Is the 2007 Hyundai Elantra a bad year?
267 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Elantra years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2007 Hyundai Elantra are in line with other Elantra years. Visibility and wipers stands out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2007 Elantra owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 68,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility and wipersSTANDS OUT | 61 (23%) | 60k–90k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Air bags | 46 (17%) | 35k–103k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Brakes | 37 (14%) | 44k–111k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Steering | 34 (13%) | 54k–112k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Electrical system | 32 (12%) | 18k–103k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Suspension | 26 (10%) | 60k–120k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Exterior lighting | 23 (9%) | 50k–104k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structure | 20 (7%) | 58k–120k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 19 (7%) | 19k–118k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 10 (4%) | 22k–90k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Speed control | 9 (3%) | 31k–73k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 6 (2%) | 1k–20k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Seat belts | 8 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 68,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 267 complaints: 21 mention a crash · 13 mention a fire · 16 report an injury · 13 say the car was towed.
3 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Sep 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2007 Hyundai Elantra: 6
Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short. An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.
The driver's seat track position sensor determines the seat's fore and aft position and allows the driver's frontal air bag to deploy at the pressure appropriate for that seating position, with a lower pressure deployment in the most forward seating positions. A higher pressure deployment than intended increases the risk of injury resulting from airbag deployment.
The front passenger seats in the vehicles contain a weight sensor designed to deactivate the right frontal airbag when occupants of certain weights occupy the seat. The electrical connector for the weight sensor is located under the center console, between the front seats. The front passenger air bag could deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant from the deployed air bag.
A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Hyundai: 44
Repair instructions Hyundai sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2007 Hyundai Elantra. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Solenoid dianostic trouble codes P0741, P0742, P0743, P0748, P0750, P0755, P0760, P0765
Ata solenoid diagnostic trouble codes P0741, P0742, P0743, P0748, P0750, P0755, P0760, P0765
Some vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (PDW) sensor(s) that may trigger various DTCs and display warning messages on the instrument…
The MDPS (motor driven power steering) assembly contains a flexible rubber coupling which may wear over time resulting in a slight "clicking" or "thud" type…
NHTSA defect investigations: 3
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Stop lamp switch failure
Engine stalling - fuel pump failure
Neighbouring years
2006 Elantra: 155 complaints, keep it · 2008 Elantra: 315 complaints, keep it, but watch the engine.
Every Hyundai Elantra year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Elantra years side by side
Other Hyundai models: Hyundai Accent · Hyundai Azera · Hyundai Elantra Touring · Hyundai Entourage · Hyundai Genesis · Hyundai Genesis Coupe · Hyundai Ioniq 5 · Hyundai Kona · Hyundai Kona Electric · Hyundai Palisade · Hyundai Santa Cruz · Hyundai Santa Fe · Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid · Hyundai Santa Fe Sport · Hyundai Sonata · Hyundai Sonata Hybrid · Hyundai Tiburon · Hyundai Tucson · Hyundai Tucson Hybrid · Hyundai Veloster · Hyundai Veracruz · Hyundai XG350. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2007 Hyundai Elantra a bad year?
267 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Elantra years. At 68,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Hyundai Elantra?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: visibility and wipers (61), air bags (46), brakes (37), steering (34), electrical system (32).
How many recalls does the 2007 Hyundai Elantra have?
6 recall campaigns list this model year: Brakes (NHTSA 20V-061), Exterior lighting (NHTSA 13V-113), Air bags (NHTSA 11V-179), Air bags (NHTSA 11V-143) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.