Hyundai Elantra problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 1,434 owner complaints and 19 safety recalls for the Hyundai Elantra. That averages 28.7 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.71 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Compact cars segment it ranks #8 of 9 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 21.9.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 120% above the 2018 and 2019 models (76 early complaints per model year versus 37).
The 2023 model year has the highest rate (44.3 complaints per year) and the 2024 model year the lowest (21.9). The 2023 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 28.7 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (36.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (13.2%) and Unspecified or other (8.6%). Engine complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 105 complaints (7.3%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 63 injuries and 5 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 283 complaints versus 252 in the previous 12 months — up 12%. The 2020 model year generated the most recent reports (57). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 35 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (5), 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 3 NHTSA investigations have covered this model; the latest is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Mazda Mazda3, Toyota Prius, Subaru Impreza and Kia Forte, but fewer than Honda Civic.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 334 | 38.0 | 0.94 | 42 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2019 | 255 | 32.7 | 0.81 | 49 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 | 260 | 38.3 | 0.95 | 57 | 3 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 | 160 | 27.6 | 0.68 | 19 | 6 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 159 | 33.2 | 0.82 | 28 | 7 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2023 ▲50%+ | 168 | 44.3 | 1.1 | 35 | 4 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2024 Fewest complaints | 61 | 21.9 | 0.54 | 24 | 1 | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 34 | 19.0 | 0.47 | 26 | 2 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 3 | 3.0 | 0.07 | 3 | 1 | Engine | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 283 · Previous 12 months: 252 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Engine ›
521 · 36.3% · 1.63 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Electrical ›
190 · 13.2% · 0.84 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Unspecified or other ›
124 · 8.6% · 0.96 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Driver-assist systems ›
100 · 7.0% · 1.22 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Airbags & seat belts ›
91 · 6.3% · 1.67 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Transmission / powertrain ›
85 · 5.9% · 0.51 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Lighting ›
82 · 5.7% · 3.69 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes ›
62 · 4.3% · 0.72 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Body & structure ›
50 · 3.5% · 0.38 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering ›
44 · 3.1% · 0.48 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
34 · 2.4% · 0.95 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
27 · 1.9% · 1.02 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
24 · 1.7% · 0.39 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 35 months
What owners report
My vehicle did not have any warning lights or issue lights on the dashboard at the time of crash. We were at a full stop on the highway when a car rear ended us going 50-70MPH. The driver had a broken left clavicle.
My 2026 Hyundai Elantra at 3,300 miles experienced a severe frontal impact with 6g logitudinal deceleration due to uncommanded acceleration and complete brake blindness. Depiste this severe impact, neither airbags nor seatbelt pretensioners deployed.
Vehicle is still in my possession and available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk due to vibration when braking caused by warped rotors, a vehicle that pulls to one side with an off-center steering wheel, abnormal…
2020 Hyundai Elantra, VIN [XXX], ~79,239 mi. On or about [XXX], while entering a parking lot at low speed on an incline, I pressed the accelerator but the car had severe power loss and then stalled. It would not move in reverse.
The passenger rear tail light started to show condensation and pooling water after a rain. The technician stated it was fine. The passenger rear tail light started to work intermittently and now only the break light works because it is a bulb light not an LED.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Compact cars
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazda Mazda3 | 325 | 6.0 | 0.15 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Electrical |
| 2 | Toyota Prius | 262 | 7.2 | 0.18 | Stable | Rising | 11 | Electrical |
| 3 | Subaru Impreza | 499 | 8.5 | 0.21 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 13 | Body & structure |
| 4 | Kia Forte | 549 | 12.9 | 0.32 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 10 | Engine |
| 5 | Volkswagen Jetta | 870 | 17.0 | 0.42 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 22 | Engine |
| 6 | Nissan Sentra | 935 | 19.3 | 0.48 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Electrical |
| 7 | Toyota Corolla | 1,147 | 26.7 | 0.66 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Engine |
| 8 | Hyundai Elantra | 1,434 | 28.7 | 0.71 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 19 | Engine |
| 9 | Honda Civic | 3,012 | 68.2 | 1.69 | Worsening | Falling | 14 | Steering |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 19
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 1
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (6) · 2022 (7) · 2023 (4) · 2024 (1) · 2025 (2) · 2026 (1)
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
- Loss of Motive Power Closed
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i…
- Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture Closed
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) based on 3 incidents alleging front seat belt pretensioners that may rupture during deployment, on model year (MY) 2020-2022 of various Hyundai and Kia Models, resulting in 3 injuries (note: one incident occurred outside the U.S. and its territories).Between October 2021 and March 2023, Hyundai and Kia have …