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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

What owners actually said

292 reports
35,000 miles · Aug 28, 2017
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

TAKATA RECALL THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS AND SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THEY WERE LATE AND DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL THE DRIVER'S HEAD HAD HIT THE WINDOW. THE STEERING WHEEL NEVER DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TBONED ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR BY A TRUCK GOING OVER 20MPH. THE DRIVER HEAD HIT WINDOW AND SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, NO SEATBELT DEPLOYMEN…

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TAKATA RECALL THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS AND SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THEY WERE LATE AND DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL THE DRIVER'S HEAD HAD HIT THE WINDOW. THE STEERING WHEEL NEVER DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TBONED ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR BY A TRUCK GOING OVER 20MPH. THE DRIVER HEAD HIT WINDOW AND SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, NO SEATBELT DEPLOYMENT, THE CAR SPUN OUT AND UP ONTO MEDIAN AT WHICH POINT SEAT SEATBELT ENGAGED AND CAR HIT TREE HEAD ON. NO FRONTAL AIRBAGS EVER DEPLOYED. CAR HAD A 2-4" INVERSION. DRIVER HAD 7MIN LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND SUFFERED CLOSED HEAD INJURY.

NHTSA ODI #11020236

33,600 miles · Aug 18, 2017
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed ControlCrash

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 THE DESTRUCTION OF MY CAR. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS HAD MY CAR FOR ONE WE…

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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 THE DESTRUCTION OF MY CAR. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS HAD MY CAR FOR ONE WEEK BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE YET. THE REPAIR SHOP IS AWAITING THE DECISION FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR IS OVER $10,000. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN THE CAR HAS TRIED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND WOULD LURCH FORWARD. I HAVE BEEN A SAFE DRIVER FOR MANY YEARS AND HAD NEVER GOTTEN A TICKET NOR BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HYUNDAI CARS UNEXPECTEDLY CRASHING INTO PARKING GARAGE WALLS, OBJECTS, OR OTHER CARS. I DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THIS DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION OF THE HYUNDAI CAR BUT THE CAUSE NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED BEFORE SOMEONE IS BADLY INJURED OR KILLED.

NHTSA ODI #11016096

500 miles · Jul 5, 2017
Air BagsCrashInjury

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. CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE PUSH SIDEWAYS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET. THE DRIVER H…

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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. CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE PUSH SIDEWAYS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET. THE DRIVER HAD TO EXIT VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DOORS AND SUB FRAME. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO BOTH FRONT AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS AS WELL AS DOOR SUB FRAME REQUIRING CUTTING AND RE-WELDING IN NEW DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR SUB FRAME, REPLACEMENT OF DOOR HINGES AND BOTH FRONT AND READ DOORS DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG CURTAIN DID NOT DEPLOY AND COMPLAINT WAS FILED DIRECTLY TO HYUNDAI AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A HYUNDAI ENGINEER AND WAS NOT TOUCHED BY THE BODY SHOP AS PER HYUNDAI'S INSTRUCTIONS. HYUNDAI ENGINEER TOOK MEASUREMENTS, PHOTOS AND DOWNLOADED BLACK BOX DATA BUT THIS INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED TO VEHICLE OWNER. HYUNDAI HAS REFUSED TO TALK TO VEHICLE OWNER AND PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AS TO RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION, TO HONOR WARRANTY REPAIRS OR PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AS OF 07/05/2017 .

NHTSA ODI #11003115

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2017
SteeringUnknown Or Other

AFTER TWO WEEKS OF CONSISTENT STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN KEY IN THE IGNITION I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 6, 2017. I ALSO TURNED THE WHEEL COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND DID AS THE MANUAL INSTRUCTED. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, FRUSTERATION AND BEING STRANDED AT WORK SEVERAL TIMES AND IT FINALLY U…

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AFTER TWO WEEKS OF CONSISTENT STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN KEY IN THE IGNITION I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 6, 2017. I ALSO TURNED THE WHEEL COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND DID AS THE MANUAL INSTRUCTED. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, FRUSTERATION AND BEING STRANDED AT WORK SEVERAL TIMES AND IT FINALLY UNLOCKED. MY HUSBAND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME UNLOCKING THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL. WHEN I BOUGHT IT TO DEALERSHIP IT WASN'T LOCKING UP AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID IT WOULD BE LOOKED AT BUT THAT WAS A VERY COMMON HAPPENING IN THESE VEHICLES. IT WAS BROUGHT TO 6251 GRAND AVE. GURNEE, IL. THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS JEFFREY VLACH #49715.

NHTSA ODI #10994321

10,000 miles · May 29, 2017
Unknown Or Other

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.

NHTSA ODI #10992046

7,500 miles · May 14, 2017
SteeringSuspension

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 HAVE TO KEEP A DEATH GRIP WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. JUST YE…

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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 HAVE TO KEEP A DEATH GRIP WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. JUST YESTERDAY I NEARLY HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION AFTER HITTING A BUMPY PART IN THE ROAD. THANKFULLY I GOT CONTROL BEFORE IT HAPPENED. THIS WILL BE MY SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THIS RESOLVED. DURING FIRST ATTEMPT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THESE CARS JUST HAVE SQUIRRELY SUSPENSION AND THAT'S HOW THEY DRIVE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! SOMEBODY OR A FAMILY IS GOING TO GET HURT OR KILLED IF THIS IS NOT CORRECTED. LEMON LAW IS IN MY SEARCH BAR.

NHTSA ODI #10985651

47,000 miles · Mar 29, 2017
Wheels

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 HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED WITH A BLOW OUT. I D…

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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 HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED WITH A BLOW OUT. I DRIVE 230 MILES A DAY ROUND TRIP WORK. ALL INTERSTATE. I NEED DEPENDABILITY UNDER ME. THIS CAR SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME.

NHTSA ODI #10969405

15,252 miles · Mar 20, 2017
Wheels

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.

NHTSA ODI #10967360

11,000 miles · Jan 20, 2017
Air BagsVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

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 THOUGHT WAS PAPER APPEAR ON THE INNER STEERING WHEEL, SUDDENLY BLOOD WAS…

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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 THOUGHT WAS PAPER APPEAR ON THE INNER STEERING WHEEL, SUDDENLY BLOOD WAS POURING DOWN MY FACE WHERE I COULD BARELY SEE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE BECAUSE OF THE SMELL. IT DID NOT SMELL LIKE GAS BUT MORE LIKE SULFUR. I WAS TRANSPORTED TO UCI TRAUMA CENTER WHERE I STAYED FOR FOUR DAYS. MY CAR HAD 6 AIRBAGS AND ALL FAILED EXCEPT FOR THE ONE I SAW WHEN MY CAR SETTLED. SINCE I BOUGHT THE ELANTRA I REPORTED TO HYUNDAI THAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND SOMETIMES WHEN I WOULD TURN LEFT THE CAR WOULD STOP, THEN ACCELERATE FULL SPEED. I HAVE THE WORK ORDER. THIS ACCELERATION WOULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT. I HAVE SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO HAVE BEEN WITH ME WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT I RESTART IT, IT JUST STOPS THEN ACCELERATES. IT HAS DONE THIS THREE OR FOUR TIME A MONTH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10946816

Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2017
Service BrakesWheels

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 ACCIDENTS, POTHOLES, OR ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIDEWALL FAILUR…

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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 ACCIDENTS, POTHOLES, OR ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIDEWALL FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI #10945833

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.

Go deeper into Hyundai Elantra problems