I purchased the vehicle from a private party on 8/18/21 with 38,310 miles. Almost immediately after owning the vehicle I noticed the engine oil level was low.. The owner had said she had just got an oil change so I thought maybe the shop just left it low. Then I noticed it low again a month later, and that was the start of my nearly 5 year journey of having the carrying quarts of oil in the trunk of my car because the engine was burning the oil so quickly. Finally on 5/08/26 the car begins to run very poorly, long story short my personal mechanic and Hyundai of Ontario both confirm the engine is bad and needs to be replaced. I understand there is a history of this year of Hyundai engines burning excessive oil. The car currently has 92,362 miles and even though it’s under the 100,000 warranty Hyundai says the warranty is only offered to the original owner. Any help you can provide to determine if Hyundai has any liability related to this issue would be much appreciated.
2015 Hyundai Elantra: excessive oil consumption
9 of the 262 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Elantra describe excessive oil consumption.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 0
Excessive oil consumption by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power several times, with the check engine warning light and low oil warning lights blinking. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure persisted. There was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
Engine failure consistent with known Hyundai engine defect. Blue smoke, oil consumption, engine knock Mechanic autoscanned codes were P0300, PO301, PO302 Lost half quart of oil in 800 miles Fire risk acknowledged in recall documentation - undriveable car at Hyundai dealer in Salem NH, renting a car now as without any transportation Manufacturer denied repair based solely on VIN despite identical failure
2015 Hyundai Elantra is consuming oil. I have changed the oil on all of my vehicles ever since I have owned vehicles and this vehicle purchased used for my children and maintained by me is consuming oil requiring addition of +/- a quart of oil between trips from Baltimore, MD to New Haven, CT. Oil lamp on dashboard is lighting indicating low level of oil upon return to home just north of Baltimore December 15, 2025 after a trip north to New Haven CT November 29, 2025. Oil was topped off prior to trip back to school on November 28, 2025 and 16 days later after trip home on December 15, 2015, oil lamp on dash is lighting and oil level is low. There are no observations of oil leaking at home or in parking garage at New Haven, CT
Vehicle routinely (3,000-5,000 miles, depending on oil used) maintained by qualified mechanics. Around 129,000 miles the engine began to knock / rattle. Mechanic was unable to determine the cause, but the rattle was only present between 0-40mph and would settle at higher speeds. Mechanic also noted the absence of sludge. Around 133,000 miles the vehicle stalled. The vehicle would start, but would stall again. Mechanic diagnosed timing chain failure and that the vehicle is burning oil. Vehicle has never indicated low oil, but it is now manually checked and burning about a quart of oil per 1,000 miles. Replaced timing chain and vehicle has continued to operate. Around 134,500 miles some power loss during low-speed acceleration and a slight engine rumble at lower speed. Mechanic diagnosed a wrist pin failure on cylinder 2. Vehicle may be inspected upon request. Vehicle stalls create some safety concerns, but have only occurred at low speeds. Vehicle timing chain was diagnosed by two different mechanics. When the vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for a trunk latch recall in May of 2024 at 125,000 miles, no issues were noted. Vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance represenstatives since May of 2024, with no reported issues. No check engine notifications or warnings appeared until the vehicle stalled. Prior to slightly decreased acceleration, the only notable indicator of an issue is the persistent engine rattle (knock, piston slap). The engine rattle began in February of 2025.
Within three months of purchasing this vehicle, I started having engine light and oil consumption issues. Within the 4 years of owning, they've replaced the catalytic converter twice, many valves, and others. I had to purchase and add multiple quarts of oil to just maintain oil levels. I've had multiple occasions where my vehicle slowed to only up to 55 miles an hour while on the interstate. The vehicle had issues accelerating where an accident almost occurred because pulling into a shopping plaza, the vehicle couldn't drive up a minor hill and almost remained in the intersection. I've had multiple times where I was stuck on the side of the road in different environments, a few of which I was genuinely worried for my safety. This last incident I did not feel safe to drive where I needed to go so I got off the interstate to travel down a local road where the vehicle stalled in the middle of a 5 lane (one direction) busy road. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership and warranty representatives. The engine and oil lights were the main issues, every time a light came on I reached out to the dealership to get it looked at. I received notice of many engines being recalled and repaired in 2022 yet Hyundai has only put bandaids on my engine.
I have a 2015 elantra that developed an engine noise at 135,000 miles. As I was driving on the highway, at a speed of 65, the engine became extremely loud. I pulled over to check my vehicle. I pulled out the dipstick and it had metal shavings in the oil. The car lost all ability to move. The gas pedal did not work and the vehicle would rev on its own. I had it towed to a hyaundai dealership. They said the vehicle only had 1 quart of oil. The issue with that, is my low oil light never came on in the vehicle. The dealership ran the codes, and it showed nothing on the scanner.
Car burns oil which has now destroyed catalytic converter. Dealer refuses to correct
High oil pressure caused oil filter to fail
Service bulletins that may apply
- This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s...
- This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s...
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Engine
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- A class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) alleges that certain Hyundai vehicles (“Class...
- Op code/part number (reference guide for service campaign T6G)
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2015 Hyundai Elantra oil consumption
Is excessive oil consumption a common problem on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra?
9 of 262 owner complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Elantra (3%) mention excessive oil consumption. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra?
There are 0 recalls and 32 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra
Stalling 39Check engine light 24Knocking 24Engine failure 23No deployment 13ABS 10Fire or smoke 8Loss of power 7Power steering loss 6Headlights 5Hesitation 5Tire blowout 5
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