Outside of your home, cars are one of the most expensive items that most people own. So it’s fair to say that you want them to last a long time! If you’re looking at midsize sedans, then you may find yourself specifically wondering how long a Hyundai Elantra lasts.
A well-maintained Hyundai Elantra can be expected to last for twelve years or 250,000 miles. J.D. Power awarded the Elantra an 87 out of 100 on its reliability scale, making it one of the more reliable vehicles in its class.
With that in mind, there is no guarantee of how long a vehicle will last. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that influence a Hyundai Elantra’s lifespan and what you can do to improve it!
Do Hyundai Elantras Last A Long Time?
Hyundai Elantras last for a long time if you’re taking good care of them. The better you maintain them, the longer they’re going to last. You could still be driving them in 20 years if you maintain them well enough.
Driving them without regular maintenance would definitely shorten their lifespans, though.
Hyundai offers a 10-year warranty on the drivetrain. Or, a 100,000-mile warranty depending on which comes first. If you drive a lot, it might not take 10 years to run through the warranty.
There are two factors that seem to impact their longevity the most. The first would be how well you’re maintaining them. And, the other would be how you’ve been driving them.
Poor driving habits could certainly shorten their lifespan. In fact, driving habits could have as much of an impact as maintenance.
Driving them safely would put less of a strain on their parts. Plus, if you’re a safe driver, you’re probably servicing them often too.
As far as driving goes, pay attention to your acceleration. Try smoothly accelerating from stops. Driving like that shouldn’t cause as much wear on your engine.
Also, stop for maintenance whenever the check engine light turns on. Otherwise, you might break something inside of it.
What Is High-Mileage For A Hyundai Elantra?
If you’re shopping for a used Elantra, you want to know what’s considered high-mileage. A high-mileage Elantra would be something with more than 100,000 miles on it. That’s because you won’t have a warranty anymore.
When you’re buying a used car, it’s tough to know its maintenance history. Somebody could’ve maintained it perfectly. Or, you might get something from someone who didn’t care.
Ideally, the seller can provide you with a detailed history of its maintenance. If not, you’ll have to take their word. You can have a better idea if it’s only been owned by one person.
Rental cars aren’t usually a good idea, though. They tend to have a lot of people drive them. And, you can’t know how well they took care of it.
Look at the vehicle’s accident report, too. Look out for any history of accidents. Nothing may have broken at the time. But, that doesn’t mean something isn’t wrong with it.
It might not be worth buying one with more than 100,000 miles if you’re planning to keep it for years. You might want to look for something with closer to 60,000 miles if that’s the case.
J.D. Power awarded the Elantra an 87 out of 100 on their reliability scale. That places it higher than many other vehicles of the same class. The Ford Focus only scored a 78 out of 100 on the same scale for example.
Compared to other vehicles in its class, the Elantra seems to be a bit more reliable in general.
What Problems Do Hyundai Elantras Have?
Just because they’re reliable doesn’t mean they never suffer from problems, though. There are a couple of things that seem to pop up every once in a while.
RepairPal did give them a 4.5-star rating in terms of reliability. Still, people seem to have issues with its engine and brakes.
According to their report, you should expect to spend about $500 a year on maintenance.
A Hyundai Elantra’s brakes should last somewhere between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. That means you should be able to drive on them for up to 5 years. However, they may only last for around 2 years. Of course, that’s assuming you’re only driving them 15,000 miles a year.
The batteries should also last for a similar length of time. If you’re taking care of them, they’ll last for about 5 years in total. Don’t let corrosion build on their terminals. Corrosion tends to decrease the battery’s lifespan.
The tires on an Elantra should last for about 50,000 miles. At 15,000 miles a year, that’s a little over 3 years of lifespan.
The transmission system tends to last the longest out of all Elantra’s components. They’ve got a warranty on them for the first 100,000 miles.
But, you should still be able to get another 50,000 to 100,000 miles out of them. That gives them a lifespan of around 150,000 to 200,000 miles in total.
Your spark plugs should last for around 60,000 miles. If you’re driving 20,000 miles a year, they’d last for about 3 years in total. Spark plugs help turn on the engine whenever you’re pushing the ignition button.
Hyundai Elantras Years To Avoid
CarComplaints.com lists all of the complaints made by Elantra drivers. Of all the years listed, the 2013 Elantra seemed to have the most. There were a total of more than 500 complaints for that model year.
However, there were only 3 recalls issued for that model year. The model year with the most recalls would be the 2011 Elantra. So, you might want to avoid that one as well.
4 recalls were issued for the 2010 and 2012 models of the Elantra. That’s the second-highest compared to 2013.
The model year with the fewest complaints would be the 2020 Elantra. As of the moment, there aren’t any complaints registered for that model. There are no recalls issued for the 2020 model year, either.
The 6th generation Elantras seem to have the fewest issues overall. That includes the 2020 and 2021 model years.
Tips for Making Your Hyundai Elantras Last Longer
Maintaining your Elantra should help it to last for as long as possible. Here are a couple of tips that should help you maintain them properly.
Remember to change the oil frequently. If you’re using convention oil, you should change it at least every 7,000 miles. Synthetic oil tends to last a bit longer. You should still replace it once every 10,000 miles, though.
Whenever you’re changing the oil, check on the oil filter. Even fresh oil has issues whenever the filters get clogged. The oil won’t be able to travel throughout the engine well if that’s the case.
Also, rotate the tires at least once every 10,000 miles. Usually, the front tires wear out faster than the ones in the rear. Turning puts more pressure on them. Plus, the Elantra is a front-wheel-drive vehicle. So, they’ve got even more stress because of that.
Always replace your tires whenever they’ve got less than 3/32 in. on their treads. Letting them go longer isn’t a good idea.
You should keep an eye on the dashboard whenever you’re driving, too!
Typically, the check engine light will alert you of any mechanical issues. If you see it, take your Elantra to a service station immediately. You’ll need to have a technician inspect it to figure out what’s wrong.
Store the vehicle somewhere away from the elements. Keeping it in a covered garage is usually sufficient. That should prevent them from rusting too much.
Hyundai Elantra’s Reliability
The Hyundai Elantra is among the most reliable vehicles in its class. It’s received higher scores from J.D. Power on the reliability scale. And, they’ve only received a handful of complaints on CarComplaints.com
As long as you’re maintaining them, they can last for more than 200,000 miles. You might notice issues with the transmission once you’re past that point, though.
