I was waiting at an incline and when I tried to go up a little more, my car rolled back instead. I then stepped on the break realizing the check engine light was on. I put the car in park and turned it off. I turned it on right after and it was fine and the check engine light was gone. Super dangerous, I believe the dealership sold me a lemon.
The worst 2019 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.
- Engine138
- Lights65
- Electrical37
- Driver assistance13
- Transmission11
- Steering9
- Brakes6
- Seat belts6
- Acceleration4
- Fuel system4
- Wheels4
- Body3
- Airbags2
- Locks2
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2019 Hyundai Elantra
Headlights 62Stalling 48Engine failure 38Check engine light 34Knocking 26Oil consumption 21Loss of power 12Hesitation 8Warning lights 7Fire or smoke 5Won't start 5
Recalls 1
Engine
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
- Risk
- A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460.
Recall number 21V301000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2019 Hyundai Elantra 117
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
- Hyundai has become aware that your Hyundai Elantra equipped with a 2.0 ATK engine may have been...
- Been incorrectly updated with Cylinder Noise Detection System (CNDS) software that can set DTC P132700;...
- Been incorrectly updated with Cylinder Noise Detection System (CNDS) software that can set DTC P132700;...
- 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...
- In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method...
- This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector...
- In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc...
2019 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 32 | 40 | 35 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 26-29 | 36-38 | 29-33 |
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | FWD | 22-26 | 30-33 | 25-29 |
What 2019 Hyundai Elantra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
It was no incident. Car died and mechanic says engine is locked. Got oils changed everytime in a timely manner and this is a fairly new car. Please help
I am reporting that there is not a recall but a factor warranty from the manufacture. Stating that the o ring in the 2019 hyundai elantra was not properly tempered. Which will cause the car to stall, rod bearing to break, and cause the car to set on fire. My report is that my 2019 hyundai elantra with 139,000 miles has did exactly that. O ring was bad and the rod bearing broke. When calling hyundai to report it they claim that my vehicle Vin number doesn't fall under that manufacture recall. Why doesn't it? This is exactly what happen to my car!!! Can anyone please help me. Thanks
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 35-40 MPH on a bridge, the engine made a loud banging and knocking sound, and the vehicle stalled. The driver shifted into neutral, coasted down the bridge with the engine off, and pulled over to the side of the road. The driver noticed an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact's husband performed an oil change and discovered a hole in the side of the engine block. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the repair was not covered because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 120,286. The VIN was unavailable.
2019 Hyundai Elantra with 2.0L Nu MPI engine suffered catastrophic engine failure at approximately 118,530 miles. Vehicle is currently at the [XXX] Hyundai dealership. Vehicle appears to fall within the exact parameters of Hyundai Recall 203/the federal safety agency 21V‑301. Have spoken to the dealership as well as Hyundai corporate and they have refused to either honor their own recall campaign or do a goodwill service to replace the engine, citing my VIN does not fall under their recall campaign, however they have yet to provide any reason, and according to their own campaign 203 recall information my vehicle meets the exact criteria. I am concerned the recall population may exclude vehicles suffering the same engine defect, and their clearly is a clerical error or something on their behalf, and they appear to not be interested in remedying it, which could and has in my case resulted in potential danger. My car died in the middle of [XXX], and had I been in heavy traffic and could not have coasted it down a hill to a parking lot almost certainly would have resulted in a collision. I was fortunate enough to at the time be in light traffic. Upon restarting car motor made a horrendous knocking noise, which is symptomatic of exactly what recall campaign 203 warned of with the defective engines they installed in my series of vehicles. Hyundai denied goodwill solely based on time in service and mileage rather than identifying a different failure mechanism, and as of the time of writing this has not provided an explanation of why according to them my VIN doesn't fall in their campaign, when clearly it should as it is the correct year, correct factory stock engine, correct place if manufacture, and the very same symptoms they published in their campaign. They have told me I need new engine, as was obvious by the fact it's disabled and sounds as if a rod has thrown. I have brought this to their attention every day for going on 2-3 weeks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Car sudden stopped then would not turn on Currently being looked at but for suspected timing chain, VVT, and related parts Others have reported these same issues and other model with same engines have been recalled
On 6/12/26, the engine had a sudden, catastrophic failure that caused a life-threatening hazard on a 2-lane highway in a remote mountain grade with no shoulder. Prior to this incident, the forward collision system had falsely gone off several times in dark or rainy conditions when there was no actual hazard or oncoming traffic on the road, which is very distracting and dangerous. Hyundai is not abiding by the terms of the federal class action lawsuit settlement, refuses to replace the defective engine, and is generally a danger to the public. What is the federal safety agency going to do the next time a Hyundai catches fire and causes a catastrophic disaster in Southern California? I was fortunate the engine didn't catch fire...it was lightning-hot when I opened the hood a full 30 minutes after the breakdown. This has a Nu series MPI engine...there are 5 known classes of Hyundai/Kia engines that fail without warning and the company is still getting away with endangering drivers, refusing to replace or reimburse. I have a 10k lien on this vehicle and my livelihood is at risk because of Hyundai's negligence and disregard for the law. My stalled vehicle could have caused a deadly accident when it failed had another driver failed to see it blocking the road. This is happening to millions of Hyundai owners and we're not getting the recourse we were promised. My VIN was excluded from recalls and class action, yet it has the same exact dangerous engine defect. Please investigate the Nu 2.0 MPI engine series if this hasn't already been established as an additional unsafe configuration. It would be in the interest of public safety if Hyundai went out of business; the company's manufacturing is a danger to society and Hyundai doesn't care as long as they continue to profit from consumer hardship and suffering.
About two months ago, I had to replace the camshaft on my vehicle. Then about 3 weeks ago while driving down the road I began to hear a grinding slap near the front right of the vehicle. Then the power died and the vehicle limped into a parking lot. After stopping for about 30 minutes, I was able to restart the vehicle and get it home. The same noise occurred the whole drive. I couldn't start it again, and had it towed to my mechanic. The mechanic's review showed that the engine had seized up despite only being down a quart of oil. The engine was getting plenty of oil to give him confidence that missing oil wasn't the cause of the problem. The vehicle has about 104000 miles on it. To date, Hyundai refuses to even acknowledge that it's their problem despite a similar recall (21V301000) already being announced for this Elantra model.
The engine failed for my 2019 Hyundai Elantra. We bought it at Atlantic Hyundai dealership. They used a passing recall inspection to clear a defective engine, misdiagnosed the ensuing failure as an oil pan leak, and abandoned me with a vehicle that stalled dangerously in traffic. We brought car to Atlantic Hyundai told them that the car just stopped on the highway in the middle of driving. Our mechanic told me to tell Hyundai the car was rapidly consuming oil. Hyundai said oh no it’s just an oil pan snd we trusted them allowed them to fix it. Several weeks later the car completely stopped in middle of driving on exit ramp. Police came to make sure traffic was diverted so they could help me get car to side of road safely. It was towed back to my mechanic who said same exact thing car is dangerous bring it to Hyundai they need to fix this for you it’s the engine recall. We had it towed to dealership and after 2 weeks they said oh yeah you need new engine. We brought it to independent mechanic because Atlantic Hyundai knowingly sent me off in a dangerous vehicle the first time and no longer did I trust them with safety of myself and others on the road
The car was driving on the highway and out of nowhere the car just stopped in the middle of the highway. I brought it to my mechanic who said the car was rapidly consuming oil and my cars engine was seizing. and he safely brought me and the car to Atlantic Hyundai where I had bought the car to have them diagnose and fix the issue. After several days they diagnosed the issue as a simple oil pan issue and replaced the oil pan and sent me on my way. The same issue with the engine seizing up in the middle of driving on the highway endangering my life and others. I am still terrified thinking of this. We brought car back to Hyundai by tow truck because I was scared to drive it and after 2 weeks of waiting they then told me the car needed new engine however they never mentioned what I later discovered was a serious recall for this specific engine . Upon further research my car was listed under the recall however before I bought the car it says it passed the test to see if it needed engine replacement under recall 203 . They knowingly said my vehicle was safe they sold it to me knowing it was unsafe and then they put a bandaid ( oil pan) and sent me on my way knowing I was in danger. I am lucky to be alive because the car stalled out on a major highway .
Compare the 2019 Hyundai Elantra
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2019 Hyundai Elantra
Is the 2019 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Owners have filed 253 complaints about the 2019 Hyundai Elantra, close to a typical Elantra model year.
What is the 2019 Hyundai Elantra year score?
The 2019 Hyundai Elantra scores 76 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 2019 Hyundai Elantra?
Engine and cooling, with 138 complaints, typically around 89,000 miles. Next is lights (65).
How many recalls does the 2019 Hyundai Elantra have?
1 recall, covering engine.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Hyundai Elantra engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 21V301000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Hyundai Elantra have bad engine?
The Hyundai Elantra model years with the most engine complaints are 2017 (294 complaints), 2013 (235 complaints) and 2014 (168 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2019 Hyundai Elantra get?
Official estimates for the 2019 Hyundai Elantra range from 25 to 35 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 32 city and 40 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)