Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2004 Hyundai Elantra
NHTSA data on file today
The 2004 Hyundai Elantra has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns and 182 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #05V479000 OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #05V395000 OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V370000 HYUNDAI/PUERTO RICO/FUEL HOSE CLIP REPOSITIONING NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V208000 HYUNDAI/VAPOR TUBE HOSE CLAMP NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #03V322000 HYUNDAI/AIRBAG OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 114 complaints
- Seat Belts 12 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 11 complaints
- Power Train 7 complaints
- Suspension 7 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 7 complaints
Of the 182 complaints on file, 24 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 182 complaints, owners report 26 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $3,500–$7,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2004 Hyundai Elantra has significant issues, evidenced by 182 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns, primarily targeting air bags, with 114 associated complaints and multiple related recalls. Other areas like seat belts and engine cooling also have issues, but air bag reliability dominates concerns, suggesting overall reliability is below-average. However, data beyond this is limited.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| air bags | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | very common |
| seat belts | Unknown | $150–$300 | occasional |
| engine cooling | Unknown | $300–$800 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter change every 5,000 miles
- Brake inspection annually
- Replace timing belt at 60,000 miles
- Transmission fluid change at 100,000 miles
- Coolant replacement every 30,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light on
- Seat belt malfunctions
- Overheating engine
- Poor acceleration
- Unusual suspension noises
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2004 Hyundai Elantra at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.