2016 Hyundai Elantra

Typical pattern

9.1% of complaints about the 2016 Hyundai Elantra came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2016 vehicle — around the middle of the 199 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (111 complaints), typically at 6.6 yr or about 73,000 miles.

Complaints: 394
Median age at failure: 6.3 yr
Median mileage: 55,000 n=153
Crash / fire / tow: 11.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine

111 reports · 73,000 mi

6.6 yr

7.2%

Other

52 reports · 18,400 mi

7.4 yr

1.9%

Power train

31 reports · 78,800 mi

6.9 yr

6.5%

Air bags

25 reports · 35,000 mi

3.9 yr

60%

Electrical system

22 reports · 70,000 mi

6.6 yr

13.6%

Steering

19 reports · 46,000 mi

3.2 yr

15.8%

Fuel / propulsion

19 reports · 33,600 mi

6.8 yr

5.3%

Speed control

18 reports · 62,000 mi

6.3 yr

22.2%

Structure

18 reports · 60,000 mi

6.7 yr

11.1%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

26V307000 2026-05-15

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.

An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.

24V146000 2024-02-23

Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:latch

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

In owners’ own words

Engine 1,700 mi 0 mo in service

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON THE FREEWAY AND ONCE ON A CITY STREET WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 1800 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR NUMEROUS TIMES. WHEN I PICK IT UP THEY SAY "ITS BEEN REPAIRED" BUT HOURS OR DAYS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURS. I DEMANDED THAT THEY VOID THE PURCHASE CONTRACT BUT HYUNDAI REFUSED. I HAD TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY WHO RECENTLY FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST HYUNDAI REGARDING THIS MATTER (CASE # 15K14065).

Engine 59,000 mi 2.6 yr in service

WHEN CAR IS SLOWING AT INTERSECTION, CAR WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. ONCE CAR IS PUT IN PARK AND KEY IS TAKEN OUT, CAR STARTS UP IMMEDIATELY. HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 2 WEEKS. SEEMS LIKE I HAVE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON GAS PEDAL TO GO EVEN SLIGHTLY FASTER.

Engine 52,000 mi 2.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

THERE IS AN ENGINE KNOCK UPON COLD START. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED 3 TIMES AND 3 TIMES HYUNDAI HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING.

Steering 65 mi 4 mo in service

THE SPORT STEERING IS OVER SENSITIVE WHICH IS A HAZARD. THE SLIGHTEST TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO TURN ABRUPTLY. I HAVE MEASURED THAT A QUICK LANE CHANGE COULD TAKE PLACE BY MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL BY 1/4 OF AN INCH IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND BODILY INJURY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

Other Elantra model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.