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2016 Hyundai Elantra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

123 reports with mileage · 169 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

22 crash reports5 fire reports16 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

26 reports
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53,600 miles · Jan 22, 2026
Air Bags

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact of a Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assist…

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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact of a Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,600.

NHTSA ODI #11712649

Mileage unknown · Dec 6, 2025
Air BagsCrashInjury

On [XXX] I was struck by a OVI driver at 50mph the side airbags deployed however the front airbag never deployed. The vehicle was totaled out my insurance company. The vehicle had no record or open recalls for the airbag and had been given a multiple point inspection in November 2024 with no issues noted. INFORMATION REDACTED P…

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On [XXX] I was struck by a OVI driver at 50mph the side airbags deployed however the front airbag never deployed. The vehicle was totaled out my insurance company. The vehicle had no record or open recalls for the airbag and had been given a multiple point inspection in November 2024 with no issues noted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11703406

160,000 miles · Nov 20, 2025
Air BagsInjury

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 addition, the contact's daughter's left arm was injured on impact with t…

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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 addition, the contact's daughter's left arm was injured on impact with the air bag. Medical attention was sought, and further medical diagnosis will be scheduled. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #11700504

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2025
Air Bags

No incident as of yet, however there are multiple Hyundai vehicle owners whose air and lights have come on after having the vehicle for at least 5 years. Other manufacturers have issued recall notices on this matter, but not Hyundai.

NHTSA ODI #11693779

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2023
Air BagsElectrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Clockspring Failure. 2016 hyundai elantra, 123k miles. Airbag light on, horn does not function. Likely unavailable for inspection due to being replaced soon. Inability to use horn to alert reckless drivers swerving into my lane. Airbag will not deploy if needed in an accident. The dealership seemed aware that the clocksprings …

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Clockspring Failure. 2016 hyundai elantra, 123k miles. Airbag light on, horn does not function. Likely unavailable for inspection due to being replaced soon. Inability to use horn to alert reckless drivers swerving into my lane. Airbag will not deploy if needed in an accident. The dealership seemed aware that the clocksprings go out in Hyundai's and is confident this is the issue. Warning lamp prior/at the same time as the horn stopped working.

NHTSA ODI #11549425

Mileage unknown · Mar 25, 2022
Air BagsCrashInjury

My daughter and friend were in an accident, traveling 50 miles an hour and hit the center barrier on the highway. The air bags didn’t employ. The Minnesota Department of Transportation came up on the accident right away and got them safely off the highway so they wouldn’t get hit by other cars. They have provided us with the…

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My daughter and friend were in an accident, traveling 50 miles an hour and hit the center barrier on the highway. The air bags didn’t employ. The Minnesota Department of Transportation came up on the accident right away and got them safely off the highway so they wouldn’t get hit by other cars. They have provided us with the video of the accident. My daughter and friend had no protection due to air bags not deploying. She has been seen by a doctor for whip lash, neck and headache pains as symptoms. As well as being traumatized by the incident me lack of protection. We have sent the pictures and video to the insurance and they are reviewing to determine if the vehicle can be repaired of totaled. Although, question as to whether they would fix it with what appears to be defective air bags. We will not put her back on the vehicle if repaired without some air bag inspection. Traffic control told her not to call police at accident site due to danger of being on the highway. We did extensive research on the car before buying and we don’t show any recalls as of today. We are very lucky they weren’t seriously injured and don’t want this to happen to anyone else.

NHTSA ODI #11458363

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

The airbags did not deploy when the other driver did not comply with the stop sign, which led to him getting off the road in front of me and destroying the entire front of the car, knowing that the airbags did not deploy now. I suffer from a neck injury

NHTSA ODI #11437959

90,000 miles · Sep 22, 2021
Air Bags

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the air bags were defective. The mechanic then referred him to a dealer for assistance an…

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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the air bags were defective. The mechanic then referred him to a dealer for assistance and informed him that there might be a recall on the vehicle for the air bags. The contact's wife called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11433967

55,000 miles · Dec 30, 2020
Air BagsCrash

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.

NHTSA ODI #11385651

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2020
Air BagsCrashInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT STAND STILL AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, WHEN A TRUCK CRASHED INTO HER FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES ON HER LEFT ARM AND HAD BACK PAIN. THE CONTACT STATED AN A…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT STAND STILL AT A STOP SIGN AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, WHEN A TRUCK CRASHED INTO HER FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES ON HER LEFT ARM AND HAD BACK PAIN. THE CONTACT STATED AN AMBULANCE TRANSFERRED HER TO A HOSPITAL TO SEEK MEDICATION ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *BF*JB

NHTSA ODI #11354402

Official recalls

2

26V307000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

May 14, 2026

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 300. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.

24V146000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Feb 23, 2024

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 256.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP21003 · Throttle Control System Vulnerabilities

Opened Nov 12, 2021 · Closed Jun 20, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:throttle

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.

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