HyundaiElantra Touring2012Overview/hyundai/elantra-touring/2012/base/

2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2012 Elantra Touring.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring is a passenger car equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 4.2 quarts of 5W-20 or 5W-30 API oil to deliver EPA fuel economy of 23 city, 30 highway, and 26 combined mpg. While its mechanical specifications outline a straightforward compact, this model year represents the peak of the generation's reliability concerns, recording the highest volume of owner complaints across the 2009-2012 span. With 655 total complaints—far exceeding the 2009 low of 279—driven largely by airbag issues and accompanied by 5 recalls, the 2012 model stands as the most problematic year in the Elantra Touring's history.

Model year2012201120102009

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque65-80 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/30/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 550 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 550 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP195-65R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rimN/A inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Battery371103X565 alt 371103X100

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length176.4 in
Overall width69.7 in
Overall height59.8 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight3080 lb
Track (front / rear)60.2 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 30 / 26 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume101 cu ft
Cargo volume28 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 5W-20 / 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 65-80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.3-32.5 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidHyundai SP-IV
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.7
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-20 · 5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.2 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · 5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.2 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts145-152 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts87-94 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts14-17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22-26 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts11.6-16.6 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts31-40 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug25.3-32.5 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts65-80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub145-203 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub177-199 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)640 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)10 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)680 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (Secondary Under Load)10 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance.64-.86 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance5,015-6,785 ohms
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance.56-.68 ohms

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.16-1.27 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.04-3.75 oz
Standard BCI Group Number47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance550 cca
Standard BCI Group Number47

Service checks

Pressure Test14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature190 °F
Pressure Test14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature190 °F
Pressure Test14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket16-23 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle58-72 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket16-23 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle36-43 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0002 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
113-16 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9013–16 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Lubricate bolts with clean engine oil · M10 Bolts:

117.0-20.0 ft. lbs.17–20 ft. lbs
260 degrees-65 degrees60 degrees
360 degrees; M12 Bolts:60 degrees
120.0-23.0 ft. lbs.20–23 ft. lbs
260 degrees-65 degrees60 degrees
360 degrees-65 degrees60 degrees
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
120-23 ft. lbs., Step 2: 120-12520–23 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBattery (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Fuel Tank (add fluid conditioner) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Vacuum Line (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Disc Brake Caliper (inspect)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Filter (inspect)
Every 37,500 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Federal data for the 2009–2012 span shows complaints climbed steadily from 279 to a generation-high 655 by 2012, while recalls peaked at eight in 2011 before easing to five in 2012 and investigations rose to three from two in each prior year. Technical service bulletins surged to 134 in 2011 and remained elevated at 124 in 2012, placing the target year in a period of heightened factory service activity rather than at the outset of the trend. Within 2012, the highest-volume complaint areas were air bags with 93 filings, engine with 64, steering with 50, and electrical system with 47, alongside 45 crash-related and 10 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes for any category. Because 2012 carries the highest complaint count, the most investigations, and near-peak TSB volume in the provided record, it sits at the worst end of the documented arc. That profile makes it the least favorable year of this four-year dataset to buy, and shoppers would be better served considering a 2009 or 2010 example with substantially lower federal filings.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
124
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
655
Owner complaints
45 involved a crash · 10 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 655 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags93
Engine64
Steering50
Electrical System47
Unknown Or Other35
Suspension35
Service Brakes, Hydraulic34
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)19

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V310000Structure:Frame And MembersReported 10/06/2014

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured December 15, 2009, through May 7, 2012. The affected vehicles have a support bracket attached to the… Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 124 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
DTN DL2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of…
DTN DCS2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety…
25-BD-012H TSB2025-11-05Exterior LightingThis bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated…
24-01-009H-12024-05-10Electrical SystemA class settlement against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) that had alleged that certain…
24-01-009H-12024-05-09Electrical SystemA class settlement against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) that had alleged that certain…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Elantra Touring. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2012 Elantra Touring take?

4.2 qt of 5W-20 OR 5W-30 API SM, per the factory manual.

Does the 2012 Elantra Touring have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Elantra Touring get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 30 highway / 26 combined mpg.