NHTSA has received 3 owner complaints about the 2026 Hyundai Elantra, or 3.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.07, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #9 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Hyundai models its rate is 94% lower; against other Compact cars it is 86% lower.
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
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2026-08-10 and 2026-09-05. Median delay from incident to filing: 13 days.
3Complaints
3.0Complaints per year on the road
0.07Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
33.3%Share involving a crash or fire
3Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2025) drew 19.0 complaints per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Engine (33.3% of complaints), followed by Airbags & seat belts (33.3%) and Wheels, tires & suspension (33.3%). 1 report (33.3%) describes a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months 3 complaints were filed, versus none in the 12 months before.
I bought the car about 2 days ago and while driving the car caught fire and I had to call my local fire department. I never hit anyone or did anything it just caught fire randomly.
Engine · 2026-09-05 · ODI 11762360 · Fire
my car was t-boned on the passenger side at the b pillar and airbags did not deploy. yes the body shop confirmed the airbags did not deploy. no warnings or messages.
Airbags & seat belts · 2026-08-26 · ODI 11759642
To Whom It May Concern: I am submitting this formal complaint to request review of a potentially serious vehicle-safety failure involving a rental automobile provided to me by Hertz at its [XXX] location.
Wheels, tires & suspension · 2026-08-10 · ODI 11756046
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:SIDE IMPACT Campaign 26V254000 · 2026-04-21
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Elantra N, 2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), and Elantra vehicles. The B-pillar impact sensors may have been misassembled, which can delay air bag deployment.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the impact sensor(s), as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 11, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 299. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 22, 2026.
