NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 159 owner complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra (including the hybrid).
7Safety recalls
159Owner complaints
8Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: backover prevention and rearview camera, electrical system, seat belts, visibility, and 1 more. Most-reported area: electrical system (41 complaints, 26%). Includes the Elantra GT hatchback, the Elantra Hybrid and the Elantra N.
7 safety recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
A software error in the motor control unit may cause unintended vehicle acceleration after the brake pedal is released.
Risk: Unintended vehicle acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the motor control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 29, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 248.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Elantra HEV vehicles.
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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 and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Risk: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles.
During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles.
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles.
The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
Risk: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ELANTRA. Hyundai campaign 204.
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 159 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Elantra. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system41 · 26%
Forward collision avoidance35 · 22%
Most named: warnings (30); adaptive cruise control (17)
Seat belts27 · 17%
Engine21 · 13%
Speed control20 · 13%
Brakes13 · 8%
Powertrain8 · 5%
Unknown or other33 · 21%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Hyundai Elantra recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 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 2021 drew 102.
Owner complaints
2021: 159 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
2021: 7 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 10.1%
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Hyundai Elantra N-Line 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Elantra problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (41), forward collision avoidance (35), seat belts (27). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 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 HYBRID.
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.