2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    engine stall or no start

    6 stranded, 40 unsafe

    46
    incidents
    Typical range: 56,000–92,000 mi

    Median 71,000 mi, based on 28 reports (61% had no usable mileage)

    • "ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON THE FREEWAY AND ONCE ON A CITY STREET WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 1800 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR NUMEROUS TIMES. WHEN I PIC…"~1,700 mi, complaint #1240649
    • "I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE FOR A YEAR NOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO HYUNDAI SEVERAL TIMES TO GET MY VEHICLE SERVICE AND EACH TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEMS I AM EXPERIENCING ARE A DELAY IN ACCELERATION, CAR SHUTS OFF OCCASIONALL…"~55,970 mi, complaint #1664466
    • "THE CAR DOES NOT TURN OVER WHEN YOU INITIALLY START CAR YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KEY BACK AND TRY STARTING AGAIN IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY DOING THIS FOR OVER A YEAR AND NO MECHANIC CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. OTHER THAN THAT THERE IS NO ISSUES WITH THE DRI…"~70,000 mi, complaint #1654290
    • "DIFFICULTY STARTING. SOMETIMES IT WOULD HAVE TO SIT FOR AN HOUR OR TWO TO GET IT TO START. STALLED AT RED LIGHT. BURNING GAS FASTER THAN NORMAL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD GONE BAD. REPLACED."~87,000 mi, complaint #1670744
    • "VEHICLE HAS 115,000 MILES AND HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE EVERY 4000-5000 MILES. DROVE THE CAR 376 MILES YESTERDAY AND CAMPED OVERNIGHT. NOT 30 MILES FROM LEAVING THE CAMPSITE THIS MORNING MY CAT STARTS HAVING PROBLEMS ACCELERATING UP HOLD AND KNOCKS WHEN THE…"~115,000 mi, complaint #1589395
  2. #2

    engine internal

    7 stranded, 29 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    38
    incidents
    Typical range: 60,500–93,000 mi

    Median 72,000 mi, based on 27 reports (50% had no usable mileage)

    • "I PURCHASE A BRAND NEW HYUNDAI ELANTRA END OF JANUARY 2016. WHEN I START DRIVING IT THE CAR STARTED GIVING ME PROBLEMS FOR 2 AND 7 MONTHS I'VE BEEN HAVING SO MUCH PROBLEM WITH MY CAR WHEN GOING TO DEALER CONSTANTLY SINCE I HAD IT NOW I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE…"~33,900 mi, complaint #1498481
    • "I NOTICED THAT MY GAS MILEAGE WAS HORRIBLE SO I TOOK IT IN AND HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND A TUNE UP DONE. THEN IT CONTINUED TO RUN BAD AND THEN IT STARTED SHUTTING OFF. AFTER LIKE 1 WEEK MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID MY ENGINE…"~54,128 mi, complaint #1620650
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, A KNOCKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT DROVE TO HER RESIDENCE AND CALLED HYUNDAI OF NEW PORT RICHEY (3936 US-19, NEW PORT RICHEY, FL 34652) AND INF…"~71,200 mi, complaint #1711490
    • "THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE LOST OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FROM THE DEALER UNTIL THE PART ARRIVED. THE CAR HAD KNOCKING, ENGINE LIGHT/OIL CAME ON AS WELL AS HAD TO START AND RE…"~85,858 mi, complaint #1606410
    • "I WAS DRIVING TO NORWOOD ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD AND THE CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING SO I PULLED OVER, LET IT COOL DOWN, AND ADDED WATER TO THE RADIATOR. I DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD OVERHEAT, BUT ONCE IT COOLED, I DROVE BACK HOME. WE CHECKED THE OIL AND OTHER FLUIDS T…"~180,000 mi, complaint #1744382
  3. #3

    airbag system

    24 unsafe

    24
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=21, median 27,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH INVOLVED IN INJURY ACCIDENT 07/18/2015 WITH FAILURE OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG CURTAIN DEPLOYING. VEHICLE'S OWNER WAS MAKING LEFT TURN WHEN STRUCK IN THE CENTER PILLAR DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 M.P.H. C…"~500 mi, complaint #1389499
    • "ON 10/15/16 I WAS IN A MULTI IMPACT ACCIDENT. AFTER HITTING A CURB, SMALL TREE, TOOK A STOP SIGN OUT, MY CAR LANDED INTO A TREE IN BETWEEN TWO 10 IN. BUSHES. AS THE CAR SEEMED TO SETTLE I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED A CHEMICAL ODOR. I THEN SAW A SMALL WHITE WHAT I TH…"~11,000 mi, complaint #1350463
    • "ANOTHER CAR HIT MY CAR THE IMPACT CAUSED ME TO HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS OVER $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. I WAS PULLING OUT OF WALMART PARKING LOT ENTERING INTO THE LANE"~32,000 mi, complaint #1535981
    • "DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN CAR WAS HIT AT SPEED (ON THE PASSENGER SIDE) IN INTERSECTION BY ANOTHER VEHICLE RUNNING A RED LIGHT."~55,000 mi, complaint #1716489
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her daughter attempted to adjust the front driver's side seat while the vehicle was turned off, the front Driver-side air bag had independently deployed. No warning light illuminated. In ad…"~160,000 mi, complaint #2150372
  4. #4

    transmission automatic

    4 stranded, 15 unsafe

    19
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING APPROX. 30 MPH WHEN THE CAR FELT LIKE IT HAD DOWNSHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR. THE TACHOMETER WA REVVING BETWEEN 4,000 AND 5,000 RPMS EVEN THOUGH I WAS SLOWING. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN P…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1275369
    • "I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO 2 HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS TO BE LOOKED AT. WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR GETS STUCK IN A HIGH GEAR & GIVES ME A HARD TIME DRIVING UNLESS I ACCELERATE DRAMATICALLY TO DROP THE RPMS & THE CAR WILL DROP GEARS. I LIVE ON A VERY STEEP HILL & CAME CLOSE TO…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1263137
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, AN ABNORMAL ODOR AND AN ABNORMAL SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1702224
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISES WERE HEARD. THE DEALER (SPORT DURST HYUNDAI, 4507 DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL BLVD, DURHAM, NC 27707) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS…"~111,814 mi, complaint #1507660
  5. #5

    trunk or liftgate

    10 unsafe, 6 broken

    16
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 48 mph, the trunk door erroneously opened. The contact stopped the vehicle to investigate the cause of the failure. The contact discovered that the trunk latch had malfunct…"~51,000 mi, complaint #1836750
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V146000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a rea…"~65,000 mi, complaint #1974678
  6. #6

    engine oil consumption

    11 unsafe, 1 broken, 2 annoyance

    14
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "ENGINE IS CONSUMING 1.2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. I DON'T THINK THAT IS NORMAL AT ALL. I DRIVE MOSTLY ON HIGHWAY."~97,000 mi, complaint #1730701
    • "I just know that my vehicle has a high use of engine oil. I took it to the dealer about a year and half ago to have it checked but they said that was normal but the more I read up on this it sounds like it is not normal. Also the clear over spray paint on all…"~113,196 mi, complaint #1980723
    • "CAR HAS BEGUN TO MALFUNCTION AFTER ONLY THREE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF A FAULTY ENGINE OR OVERHEATING. IN DECEMBER OF 2020 I TOOK THE CAR TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, IT IS NOW JANUARY 2021 AND I HAVE HAD TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR DUE TO AN OVERC…"~125,000 mi, complaint #1721754
  7. #7

    other

    2 stranded, 3 unsafe, 4 annoyance

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "MY VEHICLE DID NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE, BUT WITH SOMETHING CALLED A "TIRE MOBILITY KIT" WHICH IS USED TO INFLAT A FLAT TIRE (MAYBE). IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NEED TO USE THIS GADGET, I HAVE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND CAME ACROSS THIS ITEM: "WARNING: SEALANT I…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1314439
    • "VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED 4/5/2016 @ ~3:45PM (SEE PICTURES ATTACHED) WHILE PARKED IN A FENCED, GUARDED, PRIVATE CORPORATION EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT, DESTROYING ITSELF & BOTH VEHICLES PARKED ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. 5 MONTHS OLD, 11,000 MILES ON ODOMETER, ONLY PR…"~11,000 mi, complaint #1273712
    • "MY VIN IS FOR A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA SE/VE WHICH IS WHAT I BELIEVE I HAVE BUT A WEB SEARCH SHOWS THAT SAME VIN ON WWW.VINDECODER.ORG AND WWW.VINCHECK.COM AS A 1986 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS."~18,400 mi, complaint #1434921
  8. #8

    tire failure

    2 stranded, 7 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "WE HAVE A BRAND NEW 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA PURCHASED JANUARY 22, 2016 AND ONLY HAS @ 4,000 MILES. THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED A FLAT TWO WEEKS AGO FROM TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF OU…"~4,000 mi, complaint #1274547
    • "THIS IS A RENTAL CAR, RENTED WITH 15K MILES DROVE FINE BUT TIRES WERE WORE DOWN TO THE STEEL BELTS. LOST CONTROL IN RAIN BUT RECOVERED OK."~15,252 mi, complaint #1364609
    • "WE WERE DRIVING ON 1-95 HIGHWAY WHEN THE FRONT TIRE DISINTEGRATED AND CAUSED CAR DAMAGE TO FRONT BUMPER, LEFT QUARTER PANEL, RIM, WHEEL COVER, AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOW ASSEMBLY. THE TIRE NAME IS HANKOOK TIRES OPTIMA H-428. THE HYUNDAI ELANTTRA BOUGHT IN 2016 HAD…"~19,000 mi, complaint #1492771
    • "MY PASSENGER RIGHT FRONT TIRE HIT A CURB AND WAS FLATTENED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, SO IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEELS AND HAVE THEM ALIGNED AS WELL. THEY…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1459141
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra equipped with Waterfall Tires, Tire Line: Eco Dynamic, Tire Size:195/65/R15, DOT Number: 48AEYUEN. The contact stated that while performing an oil change on the vehicle, the contact discovered that the steel belt was exp…"~134,000 mi, complaint #2127363
  9. #9

    paint and clearcoat

    5 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "PAINT PEELING IN LARGE SHEETS DOWN TO THE BARE METAL"~60,000 mi, complaint #1724324
  10. #10

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "VEHICLE STUMBLES BADLY 2 TO 4 SECONDS WHEN MAKING A TURN OR EVEN A LANE CHANGE SOMETIMES. DEALER TWICE. RESPONSE: EVERYTHING "NORMAL"? GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR--NO ACCELERATION FOR UP TO 4 SECONDS. DANGEROUS DANGEROUS DANGEROUS."~10,000 mi, complaint #1381031
    • "WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED MY CAR, I WAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT CAR THAN THE ONE WRITTEN DOWN ON MY PAPERWORK. I HAD TO COME BACK IN TO GET THE CAR THAT MATCHED MY PAPERWORK. SINCE RECEIVING THIS CAR, I NOTICED A SLIGHT HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. RECENTLY, IT HAS GO…"~57,000 mi, complaint #1469357
    • "I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT DATE BUT I KNOW ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING FINE AND THEN LATER THAT NIGHT I WENT TO GET GAS AND MY CAR WAS ACTING FUNNY AND NOT WANTING TO GO FORWARD IN DRIVE UNTIL IT KICKED BACK AND THEN WENT."~115,000 mi, complaint #1707535
  11. #11

    brake hydraulics

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 7 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. AFTER TAKING MY WIFE TO WORK, I RETURNED HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 8:45 AM. I MADE A LEFTHAND TURN INTO THE DRIVEWAY (IN MOTION) AT AROUND FIVE MPH. I PRESSED ALMOST HALFWAY DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE CAR SEE…"~19,800 mi, complaint #1437393
    • "I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH AND WAS PREPARING TO COME TO A NORMAL STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN I BRAKED, A LOG CRUNCHING SOUND CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND IT PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. I RELEASED THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY AND BRAKED AGAIN. THE CAR CAME TO A…"~34,000 mi, complaint #1502573
  12. #12

    steering electric assist

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. BARNES CROSSING HYUNDAI IN TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI WAS MADE AWA…"~54,964 mi, complaint #1452856
    • "POWER STERRUNG LIGHT KEEP COMING OFF AND ON. [REDACTED ADDRESS] IT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND THE NEXT WEEK I I CAN'T. WHEN I DRIVE THE MY WHEEL FEELS LIKE IT WILL LOCK ON ME. SO I AVOID DRIVING IT ANYWHERE. I DONT WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO ME WHILE IM DRIVING THE…"~85,000 mi, complaint #1658180
  13. #13

    lighting exterior

    3 unsafe, 1 broken, 1 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON THE AUTOMATIC SETTING AND WHEN EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS USED TO TURN, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE, THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINAT…"~16,000 mi, complaint #1409984
    • "FRONT HEADLIGHTS NEED REPLACING ONE MONTHLY. HAD IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A WIRING ISSUE BUT SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE FRONT HIGHBEAMS AND DAYLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOR G…"~46,000 mi, complaint #1712372
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TURN SIGNAL WAS BLINKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (HYUNDAI ON PERR…"~111,021 mi, complaint #1523817
  14. #14

    steering rack mechanical

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe, 1 broken

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I WAS EXITING THE EXPRESSWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK. ON THE TURN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I ENDED UP HALF WAY ON TOP OF THE SIDEWALK AND HALF ON THE STREET. ALMOST KILLED MYSELF. WHEN THE CAR JUMPED THE SIDEWALK, THE AXLE BROKE LEAVING EACH OF THE FRONT WHE…"~22,000 mi, complaint #1539177
    • "WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD YESTERDAY, THE STEERING PULLED TO THE RIGHT VERY ABRUPTLY AND 2 LIGHTS CAME ON, ON THE DASH. AT THAT POINT THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THEN I AM TOLD IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY. I KNOW IN RESEARCHING THIS ISS…"~64,700 mi, complaint #1489520
  15. #15

    suspension struts shocks

    3 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "THE REAR OF THE CAR IS BUMPY.I HAD 3 FAMILY MEMEBERS AT THE BACK AND TRAVELLING WAS UNCOMFORABLE FOR THEM.THEY COMPLAINTED ABOUT SHOCKS GOOD.I HAVE 4458 MILES ON MY CAR."~4,458 mi, complaint #1229726
    • "2/22/2019 CAR HAS 55,000 MILES BUT FOR PAST YEAR HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING ON UNEVEN SURFACES [CRACKS, POTHOLES] ON HIGHWAY, STREETS. WHEN BRAKING CAR FEELS LIKE YOU ARE BRAKING ON FULL METAL AND BOTTOM OF CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS COMING APART. ANOTHER…"~15,000 mi, complaint #1542260
    • "PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING ON MY 2016 ELANTRA SNAPPED AFTER DRIVING OVER A NORMALLY WORN ROAD. TAKING TO A MECHANIC TOMORROW TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER HAD WITH HIS 2011 SONATA AND A FRIEND OF MINE'S 2015 ELANTRA. FINDING…"~43,564 mi, complaint #1740640
  16. #16

    battery and charging

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WIFE WAS DRIVING A NEW THREE WEEK OLD 2016 ELANTRA WITH APPOX. 500 MILES ON IT. THE CAR STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND JUST DIED. SHE COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WOULD NOT RESTART. NO LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING ANY PROBLEM TILL THE CAR QUIT RUNNING.…"~500 mi, complaint #1240066
  17. #17

    catalytic converter

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My car suddenly lost power and would not accelerate over 20 mph. It gave no warning whatsoever. No check engine light no dash lights at all. It seemed as if it was in some type of protection mode. I took it to the dealer and was told it was my catalytic conve…"complaint #1785511
    • "I do know it’s the catalytic converter it causes the car to stall while driving and it’s going to cost 1500 just for the part that’s not including the labor "complaint #1898599
    • "This issue is the catalytic converter. Mine went bad and affected my clutch and my acceleration. This led to many safety issues!"complaint #1932125
  18. #18

    door latch and hinge

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The trunk latch stopped working. There was a recall in 8/2021 for the same issue with Hyundai and Kia models. I strongly believe this recall should be extended to include 2016 Hyundai elantras because this is a safety issue. God forbid someone were to get stuc…"complaint #1820304
    • "The trunk latch was recalled. I supposedly got it fixed in July 2024. It was functioning at the time it was supposedly fixed. It Does say it’s a safety issue.Now it is not working, exactly the symptoms of the recall, not open from the inside. There isn’t a key…"complaint #2141916
    • "THE BACK DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT LATCH PROPERLY. THE DOOR WILL TRY TO CLOSE BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP SLAMMING THE DOOR UNTIL IT WILL FINALLY LATCH. I ONCE DROVE A FEW FEET AND THE DOOR HAD TO BE HELD SHUT. IT FINALLY CLOSED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACT…"complaint #2195346
  19. #19

    glass and windshield

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS MY REAR WINDOW IS BUBBLING BETWEEN THE WINDOW. IF IT CONTINUES IT LOOKS LIKE THE WINDOW WILL SEPERATE OR SHATTER. IT LOOKS LIKE MOISTURE GOT IN BETWEEN THE GLASS AND TINT."complaint #1684527
    • "The back windshield where the tinting is placed continuously peels or has bubbles in the tinting causing me not to be able to see safely or accurately. "complaint #1835955
    • "Back windshield is completely bubbled and pealing. I’ve noticed this year is notorious for it. "complaint #1867178
  20. #20

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact's son owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power locks would intermittently unlock then lock independently with the door ajar warning light illuminated. All doors were inspected after each failur…"~57,000 mi, complaint #1761474
  21. #21

    unintended acceleration

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "I DROVE SLOWLY THROUGH THE PARKING LOT AT WORK AND PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT. INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR SUDDENLY SWERVED, LURCHED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE CEMENT BASE OF A LIGHT POLE. THE CAR KEPT GRINDING INTO THE CEMENT BASE. I WAS HELPLESS TO STOP…"~33,600 mi, complaint #1401486
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. During the incident, the engine's RPMs suddenly increased before the vehicle erroneously accelerated forward an…"~58,000 mi, complaint #1848243
    • "THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMERUS TIMES, WHETHER ON HIGHWAY'S OR CITY STREETS. DRIVING THE CAR YOU WILL FEEL IT LURCH FORWARD ACCELERATING SUDDENLY AND THEN RETURN TO NORMAL DRIVING. THE RPMS WILL BE AT 4000 TO 5000 EACH TIME. THE OTHER DAY ON THE WAY HOME FROM A FAMI…"~72,486 mi, complaint #1629624
  22. #22

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND RESUMED DRIVING. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOIS…"~21,000 mi, complaint #1297397
    • "I WAS IN A DRIVE THRU AT A PHARMACY WHEN THE AIR STOPPED WORKING, CAR HAD 62,000 MILES TO DATE & UPON VEHICLE INSPECTION THE AIR COMPRESSOR WENT OUT"~62,000 mi, complaint #1583004
  23. #23

    alignment and pull

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "ONE DAY AFTER PURCHASING THIS CAR MY PROBLEM BEGAN. GOING OVER SPEEDS OF 30MPH, IF I HIT ANY UNEVEN SURFACES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD THE CAR JUST WANTS TO FISH TAIL ALL OVER THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY SCARY THING TO HAPPEN ESPECIALLY ON THE FREEWAY. I CONSTANTLY HA…"~7,500 mi, complaint #1377934
  24. #24

    brake pads and rotors

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Brake lights constantly have to be replace twice a month. Wheel bearing have to be replaced twice a year. Brakes don't stop if mash quickly when hitting small hole. Its just grinding sound. My safety and others are put at risk every day. No messages or symptom…"complaint #1783923
    • "Disk brake backing plates rusted through, flaking. Could lodge in brake pads. "complaint #1882059
  25. #25

    fuel injector

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I BOUGHT A NEW ELANTRA IN OCT. 2015 WITH 13 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT I WOULD GET NO LESS THAN 30 MILES PER GAL. I HAVE NEVER GOT MORE THAN 25 MPG I'V TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER THREE TIME THEY DRIVE IT AND SAY THE COMPUTOR SAYS YOUR GETTING 35 T…"complaint #1275679
    • "Fuel Injector went bad in engine with 77k miles & they won’t honor the repair. The car had a knock sensor recall that I never received a letter on & received no warning that the engine was failing. "complaint #1848776
  26. #26

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "MY VEHICLE SMELLS LIKE GAS INSIDE THE CABIN AND I CAN ALSO SEE THE GAS FUMES COMING OUT OF THE GAS TANK ONCE IT HITS 100 DEGREES.IT IS WORSE WHEN STOPPED AND STOP AND GO TRAFFIC DUE TO THE AIR NOT BLOWING IT AWAY LIKE IT DOES WHEN YOU KEEP DRIVING..HOW IS THIS…"~27,000 mi, complaint #1523509
  27. #27

    key fob and immobilizer

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHEN PARKING OUR CAR, THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED. OBVIOUSLY, WE COULD NOT LEAVE THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I LOOKED AT A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=A4T6YDZKB5G AND THIS G…"~9,000 mi, complaint #1288000
  28. #28

    throttle and pedal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE, BATTERY, AND OIL WARNING INDICATORS IL…"~44,242 mi, complaint #1514041
    • "ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD WHEN PRESSING THE GAS, BUT NOT EQUAL TO THE DEPRESSION OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I BOUGHT THIS CAR 8 MONTHS AGO AND IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. ONE INCIDENT I BELI…"~184,000 mi, complaint #1613465
  29. #29

    timing belt or chain

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the emission valve sensor needed…"~44,000 mi, complaint #1944336
  30. #30

    wheel or rim

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 9400 MILES ON IT. IT ALREADY HAD SIX FLAT TIRES, SOME MULTIPLE TIMES ON SAME WHEEL. WE HAD THE DEALER CONFIRM SLOW LEAKS AND WAS CHARGED FOR THEM. THERE ARE STILL SLOW LEAKS THAT I USE THE INFLATOR. THE TIRES ARE THE ORIGINAL HANKOOK P…"~9,400 mi, complaint #1410257
    • "WITHIN 80000 MILES I HAVE HAD TWO SETS OF TIRES AND 2 BLOW OUTS. BOTH BACK TIRES. NOW THE BACK LEFT TIRE IS DEFORMED LIKE ITS BEEN BOUNCING. I HAD ALL TIRES BALANCED AND ITS STILL DISFIGURED. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SUSPENSION ON THESE VEHICLES THAT…"~47,000 mi, complaint #1367096
  31. #31

    wiring harness

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHILE DRIVING THE CLOCK WILL START TO FLASH THEN THE HEADLIGHTS WILL FLASH AS THE RADIO/CLOCK FLASHES. IF HEAD LIGHTS ARE OFF THE LIGHT BY GAUGES WILL START FLASHING MAKING A CLICKING NOISE, THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES COME ON AND FLASH ALSO. IF I TURN TH…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1330141
  32. #32

    brake booster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE BRAKES ON MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA FAILED TWICE WITHIN 10 MINUTES. I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH STOPLIGHTS. I HAD AMPLE TIME TO STOP UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, BUT WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP IN TIME FOR A STOP LIGHT AND EVEN…"~51,000 mi, complaint #1519242
  33. #33

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR THE FRONT AXLE SHAKES REALLY BAD CAN I KEEP IT IN THE ROAD."~90,000 mi, complaint #1740985
  34. #34

    emissions aftertreatment

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car"complaint #2229211
  35. #35

    engine cooling

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The coolant system is failing after it was fully replaced in November of 2024 and i got The car of may 2025 with only two previous owners. Coolant system failing after me only have the car for 6 months when the car sat for 5 months. "complaint #2149118
  36. #36

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL EXHAUST LEAK AND A STRONG FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT IN THE CABIN AND TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT BECAME ILL AND NAUSEOUS DUE TO THE FAILURE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT…"complaint #1507274
  37. #37

    fluid leak unspecified

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving and making turns, there was a significant amount of water leaking from behind the glove compartment onto the front passenger's side floor. The contact stated that the failure mainly occu…"~60,000 mi, complaint #2001088
  38. #38

    fuel pump

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My fuel pump comes up and my check engine light saying that it needs to be replaced when I fill up my car it automatically resets my mileage for AAA and trippy and it will tell me that I have no gas even though I just filled up or it will say I’m full when I k…"complaint #2140913
  39. #39

    heater core and blower

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The inside of my front windshield and inside of back window always get a film on them when using my air vents. It is like a gas film that forms on the mentioned windows and it is not easy to get the film off. It just smears. This has been going on for a cou…"complaint #1762899
  40. #40

    interior trim

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The sun visors on both the driver and passenger sides of the car are made of plastic (under the fabric material). Both visors no longer work properly. The plastic body of the visor has cracked and broken which causes the visor to no longer stay in the up posit…"complaint #2010040
  41. #41

    mirror

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE VISIBILITY ON THIS CAR IS SO BAD. IN 40 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAD 1 ACCIDENT UNTIL I GOT THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD 3 MINOR ACCIDENTS IN LESS THAN A YEAR ALL DUE TO BACKING UP AND LOOKING OUT PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN YOU BACK UP YOU CAN'T SEE OUT OF THE PASSENGER SI…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1288434
  42. #42

    power steering hydraulic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, TURNING LEFT. *TR"~52,000 mi, complaint #1664255
  43. #43

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The seat belts have failed to latch and/or unlatch on many occasions. "complaint #1971600
  44. #44

    stability and traction control

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHEN ENTERING A FAIRLY SEVERE CURVE, LIKE A 270 DEGREE FREEWAY ON-RAMP OR OFF-RAMP TO AN OVERPASS, OR 90 DEGREE CURVES ON MOUNTAIN ROADS, AT NORMAL SPEEDS, THE ESC APPEARS TO SPORADICALLY TURN ON AND OFF AGGRESSIVELY. THE BEHAVIOR IS SEVERE. THE BRAKES ARE…"~1,200 mi, complaint #1230357
  45. #45

    starter

    1 stranded

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I bought the car used from a dealer a year ago. I've made sure to keep the oil changed and have regular maintenance. I was driving home after work, and in the middle of highway 49, going 65mph in the left lane, the car stalled and came to an abrupt, jolting st…"complaint #1908229
  46. #46

    sunroof

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRONT PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED. *LD *JS"complaint #1464965
  47. #47

    suspension arms and bushings

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was driving normally down the road and all of a sudden I lost control and couldn’t turn my vehicle apparently the control arm rusted from the subframe, causing me to swerve hit a curb and cause more damage to the front end. Thank God I was on a not so busy s…"complaint #2059993
  48. #48

    transmission manual clutch

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On 06/10/[REDACTED ADDRESS] went to shift gears and it was stuck in 5th gear. Finally got it released and safely made it home. Ever since you can shift the gears and reverse while engine isn’t running but once I turn on the vehicle it refuses to shift into any…"complaint #1824190
  49. #49

    wheel bearing

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "BRAKES: SKIPPING AND SEVERE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON TIGHT RIGHT CURVATURES (HIGHWAY ON AND OFF RAMPS). TIRES: HANKOOK P215/45R17 87H - TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURE, BUBBLING ON SIDEWALL AT 8500 MILES THEN TWO MONTHS LATER AND APROX. 10000. NO ACCID…"complaint #1349443

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for HYUNDAI ELANTRA directly.