The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. Additionally, while attempting to complete a turn, the contact heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front driver’s side of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the driver's side brake pad and rotor were abnormally worn and needed to be replaced; however, the power train failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 09V125000 (Suspension) and 04V369000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
2003 Hyundai Elantra suspension problems
61 complaints (26% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 94,032.
- owner complaints
- 61
- of this car's complaints
- 26%
- typical mileage
- 94,032
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Front13
- Front: control arm12
- Front: wheel bearing2
- Front: control arm: lower arm2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Hyundai Elantra suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Hyundai Elantra suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
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
Related 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
What 2003 Hyundai Elantra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Live in Indiana where the weather is super salty in the winters and all of the salt in Indiana has really really affected the whole underside of my car. The whole subframe is falling apart and the rust has gotten to everything under the car. I have spent about 4 thousand dollars into this car doing all the work myself to make this car run In pristine conditions. I am very very worried that my whole back end will just fall apart going down the road due to the rust.
*The rear sub-frame assembly nearly rusted through. Steering and Handling noticebly effected with rear of vehicle feeling soft and sluggish in turns. *The vehicle is available for inspection and was brought to my attention when the mechanic was beginning rear brake maintenance. *The mechanic is a licensed mechanic and the Repair shop is a licensed service facility. *The mechanic called me and asked me to return to the shop to show me the extent of the rust damage, to which I did return to the shop to examine his findings. I did take photos. *There were no warning lamps or messages. The symptoms were as described above.
My rear subframe is rusting so badly the rear suspension is falling apart.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that the passenger's side control arm became defective which caused difficulty to steer the vehicle at various speeds. The contact then called superior hyundai south (238 w mitchell ave, cincinnati, oh 45232) where she made an appointment and was informed to check if there were any recalls on her vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v125000 (suspension) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact also stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled without warning upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective o2 sensor which was then replaced. Despite the o2 sensor being replaced, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failures. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
Driving on highway and turning right; a tire blew. On inspection by a mechanic, the front passenger control arm was bent with rust on the exposed metal. The bent control arm allowed the tire to rub against the interior fender, eventually leading to the tire failing. The tire was in great condition before the sudden failure. On researching: there was a recall on 2003 hyundai elantra for front control arm problems. The federal safety agency campaign number: 09v125000. This recall cites that road salt used in certain jurisdictions can cause internal degradation of the front control arms: leading to failure. Looking back through this car's history: it was originally registered in ohio, one of the states using road salt. I don't know why this car escaped recall, but it's having the same problems as other 2003 elantras.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai elantra. The contact took the vehicle to fuccillo lincoln hyundai (518‑379‑0680, located at 4101 state st, schenectady, ny 12304) to be repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v125000 (suspension). The contact diagnosed that the rear subframe was rusted. The technician stated that there was no recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
My lower control arm broke in two away from the body and other drive components due to rust and I'm not sure what else. I was driving at a slow speed heard a pop noise got out looked and the tire was all the way against the wheel well.
Our 2003 hyundai elantra is suffering from severe corrosion on the subframe/unibody, a problem for which a class action settlement was approved (see the following link http://saltbeltcorrosion.hyundaiusa.com/ for details regarding the cirulli v. Hyundai motor america settlement, which reached final approval on may 25, 2011). The settlement provided reimbursement for repairs. Although hyundai performed a "rustproofing/wax" repair in 2010 on this car, as well as a subframe repair/replacement in 2015 (which is considered by hyundai to have solved the problem as originally described in the class action lawsuit), we believe that the defect as described in the class action settlement was in fact not rectified, and thus consists of a failure of recall repair. In fact, it would seem that although hyundai did replace all or a portion of the subframe is 2015, the exact same problem has re-occurred on the car within less than 5 years, and is a serious safety issue (if the subframe collapses under the weight of the car, there would be serious risks of injury to any passengers on board). The deep subframe corrosion itself was only noticed and photographed by a local mechanic more than a year after purchasing this vehicle from its second owner and is evidenced by the attached pictures. In summary, although hyundai motor america considers that the corrosion problem as described in cirulli v. Hyundai motor america settlement was repaired successfully in 2015 on the car corresponding to the VIN number attached to this complaint, we believe that it consisted of a failed recall repair, and that it is the responsibility of hyundai motor america to rectify the situation at their expense. Also attached is a pdf showing a description of the corrosion within a larger estimate, which was authored by the same shop that took the photos of the vehicle's corroded subframe.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai elantra. While driving 20 MPH, the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the front passenger lower control arm was rusted from the inside out and the axle detached from the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken to columbia hyundai (10981 montgomery rd, cincinnati, oh 45249, (513) 489-2000) where it was diagnosed that the front passenger lower control arm was completely safe and had a small amount of rust. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Questions about the 2003 Hyundai Elantra suspension
Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 61 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra, 26% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Elantra suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 94,032 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 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).
Other 2003 Hyundai Elantra problems
Airbags 48Body 32Brakes 27Engine 22Fuel system 18Steering 16Lights 13Seat belts 11Electrical 10Acceleration 9Transmission 9Tires 8Visibility 4Wheels 3Locks 1Seats 1
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