AI Damage2007 Hyundai Elantra: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra filed 267 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 267
- involving a crash
- 21
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 23% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 9% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 7% of all complaints
- Visibility: 61 complaints (23% of all).
- Air bags: 46 complaints (17% of all), 13 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 37 complaints (14% of all).
- Steering: 34 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 32 complaints (12% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 267 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 61 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 46 | 13 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 34 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 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.
My head hit the drivers side window. No bleeding, just stunned. (nobody stopped btw). When I was able to collect my thoughts and call someone. I was able to call my friend for a ride. He was shocked when he arrived that I was okay.
The frontal air bags failed to deploy. The contact had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact sustained a herniated disc, shoulder, and neck bruises. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot.
Fortunately, the air bag did not deploy, and my wife was not injured; however, the damage to the vehicle was extensive! This was a serious mechanical malfunction, and we continue to be concerned for the safe operation of the vehicle.
I pulled into a parking space and pressed the brake pedal to stop, as usual, and felt the car slowing down at first; but then, just as I was coming to a complete stop, the engine suddenly got really loud and the car violently lurched forward very fast.
The driver and side curtain air bags did not deploy. The contact received injuries to the lower back. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and the current mileage was 47,483.
I was involved in a collision on i35 in saledo, tx in november 2007. I was in the right lane behind a semi. I switched lanes (into the left) to pass the semi when I saw a semi tire in my lane. I had no time to react.
While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact crashed into a pole and two other vehicles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and is now in the possession of avis car rental. The current and failure mileages were 20,000. Updated 08/14/07.
The contact stated that while driving and attempting to turn into the driveway, there was a burning odor and white-grayish smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to slow down as intended. The vehicle was parked at the residence.
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 1,531 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Elantra has 243 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 267, about average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Elantra 199229 sources
- 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 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 2007 Hyundai Elantra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, air bags, service brakes. Total complaints: 267. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), airbag warning light (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 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 2007 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 2007 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.