Hyundai · Elantra · 2016
2016 Hyundai Elantra: problems & reliability
NHTSA has logged 293 owner complaints and 2 safety recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The most-reported problem area is the engine (38% of complaints), followed by transmission & powertrain and airbags. Make sure every open recall has been fixed by a dealer before you buy.
Common 2016 Hyundai Elantra problems
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Engine problems
111 owner complaints to NHTSA (38% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine, including 1 crash, 2 fires. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact's wife was driving approximately 12 MPH smelled a burning odor, as she parked at the residence she saw smoke emitting from under the hood and the vehicle ignited and began to burn. The…”
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Transmission & powertrain problems
31 owner complaints to NHTSA (11% of all complaints for this model year) involve the transmission & powertrain. One owner reported: “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…”
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Airbags problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA (9% of all complaints for this model year) involve the airbags, including 15 crashes, 1 fire, 14 injuries. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2016 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that while her roommate was at an intersection, another vehicle crashed into the rear driver side of the vehicle causing the contact's vehicle to crash into a curb and into a…”
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Electrical system problems
22 owner complaints to NHTSA (8% of all complaints for this model year) involve the electrical system, including 2 fires. One owner reported: “Started ascending over a bridge when car started to putter. Then smoke came out of the tailpipe. Power flickered then went off. Was able to coast to the side of the road. Turned off the car and it was smoking. Looked underneath the car and…”
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Fuel system problems
20 owner complaints to NHTSA (7% of all complaints for this model year) involve the fuel system, including 1 crash. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by…”
Owner complaints by area
| Area | Complaints | Share | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 111 | 38% | |
| Transmission & powertrain | 31 | 11% | |
| Airbags | 26 | 9% | |
| Electrical system | 22 | 8% | |
| Fuel system | 20 | 7% | |
| Steering | 19 | 6% | |
| Body & structure | 18 | 6% | |
| Speed control & acceleration | 18 | 6% |
293 complaints filed with NHTSA in total, reporting 22 crashes, 5 fires, 17 injuries. A complaint can involve more than one area.
2016 Hyundai Elantra recalls
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Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Full recall summary
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.
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Latches/locks/linkages › Trunk lid › Latch
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.
Full recall summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. To check whether a specific car’s recalls have been repaired, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
2016 Hyundai Elantra crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD. Ratings can differ between body styles and drivetrains.
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Specifications
- Drivetrains
- FWD
- Body styles
- 4-door
Other Hyundai Elantra years
About this data
Problems, complaint counts, recalls and crash-test ratings come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public databases, last checked 2026-11-03. Complaints are reports from owners and have not all been verified by NHTSA.
How we score reliability: every model year starts at 100. Points come off for the number of owner complaints (on a log scale, up to 40 points), for each safety recall (2 points each, up to 15) and for complaints involving crashes, fires, injuries or deaths (up to 15). Popular vehicles get more complaints simply because more are on the road, so compare scores between similar vehicles. More about our method.
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