Faults:

Seat material frayed - warranty.

Paint came off power window buttons - warranty.

Throttle position sensor failure - warranty.

Rear vent glass channels rusted - warranty.

Premature tire replacement.

Brake switch failed - transmission wouldn't get out of Park - out of warranty.

Transmission replaced under warranty for erratic downshifting.

Center exhaust flex pipe rotted - out of warranty.

General Comments:

I really like the Elantra, but I feel this model was designed just before Hyundai started building the better cars they build today. Reliability has been average at best and I have the dreaded feeling of "what will go wrong next" with this car.

Engine power is very good for this vehicle class, and handling is tight and sporty.

Fuel consumption is not very good - I average between 300 to 400 kms travelled on a tank.

I think it looks better than the current generation Elantra, but it is not as good of a car.

Faults:

Exhaust manifold replaced.

Driver and passenger interior door handles broke, replaced.

Throttle position sensor replaced.

Front Rotors turned, replaced, turned again.

Driver side power window fell off track into the door.

Cruise control computer replaced after 3 attempts by dealer to fix.

Engine developed a violent shake at idle around 45000 miles that was never resolved despite 3 trips to the dealer.

Spark plug wire failed causing the engine to fire on 3 cylinders.

Horn worked intermittently, finally broke once and for all and was replaced.

Fuel pressure regulator replaced after I started smelling gas upon startup.

General Comments:

The Elantra with a manual transmission is surprisingly powerful.

I loved my Elantra, but it was too problematic to keep around.

Faults:

My car has overheated 3 times within 14 days. 5 of those days the car was in the shop getting fixed.

Car has been in the shop every couple months since we bought it.

General Comments:

This is not the first time the car has had problems. However these recent incidents have lead us to concluded we either bought a lemon or Elantras are not good cars. We are currently searching for new cars and the Tiburon has caught our eye. However we are too concerned that it is Hyaundai that has the problem and not that our car is a lemon. The car drives fine when its working. Very upsetting though when the car breaks down late at night on back roads when your cell phone has no service. This car is now endangering my life and will be gotten rid of as soon as we are financially able to buy a new car.

Faults:

Paint went bad quickly, but was not an issue because warranty covered it. Seatbelt button fell off and warranty covered it. Driver's window actuator went bad, but warranty covered it. Wheel bearing went bad, but warranty covered it. Exhaust system thingy started going bad, but warranty covered it. Driver repeatedly left lights on overnight requiring battery replacement. Shakes at 110MPH.

General Comments:

Considering the way I drive this car, I'm sincerely shocked that it still runs. I keep up with all scheduled maintenance and give it love. Of course, I've driven a Ford before so I know how much trouble a truly poorly-built car can be. This is a nice first car, second car, or kid's car.

On the downside, over long distances, even the lumbar support doesn't help with the hard seats.