NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 299 owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra.
2Safety recalls
299Owner complaints
22Complaints citing a crash
5Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags and latches, locks and linkages. Most-reported area: engine (116 complaints, 39%; median mileage when it happened: 75,100). Includes the Elantra GT hatchback, the Elantra Hybrid and the Elantra N.
2 safety recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ELANTRA. Hyundai campaign 256.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 299 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Elantra. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine116 · 39%
Median 75,100 miles at failure (46 reports)
Powertrain31 · 10%
Air bags26 · 9%
Median 32,000 miles at failure (15 reports)
Electrical system23 · 8%
Fuel and propulsion system19 · 6%
Steering19 · 6%
Body structure18 · 6%
Most named: body (16)
Unknown or other53 · 18%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Elantra recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 Elantra drew the most (154) and the 2016 drew 61.
Owner complaints
2016: 299 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2016: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Elantra
Model year
Recalls
2016
2
2017
4
2018
1
2019
1
2020
3
2021
7
2022
8
2023
4
2024
2
2025
2
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.9%
Hyundai Elantra Gt 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Elantra problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (116), powertrain (31), air bags (26). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Hyundai Elantra safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Elantra has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ELANTRA, ELANTRA GT.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.