The Used Car Index

2021 Hyundai Elantra problems

NHTSA lists 160 complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, 8 of them mention a crash and 1 mention a fire. 3 complaints mention an injury, with 3 injuries and 1 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as HYUNDAI ELANTRA.

At a glance

Complaints
160
With crash
8
With fire
1
With injury (complaints)
3
Injuries
3
Deaths
1
Recalls
7
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
230,233
Investigations
2
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
94

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. The available sales group does not match this vehicle variant.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4125.6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE3521.9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3320.6%
SEAT BELTS2716.9%
ENGINE2113.1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2012.5%
SERVICE BRAKES138.1%
POWER TRAIN85.0%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING63.8%
LANE DEPARTURE63.8%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEWARNINGS30
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL17
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEAUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING10
LANE DEPARTUREBLIND SPOT DETECTION5
BACK OVER PREVENTIONWARNINGS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMHORN2
LANE DEPARTUREWARNING2
STRUCTUREBODY2
BACK OVER PREVENTIONREARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING1
CHILD SEATBASE1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
electrical electronic5232.5%0.90
loss of control3823.8%0.87
restraint or airbag2515.6%0.84
visibility or lighting1710.6%0.93
mechanical failure106.3%0.76
unclear63.8%0.82
fluid or fuel leak42.5%0.75
noise or comfort42.5%0.94
fire or overheating21.3%0.96
structural or corrosion21.3%0.76
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate10163.1%0.87
low4628.7%0.69
high106.3%0.86
none21.3%0.90
critical10.6%1.00

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 160 tagged complaints of 160 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

7 recalls.

24V879000

Date: 2024-11-21. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION.

Defect: 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. 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."

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

23V589000

Date: 2023-08-18. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Elantra HEV vehicles. A software error in the motor control unit may cause unintended vehicle acceleration after the brake pedal is released.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V354000

Date: 2022-05-19. Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Defect: 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-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment. (excerpt)

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: 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, Elant (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V218000

Date: 2022-04-01. Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment. (excerpt)

Consequence: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: 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 (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V00M000

Date: 2021-12-28. Systems: VISIBILITY.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V796000

Date: 2021-10-13. Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment. (excerpt)

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: 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. E (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V302000

Date: 2021-04-28. Systems: SEATS.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.

Consequence: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

2 investigations; 0 open.

DP22003

Opened: 2022-09-12. Closed: 2023-12-12.

Loss of Motive Power

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i

Systems: ENGINE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

RQ22003

Opened: 2022-08-08. Closed: 2023-05-26.

Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) based on 3 incidents alleging front seat belt pretensioners that may rupture during deployment, on model year (MY) 2020-2022 of various Hyundai and Kia Models, resulting in 3 injuries (note: one incident occurred outside the U.S. and its territories).Between October 2021 and March 2023, Hyundai and Kia have

Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Linked campaign numbers: 23V094000, 23V210000.

Manufacturer communications

94 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM52
EQUIPMENT12
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING11
POWER TRAIN11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8
EXTERIOR LIGHTING3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3

11031400

Date: 2026-04-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.

Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.

11032522

Date: 2026-04-10. Type: Other. Systems: AIR BAGS.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit drivera side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prio

11032523

Date: 2026-04-10. Type: Other. Systems: AIR BAGS.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous drivera s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the ve

11029906

Date: 2026-02-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, LANE DEPARTURE.

Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front camera auto-calibration range may be exceeded while driving: a ? If the front camera is not properly insta

11026704

Date: 2025-12-19. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023. In addition to the anti-theft software, wea ve developed a new zinc-reinforced

11027036

Date: 2025-12-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

Some Elantra (CN7, CN7A), Kona (OS, SX2), and Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines may illuminate a warning lamp for DTC P218100 (Cooling System Performance) related to the Integrated Thermal-Management Module (ITM). Follow the service procedure in this bulletin to install a s

11027033

Date: 2025-12-15. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows.

11027034

Date: 2025-12-15. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade is being made available to customers upon request. This supplemental security measure is to be installed at the ignition switch location and p

11027035

Date: 2025-12-15. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows. This repair procedure is being provided in addition to the previous Anti-Th

11025476

Date: 2025-11-06. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
ELANTRA131
ELANTRA HYBRID29

Same model, other years

All model years | All Hyundai models

Other Hyundai models, 2021

Sources

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