2014 Hyundai Elantra: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Dec 8, 2020 · Engine · 85,000 miles · IN

The engine started making a ticking noise as early as 40k miles. It ran ok and I was lead to believe this was "normal" from the dealership. I maintained the vehicle as required until 88k while noticing more and more oil was being consumed. After slowing down and turning from a highway on to a county road, the automatic vehicle began to shift erratically and could not go faster than 40mph and then the engine turned off. I managed to get to the side of the road while this occurred. The engine started, but driving but the gears would not shift properly causing the engine to stall. In the dealership, the diagnosis was a new engine. I am the second owner and was told there was initially nothing could be done under warrantee with the mileage (while suggesting I must have went way too long between oil changes.....not even close to correct). The dealership made an appeal to hyundai and offered to pay for half of the cost of a new engine. So I am supposed to be happy paying only $4200. The new engine does not have a ticking sound and I highly suspect that was the start of the problem before. I'm seeing the "ticking" sound in many of the complaints and can't believe a recall still hasn't been issued for this. I don't trust this car or hyundai to do the right thing on their own.

Filed Mar 24, 2020 · Engine · 31,000 miles · MA

My car is a manual transmission and I noticed the shift started to get stuck here and there. Within a couple days and very little driving, I got stuck and had to have it towed because it wouldn't shift at all. It only has 31,000 miles so I didn't think it could be the clutch. After 2.5 weeks at the dealer, they said it's not a recall but is a hyundai "alert", covered by warranty and that there's a defect that allows debris in which jams the shift. The transmission was removed, the shifter cleaned up and a patch kit put in to keep it from happening again. Within a couple days and less than 20 miles, I lost all ability to shift and the car when backing out of a parking spot. It started aggressively jumping forward and back with no control. I was stopped by a curb. This was in a parking lot and I could have hit a person! It would no longer start got towed back to the dealer and I'm awaiting an answer.

Filed Jan 30, 2019 · Transmission · 42,000 miles · CA

After being parked overnight, sporadically the car will not shift out of park upon pressing the brake and starting the car. The little button on the shifter that you push in order to move out of park is locked and when pressed, emits a sound coming from the ignition where you put the key in. You can hear it click from the steering column each time you press the release button on the shifter. The only way to fix the problem is to turn the car off and back on again. Then the car shifts out of park normally. I cannot get the car to replicate this for the mechanic, as it only happens every few days.

Filed Dec 22, 2016 · Electrical, Engine · 79,679 miles · ME

The transmission range sensor on my car died after about 78000 miles and caused the car to lock up while on the highway. Stayed in 3rd gear and for a few weeks before would lock up while in park, neutral, reverse and drive (most commonly while in park). This nearly caused a couple of accidents. After doing some research this appears to be a common problem with elantras dating all the way back to 2007 and even has continued past my model year (2014) into 2015 models. The dealership even referred to it aso a faulty range sensor which to me seems to imply that they know about this issue. I couldn't shift and had a more difficult time slowing down and speeding up than usual. The part is relatively inexpensive but the diagnostic fee plus labor to remove and replace the faulty mechanical part was well over $150, resulting in a total bill of $210. A part failure that causes the vehicles computer, transmission and drivetrain to lose all connection to one another can be very dangerous, especially while on the highway. At first it happened only while stationary in park, the car would lock up while sitting with the engine running for a while. I would turn off the engine and re-engage the vehicle and everything would operate as normal. Then it occurred while backing down the hill out of my driveway, locked up in reverse, I applied the brakes, set the parking brake and turned off the car while still in reverse. (I live in a quiet subdivision of a small town of 12,000, what if this happened in a busier or more heavily populated area?) I was still able to start the vehicle while in reverse and shortly thereafter while in neutral. Then tuesday morning while on the interstate (I-95) the gear and drive mode indicator on the tachometer went blank, I was stuck in 3rd gear (limp mode) and my car once slowing down had a difficult time accelerating after stopping.

Filed Feb 6, 2015 · Transmission · 10,000 miles · IN

The car won't start at times. I turn the key, all the lights and radio come on, no power to start the engine, no noise, no crank, nothing. If I wiggle the gear selector gently it will start. Last night it was stuck in park and I had to turn the car off, wiggle the selector a little again, and then it started and unlocked the gear selector. And yes, my foot is always firmly on the brake when I try to shift gears.