Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. While driving 60 MPH on the freeway, the power steering seized and the eps indicator illuminated. When the contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, the indicator turned off. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her destination. Team hyundai (301-b auto mall pkwy, vallejo, ca 94591, (707) 709-8537) scheduled a diagnostic appointment. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 125,000.
2008 Hyundai Elantra: engine failure
11 of the 315 complaints about the 2008 Hyundai Elantra describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 120,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 6 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that the power steering seized and the electric power steering indicator was blinking. When the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it resumed normal operation. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls. The contact scheduled a diagnostic appointment with maxson hyundai (2329 us-22, union, nj 07083, (908) 368-4955). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 128,200.
While driving at 55 MPH on a local road, the steering suddenly seized and the electronic power steering (eps) warning light turned on. I took the vehicle to the dealer (williamsburg hyundai 7277 richmond rd, williamsburg, va 23188) who re-calibrated the eps but was told my vehicle was not part of the recall campaign 127 due to manufacturing date of july 2007, which is before the recall coverage date of june 2008. This is not acceptable and should have been part of the recall campaign. Current mileage is around 66,000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. While driving 40 MPH, the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head gasket was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 236,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering ability seized and the electronic power steering warning indicator illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and drove to an independent mechanic who determined that the electronic power steering failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (mcgovern hyundai, 300 manley street, brockton, massachusetts 02301) where the diagnosis was the same. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that the steering seized. The vehicle was serviced per the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v100000 (steering), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving approximately 25 MPH. The contact mentioned that an unknown warning indicator illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000. Updated 01/10/17*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. While driving 20 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the steering returned to normal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000. Updated 09/27/16*lj
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 hyundai elantra. While driving approximately 15 MPH going around a bend, the steering ability seized. The contact crashed into a parked vehicle, rolled back, and struck another parked vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the contact's head struck the windshield. The brakes also failed to respond. A police report was filed. The following day, the contact went to the hospital due to a severe headache and fever. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot by the police, towed to an independent mechanic, and then towed to the contact's residence. After the manufacturer was notified, the vehicle was towed by a third party investigator to their facilities. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000. Updated 05/31/16*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate but then suddenly accelerated and failed to slow down. The contact stated that he had to apply the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. After the vehicle was stopped and the engine was turned off, the contact noticed that the accelerator pedal was seized. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000. Updated 05/10/13*lj updated 05/21/2013
Purchased brand new 2008 hyundai elantra june 5, 2008. Since purchasing the car it broke down within 30 days with the check engine light coming on and the engine losing power. The dealership replaced the oxygen sensor and part of the exhaust because the sensor was seized up inside it. Within 2 days of getting the car back the check engine light came on again and the car lost power and the engine was rough. The first time it happened was in heavy traffic and during a left hand turn into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, the engine regained power and I was able to avoid an accident. The dealership now plans to replace the fuel pump. However, it is on backorder and we will probably be without the car a total of at least 30 days or more due to these repairs. We have contacted an attorney because we no longer have trust in the safety of the vehicle especially since it will be used to transport our 4 month old to day care every day. We haven't even had the car 60 days yet.
Our hyundai elantra, with approx. 1000 miles on it, stalled not far from our home. We left home and within two miles the car begin to hesitate. After a mile of several hesitating instances, we turned around but could not make it home. The engine died and we had to park in a neighbor's driveway. The fuel pump had gone out.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- Follow the guidelines outlined in
- This bulletin provides the service procedure for engine connecting rod bearing clearance testing
- This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2008 Hyundai Elantra engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2008 Hyundai Elantra?
11 of 315 owner complaints about the 2008 Hyundai Elantra (3%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Hyundai Elantra?
There are 0 recalls and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Hyundai Elantra
Fuel pump 37Stalling 32Fire or smoke 24ABS 22Check engine light 22No deployment 17Power steering loss 17Adaptive cruise 15Loss of power 12Airbag light 11Steering lock-up 11Hesitation 9Sudden acceleration 9Jerking 8Grinding brakes 6Ball joint 5Brake failure 5
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