Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Hyundai Elantra, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train31
- Air bags21
- Engine and engine cooling20
- Fuel system, gasoline18
- Visibility13
- Electrical system10
- Service brakes, hydraulic10
- Structure9
- Unknown or other8
- Vehicle speed control5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 15 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 9.8–10.4 L/100 km (about 23–24 mpg US), CO₂ 225–239 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elantra · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.2 | 8.1 | 9.8 |
| Elantra Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 11.4 | 8.2 | 10.0 |
| Elantra · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.7 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
| Elantra Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 8.3 | 10.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1997 Hyundai Elantra.
| 2000063 9 Mar 2000 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, if excessive vacuum is applied to the fuel tanks during the canister purge cycle, fuel tank distortion may result. After repeated exposure… |
| 1997045 10 Mar 1997 | Visual System THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH SOLDERING FLUX. THIS CONTAMINATION COULD INTERFERE WITH THE ELECTRICAL … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN APPLY EXCESSIVE VACUUM TO THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE CANISTER PURGE CYCLE. IF EXCESSIVE VACUUM IS APPLIED, MINOR FUEL TANK DISTORTION CAN RESULT. A SMALL CRACK COULD DEVELOP ON THE UPPER FUEL TANK SURFACE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE AND, IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE DRIVER MAY NOTICE A GASOLINE ODOR.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 1997 Hyundai Elantra: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 633884 | SUBJECT REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE FOR CLIFFORD AND DEI SECURITY SYSTEM. *JG |
| 633870 | AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE PULSE GENERATOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0717 AND P0722 - REVISED. *JG |
| 633851 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OIL LEAKING FROM OIL PAN GASKET. *JG |
| 631420 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES LIST. *YH |
| 631408 | SUBJECT ON AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE HARSH OR DELAYED PARK REVERSE OR PARK DRIVE ENGAGEMENT. *YH |
| 628959 | SUBJECT REGARDING FRONT BRAKE CALIPER RATTLE NOISE REPAIR KIT. *TT |
| 622933 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUEL TANK PRESSURE CHECK CAMPAIGN 037 FOR VEHICLES EXHIBITING EXCESSIVE VACUUM FORMATION IN THE FUEL TANK. *ET |
| 618056 | INFORMATION ON PERFORMING A TEST DRIVE FOR TRANSAXLE SHIFT QUALITY. *TT |
| 613468 | SOME TRANSAXLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO 05/15/99 MAY EXPERIENCE AN OIL LEAK IN THE BELLHOUSING BEHIND THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TT |
| 607524 | SUBJECT REGARDING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 605845 | SUBJECT REGARDING DOUBLE CONE SYNCHRONIZER. *TT |
| 605841 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE AN OIL LEAK BEHIND THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TT |
| 605010 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1613/1614. *TT |
| 604536 | VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A SLIGHT SHIFT FLARE DURING THE UPSHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. *TT |
| 604442 | PROCEDURES ON REPLACING DAMAGED DRIP RAIL WEATHERSTRIP. *TT |
| 604210 | SUBJECT ON AIRBAG REPAIR KIT PART NUMBERS. *TT |
| 604209 | REMOVAL PROCEDURES ON HDS CABLE CONNECTOR COVER-END. *TT |
| 603347 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON CLUTCH COVER ASSEMBLY. *YC |
| 603018 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO IMPROVED 2-1 DOWNSHIFT AT LOW SPEEDS. *YC |
| 602351 | SPECIFICATIONS ON CYLINDER HEAD BOLT TORQUE. *YC |
| 602349 | VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE TIMING CHAIN NOISE. *YC |
| 601634 | SPECIFICATION ON REAR BRAKE DISC MINIMUM THICKNESS. *YC |
| 601624 | INFORMATION ON THE OXYGEN SENSOR OFFSET VOLTAGE CHANGE. *YC |
| 600383 | A PROCEDURE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A BLOCK HEATER. *YC |
| 600332 | ROUTING PROCEDURE ON TEMPERATURE CONTROL CABLE. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL CAP REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN 36
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation