Problems · NHTSA complaints

2016 Hyundai Elantra problems

Owners filed 293 complaints about the 2016 Hyundai Elantra with NHTSA between Sep 2015 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (111).

Complaints
293
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
22
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine111
  2. Power train31
  3. Air bags26
  4. Electrical system22
  5. Fuel/propulsion system19
  6. Steering19
  7. Vehicle speed control18
  8. Structure18
  9. Service brakes15
  10. Latches/locks/linkages13
  11. Suspension10
  12. Wheels10
  13. Exterior lighting9
  14. Electronic stability control (esc)5

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 3, 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
20155
201617
201714
201825
201923
202025
202135
202237
202338
202434
202519
202621

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

Engine

111 reports1 crash2 fires
“Vehicle stalls while driving which is very dangerous. All dashboard lights go on prior to stalling. No engine light is on. Knocking sound coming from engine. Dealer states engine needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced regularly despite that Hyundai denies engine replacement. The knocking sound that engine does is common between this model and year but mysteriously there has not been engine recalls.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11760525

Power train

31 reports
“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 into gear. Has only 130K miles. Car was towed to dealer and required a new transmission.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 10, 2026Power trainODI 11749594

Air bags

26 reports15 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact of a Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,600.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 22, 2026Air bagsODI 11712649

Electrical system

22 reports2 fires
“The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 14, 2026Electrical system, Exterior lighting, StructureODI 11743948

Fuel/propulsion system

19 reports1 crash
“I received confirmation from my local Hyundai dealership that my 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT is consuming over 1.8 quarts of oil every 1000 miles. The mileage is currently 70k miles. This is not the result of lack of maintenance or neglect but because of Hyundais engine design. I was told by the local dealership that I would need a total engine re build. This was the only option to fix the issue 100%. I was told that if the issue is not fixed it will result in engine failure. Hyundai is not recalling their engines or acknowledging the inherent danger this will cause. I am at my engines will if I cannot afford this repair because Hyundai won’t honor the Powertrain warranty.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 9, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11709984

Steering

19 reports2 crashes
“I was driving normally down the road and all of a sudden I lost control and couldn’t turn my vehicle apparently the control arm rusted from the subframe, causing me to swerve hit a curb and cause more damage to the front end. Thank God I was on a not so busy street! I could have killed myself or someone else all because this company’s metal rusted out.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2025Steering, SuspensionCrash reportedODI 11638816
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

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