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Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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Comments

  • ryan41ryan41 Member Posts: 21
    Just purchased a 01 Elantra fully loaded. Car seems fine except that it has a slight shimmy at speeds of 60 or better. Has anyone else had the same problem?
  • tonykrapiltonykrapil Member Posts: 211
    Hello,

    Mine has it too at about 66-67 mph and ends at about 72mph.

    I had tires balanced and rotated and problem is still in there.

    It is a minor shimmy.

    I was trying to find a place that 'trues' tires locally for a good price, but they want 25 bucks a tire to do it !!!

    I will wait for these to wear out and will only go above or below the shimmy zone mph.

    I guess it could very well be related to alignment too. I have about 8k miles on my 01 elantra.

    Tony
  • jlim1jlim1 Member Posts: 50
    Thanks for the tips ! I managed to find a bug and tar remover by TurtleWax for $4.99. Just a quick spray on the spot, wipe off with a clean cloth. Very effective indeed, just have to avoid that commute on the expressway for the time being.
  • kupiecbkupiecb Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 Elantra, I have only 9300 miles on it and right now it is in the shop due to electrical problems. My power windows and power locks would not work. I took it into the shop and they have to tear apart my door panels to see what the problem is. Has anyone had any Electrical problems with their car? I just can not believe on a brand new car I am having these problems. Good thing I bought the Diamond Extended Warrenty, It covers the rental car.
  • andy356andy356 Member Posts: 12
    List members:

    One thing I forgot to say in my last post... whatever product you use to remove the tar, be advised that it also removes the wax on the paint. Follow up any tar removal with a coat of wax on the area.

    And, consider this... waxing a car is a good way to get cardiovascular (sp?) exercise.

    Andy,
    The road to a friend's house is never long.
    *******************************************
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have used Goo Gone to remove the glue from pinstripes and it worked fine. On the bottle, it says it would remove tar too. It's worth a shot. Available at auto parts stores and Wal-Mart for about $3 a bottle. Plus, it smells like citrus too. Alot better than gas or lighter fluid. :)
  • jlim1jlim1 Member Posts: 50
    Has anyone test-driven a GT? It's supposed to be available at dealerships this month. I saw bits of it on pictures and TV ad and read some specifications and price listings on the Net... the things that intrigues me are the purple VDO gages and stiffer suspension. Looks to me like a cute hatchback with lotsa features to offer (including leather seatings and ABS) for under $15,000 (?)
  • eclipsegseclipsegs Member Posts: 66
    I just visited the dealership and they had 2 on the lot. One silver and the other red.
    Not a bad deal for the money. Lots of standard features including:
    -Leather seating surfaces, shift knob and steering wheel
    -AC
    -Power windows and locks, heated mirrors
    -6speaker CD stereo
    -Cruise control
    -Tilt Steering
    -Purple Ill. Inst. Cluster
    -Remote Keyless Entry w/Alarm
    -Fog Lights
    -Rear window wiper

    Optional:
    -Moonroof
    -ABS w/Traction Control System

    I believe the sticker was $16,500 loaded.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Be sure to check out the "Hyundai Elantra 5 Door" forum for lots of info on the GT, including test drives and new owner stories.
  • jlim1jlim1 Member Posts: 50
    It's a surprise to note that they have silver GT at the dealership. I was at the HyundiaUSA website to research a little on the GT, which they claim to have just the cobalt blue and red (some special red, I think) available. Which was probably why they have the purple VDO gages in the first place, otherwise with silver body the purple instrument gages will look awkward (to me anyway).
  • skyartskyart Member Posts: 4
    The Hyundai web sites states that their are two new colors exclusively(only can get these two colors on the GT and not on the GLS) for the GT which are Cardinal Red, and Cobalt Blue. The GT also comes in Cranberry, Black Obsidian, and Pewter(according to the bruchere I received when I test drove one a week or so back).
  • griffey2griffey2 Member Posts: 6
    Hooray! I finally bought an Elantra with package 2. Am thrilled. After test driving a Focus, Corolla, and Civic, amongst some larger cars, I settled on the Elantra for the price, warranty, and the way it drives. The ride feels much smoother than the other cars in its class. Now to sell my '93 Maxima....
  • aquesadaaquesada Member Posts: 24
    Hi guys,

    What type of oil(brand,grade,synthetic,etc) are you using in your Elantra 01, I have 1700 kilometers on mine and I would like to hear some advice from you. I live in Costa Rica and temperatures goes from 32°f to 107°f.
  • browneybrowney Member Posts: 104
    The link below gives a good descripton of what to look for in oil. I live in Georgia which has the same basic temp range as your area. I use 5-30 oil, either Valvoline, Castrol, or Penzoil. Never had engine problems that would be caused by poor oil performance. I change oil and filter every 3k mi.

    http://www.vtr.org/maintain/oil-overview.html

    The following links review Oil Filters:

    http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml

    http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    Seeing all this talk about the various packages has me wondering just how many packages are available on the Elantra? I have seen reference to package 13 so does that mean there are 13 different packages or more?
  • kupiecbkupiecb Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 Elantra, I have only 9300 miles on it and right now it is in the shop due to electrical problems. My power windows and power locks would not work. I took it into the shop and they have to tear apart my door panels to see what the problem is. Has anyone had any Electrical problems with their car? I just can not believe on a brand new car I am having these problems. Good thing I bought the Diamond Extended Warrenty, It covers the rental car. The service manager just told me that this is a defect in the 2001 Elantra's that is just being discovered. has anyone had any problems with the electrical??
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Log onto www.carsdirect.com and check out the Elantra. There are like 4 or 5 different packages available on the car.
  • presario1presario1 Member Posts: 15
    I had a shimmy at 60+, it seemed intermittant. My 2001 elantra had 150 miles on it at the first service, tire balance and wheel alignment didn't help. After the second service call at 300 miles, the dealer contacted Hyundai, who approved changing out the Michelin tires with replacement Michelins, rebalancing according to Hyundai techs. The steering wheel doesn't shake in each direction a 1/4" anymore, but there is more road feel than I'm used too through the steering wheel, considering my last car was a 92 Toyota Camry, maybe its still those michelins???????
  • orman1orman1 Member Posts: 7
    Have not had any electrical problems on our 2001 elantra, but when you get your car back, can you elaborate on the "problem" they say the 2001's have?

    The only weird thing our car seems to do is make a "hiss" by the passenger's footwell area when a hard left turn is made. Sounds like "freon is escaping" hiss. It only seems to happen when the a/c is on and when making a left turn.
  • tazerelitazereli Member Posts: 241
    Having more road feel is not necessarily a bad thing. Smaller cars and sporty cars tend to have more than larger cars. I like my car telling me whats going on with the road. As to balancing to "Hyundai" specs; in the four years that i installed tires for sears I never heard of a manufacturer spec. My goal was always to get a zero balance where both sides of the tire were balanced. be sure that your air pressure is correct too. that can have an impact also. for that i would go with Hyundai's specs.
  • chromemanchromeman Member Posts: 4
    I am trying to put a deal together on a 2001 Elantra GLS Auto, The sales person says the National Advertising Charge (approx $350)is part of the invoice price
    I think it is part of ther dealer mark up. Anyone
    know about this??
    Thanks
    chromeman
  • tocantocan Member Posts: 118
    The dealer has to pay it, they have no choice. That makes it not part of dealer mark up.
  • arukisharukish Member Posts: 7
    I have Elantra 01 with 4900 miles on it and have a check sign comes in.I am shocked to have this problem in just 4900 miles.Can anybody tell me what is that mean? I know that it's not a n engine problem.
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    My wife and I are negotiating the purchase of an Elantra GT or GLS within the next few days. We like the GT because of the added features like leather and alloy wheels; however, dealers seem to have availbility and bargaining issues with the GT. Therefore, the GLS is our Plan B.

    I noticed that the Hyundai website (under "specs") and in certain reviews of the GLS alloy wheels as listed as an option. However, I can't find alloys as a listed option anywhere else and I did not see them on any vehicles in any dealers lots.

    Is it possible to order alloys for the GLS from the factory? I'd like to know before I make the deal. Thanks in advance for the help.

    CJA
  • leo24leo24 Member Posts: 4
    I bought a '99 Elantra in Jan. 00 and have driven it for 21k. The car is pretty solid mechanically.

    The only thing that bothers me is the paint. It has been in the north for only one winter, and there are already visible spots, most likely corroded by salt, on both the top and the hood. Sands flying on highway also leave marks on the sides, something that doesn't happen to my '92 Galant at all.

    Before I bug the dealer, could I hear anything from other Elantra owners? Many thanks in advance.
  • aquesadaaquesada Member Posts: 24
    This warning sign is associated to the emissions control system not with the motor, not a big deal!.
  • bought2bought2 Member Posts: 3
    my elantra does the same....alot of road contact and noise...my accent is a whole lot better with those korean tires....
    michelins are great tires but they are noisey.. i had them on my camry and removed them and put on winstons and it was alot quieter i'm going to do the same thing on my elantra.. if you like a sports car feel stay with the mitchelins if you want less noise and a little smoother ride go with a softer tire....
  • presario1presario1 Member Posts: 15
    Michelins are long wearing,etc...But what was causing the shimmy in my 2001 elantra was intermitant and might be back. I think road feel has its pluses. And steering wheel shimmy/vibration at 60+ is unusual. Thought it was fixed, but this morning, slight shimmy, I may call the dealer soon. Anybody correctly solve this with their dealer?
  • dwangyahoodwangyahoo Member Posts: 12
    Hey all, Long Beach Hyundai in CA has been advertizing a base GLS automatic for just $9877 for 2 weeks! This price includes the $495 destination fee and the $500 rebate. But note this is an automatic! Has anyone bought at Long Beach Hyundai? How can they be so low?
  • sjslosjslo Member Posts: 16
    I was wondering if anyone knows whether or not the 2001 Elantra comes pre-wired for tweeters. I just bought a new head unit and plan on upgrading the speakers soon. I was just curious, thanks! Please email me if you know @sjslo@conncoll.edu...
  • elantra00elantra00 Member Posts: 225
    It depends what radio you got. My elantra has a the upgraded system that comes with tweeters. The base system doesnt. So if yours doenst have it now, its doubtful that they have inputs for them. then again, my elantra is a 2000. The 2001s may be different
  • elantra3elantra3 Member Posts: 7
    my elantra has a slight lull, a hesittation, a pause,and has had this trouble from day one i am just curiuos if anyone else has had a simular proublem and what they did to correct it when acellerating with about 1/2 to 3/4s way or all the way it seems to have a dead spot its hard too explian it seems like it takes a few seconds after acellerating before it realizes what to do i want to take it to the dealer but they will most likly tell me its a normal thing i can,t get decent performance out of this car i realize this isn't a sports car but even my friends tercell with 195,000miles performs flawlessly did i metion my elantra is a 5 speed i can't belive that this elantra could be the normal way it is slugish performance and poor gas milage too. may be all related i,m not sure. would love to here if anyone else is having this proublem and what the cure is if any also the clutch seems to grab at the very end of its travel not the middle for $2000 more i could have bought a nissan sentra maybe i should have if i can't get this proublem fixed right i will lose a lot of money on a trade in hyundais don,t seem to hold there value like toyotas,nissans,hondas and i understand from dealers i've spoken too used hyundais don't sell very well they sit on the lots and nobody wants them i bought this car to keep for about five years or so we,ll see
  • dorf47dorf47 Member Posts: 18
    These seem to be a dealer install option, I've not seen any on any lot. Picked up an '01 with package 5, auto, floor mats and mud guards for $14,040 at my local dealer. I was looking for package 5 but not having much luck, these guys are new and had one on the lot. Got an excellent % rate on the loan from them too.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I have a 5spd too, 4500 miles, and the only hestitation I've noticed is when it is cold, it sometimes has a tiny bit of hestitation (not a few seconds, maybe half a second) in 1st. Re clutch take up, when you say it grabs "at the very end of its travel" do you mean down by the floor? My clutch grabs fairly close to the floor, which I prefer and is similar in feel to clutches on Nissans, Toyotas, and Hondas I've owned. So if yours is grabbing down by the floor, that may be "normal" behavior. If the clutch take-up isn't smooth, that could be indicative of a problem. But clutches can be adjusted, so take it into the dealer.

    My main question is, have you driven other '01 GLS 5spds, say on a test drive, and did they behave the same way? If this is the only one you've driven, what I would do if I were you is go to your dealer, ask the mechanic to take a drive with you (let him/her drive the car). If the mechanic says it's normal behavior, then both of you should take out another GLS 5spd for a drive (call ahead first to make sure they have one). If it acts the same, it may in fact be normal but I doubt it, at least for the hestitation, since at least some 5spds (like mine and the Edmunds long-term tester) don't exhibit that behavior. If they give you the run-around, start taking it up the chain.
  • zengeoszengeos Member Posts: 6
    I was just in an accident today. Another vehicle rear ended me. The other vehicle was a 90's era large Cadillac. It received substantial front end damage (front grille, bumper, right front quarterpanel, and the light mount all totalled.

    My car on the other hand seems to have absorbed ALL damage in the bumper..as it was intended to. Kudo's to Hyundai's continued improvement in quality and crash worthiness.

    I have had no major problems with my car yet in 7 months. Two very minor problems were the gas cap pull didn't always release the cover (adjusting the tension in the pull cable corrected this) and the right rear door doesn't always lock. It seems to happen in cold weather only and it's intermittent. Unfortunately, they have not been able to track that problem down. Otherwise, the car has performed nearly flawlessly.

    On an ironic note, I was turning into the dealership to show my mother the new GT version as a possible next car for her. Go figure!

    Mark-
  • jkempskiejkempskie Member Posts: 49
    My 2001 GLS 5-spd just hit 5000 miles without any problems like you've described. Oh, you might consider using punctuation.

    JK
  • ycrtycrt Member Posts: 2
    I just took a quick lunch-time test drive in a base model standard Elantra. I wanted to see how my 6'3", 240 lb. frame would fit, and I was pleased. I'm not ready to buy (or do any price haggling), so when the salesman said it was $13,100, I just ignored him. I only took it around the block (up one side of the freeway frontage road and back down the other), but I liked it a lot better than the other compacts I've had the chance to drive (as rentals). I'm going to drive the Accent, too, to see how the space compares. I'm not sure if having more room, a stronger engine, and side airbags are worth the extra $2K+ difference between the Elantra and Accent. Anybody else waver between the two before deciding who can help me out?
  • browneybrowney Member Posts: 104
    Have you ever taken your vehicle back to the dealer to force him to fix the gas mileage problem you mentioned in posts 782 and 848 on this forum? And 801 on the Elantra vs the Civic forum?
    I believe you were asked this a couple of months ago and I don't remember you posting any response.
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    I also noticed a very slight shimmy at speeds of 64-68 mph in my Elantra GT. I corrected the pressure in both front tires but that didn't help. Oddly, the problem seems intermittent and doesn't always show up. It is very slight and I probably only noticed it because the rest of the car is so smooth & quiet. It feels like an out-of-balance wheel.

    Anyone know if it's the Michelin tires, and out-of balance wheel or the alignment that's causing the shimmy? The GT has alloy wheels so they could be the culprit.

    Happy Motoring!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I drove the Elantra and Accent back-to-back. I thought the Accent was a nice little around-town car, something that I would have been very pleased with when I was commuting to college. For a car that can be had for around $9K, it seemed well-screwed together. However, I'm long removed from college and the Elantra seemed way more substantial, very smooth and comfortable to drive. The Elantra is to me on a par with Civic, Sentra, and Protege, while the Accent is one class below. To me the Elantra was well worth the $2K or so more--look at all you get for that money. Another factor was that it could easily hold my family of 5, whereas they would be a tight squeeze in the Accent. Check out the crash test results on the Elantra vs. the Accent also.
  • presario1presario1 Member Posts: 15
    I had a shimmy consisting of a 1/4" shake in each direction at 60+. The dealer changed the tires and rebalanced. It was intermittent during the day and most obvious in the morning. I think the shimmy is just masked a little better after two service attempts. I have the 2001 elantra gls with plain rims and wheel covers and 1,000 mi. at the recent service attempt. I may call the dealer soon, but its only been a week since getting it back. If I was a betting man, it wasn't the Michelin tires or the rims or alignment. Its probably powertrain, and something of a glitch we'll have to live with, Yea right. I started a column in maint. and repair about the shimmy, because I've notice this is common with one too many elantra's.
  • ycrtycrt Member Posts: 2
    I drove the Accent last night. The back seat is almost too small for my 10-year-old son. I like how it handled, though.

    Backy, where can I see the crash test results to which you referred? When I do a comparison on Edmunds' site, all it says is "Not tested".

    The salesman I rode with last night said his dealership (Buz Post in Arlington, TX) was the Hyundai sales leader in a 12-state area. Anyone know if this is true or have any experience with this dealership?

    Here are the marked prices for some base model Hyundais:

    Accent GS Base 5-speed (2 on the lot; white and gold) $9999
    Elantra GLS Base 5-speed (2 on the lot; white and silver) $11999
    Sonata (2.4L Auto) (1 on the lot; blue) $12495

    I couldn't believe the Sonata price, but the guy said that they get bigger discounts on Sonatas from Hyundai; he didn't know why. And there was another Sonata for $12995, I didn't look at it closely to see what the difference was. They don't have a large lot at Buz Post, so there weren't many Hyundai's there; the salesman said they had a storage lot at another location, so if I didn't see what I wanted here, they may have it there for the same price. I was tempted to put something down on the Sonata, just because it was such a deal!
  • browneybrowney Member Posts: 104
    12,500 for a Sonata AUTO!
    If I could of found one for that price I would not be driving the Elantra.
    Even Carsdirect.com gives a minimum of 14,800 for that vehicle.
    Buy the Sonata.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    I am thinking about buying one. What is real world mpg with the automatic and 5 speed? I rented one and got 31 on the highway and 24 in mixed driving with the automatic. Is that the best I can expect? I drive light-footed too. Also, anyone have any experience upgrading the sound system? Any problems running speaker wire? Thanks.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    There does not appear to be any major crash tests done in the US where you can compare the results of the Elantra to the results of the Accent.

    The only test of the three (full front, offset front, and side impact) that you can even compare outside of class is the side impact and there have been no tests of that sort done on the Accent yet. Full frontal and offset frontal collision results can only be compared when the vehicles are in the same class.

    I will say that the Elantra does very well in the low speed (5mph) crash tests. The IIHS does four tests at this speed to see how much it costs to repair the damage. For all four tests, it cost $852 total to repair the Elantra which made the average $213. Not too bad.

    FWIW, the Sonata may be so cheap right now because the next generation Sonata will be coming out soon.
  • moredivamorediva Member Posts: 1
    I have been doing a lot of research and have settled on getting an elantra. I mailed a dealer and he wrote back and said that he can get me a 4 dr/5 spd Elantra with package 3 for $1200 below invoice (including the $500 rebate) or the same car with package 4 for $1500 below invoice (including rebate). My question is: is this a good price? As far as I can tell from using TMV, is that invoice with package 3 and California emissions and destination charges is $12726, so my price would be $11,526. It seems that the dealer won't be making that much $ (which means I am saving $!!!), but I wanted another opinion. Also, if you look around an arrange financing what do you take with you to the dealer? do you get a letter from the bank saying you are approved for C amount or what? Thanks in advance for your assistance. As you may have guessed, this is my first time buying a new car, and I am a little unsure.
  • browneybrowney Member Posts: 104
    Those prices look pretty darn good.
    You should go to E-loan.com and get a quote from them. They are usually very low. Then print it out and bring it to the dealer. They will usually do all they can to match or get close to the
    E-loan quote. I was quoted 7.25% by E-loan and got 7.39 from the dealer.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    What is a good price for an Elantra GLS with package 5 and automatic? Thanks.
  • jkempskiejkempskie Member Posts: 49
    MPGMAN- I've averaged 31-32 mpg mixed driving with my 5-speed GLS, typically reaching 350-390 miles per tank of gas. Depending on my mood I drive light-footed or not.

    MOREDIVA- I just bought my '01 Elantra this April... my first new car purchase as well. The prices you mentioned are very good... I think that at or below TMV value is a good and fair deal.

    Before you negotiate a price with the dealer, I'd suggest figuring out some numbers that include the final cost of the car (including tax, all options, rebate, etc.). When they just gave me an out-the-door number, it threw me off. Also, be sure to point out to them that you can and are willing to go to other dealers to get the deal you want. Visit carbuyingtips.com

    Regarding financing, getting online loans only works if you have good, well-established credit. Though I have good credit, I don't have a very long credit history (I just graduated from college) and I wasn't able to do anything online. Rather, I got a loan through a local credit union (good rates).

    This is similiar to how it worked for me: Come up with the price you expect to pay (or negotiate a deal). Go to whomever you want a loan from and ask for that amount of $. Get approved. Once you finalize the deal on the car, the dealership will give you the necessary paperwork which includes the VIN #, the final price, etc. You then bring this back to the loaner and they cut you a check for that amount. Bring the check to the dealership and take your car home. This, of course, excludes the necessary insurance details. All in all, it can be a pain and CAN take you several days 'til you actually get your car. On the other hand, there are people who can decide to buy a car one day, go to a dealership, drive it, neg. a price, finance it there, and drive it home that day.

    Good luck!
    JK
  • bobbibbobbib Member Posts: 3
    mpgman--I bought an Elantra GLS package 5 automatic a couple weeks ago and had two quotes for $12995 after rebate. I also wanted to upgrade the stereo to a CD system. Went to Best Buy and was told that, while an ordinary installation for an in-dash unit (no speakers) would cost around $50, an installation on a 2001 Elantra would be closer to $200 because of "complex wiring." So I decided to hold off on the audio upgrade for a while. As for gas mileage, I've gotten just about what they promise--mid to high 20s in the city and low 30s on the highway (even with air conditioning).
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