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2021 Hyundai Elantra Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 6 NHTSA recalls and 132 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

D
42/100

High Reported Activity — 2021 Hyundai Elantra

The 2021 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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6
NHTSA Recalls
6 recalls on record
132
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
8
Crash Reports
1 fire report
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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Hyundai Elantra (6)

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

🔧 Seat Belts: Front
An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this…
NHTSA #21V796000
🔧 Visibility: Windshield
A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number…
NHTSA #21V00M000
🔧 Seats: Front Assembly: Recliner
An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the seat back frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 21, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service…
NHTSA #21V302000
🔧 Seat Belts: Front
Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 31, 2022. A second notice will be…
NHTSA #22V218000
🔧 Seat Belts: Front
An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's…
NHTSA #22V354000
🔧 Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall…
NHTSA #24V879000
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Most Common Problems — 2021 Hyundai Elantra

Based on 132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Electrical System
27
Seat Belts
21
Forward Collision Avoidance
18
Unknown Or Other
16
Vehicle Speed Control
8
Engine
6
Power Train
6
Steering
5
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Hyundai Elantra — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.

2015 262 complaints 2016 293 complaints 2017 770 complaints 2018 284 complaints 2019 252 complaints 2020 254 complaints 2021 132 complaints 2022 102 complaints 2023 101 complaints 2024 56 complaints 2025 22 complaints

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2017 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2022, 2023, 2024 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Hyundai Elantra

Is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra has 6 recall campaigns and 132 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 2021 Hyundai Elantra have?
The 2021 Hyundai Elantra has 6 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 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra are: Electrical System, Seat Belts, Forward Collision Avoidance, Unknown Or Other. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra safe to buy?
The 2021 Hyundai Elantra has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 6 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Hyundai Elantra should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Hyundai Elantra are: 2022, 2023, 2024. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2017.
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.