2016 Hyundai Elantra

293 complaints on file, page 1 of 15.

1. Filed Oct 1, 2026Failure Jan 13, 2025Overland Park, KSUnknown or other

   I am reporting a recall remedy failure involving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra under Hyundai Recall 256 / NHTSA Recall 24V‑146 (trunk latch pawl defect). The McCarthy Olathe Hyundai dealership in Olathe, KS marked the recall as “completed,” but the trunk latch still does not open and the defect persists exactly as described in the recall notice. After the recall was marked complete, I returned to the dealership because the trunk still would not open. The dealership told me the issue was “trunk lid damage” from a prior accident and advised me to replace the trunk lid at my own expense. I paid for the trunk lid replacement, but the trunk still did not function. When I returned again, the dealership changed their explanation and said the problem was actually “rear frame damage,” and that they had been wrong to tell me to replace the trunk lid. Which I have audio recordings of but am unable to upload due to format restrictions. Despite these conflicting explanations, the recall defect remains unresolved, and I have been without trunk access for over a year. I contacted Hyundai Corporate (MyHyundai USA), but they responded that this was “not a part issue covered under warranty.” This appears to be a misunderstanding, because this is not a warranty claim — it is a recall remedy failure. The recall was marked complete even though the defect persists, and the dealership’s misdiagnosis led me to pay for repairs that did not address the recall defect. This situation has caused financial loss, safety concerns, and prolonged inability to access the trunk, spare tire, emergency equipment, and cargo space. I am requesting NHTSA to document this recall remedy failure and dealership misdiagnosis.

   NHTSA complaint 11768418
2. Filed Aug 29, 2026Failure May 1, 2026Athol, MAEngine

   The motor started to make a ticking noise 5 months earlier. 5 months later at 180,000 miles a borascope finding, reveled all 4 cylinder walls were worn related to cylinder slap. Called Hyundai dealership and was told ithe car is too old and the milage too high for a warranty coverage.

   NHTSA complaint 11760536
3. Filed Aug 29, 2026Failure Apr 6, 2026Ridgefield Park, NJEngine, Fuel/propulsion system

   Vehicle stalls while driving which is very dangerous. All dashboard lights go on prior to stalling. No engine light is on. Knocking sound coming from engine. Dealer states engine needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced regularly despite that Hyundai denies engine replacement. The knocking sound that engine does is common between this model and year but mysteriously there has not been engine recalls.

   NHTSA complaint 11760525
4. Filed Jul 25, 2026Failure Mar 3, 2025Lexington, NCPower train, Suspension, Vehicle speed control

   P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car

   NHTSA complaint 11752793
5. Filed Jul 16, 2026Failure Jun 25, 2026Cuyahoga falls, OHEngine

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11750822
6. Filed Jul 14, 2026Failure Jul 11, 2026Darlington, SCEngine

   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 through the exhaust. The vehicle needs an the ngine replacement.

   NHTSA complaint 11750263
7. Filed Jul 10, 2026Failure Jun 10, 2026Oviedo, FLPower train

   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 required a new transmission.

   NHTSA complaint 11749594
8. Filed Jul 8, 2026Failure Jul 7, 2026Sandy, UTPower train, Unknown or other

   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 suddenly revs up to high RPM on its own while losing all forward acceleration. After coasting helplessly, it violently slams back into gear, causing the vehicle to lurch forward. This also happens from a complete stop.The vehicle's OBD-II system fails to illuminate the Check Engine Light or store fault codes during these flares, providing zero warning before a loss of propulsion.This dangerous transmission slipping has occurred intermittently for several years. I repeatedly took it to an authorized Hyundai dealership to address this crash hazard. Because there was no active Check Engine Light, the dealership dismissed my concerns, refused to document it, and sent me away without a diagnosis. Recently, the service department acted in bad faith by misrepresenting my warranty terms (falsely claiming it was only 7 years) and refusing a live-data diagnostic scan. The bad faith dealership was Murdock Hyundai of Murray in [XXX], specifically the service manager Tyler as well as Krateton. The car is a verified vehicle under the Hyundai Nu 1.8L Piston Slap Class Action Settlement (TXXK Campaign). An official safety escalation case is open with Hyundai Motor America under my corporate case number XXX. I request a federal safety investigation into premature transmission pressure failure in 2016 Elantras, as this vehicle is entirely unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint 11749052
9. Filed Jun 25, 2026Failure Mar 1, 2023Bakersfield, CAUnknown or other

   My driver side window has not been working for almost 3 years now. I have taken it to 4 mechanics and they fix it but only last a couple days. They have all say they can’t really do anything about it since they need an original piece. My AC is another issue I have that I have tried fixing 3 times now. The same issue happens they fix it and it last about a week or so. The longest it has lasted was 2 weeks. The mechanics each say it needs a new compressor and I’ve bought 3 new compressor already. I’m not sure what to do anymore.

   NHTSA complaint 11746493
10. Filed Jun 14, 2026Failure Jun 8, 2025Conroe, TXUnknown or other

    The car turns off while driving it without warning or anything. Place where I got it don’t want to fix it

    NHTSA complaint 11744058
11. Filed Jun 14, 2026Failure May 27, 2026Gainesville, FLElectrical system, Exterior lighting, Body

    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 creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely stems from P33, but requires proprietary dealer tools to diagnose. Attached video proves the vehicle runs while the alarm blares, confirming no relation to old Campaign 993 logic. Attached Repair Order proves the technician acknowledged the defect & attempted a repair. Despite this, the service manager ignores the documentation, his own technician's findings, & my demonstrations, blaming my locking habits while refusing a deep diagnostic. After 16 days in their possession, neither the dealer nor manufacturer has provided a remedy. If this malfunction were an intended feature, it would be an ongoing hazard; it creates a distraction, causes a panic response, & prevents the adequate use of turn signals while in operation. The vehicle is unsafe, & the dealership & manufacturer have failed to provide a valid repair.

    NHTSA complaint 11743948
12. Filed May 10, 2026Failure Mar 1, 2025Concord, NCEngine

    Car randomly will not start or will start but have no RPM's. Last year showed a crank shaft sensor code and had it replaced but car is doing it again.

    NHTSA complaint 11736854
13. Filed May 7, 2026Failure May 3, 2026Andersonville, GAEngine

    Unknown

    NHTSA complaint 11736250
14. Filed Apr 9, 2026Failure Jun 8, 2025Durham, NCUnknown or other

    THE BACK DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT LATCH PROPERLY. THE DOOR WILL TRY TO CLOSE BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP SLAMMING THE DOOR UNTIL IT WILL FINALLY LATCH. I ONCE DROVE A FEW FEET AND THE DOOR HAD TO BE HELD SHUT. IT FINALLY CLOSED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED LAST YEAR (2025) ONCE I READ ON REDDIT THAT A TSB/EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED. BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT DIDN'T COVER MY VEHICLE AND IF I BROUGHT IT IN, A DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND FEE TO FIX IT WOULD BE CHARGED. SO I DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR ANYMORE, BUT THAT IS NOT SAFE. I''M AFRAID IT WILL OPEN AT SOME POINT WHILE I AM DRIVING.

    NHTSA complaint 11730275
15. Filed Mar 28, 2026Failure Mar 15, 2026Philadelphia, PAUnknown or other

    Car just turns off randomly. This has happened at least 6 times within a month. Once on a highway. Last time it turned off a strange sound was coming out of the car also.

    NHTSA complaint 11727707
16. Filed Feb 15, 2026Failure Feb 3, 2026Naples, FLEngine

    So I have a suspicion oh a connecting rod, might be a bearing but it’s making a tik tik noise, no other issue than that, no engine light no nothing, been doing it for a while but car still goes great

    NHTSA complaint 11718092
17. Filed Feb 10, 2026Failure Jul 1, 2025Sparta, TNUnknown or other

    Issue: Hyundai recall denial for paint peeling defect My vehicle qualifies for the Hyundai paint-peeling recall, and the paint deterioration matches the defect described by Hyundai. Despite this, Hyundai has denied my recall repair twice. Approximately 2 1/2 years before the recall was issued, I applied a small touch-up to the affected area to slow the deterioration. This was done solely to protect the vehicle and occurred long before any recall existed. Hyundai is now using that minor touch-up as a reason to deny the recall repair, even though the underlying paint defect was already present. The paint continues to peel and worsen. Hyundai's refusal to honor the recall appears unreasonable and inconsistent with the purpose of a safety/defect recall, especially since the touch-up did not cause the defect and was done years before Hyundai acknowledged the issue. I am requesting that NHTSA review Hyundai's handling of this recall and their denial of legitimate claims.

    NHTSA complaint 11716998
18. Filed Feb 2, 2026Failure Feb 1, 2026Ludington, MIUnknown or other

    My car turned off while it was in drive. The oil pressure light flashed on for a second then disappeared. The car did not have anything else seem like it is wrong. I was put in dangers way because it turned off right before I was about to turn onto a very busy street and if it had done that in the middle of the street I would have gotten into an accident.

    NHTSA complaint 11714965
19. Filed Jan 22, 2026Failure Jan 12, 202653,600 milesHicksville, NYAir bags

    The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact of a Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,600.

    NHTSA complaint 11712649
20. Filed Jan 18, 2026Failure Jan 17, 2026Somerset, MAElectrical system, Automatic emergency braking, Service brakes

    No accident has occurred as of yet (for my case). Ongoing issues with Hyundai left brake bulb and center brake bulb burning out due to over-amperage. These two are on their own 10A circuit separate from the 5A circuit for the right brakelight bulb. It appears that these two bulbs are possibly receiving 15A and therefore burning out prematurely (3 months or less). I recently replaced these two bulbs at the same time, and now my battery is shorted. To keep my battery charged, I need to pull my 15A Brake Lamp fuse while the car is parked. This has now caused my ABS light to come on, as that system relies on the signal from the 15A brake lamp circuit. I suspect that some 15A components (10A+5A) received 20A (15A+5A) and welded shut. I am still looking for it to trace it down, resources are limited and I'm intent on just buying the $35 diagnostics book. Hyundai dealership did not inform me that this fuse was pulled while I drove home from the shop yesterday, creating an unsafe condition. They quoted me $500 to replace a brake lamp relay and the ABS (I'm assuming the whole ABS, but maybe just the control module), I declined. My plan for now, as this car isn't driven much, is to trace it down and find the shorted component. From my research, this is clearly affecting many years of Hyundais and Kias, not just my Elantra and not just my year. In fact, it's SO common that there are facebook groups (such as this one [XXX] ) dedicated to helping owners remedy this defect. I think a recall service, and a full investigation of what is electrically wrong with these cars, and what the actual remedy should be, is necessary based on the amount of cars that could be impacted. Hyundai & Kia technicians I am SURE are intimately knowledgeable about this issue by now and us owners are on the hook, having only 80,000 miles of warranty on anything purchased used. Please reach out with any add'l questions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint 11711743