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Hyundai Elantra battery drain problems

25 of the 8,746 owner complaints about the Hyundai Elantra describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2013 model year.

owner complaints
25
worst model year
2013
typical mileage
60,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2023
    1
  • 2020
    1
  • 2019
    1
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    2
  • 2015
    1
  • 2014
    3
  • 2013
    5
  • 2012
    2
  • 2011
    1
  • 2010
    2
  • 2008
    1
  • 2006
    1
  • 2005
    1
  • 2001
    1
  • 1999
    1

What owners say

Filed Nov 25, 2025 · Electrical · VA

Low pressure oil light did not come on until the oil drain plug had completely fallen out. Once the light came on, the vehicle was slowed and came to a stop on the side of the highway within 2 minutes. The car completely shut off as if the battery were dead. It had to be jumped in order to put the car into neutral for the tow truck. The safety issue is that the hwy we were traveling on is 70mph. At no time, did we receive a warning until it was almost too late. The car is currently at an auto repair shop as the engine is most likely catastrophic and due to the car having no power, they want to replace not only the engine but also the 12 volt battery and it's module. The low pressure oil warning should have come on way before the plug completely fell out and the battery should not be dead. The mechanics can't even fathom why an engine would fail quickly and drain the battery as well.

Filed Aug 20, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · FL · fire

The engine bay of my car caught fire due to the abs pump and module not turning off. I bought a part but never opened the box because I received a piece of mail stating the recall of that exact issue that they would replace all parts damaged. Which they didn't just installed their relay After Hyundai recall 188 was completed, my ABS pump failed. I believe it was caused by continuous power being applied post-shutdown — the exact defect the recall was meant to fix. The dealer performed an inspection but misrepresented the results and refuses to replace the damaged component under recall. This ABS pump failure is a direct result of the original recall condition — or a failed installation of the relay fix — which continued to keep power applied to the pump while the vehicle was off. This is the exact scenario the recall was intended to prevent. If the failure is caused by that condition, Hyundai is still responsible under recall. The facility which did the recall falsely recorded the mileage on my vehicle as to void any "warranty" associated with the recall as the car hasn't been driven since the module was replaced. I also instructed the diagnosis team of Wesley chapel Hyundai to keep my battery unplugged due to the parasitical drain in order to protect the battery from being dead celled and now I have to replace the battery as well. They also illegally opened a mailed box I had in my car with a part I bought prior to the recall being mailed out which I never took out of the box nor did I open the box and it was fully sealed which is a federal crime. I opened a case in which Hyundai denied helping with this faulty service and are refusing to provide me documents Case no. 41355389.

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · TX

My brake lights are not going off when I take my foot off of the brake pedal. I have had to start disconnecting the battery cable so it will not drain the battery. I stop lamp switch replaced when it was recalled. And the steering wheel tilt does not stay in the high spot it falls to the lowest position.

Filed Nov 18, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · FL

Brake Lights, constantly on. The vehicle, while driving, the brake lights come on and do not turn off. you must force the pedal all the way down, to, sometimes, turn them off. while driving, the lights being on, disables the ECS system, and Cruise Control. while the vehicle is parked and off the lights stay on, unless you depress the pedal, this causes power drains and dead batteries. if the lights do not work, this is a hazard to drive at any time of day. lights will also come on while car is off and has been off for some time.

Filed Jun 21, 2023 · Body, Engine · GA · 1 injury

Engine light has been on for almost a year with NO prior failure or issues after car hit a dangerous pot hole in the road which caused coil packs and spark plug replacements. After the repair, the engine light stayed on for almost a year and the car has been taken to multiple shops and a Hyundai dealer & diagnosed by Hyundai same answer of "maybe" leak and gas cap being loose. gas cap has been tightened and even replaced few times. Engine light stays on and no one can figure out why . The battery eventually died months later and when battery was replaced engine light came off and then back on days later. same result from mechanics of not knowing true reason engine light is on. 1 month after battery died alternator went out and no signs of knowing and safety concern because engine light stays on but not indicating true reason. 1 day after alternator went out car begin overheating on and off. the engine alert has still been on and never comes on for true reason which can indicate safety concern. problems within vehicle is starting to rise back to back . The signs of a leak but unaware to find is a safety issue

Filed Oct 27, 2022 · Electrical, Lights · TN

When driving at night, sometimes the headlights and taillights will shut off leaving the car totally in the dark. This is a SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE as you can no longer see the road and other cars cannot see you. The problem appears to possibly be associated with the light switch, as you can jiggle it and get the lights back on. Also related to this problem of the lights shutting off is the fact that occasionally the lights will come on long after the car has been parked in the garage, which tends to drain the battery. After experiencing this problem, I checked the internet and found numerous other cases of Hyundai Elantra owners reporting the exact same symptoms, so it seems to be a somewhat generic problem. Hyundai’s service department has been unable to isolate the problem on my car. The problem happens randomly and is infrequent but serious when it happens. It has happened approximately 10 times over the past two years.

Filed Sep 7, 2022 · Electrical, Transmission · HI

UNKNOWN. Battery died out on my twice, every two years. Motor needed to be replaced after 5 years.

Filed Jun 18, 2022 · Brakes · SC

My brake stop pad broke, causing my brake lights to remain on constantly unless the fuse was pulled. This caused battery drain and safety issues on the road. This issues appears consistent with the recalls for the 2013 and 2014 Hyundai models with stop pad recalls.

Filed May 31, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · CA

Approximetly 8 months after purchase car stalled while sitting at RR tracks and traffic light. Replaced battery after stranded due to dead battery. After putting twenty dollars of gas car engine sputtered very loud as if it was running out of fuel this continues to occur. At departure engine stalls restarts and stalls repeats hyndai unavailable for at least 30 days and would not provide loaner or alternative for car with under 60k miles disabled. Enterprise car sales would not assist in trade or repair. Engine light appears then disappears. Headlights feature stopped working it is manual operation only. Collision warning activated on an empty roadway. Tire light illuminated Replaced 1 of 4 older mismatched tires. Car is unsafe due to early occurances of electrical, mechanical, engine and computer fail without warning. Enterprise car sales will not take car as trade in, Hyndai service appointments booked 30 to 45 day waiting period with no alternative repair or loaner car I have been affected financially and loan is defaulted since I am unable to work. Excessive time spent trying to trade in car, find repair facility, roadside. Car towed due to stalled unable to drive unsure about using car with no warning disabling issues.

Filed Jul 29, 2021 · Electrical, Lights · PA

It appears the parking lamps stay on when car turned off while headlights are in AUTO. This leads to unintended battery drain leading to unoperational car. Per Owner's Guide: The system automatically turns off the parking lamp when the key is removed (remote key) or when the driver turns the engine off (smart key) and opens the driver-side door. This does not meet the Owner's Guide's language. Dealerships and inspection services did not confirm/reproduce this. There are no warning lights or indicators of this.

Related recalls

Electrical system: wiringReported September 11, 2000 · 165,977 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: some sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5 liter v-6 engines and all elantra model vehicles may have experienced intermittent low-speed engine stalling, which could occur if the maf (mass air flow) sensor electrical signal is interrupted as a result of engine vibration transmitted to the maf sensor connector wiring harness.
Risk
This condition can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will re-route the maf sensor connector wiring harness.

Recall number 00V259001 · Recall details

Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulatorReported May 11, 1994 · 600 vehicles affected
What is wrong
In some vehicles, the manufacturer's protective internal coating of the electronic crank angle sensor does not meet specifications, which can cause an open circuit at high operating temperatures. This can cause the vehicle to stall.
Risk
Engine stalling has the potential to result in a vehicle crash if it occurs while the vehicle is moving.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the crank angle sensor to determine whether the sensor is involved in the recall, and replace any sensor found with the defective internal coating.

Recall number 94V090000 · Recall details

Questions about the Hyundai Elantra battery drain

Which Hyundai Elantra years have battery drain or dead battery problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2013 (5 complaints), 2014 (3 complaints) and 2010 (2 complaints).

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