Problems · NHTSA complaints

2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid problems

Owners filed 55 complaints about the 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid with NHTSA between Jan 2023 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (17).

Complaints
55
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system17
  2. Forward collision avoidance13
  3. Power train9
  4. Vehicle speed control8
  5. Steering5
  6. Service brakes5
  7. Engine4
  8. Exterior lighting3
  9. Air bags3
  10. Fuel/propulsion system3
  11. Lane departure3
  12. Suspension1
  13. Wheels1
  14. Visibility/wiper1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
202323
202415
202512
20265

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

17 reports1 crash1 related recall
“I am reporting a serious safety issue involving my 2023 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle experienced a sudden mechanical and/or electrical malfunction that made it unsafe to operate. While driving, the vehicle began displaying warning indicators and experienced abnormal performance consistent with a system malfunction. Hybrid system failed, radar malfunction, blind spot malfunction. I couldn't control the car , while I was exiting the highway XXX and took a excit on [XXX] where the incident was happend. Stering wheel got licked out , braking system got soft , failure notification on my dashboard. I couldn't do anything, stuck on that car , it was trying to go left , n trying to flip over. I had used my full forced to pull it back on the road. Had to find parking spot , let it coast drive and I had to press on the engine start button to stop the car. Due to malfunction caused me the collusion incident, my driver side got scratched on my rims and the tiers The issue raised concerns about potential loss of power and vehicle reliability during operation. This created a significant safety risk, as the failure could occur unexpectedly while driving in traffic, increasing…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2026Steering, Electrical system, Service brakesODI 11733456

Forward collision avoidance

13 reports2 crashes
“Since 2/2/24 13 episodes of all safety features failing including blind spot monitor, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and others. Last occurrence on 8-8-24. On one occasion the car failed to accelerate in the middle of an intersection, the car did move slowly and operation returned to normal after turning off the car and pressing the 12V reset button. Diagnostic codes found on car APP include both C164286 and C164202 for all 13 episodes. Despite being told this code is "for the speed sensor because it saw a voltage drop from the battery system" the dealer claims there is nothing they can do because they can't recreate the problem. This is highly dangerous to my family and others as the safety features can prevent accidents. The most concerning is the car suddenly losing acceleration as this could potential happen where there is no safe way to get off the road in time prior to an accident. This loss of acceleration has been reported by many other people on the Facebook group I am a part of called Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Owners. The loss of safety features occurred after all recalls were performed as of 8-8-24”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2024Lane departure, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11607417

Power train

9 reports1 crash
“I was performing a low-speed maneuver to reverse-park into my driveway. After making a right turn between my driveway and the driveway of a neighboring townhouse across the street, I came to a complete stop. When I shifted the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle did not reverse as expected and instead unexpectedly accelerated forward. I applied the brake but was unable to stop the vehicle before it traveled forward into the driveway across the street and struck the garage door of a neighboring townhouse. The maneuver was being performed at low speed. Weather conditions were clear, and the driveway surface was dry. The cause of the unexpected acceleration is unknown at this time. No warning lights, messages, or alerts were observed prior to or during the incident. Immediately following the collision, I placed the vehicle into park and applied the parking brake, at which point the vehicle came to rest. Upon impact, the driver-side front airbag deployed. Smoke and a burning odor were observed coming from the deployed airbag. The incident posed a safety risk due to the vehicle’s unexpected forward movement during a low-speed maneuver and resulted in property damage.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 2, 2026Power train, Air bags, Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11708433

Vehicle speed control

8 reports1 crash
“The cruise control function ceased to properly function after automatically increasing the speed to 110 mph. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This is a safety risk for myself and for others on the road. If another combination with this fault were to occur (either physically to the driver or to the software), this could lead to an extreme hazard due to the potential for excessive speeds. The first occurrence for this vehicle happened on 4/21/2025; however, additional instances have been reported going back at least a year for other owners of this same model. Initial issue occurred while setting cruise control from 45 mph to 35 mph and then back to 45 mph. The last instance of 45 mph is when the cruise control quickly increased the set speed to 110 mph. The set speed could not be reduced after the issue occurred. This issue is difficult to reproduce, but will always occur after the first instance until the vehicle is restarted. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. This is a known issue that has occurred for more than a year now. It appears to not be addressed due to the lack of reproducibility. However, when the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 22, 2025Vehicle speed controlODI 11655984

Steering

5 reports1 crash
“I am the original owner of a 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Limited. At approximately 114,719 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting intermittent shaking, rumbling, swaying, wobbling, and lateral instability. The condition is most noticeable at highway speeds and after bumps or other road disturbances, although it has also occurred at lower speeds. At times, the vehicle continues swaying after the initial disturbance has passed. Wind or passing vehicles may amplify the movement, but it also occurs without those factors. Both front lower control arms were replaced. Both front struts were later found bent and replaced. The vehicle has undergone multiple inspections, alignments, balancing attempts, adjustments, and road tests without a satisfactory diagnosis or lasting correction. Rear-suspension concerns included uneven appearance, a rear coil spring that appeared incorrectly oriented, and replacement of the rear-driver strut. The vehicle has also been operated with three Goodyear Reliant 91V tires and one Arroyo 94Y XL tire. The dealership documented differences in sidewall construction and measured circumference between the mismatched tire and the other three. The…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 17, 2026Steering, Suspension, WheelsODI 11757470

Service brakes

5 reports1 crash
“UNKNOWN I had the lane assist feature on and was taking the second lane from right to turn off to exit when the alarm went off, the wheel turned itself and it started braking. There was nothing where it was trying to avoid and actually almost had me run into another by turning me left back onto the freeway while trying to stop. It’s never happened to me before and I take that way regularly.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 25, 2025Steering, Unknown or other, Service brakesODI 11644933
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.