Which Hyundai Elantra Touring years should you avoid?

2010 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Hyundai Elantra Touring model year measured over an identical 60-month window.

What is the best year for the Hyundai Elantra Touring?

2013 is the best-scoring Hyundai Elantra Touring model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Hyundai Elantra Touring have?

4 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Hyundai Elantra Touring model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Hyundai Elantra Touring years to avoid

Across 4 scored model years, the 2010 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Hyundai Elantra Touring Full report

Grade 2010–2013

2010 vs model median 2.7×

Model median3× median

Steering 12

Electrical 6

Tires & Wheels 6

Avoid

2010

Best

2012 · 2013

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.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Hyundai Elantra Touring
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	2.67×	45	F
2011	1.15×	21	C
2012	0.85×	19	B
2013	0.55×	13	A

What owners report

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

2010 F 45 reports · median 39,150 mi

Steering 12

Hyundai elantra touring pulls to the right while accelerating and traveling at 50 MPH. It hurts your wrist to keep it straight on the road. Alignment and tire rotation doesn't solve the problem. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Electrical 6

In october 2010 my 6-month old hyundai elantra touring caught fire after sitting in my driveway for nine hours. The vehicle was completely totaled. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Tires & Wheels 6

The contact owns a 2010 hyundai elantra touring. The tire brand was kumho solus kh16 and the tire size was p215/45/r17 (na). owner complaint filed with NHTSA

7 crash · 3 fire · 6 injuries

2011 C 21 reports · median 55,000 mi

Airbags & Restraints 4

2011 hyundai elantra touring. Attorney representing consumer writes in regards to front and side airbags did not deploy during accident. Prior to the accident, the air bag light illuminated. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Brakes 3

During routine oil change at dealer, mechanic said the rear brakes were rusted so bad that they had to be replaced. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Tires & Wheels 3

Please read through the following forum: http://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t35968_ds499866 hyundai equips the se model of this car with 17" alloy rims and low-profile tires. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 7 injuries

The best year for the Elantra Touring

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

2013 is the best-scoring Elantra Touring model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.3 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2013	0.55×	13	A
2012	0.85×	19	B
2011	1.15×	21	C

Recalls

4 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
13V113000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH	2010, 2011	1,712,336
20V061000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE	2010, 2011	476,111
15V100000	STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM	2010	204,768
14V310000	STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS	2010–2012	35,000

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 2010 were reported at a median of 39,150 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 Touring years should you avoid?: 2010 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Hyundai Elantra Touring model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Hyundai Elantra Touring?: 2013 is the best-scoring Hyundai Elantra Touring model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Elantra Touring have?: 4 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Hyundai Elantra Touring 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 2010 Elantra Touring

Complaints in window: 45
Severity-weighted: 87.5
Model median (weighted): 33
vs model median: 2.67×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 4
Open investigations: 0

Score 23.2 F