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
124.8
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 | 124.8 High | 383 | Engine |
| 2 | 2015 Hyundai Elantra | 115.5 High | 261 | Engine |
| 3 | 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 108.3 High | 248 | Engine |
| 4 | 2025 Hyundai Elantra | 100.0 High | 21 | Unknown Or Other |
| 5 | 2012 Hyundai Elantra | 91.1 High | 674 | Engine |
| 6 | 2013 Hyundai Elantra | 82.0 High | 1,328 | Service Brakes |
| 7 | 2022 Hyundai Elantra | 81.5 High | 100 | Seat Belts |
| 8 | 2016 Hyundai Elantra | 80.3 High | 292 | Engine |
| 9 | 2023 Hyundai Elantra | 71.6 Medium | 97 | Electrical System |
| 10 | 2021 Hyundai Elantra | 71.2 Medium | 129 | Forward Collision Avoidance |
| 11 | 2024 Hyundai Elantra | 63.8 Medium | 52 | Unknown Or Other |
| 12 | 2018 Hyundai Elantra | 62.7 Medium | 281 | Engine |
| 13 | 2019 Hyundai Elantra | 57.0 Medium | 249 | Engine |
| 14 | 2017 Hyundai Elantra | 50.6 Medium | 764 | 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 | 674 | 4 | 49 | 12 | 91.1 High | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 1,328 | 4 | 95 | 31 | 82.0 High | SERVICE BRAKES |
| 2014 | 383 | 2 | 35 | 15 | 124.8 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 261 | 3 | 27 | 8 | 115.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 292 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 80.3 High | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 764 | 4 | 37 | 6 | 50.6 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 281 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 62.7 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 249 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 57.0 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 248 | 3 | 20 | 6 | 108.3 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 129 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 71.2 Medium | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE |
| 2022 | 100 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 81.5 High | SEAT BELTS |
| 2023 | 97 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 71.6 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2024 | 52 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 63.8 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100.0 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.