2016 Hyundai Elantra: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 289 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
289
Complaints
2
Recalls
22
Crash reports
5
Fire reports
17
Injuries
87.9
Severity index
Severity index 87.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Hyundai Elantra ranks 44 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 69% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 109 | 37.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 53 | 18.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 30 | 10.4% |
| AIR BAGS | 26 | 9.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 22 | 7.6% |
| STEERING | 19 | 6.6% |
| STRUCTURE | 18 | 6.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 18 | 6.2% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 109 of 289 complaints (37.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 25 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 25 |
| 2021 | 35 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 38 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 17 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24V146000 | 23/02/2024 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH | 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 |
| 26V307000 | 15/05/2026 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.