2021 Hyundai Elantra: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 128 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 6 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
128
Complaints
6
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
79.7
Severity index
Severity index 79.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra ranks 25 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 72% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 32 | 25.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 29 | 22.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 29 | 22.7% |
| SEAT BELTS | 27 | 21.1% |
| ENGINE | 13 | 10.2% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 10 | 7.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 8 | 6.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | 5.5% |
The single most-reported system is FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, cited in 32 of 128 complaints (25.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 45 |
| 2023 | 27 |
| 2024 | 18 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 12 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V796000 | 13/10/2021 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 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. |
| 21V00M000 | 28/12/2021 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 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. |
| 21V302000 | 28/04/2021 | SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded. |
| 22V218000 | 01/04/2022 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 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. |
| 22V354000 | 19/05/2022 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 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. |
| 24V879000 | 21/11/2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | 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 comp |
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.