2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6 | 27% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% |
| Steering | 2 | 9% |
| Tires | 2 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 9% |
| Wheels | 2 | 9% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 20 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 29,750 miles (middle 50% between 11,150 and 73,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“With the engine started and in park you can turn the steering wheel right or left and it has a thumping noise. It seems like it doesn't affect the steering but this is the car my wife drives and it makes her very nervous. It makes you very uncomfortable driving the car because you don't know if the steering wheel is…”
Steering · filed Jul 19, 2019
“I am the original owner of this vehicle. I have had four instrument clusters replaced due to the display panel fading in the hot weather. The problem is happening again and it would appear that I now need a 5th instrument cluster. Surely, there must be some thing that hyundai can do to fix this ongoing issue. The…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 28, 2019
“Unable to read the part of the dash that tells milage during the day. Only able to read it at night. Therefore, when I had my oil changed today, the mechanic had to ask me if I knew the mileage since he was unable to read it. I told him approx what I had last noticed it last night. This is a problem when going on…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jun 28, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Headliner Bracket Detachment
Recall Query RQ13004 · opened Dec 4, 2013 · closed Jun 24, 2014 · led to recall 14V310000
Technical service bulletins
46 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 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
A class settlement against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) that had alleged that certain 2011 – 2022 model year Hyundai vehicles that were not equipped with an engine immobilizer (called the “Class Vehicles”) contain…
24-01-009H-1 · Service Campaign · issued May 10, 2024
A class settlement against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) that had alleged that certain 2011 – 2022 model year Hyundai vehicles that were not equipped with an engine immobilizer (called the “Class Vehicles”) contain…
24-01-009H-1 · Service Campaign · issued May 9, 2024
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
Hyundai has launched an anti-theft software upgrade and window decal campaign (Campaign 993), combined with an anti-theft steering wheel lock campaign (Campaign P32), and anti-theft ignition cylinder protector campaign…
24-01-009H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 12, 2024
Hyundai has launched an anti-theft software upgrade and window decal campaign (Campaign 993), combined with an anti-theft steering wheel lock campaign (Campaign P32), and anti-theft ignition cylinder protector campaign…
24-01-009H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2024
Hyundai has launched an anti-theft software upgrade and window decal campaign (Campaign 993), combined with an anti-theft steering wheel lock campaign (Campaign P32), and anti-theft ignition cylinder protector campaign…
23-01-014H-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2024
Certain Hyundai vehicles may not be equipped with an immobilizer. This bulletin provides the service procedure to install a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and installation of two anti-theft decals on the…
24-01-007H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2024
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 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2012 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 29,750 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.