Used 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Consumer Reviews
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Engine failure at 68k miles!
Kurt, 02/05/2019
updated 11/29/2023
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I'm very frustrated with Edmunds.com because I trusted the good reviews of this car. We bought our 2013 Elantra GT 8 months ago and have barely put 2k miles on it. A few months go we started hearing tapping noise that went away after the engine warmed up. The noise became a full-blown knocking deep in the engine that becomes more frequent as the car accelerates. We took it to a Hyundai dealership and were told that there was a lot of metal in the oil and the engine was basically useless. The only solution is to replace it. The dealership has blamed this problem on poor owner maintenance. After further Google research I've discovered that engine failure for 2011-2018 Elantra's with the Nu 1.8L model is very common but Hyundai refuses to admit that it's a manufacturing defect. However this only seems to be the case in the US. Canadian owners of the Nu 1.8L engine get theirs replaced upon experiencing the knocking and metal shavings in the oil--at no cost to the owner (our Hyundai dealer quoted $6k for the replacement). This indicates that Hyundai knows and acknowledges the defect but wont extend the replacement to the US because we don't have consumer protection laws like Canada. In short, I'm stuck with a car that the dealership will give $1000 as trade-in (We still owe $7000), or I can spend $6000 to replace the engine. I'm considering joining in the class-action lawsuit against Hyundai. **** Update 2021 **** My daughter has been driving the car a little every day. We never go on highways or freeways and never leave town with the Elantra. We don't go over 45mph. The car still has a loud nasty knocking while running. I change the oil every 3 months, even though I want to give up and let the car self-destruct. We have joined a class-action lawsuit against Hyundai, which means that we have to keep this crappy car until the lawsuit is resolved. Hopefully that will be in April or May of 2021. I don't know what will happen if the suit is successful. What ever they do, I'm going to get the car fixed and sell it ASAP. Hyunday cars have proven to be garbage. Not only mechanically but the interior components are crappy too. The dash and plastic parts rattle, the foam padding in the seats has deteriorated to almost nothing. My advice is to stay away from Hyunday. 9/2021 **** Hyundai did end up replacing the engine. It runs well now but, after a month we keep getting check-engine lights. My daughter owns the car now so she handles all of that. She has taken the car back 3 times in 2 months because check-engine lights coming on. I've tried to get her to sell the car but she is attached to it and doesn't want to give it up now that it has a new engine. If it was up to me, I'd sell that lemon tomorrow for whatever we could get. Did I mention that I recommend everyone stay away from Hyundai? 11/2023 UPDATE: My daughter really hates this car. back in 2021 I mentioned she had check-engine lights going on. Well, the dealership kept resetting the error because they couldn't find the problem. The CEL code indicated an emissions/fuel system issue but for some reason they can't find anything wrong. They just told her to drive it until it comes on again then bring it back. She is a teacher and can't be taking time to bring her car to the dealership every week for phantom check-engine lights that the mechanics can't seem to identify. I finally went in and lost my temper and raged at the service manager. I was out of control and told them how badly they have treated her and how incompetent they were because they were wasting her time and couldn't fix the car. The other issue was the this same dealership is the one who blatantly lied to us in the beginning about how we were the cause of the initial engine failure. She has been jerked around and treated horribly because Hyundai built a crappy car and won't take responsibility for the mess they made. To be fair, my daughter STILL owns the car! Well, after my out-of-control tirade at the dealership they kept the car overnight and finally traced the problem to plastic part near the gas tank fuel outlet. I can't remember what part it was but it had cracked and was disrupting the fuel system vacuum enough to throw the CEL. After 3 months and more that 5 times in the dealership they finally fixed it... and didn't hesitate to charge her for their time. Oh, and now the hatchback won't open. The latch is stuck and can't be released with the key or the manual trigger. So that's fun. She has a horribly useless failure or a car that she can't sell because the hatchback won't open. We are wondering how many hundreds of dollars that's going to cost her to fix.
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A great car
Nate, 07/18/2016
updated 07/28/2017
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
In my opinion, the 2013 Elantra GT is the perfect car for someone looking for a great blend of reliability, efficiency, and low cost of maintenance. My commute calls for in-town driving, but my job has me on the interstate with regularity; the car performs very well in both circumstances. The car is fun to drive, has great visibility, and handles extremely well; having said that, if snowy conditions make you nervous, you might prefer an AWD vehicle. (For my part, I have never had a problem with it in the snow.) The Hyundai warranty is second to none. As for maintenance and mechanical considerations, the car has been extremely reliable: Mine has about 71,000 miles on it, and have had no issues outside normal maintenance. Basically, if you're looking for a reliable, economical vehicle that is great for daily use either in town or on the highway, I cannot recommend this car highly enough. I plan to keep mine for a long time.
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Tall-friendly and Winter Worthy!
mushamush, 12/02/2013
updated 12/13/2016
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
Edmunds sent an e-mail to "update" my review yet again. I still own it, I still love it. No mechanical issues! Edmunds sent an e-mail to "update" my review as it's going on year 3. So, here goes. As my first Hyundai, going on year 3 I continue to be impressed. I've yet to have any mechanical or quality issue arise with this little GT. We just got back from a weekend road trip, averaged 39.6 miles per gallon on the trip. Still tight as a drum, no creaks, no rattles, no noises what-so-ever. It's been through 3 Minnesota winters (2014 we were hitting -30F outside) and it performed just like any other day. The only possible "con" I have is the wheels and tires. There's nothing wrong with them, but these low profile 17" tires cost more than a 195/65 R-15 tire by anywhere from $20-40 per tire. So when the time comes, I will replace the OEM stuff with 15" wheels and tires. Will be more resistant to wheel scratches from potholes as a bonus! This car has been incredible so far. I'm 6'3", 175 pounds. I fit comfortably, better yet, I can fit 3 more 6'+ people with no problem. Ride quality, engine noise and road noise all exceed my expectations in a very good way. I own a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 as well, the difference is staggering, and I love that car! The attention to detail and material quality really sets it apart from a lot of cars. Nothing feels cheap (and this is a Hyundai! Man, they've come a long way), nothing creaks or pops going down the road. I'm used to these small, 4 cylinder econoboxes being complete rattletraps. Not anymore. And it does well in snow. I couldn't be happier.
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Great value
stankjenkins, 04/25/2015
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback w/Blue Interior (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 9 people found this review helpful
Owned the car for roughly a year now and I haven't had a single problem in the first 9k miles. On top of that, the dealer I work for bought in two other 2013 Elantra GTs within the last week(one with 3k miles, one with 22k miles) and the only thing found in the 22k mile elantra was that it needed a couple of new tires. The mileage is great, I average 25-27 in the city and 32-35 on the highway, can be more or less depending on conditions and traffic.
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
bcgordy1, 09/01/2012
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Just bought the car a couple of weeks ago. Had narrowed decision down to Toyota Prius or the GT. Decided on the GT because of price, standard features, warranty, no batteries to replace and, believe it or not, quietness! Admitedly it is a little smaller than the Prius but we are empty nesters in our 60's looking for an around town/short road trip car. The car is a joy to drive and so quiet. Suspension is "sports", i.e., fairly stiff. Car feels solid.
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