NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 300 owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra.
Recalled components: air bags and latches, locks and linkages. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (47 complaints, 16%). Most-reported area: engine (116 complaints, 39%; median mileage when it happened: 75,100).
One of the best Elantra years by owner complaints
The 2016 drew 61 owner complaints in its first three years, against 101 for a typical Elantra year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2013; best years: 2016 and 2019. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra.
What owners report
Owners have filed 300 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Elantra. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off47 · 16%
Median 78,800 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
Median 75,100 miles at failure, from 46 reports with mileage
Powertrain31 · 10%
Air bags26 · 9%
Median 32,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Electrical system23 · 8%
Fuel and propulsion system19 · 6%
Steering19 · 6%
Body structure18 · 6%
Most named: body (16)
Unknown or other54 · 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 2013 Elantra drew the most (347) and the 2016 drew 61.
Owner complaints
2016: 300 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Elantra
Model year
Complaints
2010
455
2011
462
2012
676
2013
1,348
2014
396
2015
263
2016
300
2017
797
2018
335
2019
267
2020
263
2021
162
2022
159
2023
173
2024
64
2025
36
2026
4
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
2010
4
2011
8
2012
5
2013
4
2014
2
2015
3
2016
2
2017
4
2018
1
2019
1
2020
3
2021
7
2022
8
2023
4
2024
2
2025
2
2026
4
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.
In the 300 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (47), the check engine light coming on (24), and engine failure or replacement (24). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
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.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
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.