IllustrationI WAS DRIVING ON A ROAD THAT IS 50MPH WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE I WASN'T ABLE TO AND DROPPED SPEED NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR STARTED JERKING AND JOLTING. I THEN HEARD A TICKING COMING FROM THE HOOD. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO HYUNDAI AND WHEN THEY FINALLY DID LOOK AT IT THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACED.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Elantra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
350–25K
1825–50K
3650–75K
1775–100K
13100–150K
4150K+
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
What owners actually said
292 reportsTL* 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
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.
MY ENGINE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING SIGNS, SUDDENLY STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IT. WITHIN A FEW MILES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE SOUND GOT LOUDER AND HEAVIER, AND THE ACCELERATION BECAME VERY WEAK. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT WAS SO HESITANT TO DO SO THAT I …
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MY ENGINE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING SIGNS, SUDDENLY STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IT. WITHIN A FEW MILES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE SOUND GOT LOUDER AND HEAVIER, AND THE ACCELERATION BECAME VERY WEAK. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT WAS SO HESITANT TO DO SO THAT I CALLED FOR A TOW. UPON INSPECTION THE ENGINE WAS CONSIDERED DEAD AND HAD TO BE VERY EXPENSIVELY REBUILT. I KEEP UP WITH MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE CAR PROPERLY FOR THE DURATION OF MY OWNERSHIP. THIS MALFUNCTION CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN.
SHAFT AND STEERING KOPLER BROKEN.. NO ONE ELSE CAN FIX IT BUT THE DEALER. MULTIPLE COMPLAINS ONLINE
I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET WHEN I REACHED A STOP LIGHT. I CAME TO A COMPLETE, FULL, AND SAFE STOP. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. AND BEFORE THIS DAY THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED, THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT DRIVING CONDITION. NOTHING WAS WRONG FROM WHAT I COULD TELL. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, IN THE FRONT OF TRAFFIC FORMI…
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET WHEN I REACHED A STOP LIGHT. I CAME TO A COMPLETE, FULL, AND SAFE STOP. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. AND BEFORE THIS DAY THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED, THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT DRIVING CONDITION. NOTHING WAS WRONG FROM WHAT I COULD TELL. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, IN THE FRONT OF TRAFFIC FORMING BEHIND ME. IT KEPT SHUTTING OFF EVERY TIME I WOULD STOP OR SLOW DOWN. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 7 TIMES BEFORE I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM.
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.
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 OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING, CAR SHUT OFF OCCASIONALLY WHEN SWITCHING TO REVERSE, …
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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 OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING, CAR SHUT OFF OCCASIONALLY WHEN SWITCHING TO REVERSE, THE CAR ALWAYS SHAKES AND MAKES A WEIRD NOISE JUST BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. THE CAR JERKS WHEN DRIVING SPONTANEOUSLY, LOW TAPPING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD THAT COULD BE HEARD INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE VIDEOS OF MY CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING AND BACKING UP. I ALSO HAVE VIDEOS OF THE TAPPING NOISE AND SHAKING JUST BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. THE LAST TIME I TOOK MY CAR TO BE SERVICED I WAS TOLD THAT THE OIL PRESSURE PUMP AND EXHAUST CVT NEED REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD THE HYUNDAI TECHLINE INSTRUCTED THE TECHNICIAN NOT TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I WAS ADVISED BY A HYUNDAI CASE MANAGER TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO ANOTHER HYUNDAI SHOP TO SEE IF THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR
POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, TURNING LEFT. *TR
AIRBAG IN DRIVER SEAT IS BULGING INSIDE THE SEAT MAKING THE SEAT UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE. IT JUST HAPPENED FROM USE OF THE CAR SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT.
Official recalls
226V307000 · 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
1DP21003 · 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.