Hyundai Elantra years to avoid
Every Hyundai Elantra model year on file (2012-2025), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2014
Worst year on file
128.3
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2017
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 Hyundai Elantra | 128.3 High | 387 | Engine |
| 2 | 2025 Hyundai Elantra | 115.5 High | 22 | Unknown Or Other |
| 3 | 2015 Hyundai Elantra | 115.2 High | 262 | Engine |
| 4 | 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 109.9 High | 254 | Engine |
| 5 | 2012 Hyundai Elantra | 91.6 High | 676 | Engine |
| 6 | 2022 Hyundai Elantra | 86.6 High | 102 | Seat Belts |
| 7 | 2013 Hyundai Elantra | 81.9 High | 1,330 | Service Brakes |
| 8 | 2016 Hyundai Elantra | 80.1 High | 293 | Engine |
| 9 | 2021 Hyundai Elantra | 70.2 Medium | 132 | Forward Collision Avoidance |
| 10 | 2023 Hyundai Elantra | 70.1 Medium | 101 | Electrical System |
| 11 | 2024 Hyundai Elantra | 62.6 Medium | 55 | Unknown Or Other |
| 12 | 2018 Hyundai Elantra | 62.2 Medium | 284 | Engine |
| 13 | 2019 Hyundai Elantra | 56.5 Medium | 252 | Engine |
| 14 | 2017 Hyundai Elantra | 50.3 Medium | 769 | Engine |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Hyundai Elantra complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 676 | 4 | 49 | 13 | 91.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 1,330 | 4 | 95 | 31 | 81.9 High | SERVICE BRAKES |
| 2014 | 387 | 2 | 35 | 16 | 128.3 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 262 | 3 | 27 | 8 | 115.2 High | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 293 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 80.1 High | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 769 | 4 | 37 | 6 | 50.3 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 284 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 62.2 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 252 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 56.5 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 254 | 3 | 21 | 6 | 109.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 132 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 70.2 Medium | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE |
| 2022 | 102 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 86.6 High | SEAT BELTS |
| 2023 | 101 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 70.1 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2024 | 55 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 62.6 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 115.5 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.