IllustrationPOWER STERRUNG LIGHT KEEP COMING OFF AND ON. 1 WEEK I CAN DRIVE 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 VEHICLE
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 reportsTHE 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 DRIVING.
WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR THE ENGINE TURNS BUT WON'T TURN OVER. THE CAR DOES THIS MORE OFTEN IN VERY COLD WEATHER. EVEN IN WARM WEATHER IT WILL START SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TRY MULTIPLE TIMES AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. THERE ARE NO CHECK ENGINE OR OTHER INDICATORS THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR…
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WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR THE ENGINE TURNS BUT WON'T TURN OVER. THE CAR DOES THIS MORE OFTEN IN VERY COLD WEATHER. EVEN IN WARM WEATHER IT WILL START SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TRY MULTIPLE TIMES AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. THERE ARE NO CHECK ENGINE OR OTHER INDICATORS THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I NORMALLY EXPECT IS THAT SOMETIMES THE WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THERE IS A BIT OF A HESITATION AS IF THE FUEL OUTPUT IS NOT INCREASING. THIS HAPPENS WHILE I'M ALREADY DRIVING (FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I'M GOING FROM THE ACCESS ROAD AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY OR WHEN THERE IS A SPEED LIMIT INCREASE OF SOME KIND). I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE PART AFFECTED IS CONNECTED TO OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE CAR THAT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT SUCH AS THE FUEL PUMP.
CAR PURCHASE BRAND NEW FROM DOTHAN HYUNDAI. NOTICED REDLIGHT LOOKED LIKE BABY IN A SEATBELTS. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND TOLD IT WAS NOTHING. HD CAR SERVICES AT HYUNDAI IN ALBANY GA AND TOLD IT WAS NOTHING.. HAD LIGHT LOOKED AT BY ANOTHER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AIR BAG NOT FUNCTIONING AND IF I WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDEN…
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CAR PURCHASE BRAND NEW FROM DOTHAN HYUNDAI. NOTICED REDLIGHT LOOKED LIKE BABY IN A SEATBELTS. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND TOLD IT WAS NOTHING. HD CAR SERVICES AT HYUNDAI IN ALBANY GA AND TOLD IT WAS NOTHING.. HAD LIGHT LOOKED AT BY ANOTHER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AIR BAG NOT FUNCTIONING AND IF I WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT MY AIR BAG WOULD NOT WORK.
THE RED LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE PURCHASE AND HYUDAI SERVICE HAS BEEN SAYING IT IS NOTHING BRUSHING IT OFF. I
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SUDDENLY STOP AND WOULDN'T RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A HYUNDAI DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A CRANKSHAFT BEARING HAD FAILED. HYUNDAI NO LONGER MANUFACTURES THE ENGINE, SO NOW MY ONLY OPTION IS A USED MOTOR WITH 60,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO.
ENGINE TICKING SOUND , WHEN STARTING, VEHICLE AT 125,000 MILES WHEN FIRST HAPPENED. PERFECT MAINTENANCE, AS CAR WAS USED AS PROFESSIONAL SALES VEHICLE.
HI... I OWN 11 ELANTRA'S. 4-2013, 3-2016, 2-2018, 1-2019, 1-2020. I OWN A DRIVING SCHOOL. THEY ALL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BURNING OUT LIGHT BULBS, HEADLIGHTS ,SIDE MARKERS AND TAIL LIGHTS. I AM REPLACING BULBS 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE SOCKETS BECAUSE THEY MELTED. THE PLASTIC HOLDERS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE CE…
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HI... I OWN 11 ELANTRA'S. 4-2013, 3-2016, 2-2018, 1-2019, 1-2020. I OWN A DRIVING SCHOOL. THEY ALL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BURNING OUT LIGHT BULBS, HEADLIGHTS ,SIDE MARKERS AND TAIL LIGHTS. I AM REPLACING BULBS 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE SOCKETS BECAUSE THEY MELTED. THE PLASTIC HOLDERS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT ALSO MELTED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A REMEDY FOR THIS OR ONE IN THE PROCESS. I ALSO HAVE A COMPLAINT ON WHY IT SO DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS.
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 FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY WITH MY 2 GIRLS AND HUSBAND, I HAD THE CRUSE CONTRO…
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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 FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY WITH MY 2 GIRLS AND HUSBAND, I HAD THE CRUSE CONTROL SET. IT SUDDENLY REVVED UP TO 4000 RPMS ON A CURVED HILLY ROAD. THIS HAPPENED AT 1AM. NO OTHER CARS WHERE AROUND. MY THEN 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO GET HER DRIVERS LICENSE IT DID IT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE CAR. THE INSTRUCTOR HAS HER STOP AND GET ANOTHER CAR FOR THE TEST. SHE SAID THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND COULD NOT CONTINUE THE TEST. WE HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR AT THAT TIME FOR 6 MONTHS. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW WITH ONLY 6 MILES ON IT. I AM NOW SEEING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND SEVERAL OTHER OF HYUNDAI CAR MAKES AND MODULES ON THE INTERNET. JUST SEARCH HYUNDAI CARS SURGING WHILE DRIVING AND YOU CAN SEE FOR YOUR SELF. THEY MUST BE WAITING ON A FATALITY BEFORE THEY MAKE A RECALL.
NOTHING SO FAR. JOE 12/13/2019
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.