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2004 Hyundai Elantra Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

209 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical04V370000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP EARS AND CORRECTLY POSITION THE CLAMP, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.

DURING AN INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) OFFSET FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FUEL TAN DAMAGE COULD OCCUR. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE FUEL TANK MAY NOT BE POSITIONED PROPERLY AND COULD CAUSE FUEL LEAKAGE.

Critical04V208000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE COULD CAUSE THE MISPOSITIONED CLAMP TO PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK CAUSING FUEL LEAKAGE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP AND CORRECTLY POSITION THE CLAMP, IF NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 24, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

DURING AN INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) OFFSET FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, FUEL SPILLAGE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF FUEL TANK DAMAGE CAUSED BY CONTACT BETWEEN A VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP EAR AND THE FUEL TANK. THE VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP EAR WAS FOUND TO BE MISPOSITIONED AND FACING TOWARD THE FUEL TANK.

Serious05V479000

Air Bags

THE POSSIBILITY OF MISCLASSIFICATION OF A CRS AS AN ADULT MAY ALLOW THE RIGHT FRONT AIRBAG OR SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IN A CRASH AND COULD RESULT IN INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S OCS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) TO REMOVE THE FEATURE THAT MAY CAUSE THE CRS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN ADULT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.

CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN ADULT HAS BEEN SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. IF THERE HAS NOT BEEN A 'KEY ON' ' KEY OFF' CYCLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EMPTY PRIOR TO INSTALLATION OF THE CRS.

Serious05V395000

Air Bags

THE POSSIBILITY OF MISCLASSIFICATION OF A CRS AS AN ADULT MAY ALLOW THE RIGHT FRONT AIRBAG OR SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IN A CRASH AND COULD RESULT IN INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE'S OCS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) TO REMOVE THE FEATURE THAT MAY CAUSE THE CRS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN ADULT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 31, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE MAY MISCLASSIFY A CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT (CRS) AS AN ADULT. THIS MAY OCCUR IF THE CRS IS INSTALLED AFTER AN ADULT HAS BEEN SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. IF THERE HAS NOT BEEN A 'KEY ON' ' KEY OFF' CYCLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EMPTY PRIOR TO INSTALLATION OF THE CRS.

Serious03V322000

Air Bags

IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER.

Remedy & full details

THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR WILL BE REPROGRAMMED.

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, IF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED OR IS OCCUPIED BY SOMEONE LIGHTER THAN 56.4 POUNDS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS DEACTIVATED AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IF A CRASH OCCURS. HOWEVER, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR MAY INCORRECTLY INTERPRET THAT A SEATED ADULT IS AN INFANT SEAT AND DEACTIVATE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IF SOMEONE HEAVIER THAN 56.4 POUNDS WHO IS SEATED WITH ONE LEG RESTING ON THE OUTBOARD OR INBOARD EDGE OF THE SEAT; WITH LEGS SPREAD; OR POSITIONED OFF-CENTER TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE AND WITH HIS OR HER ARM LEANING ON THE CONSOLE.

Complaint volume

209 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

32Crashes
3Fires
34Injuries
0Deaths

Across 209 complaints. Severity Index 1.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags57 · 27%Air Bags · Frontal · Sens…34 · 16%Air Bags · Frontal18 · 9%Seat Belts8 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling7 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control7 · 3%Suspension6 · 3%Air Bags · Side/Window5
  1. Air Bags — 57 reports
  2. Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module — 34 reports
  3. Air Bags:Frontal — 18 reports
  4. Seat Belts — 8 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling — 7 reports
  6. Vehicle Speed Control — 7 reports
  7. Suspension — 6 reports
  8. Air Bags:Side/Window — 5 reports
  9. Engine — 5 reports
  10. Child Seat — 4 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (3) · 1997 (3) · 1998 · 1999 (2) · 2000 (1) · 2001 (6) · 2002 (6) · 2003 (5) · 2004 · 2005 (4) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (6) · 2008 (7) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (5) · 2012 (4) · 2013 (4) · 2014 (2) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (2) · 2017 (4) · 2018 · 2019 (1) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (6) · 2022 (5) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (1) · 2025

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.