2016 Hyundai Elantra · symptom sheet
Airbag warning light or recall
- 26owner reports
- 35,000median miles
- 15involved a crash
Newest report May 15, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
26 of the 292 complaints on this car describe airbag.
Tick what matches of 26 reports
Airbag on other Elantra years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
What this problem usually is
Airbag complaints split into a few kinds. The most common is an airbag warning light that won't go out. Others involve the passenger seat sensor switching the passenger bag off with an adult sitting there, an airbag that didn't deploy in a crash, or one that went off without a crash at all. A large share also come from owners waiting on a recall part.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (10 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the airbags covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
All 2 recalls on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Elantra
Headliner bracket detachment. Closed dec 9, 2013, led to recall 13V-115.
Side curtain air bag improper deployment. Closed sep 17, 2012.
Air bag light illumination. Closed nov 14, 2008, led to recall 08V-532.
Air bag light illumination. Closed jul 10, 2008.
None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 11,000 and 72,000 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“On [XXX] I was struck by a OVI driver at 50mph the side airbags deployed however the front airbag never deployed. The vehicle was totaled out my insurance company. The vehicle had no record or open recalls for the airbag and had been given a multiple point inspection in November 2024 with no issues noted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Dec 6, 2025
“No incident as of yet, however there are multiple Hyundai vehicle owners whose air and lights have come on after having the vehicle for at least 5 years. Other manufacturers have issued recall notices on this matter, but not Hyundai.”
Filed Oct 16, 2025
“The airbags did not deploy when the other driver did not comply with the stop sign, which led to him getting off the road in front of me and destroying the entire front of the car, knowing that the airbags did not deploy now. I suffer from a neck injury”
Filed Oct 24, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 15 of 26 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 52 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 42 reports