Hyundai Elantra Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 Hyundai Elantra drew the most (154; most-reported area: engine) and the 2019 the fewest (59).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 54 mpg combined, arrived in 2021 and has held since. Includes the Elantra GT hatchback, the Elantra Hybrid and the Elantra N.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2017 Elantra Most reported: engine	154	792	4
2023 Elantra Most reported: electrical system	142	166	4
2022 Elantra Most reported: electrical system	107	158	8
2021 Elantra Most reported: electrical system	102	159	7
2020 Elantra Most reported: engine	100	257	3
2018 Elantra Most reported: engine	78	332	1
2016 Elantra Most reported: engine	61	299	2
2019 Elantra Most reported: engine	59	263	1

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	2	3
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	2	34
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	2	61
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	4	166
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	8	158
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	54 mpg Hybrid	7	159
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Gas	3	257
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	1	263
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	1	332
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Gas	4	792	4 to 5 stars
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	2	299

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2017: 792 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Elantra
Model year	Complaints
2016	299
2017	792
2018	332
2019	263
2020	257
2021	159
2022	158
2023	166
2024	61
2025	34
2026	3

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 31 to 37 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2021. Hybrid: 54 mpg (2021 to 2026).

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2026: gas 35 mpg · hybrid 54 mpg

Show as a table

Hyundai Elantra best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	31	–
2017	35	–
2018	35	–
2019	35	–
2020	36	–
2021	37	54
2022	37	54
2023	37	54
2024	36	54
2025	36	54
2026	35	54

Comparisons

Hyundai Elantra vs Honda CivicMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Hyundai Elantra years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2017 (154) and 2023 (142) drew the most.

Which Hyundai Elantra years have the fewest problems?

The 2019 (59) and 2016 (61) drew the fewest complaints in their first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Hyundai Elantra years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2017 and the 2023, against 101 complaints in a typical Hyundai Elantra year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.

Which Hyundai Elantra years have the most recalls?

The 2022 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (8), then the 2021 (7). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-526 (2023 models).

What are the most common Hyundai Elantra problems?

Of the 2,524 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (37%), electrical system (15%), and powertrain (10%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Hyundai Elantra year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 54 mpg combined, first reached by the 2021 hybrid version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.