white Hyundai Elantra

EPS Light Hyundai Elantra [Meaning, Causes & Fix]

Hyundai Elantras are one of the most popular sedans by the Korean automaker Hyundai, but like most cars, they have their share of issues.

One of the most common problems is the EPS light on Hyundai Elantras. The EPS stands for Electronic Power Steering, and it’s a system that helps make steering easier by reducing the amount of force needed to turn.

In this article, I am going to explain what causes the EPS light on your Elentra and how to get it fixed. let’s not waste any more time.

What is EPS?

Electronic Power steering (EPS) is a system that helps make steering easier by reducing the amount of force needed to turn.

It uses an electric motor to assist or completely replace the hydraulic power steering in some models, and it’s standard on most modern cars.

When you start your car, EPS is activated automatically unless you manually disable it (check your owner’s manual for details).

What Does Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Light Mean on a Hyundai Elantra?

The less complicated answer is when the EPS light on your Elentra goes on it means the system (ECU) detected a problem with the Electronic power steering.

The more complicated answer is that the EPS system has many components, including sensors and electric motors. When any of these fail or become disconnected, the EPS light will come on.

Luckily, I’ve worked with a few Elantras that had similar issues in my workshop. Here’s what can cause the EPS light to come on:

Hyundai Elantra EPS Light Causes

1. Faulty EPS Motor:

A Bad or Failing EPS motor is the most common cause for the Hyundai Elantra EPS light. From my experience, replacing the motor usually solves the problem.

The EPS Motor is responsible for rotating the steering gear with some force to help you turn the wheel. If the EPS motor fails, it will not send power to the steering wheel. This could be caused by a bad fuse or relay, which are easy fixes.

However, if there is no power to the motor itself, then your EPS system will not work properly, and you’ll need to replace it.

2. Bad Steering Rack:

If your Elantra has a bad steering rack, the EPS light will come on, and the wheel will not turn. This is more common in older Hyundai Elantra but can happen to any car after years of use.

The most common cause of this problem is when there is too much play in the steering wheel; if it spins freely from side to side, then this may be due to worn-out parts inside your steering column.

This is the second most common cause of the EPS light going on.

3. Bad Battery (Rare Occasions):

I saw in some instances, a failing battery can cause Hyundai electronics to fail. This is rare, however, and usually only happens if a faulty battery has been used in the car for an extended period of time or if there is something wrong with the charging system that causes it to draw more current than normal.

How to Reset Hyundai Elantra EPS Light?

The first thing I recommend that you do is to disconnect and reconnect the battery. This will reset the computer and oftentimes will clear any fault codes that may be stored in the system.

If the fault goes away, then there is nothing else to do. If it doesn’t, then the next thing to do is replace the EPS motor.

The EPS motor may be mounted under the hood or under the dash. It can be difficult to access in some models, so you may need to take your Hyundai to the dealership or pay for a mechanic to do this work for you.

This should technically reset the EPS light, however, if the light still goes on then the problem is definitely with the steering rack and unfortunately can be quite labor-intensive and expensive to replace.

I recommend having that replaced by a professional mechanic or dealer.

Cost to Fix Hyundai Elantra EPS Light

The cost to have the EPS light fixed will vary but the average cost is anywhere between $100-200 for parts and $50-250 for labor.

Having your Hyundai Elantra road tested by a professional mechanic will help you determine if this is something that can be fixed quickly and inexpensively or if it’s more involved.

Can You Drive an Elantra with the EPS light on

As an experienced mechanic, I wouldn’t recommend that you drive with an EPS light on simply because you risk the EPS completely failing and causing the steering to lock up or become hard to turn.

If you do drive with the EPS light on, the best thing to do is to take your car straight to a mechanic as soon as possible so they can diagnose and repair it.

Additional Sources

https://cecas.clemson.edu/cvel/auto/systems/ep_steering.html

https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/content/dam/hyundai/us/myhyundai/manuals/glovebox-manual/2021/elantra/2021-Elantra-Quick-Reference-Guide.pdf

1 thought on “EPS Light Hyundai Elantra [Meaning, Causes & Fix]”

  1. I have a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. I took it to the dealer for service when the EPS light came on. They think they took me for a lot of money. It came on the first time because of snow in the engine cavity. They claimed it was low alternator voltage even though I was having no charging, starting or other problems. There were no faults in the computer. I checked before I took it in. $500.00 for replacing the alternator and I found no difference in the how the car started or how things worked. Then, a month after it was serviced, I drove it on an especially rainy day and the EPS light came on again. They didn’t fix the EPS problem at all. They just reset it, sold me an alternator that didn’t make any difference and claimed it was fixed. Now what do I do?

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