2005 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
5/100
#20 most-complained of 21 Elantra years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2005 Hyundai Elantra has 137 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 5 out of 100 — #20 highest of 21 Elantra model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is airbags (71 complaints, 52% of the total). Complaints report 30 crashes, 3 fires, and 26 injuries.
- Complaints
- 137
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 30 / 3
- Injuries / deaths
- 26 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 22 city / 30 hwy
Top 2005 Hyundai Elantra problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
2005 Hyundai Elantra recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 09V280000Jul 21, 2009Electrical System3,011 vehicles
Exterior lighting
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.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 05V479000Oct 17, 2005Airbags2,105 vehicles
Air bags
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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 05V395000Sep 12, 2005Airbags231,160 vehicles
Air bags
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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
2005 Hyundai Elantra fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 22 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 Hyundai Elantra a reliable year?
- Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Hyundai Elantra ranks #20 of 21 among Elantra model years (Complaint Index 5/100, verdict: Good). It has 137 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Hyundai Elantra?
- The most reported problem areas are airbags (71 complaints), engine (23 complaints), and electrical system (14 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 50,000 miles.
- Does the 2005 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?
- Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2005 Hyundai Elantra, most recently reported 2009, covering electrical system, airbags, and steering.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2005 Hyundai Elantra?
- EPA rates the 2005 Hyundai Elantra at 25 MPG combined (22 city / 30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,600. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.