NHTSA has received 158 owner complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, or 27.9 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.66, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #51 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Hyundai models its rate is 50% lower; against other Compact cars it is 21% higher.
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
Complaints filed between 2021-02-07 and 2026-08-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 16 days.
158Complaints
27.9Complaints per year on the road
0.66Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls
5.7%Share involving a crash or fire
20Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 38.1 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 33.2 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 63 complaints, about the same than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (23.4% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (17.7%) and Airbags & seat belts (15.8%). Within Electrical reports, owners most often mention “working”, “camera”, “horn”, “reverse” and “safety”. 9 reports (5.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 26 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the second year (32% of incidents). In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 21 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year. 47% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 3 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.66
vs. other Hyundai models0.5
vs. other 2021 models0.73
vs. other Compact cars1.21
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (63)1.03
Description of the Safety Problem: In the early morning hours of January 8, while driving my Hyundai vehicle, I ran off the road into a ditch. I was extremely disoriented and activated the vehicle’s built-in Blue Link SOS emergency assistance system for help.
Interior & equipment · 2026-01-11 · ODI 11710172 · Crash
The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended. Approximately thirteen hours later, he was notified by the fire department that the vehicle had caught fire. A police report was filed.
Electrical · 2024-02-06 · ODI 11570259 · Fire
Vehicle was serviced to remediate Recall 271- backup camera replacement in January, 2025. In June 2026, vehicle is exhibiting the same issue. Rear camera is non functional in the following ways: 1.
Electrical · 2026-08-12 · ODI 11756440
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated.
Engine · 2026-04-14 · ODI 11731188
Subject: Vehicle Safety Complaint – Engine Failure – Hyundai To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting a vehicle safety complaint regarding a serious engine failure involving my Hyundai vehicle.
Engine · 2026-04-09 · ODI 11730162
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 24V879000 · 2024-11-21
Summary: 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 comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
Summary: 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.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
Summary: 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.
Risk: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 31, 2022. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Summary: 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.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
Summary: 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.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
Risk: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the seat back frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 21, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-888-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 204.
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2021, 2022
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 PowerClosed
DP22003 · ENGINE · Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12 · Model years: 2021
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 RuptureClosed
RQ22003 · SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER · Opened 2022-08-08 · Closed 2023-05-26 · Campaign 23V210000 · Model years: 2021, 2022
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 …
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
158 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, or about 27.9 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
The most common category is Electrical, accounting for 23.4% of complaints.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Elantra have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall(s) for this model year. 3 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 21 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2021 Hyundai Elantra compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 158 owner complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, or 27.9 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.66, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #51 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Hyundai models its rate is 50% lower; against other Compact cars it is 21% higher.