MODELYEARINDEX

Which Hyundai Elantra GT years to avoid

No Hyundai Elantra GT model year in 2017–2018 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2018 and 2017, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Hyundai Elantra GT Full report
C
Grade 2017–2018
2018 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Engine 12
Lights & Visibility 4
Brakes 3
Weakest

2017 · 2018

Best

2017 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2017
0.38× 10 A
2018
1.62× 35 C

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2017 A 10 reports · median 77,000 mi

  1. Engine 10

    3rd cylinder piston fell apart inside is motor . Car only has 61,000 miles. Vehicle was on highway owner complaint filed with NHTSA
2018 C 35 reports · median 2,283 mi

  1. Engine 12

    I bought a 2018 hyundai gt sport 3 months ago. Since day one car has been stalling and having a hard time starting. I was on the highway doing 75mph and the car just turned off no warning. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 4

    When driving at night with the low beam headlights, there is very a distinct shadow in front of car. It is very distracting and dangerous. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 3

    Car shut off while on the highway randomly started shaking. All lights turned on check engine,motor oil light battery light. Car shut off to the point where I couldn't accelerate. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the Elantra GT

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2017 is the best-scoring Elantra GT model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.6 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2017 0.38× 10 A
2018 1.62× 35 C

Recalls

1 campaign on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
18V891000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2018 86

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2018 were reported at a median of 2,283 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Hyundai Elantra GT years should you avoid?
No Hyundai Elantra GT model year in 2017–2018 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2018 and 2017.
What is the best year for the Hyundai Elantra GT?
2017 is the best-scoring Hyundai Elantra GT model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.6 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Elantra GT have?
1 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Hyundai Elantra GT model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2018 Elantra GT
Complaints in window
35
Severity-weighted
56
Model median (weighted)
35
vs model median
1.62×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
1
Open investigations
0
Score 56.9 C