2021 Hyundai Elantra problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2021 Hyundai Elantra include 1 fatality report, 8 crashes and 1 fires across 129 filings.

129
Complaints
6
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
71.2
Severity index

Severity index 71.2 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 71.2p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 27 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 71% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 32 complaints (24.8%)32 25%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 30 complaints (23.3%)30 23%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 29 complaints (22.5%)29 22%Seat BeltsSeat Belts: 27 complaints (20.9%)27 21%EngineEngine: 13 complaints (10.1%)13 10%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 10 complaints (7.8%)10 8%Service BrakesService Brakes: 8 complaints (6.2%)8 6%Power TrainPower Train: 7 complaints (5.4%)7 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE3224.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3023.3%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2922.5%
SEAT BELTS2720.9%
ENGINE1310.1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL107.8%
SERVICE BRAKES86.2%
POWER TRAIN75.4%

Complaints filed per year

022452021: 112022: 452023: 272024: 182025: 152026: 13 (partial year)21224523242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
202111
202245
202327
202418
202515
2026 (year to date)13
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2021 to 2022 (60 against 56).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
21V79600013/10/2021SEAT BELTS:FRONTHyundai 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.
21V00M00028/12/2021VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELDHyundai 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.
21V30200028/04/2021SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINERHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
22V21800001/04/2022SEAT BELTS:FRONTHyundai 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.
22V35400019/05/2022SEAT BELTS:FRONTHyundai 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.
24V87900021/11/2024BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAHyundai 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 comp

Other Hyundai Elantra model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-16. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.