2007 Hyundai Elantra problems & reliability
266 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2007 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. 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.
16 complaints report injuries (17 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2007 Hyundai Elantra vehicles were involved in 44 fatal crashes with 34 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
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 46 | 17% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 42 | 16% |
| Steering → | 34 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 32 | 12% |
| Service Brakes → | 26 | 10% |
| Suspension → | 26 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 23 | 9% |
| Structure → | 20 | 8% |
| Visibility → | 19 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 16 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 45,200 and 107,000 miles), based on 217 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I've contacted 4 separate Hyundai dealerships on carrying out this recall to correct the issue, and all of them have told me they can't fulfill the recall because the car is too old and they use tablets, but the recalls requires a computer. I've contacted Hyundai and they've been no help. They've told me in their…”
Air Bags · filed May 1, 2026
“Applying the brakes and they don’t engage abs. Couldn’t come to a stop at very slow speed. They jammed up. And the dash lights don’t illuminate. Very similar to recall 188 Thanks”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 2, 2026
“I was driving and I felt my car sputter and lunge forward slightly. Then my car lost power and when I pressed down on the accelerator it would not give out any power. The battery light came on and the car would not start after pulling over.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 4, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Defect Petition DP21003 · opened Nov 12, 2021 · closed Jun 20, 2023
- STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE09003 · opened Jan 14, 2009 · closed Apr 24, 2009 · led to recall 09V122000
- ENGINE STALLING - FUEL PUMP FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE08044 · opened Jul 17, 2008 · closed Sep 3, 2008 · led to recall 08V429000
Technical service bulletins
55 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2007 Hyundai Elantra. 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 2007 Hyundai Elantra has 6 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 2007 Hyundai Elantra?
- · 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 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.