2018 Hyundai Elantra exterior lighting problems
16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The rare brake light is working fine but the car dashboard computer keeps on saying „Check rare brake light“ intermittently. It either needs a repair (although brake lights are working) or a replacement. Please resolve this issue because other Elantra owner have reported the same.”
filed Jan 8, 2026
“My husband filed a complaint about the lighting on his Hyundai sonata and I have a Hyundai Elantra that is doing the same thing. Twice now while I’ve been driving at night, my headlights have gone off an and come back on by themselves. They were off about 15 seconds each time. Then this week I had…”
filed Aug 29, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
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
Exterior Lighting problems in other Elantra years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Elantra | 3 | 6% |
| 2023 Elantra | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 Elantra | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 Elantra | 4 | 3% |
| 2020 Elantra | 27 | 11% |
| 2019 Elantra | 65 | 26% |
| 2017 Elantra | 23 | 3% |
| 2016 Elantra | 9 | 3% |
| 2015 Elantra | 5 | 2% |
| 2014 Elantra | 10 | 3% |
| 2013 Elantra | 72 | 5% |
| 2012 Elantra | 17 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Hyundai Elantra
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.