Hyundai
Hyundai Elantra years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017.
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra draws the most owner complaints for its age: 767, or 77 for each year on the road, against a median of 27 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is stalling (156 reports).
- 2,702complaints
- 19recall campaigns
- 9model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Hyundai Elantra year here: 767 of 2,702 (28%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: brake wear from 2014 to 2015; stalling from 2016 to 2020; seat belt from 2021 to 2022. Pooled across the years, half of the 260 owners who gave a mileage for stalling were under about 67,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9% of Hyundai Elantra complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 48 of its 366 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 2 of the 9 model years where owners report stalling have a recall on the same system: 2019 and 2020. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 400 and have dropped every year since, to 258 in 2025. So far in 2026, 214 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sixth generation (AD)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 avoid | 767 | 77 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (156) | 51,000 |
| 2018 | 282 | 31 | 0 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (78) | 44,500 |
| 2019 | 251 | 31 | 1 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (66) | 60,000 |
| 2020 | 252 | 36 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (37) | 20,000 |
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2023 (98), 2024 (54), 2025 (22).
Year by year
2022 Hyundai Elantra
101 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: seat belt (23 reports), infotainment (12 reports) and driver assist (10 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 22V-354 on the seat belts and 22V-218 on the seat belts.
2021 Hyundai Elantra
131 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: seat belt (29 reports), false collision warning (28 reports) and infotainment (17 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 22V-354 on the seat belts and 22V-218 on the seat belts.
2020 Hyundai Elantra
252 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (37 reports, median 44,000 miles), engine failure (35 reports, median 46,961 miles) and misfire (29 reports, median 48,000 miles). 21 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-301 on the engine and 19V-720 on the wheels.
2019 Hyundai Elantra
251 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (66 reports, median 76,000 miles), engine failure (57 reports, median 106,000 miles) and headlights (54 reports, median 51,000 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-301 on the engine.
2018 Hyundai Elantra
282 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (78 reports, median 62,000 miles), engine failure (53 reports, median 110,000 miles) and misfire (43 reports, median 55,000 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. No recalls.
2017 Hyundai Elantra avoid
767 owner complaints, 77 for each year on the road (2.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (156 reports, median 55,000 miles), misfire (114 reports, median 63,000 miles) and engine failure (77 reports, median 72,000 miles). 37 reports involved a crash and 24 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 17V-213 on the steering system and 17V-063 on the brakes.
2016 Hyundai Elantra
292 owner complaints, 27 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (52 reports, median 75,000 miles), engine failure (42 reports, median 77,000 miles) and airbag (26 reports, median 35,000 miles). 22 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 26V-307 on the airbags and 24V-146 on the latches and locks.
2015 Hyundai Elantra
260 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (55 reports, median 58,000 miles), stalling (45 reports, median 80,000 miles) and engine failure (35 reports, median 75,000 miles). 27 reports involved a crash and 25 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-651 on the brakes and 26V-307 on the airbags.
2014 Hyundai Elantra
366 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (84 reports, median 77,300 miles), stalling (69 reports, median 75,000 miles) and engine failure (69 reports, median 85,000 miles). 33 reports involved a crash and 25 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-651 on the brakes and 17V-769 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
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."
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."
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Compare the Elantra with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Elantra vs Honda Civic2014 to 2022
- Elantra vs Toyota Corolla2014 to 2022
- Elantra vs Nissan Sentra2014 to 2021
- Elantra vs Chevrolet Cruze2014 to 2018
Questions
What Hyundai Elantra years should you avoid?
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra draws the most owner complaints for its age: 767, or 77 for each year on the road, against a median of 27 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is stalling (156 reports).
What are the best years for the Hyundai Elantra?
No Hyundai Elantra model year since 2016 draws clearly fewer complaints for its age than the rest. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Elantra?
Stalling, with 517 reports across the 9 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Elantra have?
19 recall campaigns cover the Hyundai Elantra model years 2014 to 2022 on this site. The widest, 21V-301 on the engine, covers 2 model years.
How many Hyundai Elantra complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for stalling on the Hyundai Elantra?
On 2 of the 9 model years where owners report it: 2019 and 2020.