Hyundai Elantra
Owners filed 8,697 complaints across 35 model years of the Hyundai Elantra. The 2013 drew the most (1,313); the 2026 the fewest (2).
Model years35
Complaints8,697
Recalls102
Fires191
Deaths14
Every Hyundai Elantra model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Wheels | Routine | |
| 2025 | 22 | 0 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2024 | 53 | 1 | — | 5 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2023 | 98 | 2 | — | 8 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2022 | 100 | 5 | 1 | 6 | Seat Belts | Routine | |
| 2021 | 130 | 6 | 1 | 8 | Unknown or Other | Fatalities reported | |
| 2020 | 250 | 3 | 6 | 21 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2019 | 250 | 1 | 3 | 12 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2018 | 281 | 0 | 7 | 12 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2017 | 767 | 4 | 6 | 37 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2016 | 292 | 2 | 5 | 22 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2015 | 261 | 3 | 8 | 27 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2014 | 382 | 2 | 15 | 35 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2013 | 1,313 | 4 | 31 | 93 | Steering | High concern | |
| 2012 | 652 | 4 | 11 | 47 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2011 | 432 | 5 | 8 | 17 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2010 | 379 | 3 | 9 | 45 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2009 | 252 | 4 | 11 | 28 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2008 | 314 | 7 | 23 | 38 | Steering | High concern | |
| 2007 | 266 | 6 | 13 | 21 | Visibility/Wiper | Above average | |
| 2006 | 155 | 1 | — | 28 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 137 | 4 | 3 | 30 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2004 | 182 | 5 | 2 | 24 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 234 | 5 | 1 | 42 | Suspension | Above average | |
| 2002 | 342 | 6 | 4 | 58 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 315 | 6 | 4 | 71 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 197 | 1 | 2 | 36 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1999 | 128 | 2 | 2 | 22 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1998 | 55 | 0 | — | 9 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Routine | |
| 1997 | 115 | 3 | — | 20 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 1996 | 100 | 3 | 3 | 11 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 112 | 1 | 5 | 26 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1994 | 76 | 2 | 2 | 21 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1993 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 1992 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine |
Which Hyundai Elantra years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2013 is the weakest year on record, with 1,313 complaints concentrated in the steering. It carries 4 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.