YearToAvoid

2018 Hyundai Elantra Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 24 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, 9% of its 282 total complaints for the year. Median mileage at failure is 39,625 miles. No related recalls are listed for this component.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
24
9% of 282
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
39,625 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Owners report shuddering or hesitation from a stop, similar to a manual car being under-revved, attributed to the dual-clutch transmission.
  • Several describe the car lunging or surging when accelerating from a stop before finally moving.
  • Some report the transmission failing to respond to acceleration on the highway, with RPMs dropping and the car briefly losing power before catching up.
  • Others describe erratic shifting including surging to high RPM during turns, followed by a check engine light and eventual loss of reverse gear.
  • One owner reported excessive oil and fuel consumption along with rough drivability at highway speed.

When 2018 Hyundai Elantra transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 25, 2018, latest Dec 16, 2025.

2018 Hyundai Elantra transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Oct 2018Mar 2020May 2021Jul 2022Jan 2023Oct 2024Jun 2025Dec 2025
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2018 to Dec 2025; peak May 2022 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Elantra model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201032 (8%)
  2. 201121 (5%)
  3. 201240 (6%)
  4. 201357 (4%)
  5. 201421 (5%)
  6. 201518 (7%)
  7. 201631 (11%)
  8. 201762 (8%)
  9. 201824 (9%)
  10. 201911 (4%)
  11. 202047 (19%)
  12. 20217 (5%)
  13. 20227 (7%)
  14. 20239 (9%)
  15. 20243 (6%)
  16. 20251 (5%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are transmission problems in the 2018 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA lists 24 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Elantra, which is 9% of all 282 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2018 Hyundai Elantra?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for this component on the 2018 Elantra.
At what mileage do transmission problems usually appear on the 2018 Elantra?
The median mileage at failure reported in NHTSA complaints is 39,625 miles.
What kind of transmission symptoms do owners describe?
Owners describe shuddering at low speed, lunging when accelerating from a stop, hesitation before the car speeds up on the highway, and erratic shifting including loss of reverse gear.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.