Faults:
At 40,000 miles a sound emerged whenever I backed up and turned- no mechanic/dealership could figure out how to stop it.
Aside for this, I have not really had any problems and have been mostly delighted with it.
I just had a big car accident and totaled this car (at 68,000 miles). I was turning on a wet road and completely lost control of the car and crashed into a tree. I don't know if it was the tire or what, but I totally lost control It was very scary. The car just lost control and I could not break in time.
Over the last week, I had started to notice that the car would not speed up/slow down/respond like it used to... I was going to get it checked, but then I crashed. Now that I have discovered this site, and read other reviews, I wonder whether the steering of the car was at fault in this accident.
General Comments:
Now I have to buy a new car. As I research different cars in the same range, I see that Honda civics have a lot more wear and tear and customer dissatisfaction. I am scared that another Hyundai Elantra will have similar problems, but it seems that the problem s of the 2001-2003 collection have been corrected.
Plus- I walked out of that accident, with a totaled car, and absolutely no injuries other than whiplash. The air bags deployed perfectly, and the car kept me safe and alive.
As I read reviews, the Elantra still seems like the best and safest and most reliable car for its money... And if there was a problem, then hopefully the 06 model has corrected it. So, I am thinking I may very well invest in another one.
I welcome other people's feedback or thoughts- both about the safety of the 02 and about whether it is worth risking a new one or trying another safer car of a similar price range...
14th Mar 2006, 10:29
My son purchased an Elantra new in 2002. He lives north of Toronto and commutes 200k to and from work each day. To date, the Elantra has performed admirably and has accumulated over 230,000k on the odometer. Apart from regular maintenance and the replacement of wear items such as tires and brakes etc, nothing major has failed.
This car came well equipped for a vehicle costing $17,000 CDN. It is comfortable and a pleasure to drive in all types of weather. In his own words, he intents to drive the car until the wheels fall off and then buy another one. Obviously, he is satified with his Elantra.
His only beef concerning his Elantra is the price of parts at the dealership. He decided to have a tune up performed at a local garage rather than the dealer simply because the dealer wanted over $18 a piece for spark plugs. The local garage only charged him $6 a piece for the same item. The same can be said about the cost of replacing the timing belt, which seems rather costly regardless.
One of his friends owns a 4 cyl 2001 Chevy Cavalier with over 300,000k on it and, is also quite satisfied with her vehicle. Both cars are similarly equipped and regularly maintained. She has also owned hers since new. She has had her Cavalier routinely maintained at her local garage and has not encountered the same maintenance costs as my son has with his Elantra.
I would never have thought that ether an Elantra or a Cavalier would prove so reliable. Perhaps it's the fact that both cars are routinely maintained or that both manufacturers have better quality offerings than I thought.
Needless to say, I would buy ether make. I like the Elantra and think Hyundai has come a long way since the Pony.