2021 Hyundai Elantra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 131 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 22nd highest complaint count among 26 Elantra model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 8 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 3 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraNov 21, 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
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 is 271.
Campaign 24V879000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontMay 19, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
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 number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 22V354000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontApr 1, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
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 sent once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 22V218000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, windshieldDec 28, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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 for this recall is 216.
Campaign 21V00M000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontOct 13, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
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 recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.
Campaign 21V796000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, reclinerApr 28, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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 at 1-888-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 204.
Campaign 21V302000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
131 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Dec 8, 2023
The horn is a known issue to stop working on the Hyundai Elantra. I have had my car for 10 months, and the horn does not work. This is a very big safety concern and I have been told by mechanics and other Hyundai Elantra owners this is a constant issue.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 5, 2023
When driving at 55MPH with cruise control on, the car suddenly accelerated to 75MPH, this happened on the open road and was able to keep under control. Auto has less than 10,000 miles. I will be contacting Hyundai customer service for a case number on this incident. First indication of a problem was cruise control, auto braking failed iin June of 2023. This follows a replacement of defective front radar unit by Hyundai which was replaced at 8295 miles on July 26, 2023. This problem first occurred in late June/early July of 2023. There was no warning.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 2, 2023
I bought my 2021 hyuandai elantra on September 7 2023 almost 2 months ago and the emergency braking system comes on pretty often while driving my vehicle on the road and freeway so the brakes will lock on me whenever the car is in drive which could cause a serious crash and probably cause damage over time to brake pads and other things this problem has occurred over 5 times within 2 months
Exterior lighting, Oct 25, 2023
Headlight lens are holding condensation , I've noticed this problem a few times now , and at night time it is a problem to see unless the brights of the lighting is engaged ,, RE: it's not my eyes , I've just got new bifocal glasses ,,, or maybe they just need adjusted up a bit , I will take it in for inspection, the Hyundai Elantra 2021 , I just purchased on 07/12/2023 , along with the seatbelt recall , I now know why they seem to not always want to latch together several times , thank you for the help researching my new car
Service brakes, Oct 13, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 2 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle accelerated. The vehicle collided with a median and another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained stomach chest and arm injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Other or unspecified, Electrical system, Oct 7, 2023
The horn stops working. It is not a fuse related issue. It is the horn itself. There are multiple reports of horn failure in this model, 2021 and 2022, on the internet and social media. There are people reporting that dealerships are also seeing a lot of cars with horn failure. This is a serious safety issue. Someone could go off the road into the woods and crash, unable to signal with a horn that they’re there. Unable to beep their horn to get the attention of a child or animal that is about to run into the road. There are countless scenarios where the horn is important. Cellphones don’t work everywhere… a horn should always work. There are far too many reports of the horn issue for it to not be a manufacture related issue. Please look into this. This could have pretty tragic implications that could otherwise be avoided. I will attach a screenshot from a social media Hyundai group of the 2022 model. I need to get into the dealership to have mine repaired and will do so asap. I’m just very concerned about the safety of everyone. Some are reporting dealerships are not clear about if the horn issue, which involves replacement of the steering assembly, is covered, while others are saying it is.
Electrical system, Oct 2, 2023
My car has 76,000 miles on it fully maintained and recorded at hyundai dealerships. One day I’m driving and a check engine light pops up the same day I get it taken in to have it diagnosed, few hours go by I get a call they tell me that the Integrated thermal management module on my car has burnt out. I was surprised because my car is fairly new I asked them how could it prematurely fail they could not give me answer and they told me I would have to pay out of pocket for it and I did. They advised me that I should not drive the car as it could pose severe risk to engine failure as coolant is connected to the part in question. So I left my car there and they ordered a new part and it got fixed the very next day, it was ready for me to pick up. I’m frustrated because I’m not the only one who had this problem and warranty did not cover Hyundai did not want to work with me to resolve my issue and as a result it costed me money and time. I’m not the only one who has this problem but is it really safe for my car to have this part if it could cause engine damage worse fire in that area due to a design flaw.
Steering, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 29, 2023
On three occasions while turning out into an intersection my steering wheel will lock up and my forward collision warning system will engage and my just stop in the road. Out of those three times, my car has been towed to the dealership twice. The dealer has been working very hard to identify the issue while working with Hyundai tech services. They have poured countless hours and money into this car and still have not been able to identify and correct it. My vehicle has become a deathtrap waiting to happen.
Power train, Aug 26, 2023
Cars DCT transmission constantly slips into neutral and is very dangerous when getting onto main roads.. every time I accelerate my vehicle it sits in neutral and revs to high rpms and slows down until it abruptly changes gears very hard and it repeats this for every gear after 2nd
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 22, 2023
Forward Collision warning system continues to engage dangerously and inappropriately, almost causing me to be hit from behind, as I always leave plenty of room in front. This is very scary and very dangerous. Software updates have not remedied the situation. Hyundai motors seems completely uninterested.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 14, 2023
Driving on highway, dashboard reported "Check Forward Safety System" and "Check Smart Cruise Control System". The car then disabled both while I was driving. This has happened 6 times to me. The first time I brought it to dealer and they stated it was a calibration problem. They reset it and I had no problems for a while. The problem has occurred 5 times more and will stay on for about a week or so and then just go away. It works again and then occurs again. So, it is intermittent and recurring. Each time the diagnostic code reported by the software to my phone is C162078. I see the 2018 Kona had the same exact problem and a software update TSB was put out there. ( https: [XXX] ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 8, 2023, crash
My father was involved in a car crash, front end into a wall. Apparently, the front end collison warning did not sound and the auto braking system never engaged. Prior to the accident, the front end collsion warning would come on intermittently, but the dealer checked it out and stated it was working normally (San Bruno Hyundai). AFter the collision repair, the warning light comes on and the car has been at Bakersfield Hyundai now for over a week, but they can't find anything wrong with the warning system, but the system does not function (no warning of collision and auto braking does not engage). Our accident total was $10,000, lucky, no one was seriously injured.
Suspension, Power train, Jul 28, 2023
First of all suspension has a noise when going over speed bumps or bumps on the road have taking it to dealer they say they cant find nothing. And the transmission has a pop noise from time to time they say at the dealer that is due to the DCT transmission but it hasn’t stop doing it plus a loud noise when you stop and go. They say there is no recall. Very disappointed with this tranny.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 22, 2023
Just quit working after being adjusted still not fixed though has been to Hyundai. Say parts are back ordered for months
Electrical system, Jun 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Seats, Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, he attempted to adjust the driver’s side seat however, the handle fractured. The contact stated that ss a result of the failure, the front driver’s side seat shifted backwards separating from the seat back frame. The contact stated that the failure almost caused the vehicle to crash, causing the contact to jerk the steering wheel and swerve. The contact was able to adjust himself and regain control of the vehicle. The contact notified the dealer and was informed that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V302000 (Seats). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to another dealer who diagnosed and determined that the seat back frame assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and informed that he would receive a call back. The failure mileage was approximately 11,117.
Forward collision avoidance, May 25, 2023
I was traveling in the rain and a CHECK FORWARD SAFETY SYSTEM warning appeared on my dashboard. There was nothing in front of me to set that off. I notified the dealership and they said it was an alignment code and must have gotten hit.( Which I doubt) so wasn't covered under warranty.
Power train, Engine, Apr 24, 2023
I completed an oil change at Greggs oil express in Porterville California on 02-11-2023. I have the invoice. On 02-24-2023, I went out of town. At approximately, 5:00 pm, I heard a loud bang, large amount of oil pouring out of the bottom of the car, the car became disabled and I pulled over to the side of the road. I had it towed to the closest Hyundai dealership in Victorville Ca. They provided me with a report that stated when receiving my oil change stating due to the drain plug issue is a direct result of a third party and was not covered under warranty. I then made contact with my insurance, an investigator also reported the same. I have both reports. I have made contact with Greggs Express where I received the oil change and it was suggested to report the incident as they have come across situations like this with the particular vehicle. Therefore, I am now stuck. It is not covered under warranty, not covered under insurance, and the cost is 10,000. Besides the fact that I could have been injured.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact there was a crack on the radiator. Additionally, the dealer determined that the failure was possibly collision related; however, the contact stated that the vehicle was not involved in a collision. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,573.
Child seat, Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a Maxi Cosi Coral XP car seat, Model Number: IC313FNDV, Manufactured: 10/09/2020. The car seat was being used in a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the seat base failed to separate from the stroller when the release handle was pulled firmly. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to remove the car seat from the stroller. The child was not in the car seat during the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23C002000 (Child Seat), which she related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The car seat was not replaced.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 4, 2023
I was driving using cruise control when suddenly I got the error message “Check Forward Safety System” and my cruise control no longer functions. Turned car off and back on and message is still there. As the emergency braking system stopped working, this is a safety issue. Have not taken it to dealer yet. The car has other software/electrical issues related to the reverse camera and Apple CarPlay. There seems to be several software issues with this car.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 4, 2023
Check Forward Safety System Message. Smart cruise disabled
Electrical system, Feb 10, 2023
Horn stopped working.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 7, 2023
The forward collision warning stopped working several months ago. We gave the (leased) car to the dealer for repairs after 4 weeks of waiting (parts, etc.) We were told the car was fixed and ready for pick-up. I drove it from Baltimore to DC for a meeting and on several occassions when car stopped abruptly in front of me on the highway it did not give a warning, when I tried using cruise control, it would not engage because the conditions for doing so had not been met - same message I had when foward collision was not working. It's pretty clear that this was not fixed and instead they must have changed the messaging so that it does not appear as a warning when you start the car. The feature is really important to us because it has prevented a potentially fatal accident on a winding road in NY state where we found a truck on our lane due to a downed tree on the other lane - the car braked well before I did- which is the point of these safety systems. The dealer is Len Stoler Hyundai in Owings Mills
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 3, 2023
Check forward safety system is on all the time, dealer refusing to fix it. Did have airbag recall repai done yesterday Had computer update done on car.