2016 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Elantra years
- More complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 293 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. That ranks 10th out of 32 Elantra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (111 complaints, 38%), typically at around 73,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 5 fires, 17 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 293owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Hyundai Elantra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 111 | 38% | 73,000 | “oil change” (9%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 54 | 18% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 31 | 11% | 78,800 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 26 | 9% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 22 | 8% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 19 | 6% | 33,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 6% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 5% | 19,800 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 13 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 3% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 3% | 15,252 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 3% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 2% | 17,550 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 134,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 72,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Hyundai Elantra recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Risk: An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 300. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.
Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:latch
Problem: 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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 256.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I am reporting a recall remedy failure involving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra under Hyundai Recall 256 / NHTSA Recall 24Vâ146 (trunk latch pawl defect). The McCarthy Olathe Hyundai dealership in Olathe, KS marked the recall as âcompleted,â but the trunk latch still does not open and the defect…
Vehicle stalls while driving which is very dangerous. All dashboard lights go on prior to stalling. No engine light is on. Knocking sound coming from engine. Dealer states engine needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced regularly despite that Hyundai denies engine replacement. The knocking sound…
The motor started to make a ticking noise 5 months earlier. 5 months later at 180,000 miles a borascope finding, reveled all 4 cylinder walls were worn related to cylinder slap. Called Hyundai dealership and was told ithe car is too old and the milage too high for a warranty coverage.
P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car
Engine burned oil and had knocking sound, despite having regular oil changes. Stalked out while driving took to dealer initial said it was covered by the exerted coverage but ultimately denied. It had 111,000 miles on it. I believe this engine has the same issues as the others.
Other Hyundai Elantra years
← 2015 Elantra · 2017 Elantra →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Elantra | 22 | 0 |
| 2024 Elantra | 54 | 1 |
| 2023 Elantra | 99 | 2 |
| 2022 Elantra | 102 | 5 |
| 2021 Elantra | 132 | 6 |
| 2020 Elantra | 254 | 3 |
| 2019 Elantra | 251 | 1 |
| 2018 Elantra | 283 | 0 |
| 2017 Elantra | 768 | 4 |
| 2016 | 293 | 2 |
| 2015 Elantra | 262 | 3 |
| 2014 Elantra | 386 | 2 |
| 2013 Elantra | 1,314 | 4 |
| 2012 Elantra | 653 | 4 |
| 2011 Elantra | 433 | 5 |
| 2010 Elantra | 380 | 3 |
| 2009 Elantra | 254 | 4 |
| 2008 Elantra | 314 | 7 |
| 2007 Elantra | 267 | 6 |
| 2006 Elantra | 155 | 1 |
| 2005 Elantra | 137 | 4 |
| 2004 Elantra | 182 | 5 |
| 2003 Elantra | 234 | 5 |
| 2002 Elantra | 342 | 6 |
| 2001 Elantra | 315 | 6 |
| 2000 Elantra | 197 | 1 |
| 1999 Elantra | 128 | 2 |
| 1998 Elantra | 55 | 0 |
| 1997 Elantra | 115 | 3 |
| 1996 Elantra | 100 | 3 |
| 1995 Elantra | 112 | 1 |
See all Hyundai Elantra problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 111 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Hyundai Elantra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Elantra model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.