I was driving the car and the moment I tried to stop at the traffic stop sign the lower arm control from the driver side broke and the wheel broke and the car slid. Thanks god it was at night and no cars were there. I remember the night before I was driving on the highway and nothing happened. I called my insurance and they sent me a towing truck to move the car. I didn't repair the car because it was a big mess. I took some pictures of it and the towing company guy also. I remember I went to hyundai dealer and I was looking for a part their and they took my VIN number to check for the part but never told me about the recall. Can hyundai company give me some money back that I spent for towing and loosing my car because of this incident. I even paid for the car registration weeks before.
The worst 2002 Hyundai Elantra problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension95
- Airbags70
- Brakes34
- Fuel system31
- Body27
- Lights19
- Acceleration18
- Transmission17
- Seat belts16
- Steering16
- Electrical13
- Engine13
- Tires10
- Visibility8
- Wheels6
- Seats4
- Driver assistance2
- Locks2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
Ball joint 93Airbag light 28Headlights 21No deployment 17Seat belt 11Stalling 9Grinding brakes 8Check engine light 8Jerking 7Brake failure 6Sudden acceleration 6Fuel leak 5
Recalls 6
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.
- Risk
- The fracturing of the control arm could an owner's control over their vehicle that may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms for corrosion damage. If specified levels of internal corrosion damage are found, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms incorporating additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front lower control arms do not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the front lower control arms and will treat the front lower control arms with rust-proofing materials to arrest the internal corrosion process. These procedures will be performed free of charge. The recall began on august 17, 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 09V125000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Hyundai is recalling certain my 2001-2002 elantra vehicles. Movement of the side impact air bag wiring harness mounted under each front seat, possibly caused by contact from materials placed under the seat, may result in an electrical resistance that would cause supplemental restraint system (SRS) warning light illumination.
- Risk
- This condition only relates to the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bags and may prevent seat mounted side impact air bag deployment during a crash where such deployment should occur. Non-deployment of the SRS air bags may increase the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger under certain crash conditions.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new side impact air bag wiring harness connector clips and revised side impact air bag wiring harness attachments under the driver's and front passenger's seats. The recall is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2008, and will be sent out in six mailings. Owners may contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 08V533000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" a valve on the fuel tank assembly may not close properly. If a vehicle rolls over and the fuel tank assembly valve is not properly closed, fuel spillage may occur.
- Risk
- Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1‑800‑981‑0188.
Recall number 04V369000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Some passenger vehicles contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
- Risk
- Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began on june 30, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 04V178000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets.
- Risk
- Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering gearbox mounting brackets may result in rear brake tube wear and corrosion, increasing the risk of brake fluid leakage. Brake fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes, install brake tube clips, and apply anti-corrosion material to the rear brake tubes. Owner notification began january 22, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 03V496000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage.
- Risk
- Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 03V257000 · Recall details
See all 6 recalls for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
Defect investigations
Front lower control arms rusting
On april 14, 2009, hyundai motor corporation submitted to odi a defect information report indicating that it would recall a salt-belt population of approximately 155,317 model year (my) 2001 through 2003 hyundai elantra vehicles to remedy a defect that can result in loss of vehicle control with an increased risk of a crash while driving (09v‑125).the affected vehicles cover all my 2001, my 2002, and my 2003 through january 13, 2003 production.these include elantra vehicles that were originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin.the total three-year production population for the elantra vehicles is approximately 350,000. According to hyundai, road salt can collect in the outboard portion of the front lower control arm and may result in internal corrosion leading to thinning of the steel in the lower control arms.the corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm upper and lower panels become perforated.a perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.this could affect the driver's control over the tire and wheel assembly.hyundai's recall procedure instructs dealers to measure the thickness of the steel in the front lower control arms.if specified levels of corrosion damage have occurred, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms with additional holes in the upper and lower panels. Odi's analysis of front lower control arm complaint and warranty data shows 220 complaints and 1,033 warranty claims for the total approximately 350,000 subject vehicles sold throughout the united states, resulting in a complaint rate of 62.82 per 100,000 vehicles and a claim rate of 0.3 percent.odi's analysis found 7 complaints and 90 warranty claims in 132,475 vehicles sold in non-salt belt states, resulting in a complaint rate of 5.3 per 100,000 vehicles and a claim rate of 0.1 percent. Odi's analysis further found 196 complaints and 943 warranty claims in 155,317 vehicles sold in salt belt states, resulting in a complaint rate of 126.2 per 100,000 vehicles and a claim rate of 0.6 percent.odi identified 34 incidents of lower control arm fracture related to corrosion, all of which occurred in salt belt states.the data do not show a defect trend in vehicles outside the region covered by hyundai's recall. This preliminary evaluation is closed.
PE09011
Air bag light illumination
Hyundai is conducting two safety recalls to correct two safety defects described below.under safety recall 08v‑532, hyundai will install a vinyl protective shield/cover to prevent short circuits in the air bag control module cause by spills of liquids that seep into the module connector. This action applies to 78,369 my 2001 vehicles (built through 4/26/2001).the air bag control module connector in my 2001 vehicles built after 4/26/2001 is covered by the carpet.to improve the integrity of the side impact air bag wiring harness under the driver and front passenger seats, hyundai will install new clips and revise the wiring harness attachments under safety recall 08v‑533.this applies to 150,541 my 2001 through my 2002 vehicles (built through 12/18/2001).hyundai upgraded the wiring harness routing/connector clip on my 2002 vehicles built after 12/18/2001.hyundai designed the subject vehicles (under safety recall 08v‑532) such that the air bag control module connector is located directly below the center console cup holders.spillage of liquid from cups placed in the cup holders may contaminate the control module and the connector and prevent proper deployment of the air bags.in addition, in the subject vehicles under safety recall 08v‑533, hyundai located a wiring harness for the side impact air bags under each front seat.movement of the seat or placement of objects under the seat may disturb the electrical connection in the side impact air bag wiring circuit.for each of the above described conditions, the air bag warning light will illuminate when the vehicle diagnostic system detects a fault.this investigation identified several crash reports (two fatal and 17 crash reports resulting in nine injury reports) that included allegations of prior air bag warning light illumination and non-deployment of the air bags, which are not included in the failure report summary.this engineering analysis is closed (see recalls 08v‑532 & 08v533).
EA08012
Air bag light illumination
In certain model year (my) 2001 and 2002 vehicles, the air bag system is susceptible to air bag light illumination and air bag non-deployment or inadvertent deployment from liquid contamination of the air bag control module.the control module is located beneath and near center console cup holders.odi is also aware of complaints regarding air bag light illumination due to loss of proper air bag electrical integrity in wiring and connections located under the front seats.under investigation pe08-017, hyundai provided 472 owner reports and 9,108 warranty claims related to these issues for my 2001 and 2002 vehicles built through 12/14/2001.odi is also aware of six incidents of seat belt pretensioner/air bag inadvertent deployments due to liquid spills.to address the above issues, on 04/25/2001, hyundai added a carpet cover/shield over the air bag control module connector area and upgraded the cable routing and attachment points to improve the electrical connections on vehicles built after 12/14/2008.this preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-012) for further investigation of certain my 2001-2002 subject vehicles built through 12/14/2002.
PE08017
Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra 79
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- The federal safety agency has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit...
- The federal safety agency has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag...
- This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the...
- This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover...
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships
- Follow the guidelines outlined in
- Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for...
2002 Hyundai Elantra fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 21 | 30 | 25 |
What 2002 Hyundai Elantra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
When pumping gas I can only pump about $1.50 worth of gas at a time before it starts coming back out and spilling everywhere. I have tried pumping gas with the car on, not safe I know, and it still only takes about $1.50 before it comes back out. I have spoken to multiple elantra owners and they all have the same issue. It takes about 20 minutes to fill up. The more gas you get in your tank, the less you can pump. From the research I have done online it's that the evap canistor has failed and it's pushing charcoal thru the fuel lines. What if that gets into the fuel tank and the pump sucks it up? Don't think that would be a good thing. But the gas that comes out is starting to eat away the paint because it does it multiple times each time I'm refueling. My vehicle has high miles but alot of people that have this issue say they have below 100k miles.
My 2002 huyndai elantra gls suddently the airbag is on soon engine running, and I have been told by technician that the airbag defective and it is under a recall.
I have noted a recall #09v125000 related to this make/model/year but for some reason my car with the exact problem is not part of the recall. My right front control arm colapsed. It was completely rusted through. With that side fixed I traveled about 3 miles and my left side control arm broke. My mechanic and I were complexed, but after research I found this problem exist and recalls issued. After contacting hyunda they said this vehicle VIN# was not covered. I don't understand how this life threatening problem was not part of the recall. Something in the records of this car must be in error.
Rear suspension cross member rotted out
It is hard to fill the gas tank up. The fuel pump keeps shutting off and you have to slowly fill the gas tank up. You have to hold the pump to even get gas to fill the tank.
The whole frame is rusty.
On october 28th, 2016 the lower, driver's side, front control arm disintegrated while my wife was driving her elantra in a parking lot. She was making a right turn to leave the lot when she lost control of the car as it made a "terrible grinding noise." the next day I removed the wheel and discovered the control arm was torn in two sections and badly corroded. I went to two hyundai dealers to track down a new part. Neither dealer mentioned the fact that this model hyundai had been recalled for precisely this problem. When I learned of this problem I contacted hyundai motors. They informed me that the recall only applied to vehicles purchased or registered in the so-called "salt belt" states. My wife bought this car new in colorado and has never driven it in the "salt belt." yet it suffered the same corrosion and failure as described in the recall bulletin. This is a very dangerous failure because the corrosion is inside the control arm and cannot be detected by a normal visual inspection. I suspect that the failure that showed up years ago in the "salt belt" cars is now appearing in older cars in other parts of the country. Hyundai apparently does not give a [xxx]. I suggest the nhsta impose a nationwide mandatory recall of these vehicles. If it occurred at highway speeds this failure would result in immediate loss of control, resulting in severe injury or death for passengers in the car. This vehicle is a one owner car that was garaged all its life. It was regularly serviced by a hyundai dealer. It shows no signs of excessive corrosion in any other area or part. I am outraged that hyundai chose to limit the recall of these vehicles to select states. This incident clearly demonstrates the problem is not limited to vehicles exposed to corrosive chemicals. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Airbag light came on and remains on steady as I was driving in residential section today, around 10pm. It has been 104 degrees with humidity factor the last couple of days.
There is rust coming through the quarter panels in the front
Compare the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
Is the 2002 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Owners have filed 342 complaints about the 2002 Hyundai Elantra, 1.3 times a typical Elantra model year.
What is the 2002 Hyundai Elantra year score?
The 2002 Hyundai Elantra scores 59 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Hyundai Elantra: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Hyundai Elantra?
Suspension, with 95 complaints, typically around 92,909 miles. Next is airbags (70).
How many recalls does the 2002 Hyundai Elantra have?
6 recalls, covering suspension, air bags and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Hyundai Elantra suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 09V125000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Hyundai Elantra have bad suspension?
The Hyundai Elantra model years with the most suspension complaints are 2013 (99 complaints), 2002 (95 complaints) and 2001 (81 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2002 Hyundai Elantra get?
Official estimates for the 2002 Hyundai Elantra range from 25 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 21 city and 30 highway.
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Check its historyHyundai Elantra in the news
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- Hyundai extends warranty coverage on 2015-2019 Sonata, 2015-2018 Elantra and 2017-2021 Tucson and other models (unknown or other)