Does the 2005 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra, the most recent reported on July 21, 2009 (Exterior lighting). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Hyundai Elantra?

Owners have filed 137 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is air bags (71 complaints), followed by vehicle speed control (14).

How many 2005 Hyundai Elantra complaints mention a crash or fire?

30 of 137 complaints report a crash and 3 a fire; 26 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

2005 Hyundai Elantra recalls and problems

4 recalls and 137 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra.

recalls

137

owner complaints

complaints mentioning a crash

mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2005 Hyundai Elantra recalls

Exterior lighting

NHTSA campaign 09V280000 · reported July 21, 2009 · HYUNDAI CARIBBEAN-PUERTO RICO · 3,011 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and accent vehicles. 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. A defective stop lamp switch may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission would not be able to be shift out of the "park" position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
The risk: Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on september 2, 2009. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.

Air bags

NHTSA campaign 05V479000 · reported October 17, 2005 · HYUNDAI CARIBBEAN-PUERTO RICO · 2,105 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: 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.
The risk: 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.
The fix: 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.

Air bags

NHTSA campaign 05V395000 · reported September 12, 2005 · HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY · 231,160 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: 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.
The risk: 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.
The fix: 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.

Steering: linkages, tie rod assembly

NHTSA campaign 05V187000 · reported April 28, 2005 · HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY · 277 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Certain passenger vehicles may have been built with threaded portions of the steering gearbox assembly's left and right inner ball joint assemblies that contain internal cracks in the material structure.
The risk: If the inner ball joint assembly was to break as a result of the internal crack, the tie rod end assembly would not longer be attached to the steering gear box. This would prevent steering control of that front wheel by the separated tie rod which could result in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the steering gearbox assemblies on these vehicles free of charge. Owners were contacted by telephone beginning on april 8, 2005, and instructed not to drive their vehicles. Hyundai will arrange to pick up and return their vehicles after repair. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

Air bags71
Vehicle speed control14
Electrical system10
Service brakes, hydraulic9
Power train7
Structure7
Engine and engine cooling6
Exterior lighting6
Seat belts6
Steering6

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Feb 11, 2026 · Steering
UNKNOWN On January 24,2026, I was thankfully traveling only about twenty mph a block from my home and something happened in the front drivers side suspension that caused me to almost hit three parked cars. Once I got stopped, the car couldn’t get get pushed forward, won’t roll at all forward, like it’s in park, but in…

Sep 26, 2025 · Suspension
I have a 2005 hyundai elantra that the front and rear subframe/ suspension crossmembers are completely rotted out. There is a safety recall that I found online for 2003 elantras for this same problem, but I can't seem to find anything for a 2005 model. They are the same body style and it's the same exact crossmember…

Feb 24, 2025 · Unknown or other
As I was driving about 25-30 mph when the front drivers side lower control arm snapped, resulting in loss of control and steering, which could’ve caused a major accident if driven on a highway/interstate at a higher rate of speed. The damage revealed the control arm had rotted from the inside and had broken from the…

Nov 3, 2024 · Air bags
The air bag light came on and it is staying on

Apr 28, 2023 · Steering · 185,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and released; however, the brake light remained illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V280000 (Exterior Lighting). Additionally, while driving at an…

Elantra model years compared

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Crashes	Fires
2002	6	342	58	4
2003	5	234	42	1
2004	5	182	24	2
2005	4	137	30	3
2006	1	155	28	0
2007	6	267	21	13
2008	7	314	38	23

Across all years, the 2013 Elantra has the most complaints (1,314). All Hyundai Elantra years →

Questions

Does the 2005 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?: Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra, the most recent reported on July 21, 2009 (Exterior lighting). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Hyundai Elantra?: Owners have filed 137 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is air bags (71 complaints), followed by vehicle speed control (14).
How many 2005 Hyundai Elantra complaints mention a crash or fire?: 30 of 137 complaints report a crash and 3 a fire; 26 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received February 11, 2026.