Tuesday, September 22, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring problems & reliability

75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
75
Recall campaigns
4
Fire reports
4 (5%)
Crash reports
4 (5%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
26 MPG combined
City 23 · highway 31 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
37
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
1
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).

Federal crash records (FARS 20202023): 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Steering38
Electrical System10
Electronic Stability Control (esc)9
Air Bags6
Service Brakes4
Suspension4
Tires4
Wheels4
Engine3
Vehicle Speed Control3

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

All 19 reported components →

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Among the 50 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 55,573 miles (middle 50% between 19,580 and 86,914 miles).

under 20k
13
20–40k
5
40–60k
9
60–80k
8
80–100k
4
100–150k
8
150k+
3

Complaints by incident year

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
25
26

What owners report

  • The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to steer. The Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and electronic control unit (ECU) warning lights illuminated. The contact researched the issue and became aware of NHTSA Campaign…

    Steering · filed Aug 31, 2026

  • On XXX, my 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring experienced a severe fire in the engine compartment. I observed burning material/flames dripping from underneath the engine compartment before the fire spread upward. The fire caused extensive damage to the engine compartment and the vehicle is no longer drivable. After the…

    Engine · filed Aug 10, 2026

  • I have gone to multiple Hyundai dealerships to remedy the open recall on my vehicle. None of them are able to accomplish it due to lack of equipment. My electronic power steering recently failed after multiple attempts to accomplish the recall. The most recent attempt was at the Hundai dealership at Doug's Hyundai…

    Steering · filed Jul 7, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

Technical service bulletins

37 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring. The 10 most recent:

  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…

    DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026

  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…

    DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026

  • This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…

    25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 6, 2025

  • This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and…

    24-BD-001H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2024

  • This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.

    23-EM-005H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2023

  • Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare…

    23-BD-007H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023

  • This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…

    23-BD-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2023

  • Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement.

    22-EM-010H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022

  • Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for correcting load carrying capacity information indicated on tire placards when vehicle weight has been increased…

    22-GI-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2022

  • Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicleâ  s ownerâ  s manual. ï · Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions. ï · Use…

    21-AT-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2021

TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.

Safety recalls

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.

Check whether your specific vehicle is affected

Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.

Check VIN on NHTSA →

Buying a used 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring?

  • · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
  • · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
  • · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 55,573 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Hyundai or NHTSA.