Rapid rusting of rear subframe cross member. Car rarely gets driven in snow or even bad weather. Went from minimal signs of rust to looking pretty rotted within the past year. Saw recalls on similar Hyundai vehicles. Maybe possible the same steel was used, or same lack of corrosion preventative.
The worst 2004 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.
- Airbags114
- Engine16
- Seat belts12
- Brakes8
- Acceleration7
- Suspension7
- Transmission7
- Electrical6
- Steering5
- Fuel system4
- Body3
- Seats3
- Tires3
- Lights2
- Wheels2
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Hyundai Elantra
Airbag light 35No deployment 14Stalling 8Check engine light 6Sudden acceleration 5
Recalls 5
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles equipped with an advanced air bag system. The occupant classification system (ocs) installed in the right front seat of the vehicle may misclassify a child restraint seat (crs) as an adult. This may occur if the crs is installed after an adult has been seated in the right front seat. If there has not been a 'key on' ' key off' cycle with the right front passenger seat empty prior to installation of the crs.
- Risk
- The possibility of misclassification of a crs as an adult may allow the right front airbag or side impact airbag to deploy in a crash and could result in injury to the right front occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's ocs electronic control unit (ecu) to remove the feature that may cause the crs to be recognized as an adult. The recall began on november 15, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1‑800‑981‑0188.
Recall number 05V479000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles equipped with an advanced air bag system. The occupant classification system (ocs) installed in the right front seat of the vehicle may misclassify a child restraint seat (crs) as an adult. This may occur if the crs is installed after an adult has been seated in the right front seat. If there has not been a 'key on' ' key off' cycle with the right front passenger seat empty prior to installation of the crs.
- Risk
- The possibility of misclassification of a crs as an adult may allow the right front airbag or side impact airbag to deploy in a crash and could result in injury to the right front occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's ocs electronic control unit (ecu) to remove the feature that may cause the crs to be recognized as an adult. The recall began on october 31, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 05V395000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- During an insurance institute for highway safety (iihs) offset frontal barrier impact test, it was determined that fuel tan damage could occur. On certain passenger vehicles, a vapor tube hose clamp that is located near the fuel tank may not be positioned properly and could cause fuel leakage.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the position of the vapor tube hose clamp ears and correctly position the clamp, if necessary. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1‑800‑981‑0188.
Recall number 04V370000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- During an insurance institute for highway safety (iihs) offset frontal barrier impact test on certain passenger vehicles, fuel spillage occurred as a result of fuel tank damage caused by contact between a vapor tube hose clamp ear and the fuel tank. The vapor tube hose clamp ear was found to be mispositioned and facing toward the fuel tank.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, damage to the vehicle could cause the mispositioned clamp to puncture the fuel tank causing fuel leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the position of the vapor tube hose clamp and correctly position the clamp, if necessary. Owner notification began on may 24, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 04V208000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, if the front passenger seat is unoccupied or is occupied by someone lighter than 56.4 pounds, the passenger air bag is deactivated and will not deploy if a crash occurs. However, the occupant classification sensor may incorrectly interpret that a seated adult is an infant seat and deactivate the passenger air bag if someone heavier than 56.4 pounds who is seated with one leg resting on the outboard or inboard edge of the seat; with legs spread; or positioned off-center toward the center console and with his or her arm leaning on the console.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the air bag may not deploy, possibly resulting in serious injury to the right front passenger.
- Remedy
- The occupant classification sensor will be reprogrammed.
Recall number 03V322000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra
Defect investigations
Post-crash fuel tank leak
Pe04-041 was opened to investigate a fuel leak incident that occurred during an insurance institute for highway safety (iihs) frontal crash offset test on the subject vehicle.this investigation revealed that the vapor tube hose clamp ear was mispositioned and facing toward the fuel tank, which enabled the vapor tube hose clamp ear to puncture the fuel tank and the fuel tank to leak stoddard fluid during the iihs crash test.on april 30, 2004, hyundai motor company (hyundai) notified the federal safety agency of a safety defect in certain my 2004 elantra vehicles produced from september 1, 2003 through april 14, 2004.the notification identified the mispositioning of the vapor tube hose clamp, which resulted from an early september manufacturing change at the supplier that installed the hose clamp on the vapor tube hose, as the factor contributing to this defect.if the vapor tube hose clamp is mispositioned so that one of its ears is facing the fuel tank and that vehicle is involved in high speed crash, the clamp may puncture the fuel tank resulting in fuel leakage.fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.hyundai will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the position of the vapor tube hose clamp inspected and correctly repositioned, if necessary.
PE04041
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra 58
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...
2004 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 | 21-24 | 29-31 | 24-26 |
What 2004 Hyundai Elantra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle 2004 hyundai involved in accident on the street, this vehicle owner was belted when the accident occurred, the airbags deployed, this vehicle owner sustained severe injuries including fractured vertebrate of lumbar 1 and 2 and fractured ribs, note no other vehicle was involved, this vehicle owner side swiped a tree and sustained minimal damage to the front end, this vehicle owner was treated at the scene, transported to the emergency room was hospitalized for 7 days; currently, receiving out patient care with scheduled medical appointments, this vehicle owner is not cleared to return to work at this time, and for at least 9 weeks. The faulty airbags failed to keep this driver safe, and severely injured him. He suffered 2 broken back bones, a broken rib, scrapes and bruises. On top of the physical trauma, he and his family, wife and two daughters, are suffering from emotional trauma. The accident in itself, should not have caused this physical trauma, the car did not flip, turn over, or impact any other vehicles. The driver was not on a highway, but a common street, so he was not traveling over 40 MPH. The injuries sustained are a direct result of the faulty airbag deployment.
Srs (airbag) service reminder indicator came on. I went to an auto parts store and they ran an obdii report on a bosch scanner. A b1448 oc (occupant classification) - passenger sensor mat defect came back. This is the same problem that the 2006-2008 hyundai sonatas have a recall on. The front passenger seat sensor, to detect a child seat or adult in the seat, may recognize a small adult as a child seat. If this happens and the front passenger air bag is deactivated, the risk of injury in a crash may be increased. I went to hyundai motor america headquarters in fountain valley, california at 3:45 on january 17, 2019 and left my contact information on a card at the front desk regarding this problem. I was told that I would be contacted but to date have had no reply from hma. The federal safety agency campaign id number 08v161000 as this presents the same danger to elantra occupants as the sonata recall, hyundai should be required to offer the same repair extension (15 years) as the sonata has.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 hyundai elantra. While driving various speeds, the throttle positioning sensor failed on more than one occasion. Upon deceleration, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated rapidly. In addition, the contact described the brake pedal as having a "dead spot", thus the vehicle accelerated on its own after the brake pedal was depressed. On one occasion, there was an increase in the rmps that was directly related to the worn position sensor. The contact independently replaced the positioning sensor. Millennium hyundai (265 north franklin st, hempstead, ny 11550) was made aware of the failure and acknowledged the failures. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 105,000.
I have contacted customer care and was told it's standard to remove a front seat and give the car back until they get parts for the recall I feel this could cause air bag systems not to be active and also without the seat the cars ability to hold up in a crash is reduced due to missing components that provide some structural support all I have requested was a rental car for the time it takes to perform my recall as I do not feel safe driving a car without a front seat I have had the dealer decline my request and said if I want it done the seat will be removed and the car given back to me is this a safe practice for a dealer to remove a seat that has one of the side air bags in it and advise the owner to drive the car as normal? Any assistance with this company will be much appreciated and to be clear there is a active air bag light on with a code the relates to occupancy detection for passanger front and side air bags
I was driving to work and suddenly while trying to change lane the steering freezes on me, this happen now for the second time.
The antilock machine is locking the wheels so much that stops the car completely right in the midle of the traffic and the tires smell like burning tires. I had the car towed twice. I am so afraid that this happens while driving in the highway, that I do not drive there, only the streets.
My 2004 elantra gls has the following problems: 1 - the passenger airbag off sign stays on, even with my wife in the passenger seat. 2 - the airbag light on my dashboard is always on, and my horn is not working, for the last two / three weeks (nov / dec 2017).
I went to get a safety check and they told me that I couldn't get it because my air bag light was on. I live on a isolated island that doesn't have a hyundai dealership and the car dealership where I bought the car isn't giving me a call back while in the mean time I am riding around with a expired safety check and is fearful of getting cited.
Air bag light is on. This car should be under the 15 year extended warranty for this problem. The hyundai dealer will not look at the car without a fee.
Compare the 2004 Hyundai Elantra
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2004 Hyundai Elantra
Is the 2004 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Owners have filed 182 complaints about the 2004 Hyundai Elantra, fewer than a typical Elantra model year.
What is the 2004 Hyundai Elantra year score?
The 2004 Hyundai Elantra scores 77 out of 100 (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 2004 Hyundai Elantra?
Airbags, with 114 complaints, typically around 17,102 miles. Next is engine (16).
How many recalls does the 2004 Hyundai Elantra have?
5 recalls, covering air bags and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Hyundai Elantra airbags?
Yes, 3 recalls: 05V479000, 05V395000, 03V322000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Hyundai Elantra have bad airbags?
The Hyundai Elantra model years with the most airbags complaints are 2013 (168 complaints), 2012 (124 complaints) and 2001 (118 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2004 Hyundai Elantra get?
Official estimates for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra range from 24 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 21-24 city and 29-31 highway.
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Check its historyHyundai Elantra in the news
- Hyundai recalls 2026 Elantra and 2026 Tucson Hybrid over macpherson strut problem (24 vehicles)
- Hyundai recalls 2026 Elantra, 2026 Venue and 2026 Elantra Hybrid and other models over wheels lugs/nuts/bolts/studs problem (17 vehicles)
- Hyundai extends warranty coverage on 2015-2019 Sonata, 2015-2018 Elantra and 2017-2021 Tucson and other models (unknown or other)