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Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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Comments

  • kcdonahoe1kcdonahoe1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Elantra GLS with 152,000 miles and it has all its original belts. FWIW.
  • oldburbnewcx9oldburbnewcx9 Member Posts: 53
    The engine in your elantra is an interference engine. If the belt break so will several valves. Might be better to spend $ now vs $$$$ later.
  • elantraownerelantraowner Member Posts: 16
    I have 2002 hyundai elantra. My mother-in-law has a 2005 Hyundai Accent and because she has put so few miles on it, under 5000, she figures she never needed to change her oil or anti-freeze in that time! Things do deteriorate with age.

    I would change the belt because if it goes, as they use to say in Fram commercials, pay now or PAY later.
  • jayessjayess Member Posts: 59
    I have the exact same year and pkg model. Bought it in '09 with 26.3k miles for my daughter to use at school and her transportation in general. Even though it only had just shy of 45k miles I did all the belts last year at this time, literally a week before the original warranty expired at 5 yrs. While the alternator belt did show wear, the timing belt looked like it probably could have lasted a while longer but felt that it was money well spent - just in case with the original warranty - along with the other scheduled maintenance, and did I say that my daughter uses it at school?!!
    My recommendation - do it, money well spent to keep a good car going.
  • gsakalagsakala Member Posts: 7
    Jayess;
    I assume you had the other belts changed at the same time.
    What about the water pump?
    Do you remember what the timing belt change and what ever else you had done at that time cost?
  • jayessjayess Member Posts: 59
    Yes I had all four belts changed, timing, alternator, PS and AC compressor. I inquired about the water pump since it's just the price of the part but my service guy, who has been very good and straight with me said he really couldn't see a reason to replace it since they tend to hold up. Total price was $373.47 incld. 7% PA tax. Seem to recall I had some sort of coupon which saved me $50. They also threw in a free oil change because I asked him to! We have two Sonatas and this Elantra maybe that had something to do with it. She was home last week and allowed me to drive the car, I still love it.
  • nihao4587nihao4587 Member Posts: 43
    It has been a really long time since I posted any update on this forum for my 2002 Elantra Gt hatchback. If you did not track, this car was bought new by me in 2002.

    I have kept all maintenance up to date and tried my best to have service done at the dealer when possible.

    My car is approaching to 85K miles and it holds up quite okay. Other than tear-and-wear items, no major repair was needed until last week.

    In December 2011, I noticed some steam coming out of the front hood when driving in cold mornings and some slow fluid leak underneath the engine bay when parking overnight. I brought the car in and the service manager informed that both radiator and exhaust manifold had cracks. Fortunately, the latter was covered under Hyundai's 10-year warranty. When I purchased the car, I had signed up for an extended warranty offered by a third party. I never got chance to use that, but this time, it did wonders. I was able to pay 100 dollar deductible by making the radiator repair a claim. During the process, the service guy recommended me to replace all necessary hoses and clamps (my cost but mostly parts only) at the same time for the long run. So, after one week (including holidays) without my Elantra, it is now back in good shape again.

    In 2012, my GT hatch will be 10 years old. With my fingers crossed, I would enjoy a few more years of satisfactory ownership from her.
  • giantfan567giantfan567 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Hyundai Elantra
    It needs to be smogged this year damn California. Anyways I had the catalytic converter replaced two years ago because it wouldn't pass smog then nearly costed 700.00 to finally get it smogged in 2010 how here again 2012 need to smog again but check engine light is on automatic failure. Had a tune up going to aamco today have them run a engine diagonistics to see if they can help me. But other then that car has been quite good.
  • 40kimmel40kimmel Member Posts: 1
    if you locked your keys in your 02 hyndai elantra could you start the car by jumping it with your own battery, then it would unlock its doors? As in using the battery to run the starter?
  • nihao4587nihao4587 Member Posts: 43
    After dealing with the radiator problem at the end of 2011, my 2002 Elantra GT is now having some problem with its fuel gauge. I guess it is showing its age now. Before I send it in, has anybody seen such thing?

    My fuel gauge needle would not point to full position. It was acting normal at least two months ago, then it started to do this. I tried at least two different pump stations, which all worked well for me before, and I did turn off ignition during pumping. So now, it will always go up to 80% full at the highest possible. It does drop as I burn more fuel and the gas mileage seems to be normal based on my calculation.

    If the fuel tank sender unit needs replacement, how much do I look at? In the meanwhile, can I just top off a bit more to remedy this issue?

    Thanks.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    edited April 2012
    My 2004 Elantra GT hatch turned 8 yesterday. I bought it new, actually "gently used" as it was an HMA auto show car in late 2003 and early 2004 for several shows including Chicago and Minneapolis. I didn't know when I sat in it at the auto show that I'd soon own it!

    The car is Rally Red and was a loaded as they came in 2004, with automatic, moonroof, ABS, and mats. List was $17,414; I paid $13,200 + T&L plus I got coupons for 3 years of maintenance (negotiated after I found out the car had been used as an auto show car, which the dealer lied about until I caught them on it).

    It was my daily driver for many years but for the past three years has been used mostly by one of my sons for a school and work car. His pizza delivery job last summer put a few small dents in the roof (sign), and the car has a few other dings and scratches, but the paint is still glossy and the interior is holding up very well (except for a scuff mark on the driver's left bolster, which developed early--I think as a result of the auto show experience).

    The car has almost 71k miles on it. It still runs like new and gets very good fuel economy. I noticed it improved after the 60k servicing. It was getting around 34 mpg on the highway, then after the 60k service got 37 mpg when driven at 65 or under. EPA is 21/29. I used to get 25 in town and mid-30s on the highway when I drove it.

    The car has been very reliable. The only major maintenance needed outside of the regular schedule has been new rear brakes (discs) at about 45k, and new tires at 18k and 66k. The tire change at 18k was because of an accident that ruined one tire and wheel. I had to replace two tires, and found out that I could buy 4 tires for the same price as 2 of the OEM Michelins. Since I had poor experience with those tires on my 2001 Elantra (for tire wear), I got 4 new tires. They did a good job for their price, lasting nearly 50k and could have probably gone another 6 months or so but winter was coming and my son drives 150 miles to college. The new tires are Hankook Optimos, which I got a great deal on and improved ride smoothness and handling.

    As far as problems, nothing major. The biggest problem was the rear hatch struts needed replacing after nearly 5 years; they were replaced under warranty. Also had a couple of little plastic parts break and those were replaced under warranty also. Recently the cover over the passenger visor mirror broke off, but as a new visor is over $100 we'll just leave it that way. Also, I replaced the stereo a few years ago as I never liked the OEM Kenwood unit. I replaced it with another Kenwood unit ($100 installed) which has easier to use controls.

    I still love the car, although I don't get to drive it much. It's an old design, but still handles pretty well and has a reasonably smooth ride--but firmer than my 2001 Elantra GLS had. It swallows a lot of cargo with its fold-flat rear seat, which comes in handy for moving stuff to/from college. And I think it is a good-looking car, with its Saab-esque profile and five-spoke alloys. The driver's seat is very comfortable also, with dual height adjusters (which I wish Hyundai still used) and lumbar adjustment.

    My son will use up the factory warranty by the time he graduates, then it will be his graduation present. At that point it should have around 85k miles on it, so should still have a lot of life left.
  • hmownerhmowner Member Posts: 23
    Still runs fine with minor issues that's too expensive to fix.

    - oil seeps through the gasket a bit
    - clutch is almost worn out ( 2 teenagers learning to drive on stick) but don't want to pay to replace
    - some rust inside the hood: alternator, water pump, etc... but still runs fine
    - air bag wiring harness under the driver seat acts up often and causes air bag light to illuminate. Not covered under warranty
    - gear knob came off. Replaced with a over the counter smaller knob.
    - replaced fuel cap due to CEL lighting up
    - stock radio and clock is broken... don't plan to fix it
    - some metallic windows seals are rusting from inside out
    - some rust coming through the wheel wells (rusting from inside a bit, probably due to salt deposits)

    I drive it for 1/2 hour every week to keep the engine running when no one drive it during the week. I actually find the ride quality a lot softer than the newer cars with big wheels and thin side wall tires. I paid 13K out of the door in 2001 ( with inflation that's about 17K now). I think it was money well spent.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    wait a minute Backy, you said that the dealer lied?? No....go on ;)
    Glad your car is holding up well. My ET is now being used as a new driver training car due to the great visibility and brakes.
    As for your tires, if you have the H727, they are amazing tires. I think they are better than the Michelins I have on my other car. I only wish that Costco would carry tires like the Hankook.
    Keep on drivin'
  • guyaumeguyaume Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 elantra well maintained just changed timing belt and water pump has 75,000miles runs smooth untill yesterday driving on the highway and while in 5th gear the car wanting to stall engine light came on briefly and did it several time brought it to 4th gear no problem .
    any help or insight on this
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    My 2004 Elantra GT turns 9 this week. It's still my son's college and work car, so it's parked outside all the time. Has about 81,500 miles, so still under the powertrain warranty. Finally had the first significant repair costs for non-wear items a week ago: the HVAC fan switch needed replacing, and while in for that the dealer found that the valve cover gasket was leaking a bit and also a power steering cable was leaking a little. In each case the dealer said "a lot of people just live with this and keep an eye on it", but since my son drives the car and he might not keep a close eye on these issues (and I don't want the steering failing on him), I decided to have both repairs done. They also tightened the belts as the steering belt was slipping a bit.

    Aside from some parking lot scrapes and dings, the body and paint are still great. There is one dime-sized spot in the lower corner of the rear license plate surround where the paint is beginning to bubble from rust-through--not too bad for being through 9 Minnesota winters and a lot of road salt. Interior also is holding up well, except for the left edge of the front seat back, which wore prematurely (I think related to its use as an auto show car before I bought it). Still getting mid-30s mpg on the highway when driven at ~65, which is above the EPA rating of 29. Also no rattles/squeaks, really drives pretty much like it did when new except the engine is a tad rougher when idling.

    I remember when the 2001 Elantra debuted, one auto mag (MT or C/D I think) said something like, "If this car holds up, there won't be any reason to pay extra for a Japanese car." Looks like that was a good prediction. I paid $13,200 + T&L for the car new, as fully loaded as an Elantra GT could be back then, and KBB says it's worth about $6,500 in a private party sale. So a little over $60 a month depreciation over 9 years. I'll take that any day. :)
  • joegiantjoegiant Member Posts: 90
    Thanks for the update backy! Kid's driving an '05 GT at college at the moment and have my fingers crossed. Going on third year since we acquired "Ellie the Elantra" second hand and so far, so good. Need it to stay that way 'til grad day!!! :)
  • moonlight2013moonlight2013 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Elantra GLS with 60K miles on it. The CEL light went on so I had to get it towed that cost :(

    The shop says it's the catalytic converter problem. There is no way to look at it though, so the tech wasn't sure which part of it was bad, but offered to replace a pipe, and quoted the price of close to $1000. And then he says go ahead & drive it a hundred miles. If the light goes on, that means that the other part needs to be replaced. OMG

    Do I have to have them use only OEM parts or aftermarket? I googled a bit, and there are so many options with so many different prices on them, my head is spinning.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If the car is no longer under warranty, use whatever parts get the job done. $1000 for a pipe is ridiculous!
  • moonlight2013moonlight2013 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks. My car's 10 yrs old, so I guess I'll do some shopping around. Good to know it's not an emergency.
  • elantra_2012elantra_2012 Member Posts: 2
    My wife got her car checked out for the Front Control Arm recall in September 2009. At the time, it passed inspection and nothing was done to it. No parts replaced or anything. Then in October of this year, my mechanic noticed that one of the control arms had a massive rust hole. I had him replace both control arms. I have to find out how long the warranty on this part lasts and if I have any recourse with the dealer since they did check albeit 4 years ago.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949

    Next week my 2004 Elantra GT hatchback turns 10. Soon after that, I'll sign over the title to my son when he graduates from college. He's been using the car for the past few years to get to/from school and work (including pizza delivery). So the car has rung up more than average miles the past few years. Now has nearly 97,000 miles--so I used every bit of the powertrain warranty. But I never needed it--powertrain including the 4-speed AT has been great.

    And the car has held up well overall. Disc brakes have been replaced once--rears wore out first, around 45k miles, and more recently the fronts. Had to replace the battery and rear hatch supports a few years ago. About a year ago, the HVAC fan switch went out, and I had the valve cover gasket and power steering line replaced due to slow leaks--dealer said I didn't need to, but I'm kinda picky on my cars and with my son driving it didn't want to take any chances. Replaced the tires three times, once at only 18k because of an accident, then again around 60k. Replaced the sucky OEM Kenwood stereo a few years ago with a $100 unit (Kenwood also). Other than that just did recommended maintenance, including free dealer oil changes every 3750 miles. The car still drives well, although the engine idles a little rougher than it did when new. Still gets mid-30s mpg on the highway when driving moderately, above its 29 mpg EPA rating.

    Cosmetically the car has picked up quite a few dings over the years, but the red paint is still glossy and there's just one small rust spot near the rear license plate in 10 Minnesota winters. The moonroof has never leaked. The interior has held up very well, although my son doesn't keep it as clean as I used to. The leather isn't the highest quality but it's proven to be tough, with only one worn spot on the drivers' left bolster that showed up very early--I suspect from the car's use at several auto shows before I bought it. I still love the driver's seat design, with dual height adjusters and lumbar adjustment--very comfortable.

    It's been a great car, IMO one of Hyundai's better efforts, and if I could find a clean, low-miles 2004-6 GT or GLS hatch equipped with moonroof and ABS/TCS like mine has, I'd be tempted to snap it up.

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