Hyundai Elantra

Where it stands out against its peers

• Service brakes: more complaints than 90% of 2013 cars — 21% of its 1,327 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 9%.
• Hydraulic: more complaints than 95% of 2013 cars — 9% of its 1,327 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.
• Wheels: more complaints than 93% of 2013 cars — 6% of its 1,327 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 2%.
• Tires: more complaints than 95% of 2013 cars — 4% of its 1,327 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• STEERING — 181 owners reported this, 5 involving a crash
• ENGINE — 126 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 4 involving a fire
• AIR BAGS — 106 owners reported this, 25 involving a crash
• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 105 owners reported this, 5 involving a fire
• SERVICE BRAKES — 70 owners reported this, 7 involving a crash
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 44 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 33 owners reported this, 3 involving a fire
• SUSPENSION — 33 owners reported this
• WHEELS — 28 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN — 26 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• TIRES — 26 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• TIRES,WHEELS — 25 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STEERING,SUSPENSION — 22 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 20 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• VISIBILITY — 17 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 14 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 13 owners reported this, 7 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 11 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

27% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V115000

  If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 109.

• 15V871000

  If the one or more of the brakes are inappropriately applied, control of the vehicle may be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall began June 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 137.

• 16V232000

  An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.

• 16V574000

  If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of PARK without depressing the brake pedal. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad with an improved part, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 146.

• 16V956000

  In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 156.

• 17V063000

  A loss of power brake assist can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai has notified owners, and dealers will replace the brake system booster assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 157.

• 17V213000

  Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS motor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-243-7766. Hyundai's number for this recall 161.

• 17V769000

  If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of PARK without depressing the brake pedal. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 8, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 170. This campaign expands recall 16V574.

15 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  Audit query, opened November 2023, still open.

• Loss of Motive Power

  Defect petition, opened September 2022, closed December 2023.

• Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture

  Recall query, opened August 2022, closed May 2023.

• Engine Fires

  Engineering analysis, opened December 2021, closed February 2024.

• Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  Defect petition, opened November 2021, closed June 2023.

• Headliner Bracket Detachment

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2012, closed December 2013.

  Became recall 13V115000.

• Side Curtain Air Bag Improper Deployment

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 2012, closed September 2012.

• Front lower control arms rusting

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2009, closed April 2009.

• Stop lamp switch failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2009, closed April 2009.

• Engine stalling - fuel pump failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened July 2008, closed September 2008.

• Air bag light illumination

  Engineering analysis, opened July 2008, closed November 2008.

• Air bag light illumination

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2008, closed July 2008.

• Post-crash fuel tank leak

  Preliminary evaluation, opened April 2004, closed July 2004.

• Fuel cap replacement campaign 36

  Investigation SQ, opened February 2000, still open.

• Windshield wiper failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 1997, closed February 1997.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Hyundai filed 3 bulletins about the 2026 Elantra.

• Air bags: 2
• Forward collision avoidance: 1

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile… · May 2026
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo… · May 2026
• Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front… · March 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.