Hyundai Elantra Problems by Year
Hyundai Elantra years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Elantra year: 2012, 2013, 2017. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2013 Elantra: 1,314 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2017 Elantra: 768 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2012 Elantra: 653 complaints, 4 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2026 Elantra: 2 complaints, 1 recall
- 2025 Elantra: 22 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2024 Elantra: 54 complaints, 1 recall
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Hyundai Elantra problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 1,650 | 28 | 45 |
| Air Bags problems | 1,303 | 32 | 507 |
| Steering problems | 1,142 | 31 | 74 |
| Electrical System problems | 1,033 | 31 | 38 |
| Power Train problems | 649 | 31 | 25 |
| Suspension problems | 592 | 31 | 27 |
| Service Brakes problems | 585 | 26 | 99 |
| Structure problems | 486 | 30 | 47 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 441 | 25 | 44 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 422 | 29 | 5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 396 | 31 | 94 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 275 | 27 | 9 |
| Seat Belts problems | 218 | 30 | 57 |
| Wheels problems | 213 | 28 | 19 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 205 | 25 | 12 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 188 | 17 | 25 |
| Visibility problems | 186 | 26 | 7 |
| Tires problems | 167 | 26 | 7 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 156 | 24 | 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 125 | 17 | 12 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 123 | 20 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 100 | 17 | 4 |
| Lane Departure | 48 | 12 | 5 |
| Equipment | 46 | 17 | 5 |
| Seats | 42 | 22 | 10 |
| Back Over Prevention | 19 | 9 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 16 | 10 | 4 |
| Parking Brake | 9 | 8 | 2 |
| Traction Control System | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Hyundai Elantra problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2020: engine (108)
- 2019: engine (133) · exterior lighting (65)
- 2018: engine (141)
- 2017: engine (290) · structure (134) · electrical system (112) · steering (71) · power train (62) · latches/locks/linkages (53)
- 2016: engine (111)
- 2015: engine (92)
- 2014: engine (166)
- 2013: steering (271) · engine (233) · air bags (168) · service brakes (164) · electrical system (155) · service brakes, hydraulic (116) · suspension (99) · wheels (75) · exterior lighting (72) · power train (57) · tires (55) · structure (51) · vehicle speed control (50)
- 2012: engine (139) · electrical system (126) · air bags (124) · steering (88) · service brakes (60)
- 2011: engine (92) · air bags (77) · steering (75) · suspension (66) · electrical system (51)
- 2010: steering (195)
- 2009: steering (133)
- 2008: steering (55)
- 2006: air bags (56)
- 2005: air bags (71)
- 2004: air bags (114)
- 2003: suspension (61)
- 2002: suspension (95) · air bags (70)
- 2001: air bags (118) · suspension (81)
All Hyundai Elantra model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 2 | 1 | 5★ | Air Bags | |
| 2025 Elantra | 22 | 0 | 5★ | Lane Departure | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Elantra | 54 | 1 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Elantra | 99 | 2 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Elantra | 102 | 5 | 5★ | Seat Belts | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Elantra | 131 | 6 | 5★ | Forward Collision Avoidance | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 Elantra | 253 | 3 | 4★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2019 Elantra | 251 | 1 | 4★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2018 Elantra | 283 | 0 | 4★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2017 Elantra | 768 | 4 | 4★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2016 Elantra | 293 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2015 Elantra | 262 | 3 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 Elantra | 386 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2013 Elantra | 1,314 | 4 | 5★ | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2012 Elantra | 653 | 4 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2011 Elantra | 433 | 5 | — | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2010 Elantra | 380 | 3 | — | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 2009 Elantra | 254 | 4 | — | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2008 Elantra | 314 | 7 | — | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 2007 Elantra | 267 | 6 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2006 Elantra | 155 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2005 Elantra | 137 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2004 Elantra | 182 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2003 Elantra | 234 | 5 | — | Suspension | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2002 Elantra | 342 | 6 | — | Suspension | More complaints than other years |
| 2001 Elantra | 315 | 6 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2000 Elantra | 197 | 1 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1999 Elantra | 128 | 2 | — | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1998 Elantra | 55 | 0 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1997 Elantra | 115 | 3 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1996 Elantra | 100 | 3 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1995 Elantra | 112 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
More from Hyundai: all Hyundai models · Hyundai VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Elantra years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2012 (653), 2013 (1,314), 2017 (768) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Elantra year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Hyundai Elantra?
Engine, with 1,650 complaints across 28 model years.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Elantra have?
56 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.