2016 Hyundai Elantra problems, complaints & recalls

2016 Hyundai Elantra recalls (2)

• Recall 26V307000May 14, 20263,493 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

  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.

  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 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.

• Recall 24V146000Feb 23, 2024186,588 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

  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.

  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 this recall is 256.

NHTSA defect investigations

• DP21003Opened Nov 12, 2021Closed Jun 20, 2023

  Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can b…

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2016 Hyundai Elantra complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 1, 2026KSOther / Unknown

   I am reporting a recall remedy failure involving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra under Hyundai Recall 256 / NHTSA Recall 24V‑146 (trunk latch pawl defect). The McCarthy Olathe Hyundai dealership in Olathe, KS marked the recall as “completed,” but the trunk latch still does not open and the defect persists exactly as described in the recall notice. After the recall was marked complete, I returned to the dealership because the trunk still would not open. The dealership told me the…

   NHTSA complaint #11768418 · source
2. Filed Aug 29, 2026MAEngine

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11760536 · source
3. Filed Aug 29, 2026NJEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   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 that engine does is common between this model and year but mysteriously there has not been engine recalls.

   NHTSA complaint #11760525 · source
4. Filed Jul 16, 2026OHEngine

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11750822 · source
5. Filed Jul 14, 2026SCEngine

   The oil light & check engine started flashing. Took it to the auto shop. The mechanic stated that the oil level is very low and the engine has a bad lower-end knock. Removed the oil filter and found metal debris in the oil. No oil leaks were found under the vehicle at all. Oil is being burned out through the exhaust. The vehicle needs an the ngine replacement.

   NHTSA complaint #11750263 · source
6. Filed Jul 10, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission P0731 code. Vehicle will not shift into 1st gear when idle but will stay in 3 or 4 gear. Speedometer would indicate high speed when pressing on accelerator. At traffic light when light turn green car rev but would not shift into gear. Has only 130K miles. Car was towed to dealer and required a new transmission.

   NHTSA complaint #11749594 · source
7. Filed Jul 8, 2026UTOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   2016 Hyundai Elantra (75k miles) experiences severe, un-commanded Loss of Propulsive Power and a Severe Drivetrain Instability Hazard. At steady highway speeds, the automatic transmission completely loses hydraulic pressure, slips out of gear, and unexpectedly drops into a temporary "neutral." The engine suddenly revs up to high RPM on its own while losing all forward acceleration. After coasting helplessly, it violently slams back into gear, causing the vehicle to lurch…

   NHTSA complaint #11749052 · source
8. Filed Jun 25, 2026CAOther / Unknown

   My driver side window has not been working for almost 3 years now. I have taken it to 4 mechanics and they fix it but only last a couple days. They have all say they can’t really do anything about it since they need an original piece. My AC is another issue I have that I have tried fixing 3 times now. The same issue happens they fix it and it last about a week or so. The longest it has lasted was 2 weeks. The mechanics each say it needs a new compressor and I’ve bought 3 new…

   NHTSA complaint #11746493 · source

Compare the 2016 Hyundai Elantra with another vehicle →

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology