Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Seat Belts. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Engine complaints

13 reports

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15,500 miles · Aug 12, 2022

Engine

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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an unknown recall repair and for an oil change. However, while driving at an undisclosed speed after the services were performed, there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and the engine oil warning light was illuminated. The contact noticed that the engine oil had leaked onto the roadway while driving. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the engine oil drain plug was missing. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was then taken to a second dealer, Columbia Hyundai (10981 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249). However, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,500.

NHTSA ODI #11478962

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2022

Engine

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At about 11 months old my car suddenly seized while attempting to enter the highway. This came with no type of warning from the vehicle until the car had stopped and then every light on the cluster came on. I was fortunate not to be rear ended. The car was towed and 2 days later the dealership called to tell me there were no errors and NOTHING WAS WRONG with the car. I told them what had happened and they called later that day and I was informed that they needed to install and entire new engine assembly. The car only had 7000 miles on it and should not need a new engine. There is some major design flaw with this car which poses a safety issue. Additionally I looked at my service records for the car and it looks as if the dealership is trying to cover up the fact that a new engine was placed in the vehicle as it is listed as routine maintenance. Please look into this and contact me if needed

NHTSA ODI #11473491

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2022

Engine

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On 1/27/2022 my daughter was driving home from school in her 2021 Hyundai Elantra SEL which was purchased new on 6/19/ 2021 when at 5600 miles on the odometer a message came on the instrument cluster which read put car in neutral and turn off engine, when it was safe to do so she stopped the car and turned it off in the middle of a two way road because there was no shoulder and no place to exit the roadway when she tried to restart the car the engine would not crank or turn over to start the car so she called me and I called a tow truck while she was waiting vehicles behind her where forced to go around her car when it was safe for them to do so, the tow truck came and took her car to the dealership where she purchased it two days later they called and informed us the engine was completely seized up and that they would have to replace it with a NEW ENGINE despite the fact the original engine had oil and was only six months old with only 5600 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI #11453121

Official recalls

24V879000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Nov 21, 2024

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.

22V354000 · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:pretensioner

May 19, 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts:front

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

22V218000 · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Apr 1, 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 31, 2022. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts:front

Consequence: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 31, 2022. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

21V00M000 · Visibility:windshield

Dec 28, 2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.

21V796000 · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Oct 13, 2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.

Seat Belts:front

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

21V302000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

Apr 28, 2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the seat back frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 21, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-888-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 204.

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

DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

RQ22003 · Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture

Opened Aug 8, 2022 · Closed May 26, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:pretensioner

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) based on 3 incidents alleging front seat belt pretensioners that may rupture during deployment, on model year (MY) 2020-2022 of various Hyundai and Kia Models, resulting in 3 injuries (note: one incident occurred outside the U.S. and its territories).Between October 2021 and March 2023, Hyundai and Kia have filed the following 11 safety recalls for pretensioner rupture: NHTSA Recall No. 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-123, 22V-127, 22V-218, 22V-354, 22V-447, 22V-458, 22V-816, 23V-094, and 23V-210.Hyundai/Kia have stated that the abnormal deployment of the pretensioners is due to over-pressurization of the pretensioner pipe that can cause metal fragments to enter the vehicle occupant compartment, which can result in injury to vehicle occupants.The various makes/models covered by the above recalls include approximately 405,900 certain 2020-2022 Hyundai Accent, 2021-2022 Hyundai Elantra and Elantra HEV, 2021-2022 Hyundai Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, 2020-2022 Hyundai Venue, 2021-2023 Genesis G80, 2023 Genesis G80 EV, 2023 Genesis G90, 2023 Genesis GV60 EV, 2022-2023 Genesis GV70, 2021-2023 Genesis GV80, 2021-2022 Kia Sorento HEV, and 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV.In response to ODI's investigation, in December 2022, Hyundai notified ODI that they would be conducting testing to validate subject vehicle seat belt pretensioners. This evaluation included sled testing and software testing which was performed by Hyundai and its suppliers. The tests were intended to evaluate pretensioner deployment characteristics based on the unique deployment signature of the subject and peer vehicles. ODI met with representatives from Hyundai on several occasions during the investigation to discuss testing progress and data. As a result of the testing, Hyundai was able to simulate the pretensioner failures. It was determined by Hyundai during testing, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment in the event of a crash which can cause metal fragments to enter the vehicle occupant compartment.Hyundai thus notified ODI of their decision to proceed with a safety recall, to expand the scope of the previous safety actions.In view of the recall actions taken by Hyundai and Kia, ODI concerns have been addressed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.

Additional source detail variants (6)

Seat Belts:front

Seat Belts

Seat Belts:pretensioner

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