AI Damage1992 Hyundai Elantra: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Hyundai Elantra filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 31% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 28% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (31% of all).
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (31% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (28% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (10% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle was in a crash and passenger sustained injuries because seatbelt did not hold the passenger.
When trying to use windshield wipers they were frozen while switch was on, was unable to operate them. Instead of blowing a fuse, wiring harness got hot and burned all wires.
The consumer's wife went inside into doctor's office, and someone came in and told her that car was on fire in parking lot. Fire department was notified, and stated that the electrical system wiring shorted out, and vehicle caught on fire.
Timing belt, failed causing cylinder head damage from valves, engine blown
I was driving on interstate 35, I my windshield wipers flew to the left, they were not on at the time, black smoke filled the car, through the vents. The car jerked forward with a thump. I managed to pull the car to the sholder just as the car died. The car was tolled to the automotive specialist in el dorade, ks.
Vehicle was leaking oil. Engine check light kept coming on. Taking vehicle to dealer for problem. Broken plastic latch on the inside of the driver's side door. Transmission slips during operation, starter faulty, front end suspension problems caused excessive wear of the tires.
Acceleator pedal sticks and causing the vehicle to hesitate.
Had transmission problem, also the hood latch fell off and timing belt failed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Elantra has 243 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 29, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
- Elantra 199324 sources
- Elantra 199476 sources
- Elantra 1995112 sources
- Elantra 1996100 sources
- Elantra 1997115 sources
- Elantra 199855 sources
- Elantra 1999128 sources
- Elantra 2000197 sources
- Elantra 2001315 sources
- Elantra 2002342 sources
- Elantra 2003234 sources
- Elantra 2004182 sources
- Elantra 2005137 sources
- Elantra 2006155 sources
- Elantra 2007267 sources
- Elantra 2008315 sources
- Elantra 2009255 sources
- Elantra 2010380 sources
- Elantra 2011433 sources
- Elantra 2012654 sources
- Elantra 20131,315 sources
- Elantra 2014386 sources
- Elantra 2015262 sources
- Elantra 2016413 sources
- Elantra 2017903 sources
- Elantra 2018387 sources
- Elantra 2019353 sources
- Elantra 2020349 sources
- Elantra 2021213 sources
- Elantra 2022178 sources
- Elantra 2023153 sources
- Elantra 202483 sources
- Elantra 202548 sources
- Elantra 20267 sources
- Elantra 999914 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Hyundai Elantra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (14%), won't start (10%), oil leak or consumption (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1992 Hyundai Elantra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1992 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.