2016 Hyundai Elantra Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 2 NHTSA recalls and 293 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

47/100

High Reported Activity — 2016 Hyundai Elantra

The 2016 Hyundai Elantra shows high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the issues below and have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic.

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NHTSA Recalls

2 recalls on record

293

Owner Complaints

Filed with NHTSA

Crash Reports

5 fire reports

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NHTSA Recalls — 2016 Hyundai Elantra (2)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Hyundai dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Latches/Locks/Linkages: Trunk Lid: Latch

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

Remedy: 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…

NHTSA #24V146000

🔧 Air Bags: Frontal: Driver Side: Inflator Module

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

Remedy: 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…

NHTSA #26V307000

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Most Common Problems — 2016 Hyundai Elantra

Based on 293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Power Train

Air Bags

Electrical System

Steering

Structure

Latches/locks/linkages

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Hyundai Elantra — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2016 model year is highlighted.

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2013 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2016 Hyundai Elantra

Is the 2016 Hyundai Elantra reliable?

Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Hyundai Elantra has 2 recall campaigns and 293 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How many recalls does the 2016 Hyundai Elantra have?

The 2016 Hyundai Elantra has 2 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?

The most commonly reported problems for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra are: Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train, Air Bags. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.

Is the 2016 Hyundai Elantra safe to buy?

The 2016 Hyundai Elantra has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 2 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.

What year Hyundai Elantra should I buy?

Use the year comparison chart above to identify which model years have the fewest reported problems for the Hyundai Elantra.

How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.

Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.