, AND IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE SERVICING OF THE TIRES, AND THAT TIRES PLUS WAS RESPONSIBLE. THE EIGHTH TIRE WAS REPAIRED BEFORE THIS INCIDENT BY A MANUFACTURER'S REPAIR AT TIRES PLUS. PREVIOUS PROBLEMS FOUND WITH FIRESTONE TIRES HAD CONSUMER FILE COMPLIANT 6365296 WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION. *AK
DOOR LATCH INSIDE HAS BROKEN SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE TO ROLL MY WINDOW DOWN TO EXIT CAR. I HAVE HAD THE HANDLE REPLACE 5 TIMES. WHEN WEATHER IS COLD, I CAN'T EXIT VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS FREEZE. I FEAR AN ACCIDENT MIGHT TRAP ME IN MY CAR. *JB
THE INTERIOR DOOR LATCHES ARE OF POOR CONSTRUCTION AND BREAK EASILY AND INHIBIT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERIOR DOOR LATCHES ONCE AND NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AGAIN NOW.*AK
CONSUMER STATED REAR VIEW MIRROR POPPED OUT, HITTING THE CONSUMER, AND CAUSING A COLLISION. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
TRANSMISSION DIED AT 74,000 MILES. NO REVERSE, SLIPS OUT OF FIRST. 8JB
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN 1998 HYUNDAI ELANTRA FAILED AT 72,000 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NLM
TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED AFTER 77,000.00. THE CAR HESITATES OR GETS STUCK IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WHICH POSES A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP WERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED LIED TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT IT HAD A 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. IT TURNED OUT IT ONLY HAD A FIVE YEAR 60,000.00 MILE WARRANTY. *NLM
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE APPLING BRAKES VEHICLE KEEP MOVING FOWARD AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE.CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. PH
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 63 MPH WHEN THE RUBBER STARTED PEELING AWAY FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT, THE RUBBER PEELED AWAY AND CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT FENDER AND SIDE MOLDING ON THE DRIVER SIDE. *SCC (OHIO TRAFFIC POLICE REPORT)
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. TS *JB
CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED.TS *JB
Showing 15 of 60 complaints