The 2016 Hyundai Elantra has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 190,081 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 392 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 20, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS26V3070002026-05-143,493 affected
Defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
Consequence
An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Remedy
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…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra 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."
Consequence
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
109
1crashes2fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
53
1crashes1injuries
POWER TRAIN
29
AIR BAGS
26
15crashes1fires14injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
20
2fires
STEERING
19
2crashes2injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
18
1crashes
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
17
4crashes1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
16
1crashes1fires1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
15
1crashes
Total complaints392
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The oil light & check engine started flashing. Took it to the auto shop. The mechanic stated that the oil level is very low and the engine has a bad lower-end knock. Removed the oil filter and found metal debris in the oil. No oil leaks were found under the vehicle at all. Oil is being burned out…”
“2016 hyundai elantra (75k miles) experiences severe, un-commanded loss of propulsive power and a severe drivetrain instability hazard. At steady highway speeds, the automatic transmission completely loses hydraulic pressure, slips out of gear, and unexpectedly drops into a temporary "neutral." the…”
“2016 hyundai elantra (75k miles) experiences severe, un-commanded loss of propulsive power and a severe drivetrain instability hazard. At steady highway speeds, the automatic transmission completely loses hydraulic pressure, slips out of gear, and unexpectedly drops into a temporary "neutral." the…”
“Engine burned oil and had knocking sound, despite having regular oil changes. Stalked out while driving took to dealer initial said it was covered by the exerted coverage but ultimately denied. It had 111,000 miles on it. I believe this engine has the same issues as the others.”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP21003 Opened 2021-11-12 · closed 2023-06-20
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra as of
July 20, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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