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2016 Hyundai Elantra

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2016 Hyundai Elantra — Safety Summary

The 2016 Hyundai Elantra has 2 NHTSA safety recalls and 286 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 8 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is engine. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for AI analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.

2
NHTSA Recalls
286
Owner Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
High
Risk Level

NHTSA Safety Ratings

Government crash test results

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Front Crash
★★★★★
Side Crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

NHTSA Recalls

2 recall(s) for this year/model

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

23/02/2024

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."

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

15/05/2026

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.

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. 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.

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Transport Canada Recalls

8 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database

Label

2015-07-20

Certain vehicles may not comply with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations. The compliance label may not contain any information about the rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If the vehicle is loaded beyond its allowable rear GAWR, it could affect vehicle handling increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will apply revised labels.

🍁 Transport Canada #2015319· 3,908.00 units affected

Other

2019-08-21

Issue: This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempered. If the window breaks, the glass may separate into large pieces instead of very small ones. Note: This is a voluntary recall that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Safety Risk: Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify consumers by mail and instruct them to inspect the designation code marked on the rear window glass. Products affected by this recall have the designation “DOT 287” along with the lettering “VMR” (Replacement Market) and a date code that is before July 2019. This information is printed on the bottom corner of the glass. Consumers should contact Vitro's customer service at 1-412-995-6457 or argbacklites@vitro.com to arrange for replacement of the glass.

🍁 Transport Canada #2019420· 5,327.00 units affected

Engine

2021-01-27

This campaign was replaced by Transport Canada No. 2021-575. Issue: Hyundai Auto Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure would cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu engine. For the Sonata model, only the Sonata Hybrid is affected by this campaign. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Hyundai recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Hyundai advises you to immediately visit a Hyundai dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

🍁 Transport Canada #2021034· 100,927.00 units affected

Engine

2021-09-17

This recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2022-244. Issue: Hyundai Auto Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure would cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu GDI engine. For the Sonata model, only the Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) models are affected by this campaign. All vehicles previously included in TC # 2021-034 are now part of this new campaign. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Hyundai recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Hyundai advises you to immediately visit a Hyundai dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

🍁 Transport Canada #2021575· 152,924.00 units affected

Engine

2022-05-08

Issue: Hyundai Auto Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure would cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Note: This only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L Nu GDI engine. For the Sonata model, only the Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) models are affected by this campaign. This is an expansion of R0180 (Transport Canada #2021-575). Any vehicle that received a software update under campaign R0180 does not require this update. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Hyundai recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Hyundai advises you to immediately visit a Hyundai dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.

🍁 Transport Canada #2022244· 178,064.00 units affected

Brakes

2023-03-08

Issue: Hyundai is conducting a special service campaign that provides anti-corrosion treatment to certain underbody components. Over time, components under the vehicle, including brake lines could corrode. If this happens, a brake line could fail and leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced braking. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause an extended stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the underbody, including the brake lines. The dealer will apply an anti-corrosion treatment to certain parts, and replace the brake lines if necessary.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023125· 404,543.00 units affected

Structure

2024-02-23

Issue: On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk may not work properly. This could prevent a person that is trapped inside the trunk from opening it. Safety Risk: If a person is closed inside the trunk compartment, they may not be able to get out. This could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the trunk latch assembly.

🍁 Transport Canada #2024126· 36,408.00 units affected

Airbag

2026-05-14

Issue: On certain vehicles, the driver-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may not fully inflate and fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants. Safety Risk: An airbag inflator that ruptures can create a risk of injury or death. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners in writing and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver-front airbag inflator.

🍁 Transport Canada #2026234· 515.00 units affected

Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.

Owner Complaints

286 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA

Top complaint categories:

ENGINE71 (25%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER35 (12%)
AIR BAGS17 (6%)
POWER TRAIN13 (5%)
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES10 (3%)

Want the full picture?

The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds AI-powered analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.

Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.