2016 Hyundai Elantra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 292 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 10th highest complaint count among 26 Elantra model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 22 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 17 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleMay 15, 2026
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.
An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.
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.
Campaign 26V307000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchFeb 23, 2024
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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 24V146000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
292 reports, newest first.
Service brakes, Mar 22, 2023
The brake line on the car rusted out, and subsequently ruptured, leading to a loss of brake fluid and a total loss of brake function. The failure was quite abrupt. The fluid leaking had been noted within 24 hours of brake failure, but the brake warning lights only came on after the rupture had occurred and were noted at the same time that the brakes failed to work. The rupture happened while the car was being backed out of the driveway, but before entering the roadway, and the car was able to be safely towed to the dealership for an assessment. Repairs and a brake line replacement are being planned, and the dealership has documented and photographed the brake line corrosion and rupture. A recall is currently underway in Canada for this exact problem in this model of the Elantra (among other years and models) but there is nothing yet being reported for customers in the United States. The vehicle has spent most of its time in the Northeast US since its original purchase, so it seems reasonable to assume that the climate conditions here (being similar to Canada) have led to the same brake line failures.
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
No mechanical issues . Left work one morning driving to work . Made it home turned the car off .and the car never cranked back up . Sent to shop for assessment says the motor . I have routine maintenance done . No check engine light appeared . Car had been jerking on and off
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 21, 2023
my transmission failed while driving, car stopped being able to accelerate, i was luckily in my neighborhood but if this happened on a major road I could’ve been seriously injured or even killed. i had to tow it to a local shop and they said they have to completely replace the transmission. no prior warnings on the dashboard or any indications my car was about to fail. I only had slight issues a week beforehand. this vehicle is unsafe and costs thousands to repair
Other or unspecified, Feb 11, 2023
My car was stolen out of my driveway, taken for a joy ride, and abandoned on the side of the road. This year/model of car is experiencing extremely high levels of theft across the nation (e.g, 7K in Chicago alone, and 59,991 nationwide through August). This is due to: 1 - the ease with which it can be stolen with no special tools, due to poor design 2 - a popular "TikTok Challenge" to steal these cars This presents an extreme public safety concern as: - the cars are typically stolen by teenagers and taken for joy rides, posing a hazard to other drivers - this can lead to dangerous high-speed police chases - having cars abandoned haphazardly on the sides of roads is a traffic hazard - owners who recover their cars may be unaware of equipment safety issues that may have been caused by reckless driving - insurers are dropping coverage of these cars, which may force lower-income owners to drive uninsured To date, Hyundai has done nothing to address this issue.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 3, 2023
Car stutters at low speed.
Engine, Jan 26, 2023
Leaving work on 1/24/23 my car failed on the 4 lane, on the ramp coming into the town I live in, and again in the middle of a 4 way intersection. I only live 2 miles from where I work. My engine light was flashing, lost all power/acceleration, transmission would not switch and kept my RPM's really high, took multiple times to get it re-started, and engine was knocking/surging/sputtering. I got it taken to my local shop the next day and they told me my engine needs to be replaced. It was throwing 6 different timing codes and my oil was very shiney (filled with metal shavings). My car was not leaking oil, all services were kept up to date, any mechanical issues were always taken care of, and my car only had 92k miles on it. If the engine failure wasn't from the bottom of the engine, warranty won't cover it (mine was stated that failure was from the top). How is this not considered with the recalls of other Hyundai's that hold the same engine?
Exterior lighting, Jan 23, 2023
-Exterior lighting continuously burns out and I am willing to have my vehicle inspected. Lights that continuously burn out are both headlights, all blinkers, all break lights. -Since the lights burn out so frequently (sometimes as soon as you install a new bulb) I am concerned that without adequate lighting I am at risk for an accident by not being able to properly see at night, be noticed by other vehicles during rain, and risk of being rear ended due to not having adequate break lights. I have spent hundreds of dollars replacing bulbs since I have owned the vehicle and I am also at risk of getting ticketed. -I have informed the dealer of my problem on multiple visits to the dealership. The first time the associate simply responded with "Yeah, they're known for that" and asked if I wanted them to replace the bulb for an up-charge. The second time the response was "There aren't any recalls, you'll have to pay to have it thoroughly inspected and fixed". -The vehicle components have not been thoroughly inspected by anyone. -I do have a warning indication when my blinkers go out. The arrows on the dash will stay lit constantly and there is a faster pace blinker tick when it is not working properly. Other than that there are no other warnings. These issues have been occurring ever since I bought the vehicle in November of 2016. Most recent date I had to buy 2 blinkers, 1 tail light, 2 break lights, and one headlight is listed in the additional details section.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jan 21, 2023
Back windshield is completely bubbled and pealing. I’ve noticed this year is notorious for it.
Other or unspecified, Jan 20, 2023
When I use the shift control to shift my car into drive, nothing happens. The car does not transition into drive, and when I step on the gas, the engine just revs. This happens most often after I have driven the car for at least an hour. When I shut the car off and later (5 to 10 min) return to my car, I can not get the car to shift into drive. It will go in reverse and neutral but not drive. When I start the car first thing in the morning, the car goes into drive with no problem. I have to avoid parallel parking due to fear of not being able to get the car to go into drive after I have shifted in reverse to parallel park.
Engine, Jan 8, 2023
The engine stalled after fluctuating power from the throttle and accelerator. The engine began making a knocking sound as I tried to bring the vehicle off to the side of the road with a loss of engine power. No warning lights or indicators displayed on the dashboard the indicated the engine was malfunctioning. This malfunction or engine defect caused a serious decrease in speed which impeded the flow of traffic leading to to the chances of being in an accident or having the engine explode without warning. This vehicles malfunction jeopardized my safety, my passengers, and the other drivers on the road.
Engine, Jan 8, 2023
Driving then while stopped at a red light out of no where the engine starts shaking like crazy, once it turned green and I took off the engine light came on then immediately turned off after accelerating. Add oil Was working perfectly fine until a week later it did the same thing the. Engine light came on but seemed faulty as it would blink, shut off then be solid, and then fluctuating like crazy then all that stopped after the car was turned off. Later that day I drove it and it wasn’t accelerating properly. Next day when getting it looked at the second we started it white smoke everywhere
Engine, Dec 31, 2022
Car suddenly started to jolts while decelerating from 25mphs -20mins. Car “stall & jolts” from park to drive. Stuck in park for a couple seconds. Dangerous , unable to go from park to drive is a safe timely manner No check engine light or trouble codes, car is maintained
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2022
The trunk latch has malfunctioned, exactly what is happening with 2016 Hyundai models that are recalled for the trunk latch not staying latched. Suddenly the latch will no longer stay closed. There were no warnings.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The manufacturer offered to cover a percent of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Other or unspecified, Nov 14, 2022
Was driving about 25 mph coming to slow down to turn and my car just died there was no warning no lights came on the dash the car just shut off put it in park and it started with no problem it has done it three times even while I was just driving down the road wasn't stopping or anything
Other or unspecified, Nov 7, 2022
Trunk latch won’t work, there is a recall on other models for this problem but they say this isn’t on recall
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 25, 2022
2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR COST ASSOCIATED WITH REPLACING A TRUNK LATCH ON VEHICLE.
Engine, Oct 20, 2022
Fuel Injector went bad in engine with 77k miles & they won’t honor the repair. The car had a knock sensor recall that I never received a letter on & received no warning that the engine was failing.
Engine, Oct 18, 2022
idle was rough when car was at the stop light, etc. Took car in to the dealership and they confirmed the issue. Car engine replacement has been approved by Hyundai Motors. I think that the NTSB should be looking in to this as there are currently 71 cars ahead of mine, with the same issue, at this one dealership. Other Hyundai dealership must be having the same issue, this cannot be happening only at this dealership. My engine will not be replaced until April, 2023. It is now October, 2022. That is the reason why the dealership has no cars to loan, the wait list for their car loaners is four months. I am the only owner of this car. I purchased it brand new from this dealership, and have followed the advised maintenance for this car. The "Customer Care" (big joke) told me that I have to pay for my own rental and that they would reimburse only a portion of the rental. I seriously think that this is a recall issue.
Vehicle speed control, Oct 18, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. During the incident, the engine's RPMs suddenly increased before the vehicle erroneously accelerated forward and crashed into a tree causing body damage to the vehicle. During the crash, no injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 58,000. The contact stated that the failure occurs very rarely at approximately 1 to 2 times a year.
Engine, Oct 5, 2022
My engine has almost completely burned through its oil twice. I have done routine oil changes and maintenance on the vehicle and the first time this happened, I had driven 3,000 miles since my last oil change (full synthetic, so it should be able to go up to 5,000 miles). The second time, it was out of oil at 1,200 miles. I took the car to Hyundai after the first incident and they said no error codes came up, so there was nothing they could do. This safety issue could cause my engine to stall mid drive, causing a potentially fatal accident. There are no warnings that the engine is low on oil, making this an even more alarming and dangerous defect. Hyundai will not help consumers with this issue, and there is a class action lawsuit against them right now for this problem. Many are saying the exact same thing happened when taking the vehicle into the dealer; they were turned away and charged for no help. I was told to just keep putting oil in my car, but it has gotten exponentially worse since this all began.
Electrical system, Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, he looked in the rearview mirror and noticed that the trunk of the vehicle was open. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was unable to lock the trunk using the lever on the front seat, key fob, or the button on the trunk door. The contact continued driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the next availability would be in February 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Engine, Sep 6, 2022
88,750 miles - Engine began profuse knocking suddenly when traveling down the road under 50mph. Stopped at a service center and they found no oil in the engine. Like THOUSANDS of others with the same complaint, the engine burned the oil which caused it to destroy itself LONG before the oil change interim had arrived.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 31, 2022
I believe it is the transmission/ power train that failed. It slides gears and the engine stalls. While driving, I was almost hit because I could not speed up. I had to decelerate in order for the gear to not stutter.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 48 mph, the trunk door erroneously opened. The contact stopped the vehicle to investigate the cause of the failure. The contact discovered that the trunk latch had malfunctioned and the trunk would no longer remain securely closed. The contact used a rope to secure the trunk. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 51,000.