2021 Hyundai Elantra: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 147 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, seat belts, and automatic emergency braking. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021- Owner complaints
- 147
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes reported
- 8
- 3 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 Hyundai Elantra: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/4
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Elantra is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cylGas | FWD | 31 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylGas | FWD | 37 mpg |
| 1.6L 4-cylHybrid | FWD | 54 mpg |
- The 2021 Hyundai Elantra was sold in three versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Elantra that averages well under the EPA 31 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Sudden engine stall or seizure
5,600–7,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical32No crashes
The backup camera is the most common failure here. The screen goes blank, flickers, shows static lines, or freezes on an old image. Some cars also brake on their own from the rear sensors with nothing behind them. Camera trouble appears on cars with as little as 10,500 miles. Other reports describe dash lights and headlights cutting out while driving, the engine shutting off at stop-start idle, limp mode, and a failed integrated thermal management module. One parked car caught fire and was declared a total loss. The fire was assumed to be electrical.
Seat belts211 crash
Most of these filings are about a slow recall repair, not a belt failure. Recall 22V354000 left many owners waiting while dealers had no parts, and they say the delay ran far too long. The owners who filed these reports had not had a belt fail. Separate reports describe a rear center belt that locked tight around a child and had to be cut, and a seat belt chime that quit along with the horn. One crash report involved serious chest injuries.
Automatic emergency braking181 crash
The front radar shuts down the forward safety systems. A Check Forward Safety System warning appears, often at highway speed, and smart cruise control stops working. Some cars clear the fault on their own and then fail again. Others brake hard with nothing ahead, sometimes under overpasses, and drivers nearly get rear-ended. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Some blame misalignment that warranty does not cover, and others wait months for parts. Recalibration and software updates do not always fix it. One crash report says neither the warning nor auto braking activated.
Acceleration and cruise control181 crash
The car hesitates or ignores the accelerator, then surges or speeds up on its own. Some cars push forward with the brake pressed, and one stuck at 20 mph on a faster road. Restarting the car clears the fault for a while. Dealers usually cannot reproduce it. Several reports are actually radar faults that disable cruise control, and one dealer quoted $500 because the bumper has to come off. One owner reports traction control flicker and jerking that continued after a new transmission. A crash report describes sudden acceleration into a wall while parking.
Engine8No crashes
Sudden stalls and seizures arrive without warning, sometimes with a message to put the car in neutral. Early cases appear at 5,600 and 7,000 miles, and one needed a full engine assembly. Other reports describe knocking and stalling at idle on cars not covered by engine recall 21V301000. Hybrid owners report surging, lurching, and loss of power with a battery warning. Some heater cores fail repeatedly, and one repair cost $2,042.03. One car lost its oil after a dealer oil change left the drain plug missing.
Transmission7No crashes
The transmission shudders, jerks, and shifts slowly. In the DCT, owners say it slips into neutral, revs high, then slams into gear. Some cars stop responding to the gas pedal after 15 to 30 minutes of driving. Others shut off at speed with a message to restart the engine. Hybrids can show a Check Hybrid System warning and cut power in heavy traffic. One car revved to redline right after a dealer judder repair. A drain plug failure after a third-party oil change was not covered by warranty.
Steering5No crashes
Sudden lockups freeze the wheel, sometimes with loss of brake control and warning lights across the dash. In some reports the wheel locks while turning into an intersection, the forward collision system engages, and the car stops in the road. Dealers have struggled to find the cause. Other reports cover a shaking wheel under braking that came back after new rotors and pads, drifting with a warning light, and a dead horn alongside key fob read failures.
Airbags22 crashes
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes. Both reports involve real collisions. In one, a pickup hit the right rear door and bumper and no airbag deployed. In the other, the driver says the brakes failed and the car hit another vehicle at about 37 mph. A dealer had checked those brakes earlier and found nothing wrong. With only two complaints, no clear pattern shows up yet.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Elantra owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
the h e v warning light comes on when driving. the hybrid battery disconnects from the engine and the car is undriveable. have to pull over, stop the car, turn off the car and then reset the hybrid battery. this has happened twice in last week. thank fully i was able to pull over safely, but this a dangerous situation for me and other cars around me. the car had been taken to the dealership just two weeks ago and they were unable to diagnose the issue
Filed with NHTSA, June 2023
Back up Camera. When reversing cannot see out back window do to incline of glass making hard to reverse. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There was not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2024
NHTSA Recall Number 22V354000 has been active since May 18, 2022. The dealership says no dealers in the area have received the part to fix it. The recall itself carries serious safety concerns as the seatbelt will explode metal fragments in an accident. The dealer has also told me that 35 other people are waiting for the recall to be fixed as well. This is ridiculous, Hyundai needs to get these parts to the dealers.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2022
Child became entrapped in car seat in rear center seat. Unbuckled seat belt to get child out. Belt snagged on underside of car seat. Belt would not retract from the retractor mechanism. With child's movement belt only tightened around his upper chest and neck. Two adults could not get belt to release. To release child and prevent strangulation, the belt was cut.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2022
Radar equipped to front of vehicle has malfunctioned, disabling all forward safety systems and adaptive cruise control. Without this equipment functioning, cruise control is completely disabled and the vehicle will not automatically brake or provide forward warnings. The vehicle component has not been inspected, but this is a recurring issue amongst other owners of this model. There is a warning lamp that turns out that states "Check Forward Safety System"
Filed with NHTSA, November 2024
The Forward collision warning light comes on randomly at times and disables the system. It’s done this on 3 occasions. No one has inspected the vehicle. I was told everything was normal. No injuries involved. The problem has occurred 3 times now with code c1620078. The history codes show this has happened to the previous owner as well. I bought it in 7/2025 and it happened driving it home from buying it, in 11/25, and 12/10/25
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
My vehicle was slowing down and was halfway into a parking spot. Then, it suddenly accelerated, jumped over commercial parking blocks, and ended up stopping after hitting a wall. My brake was not working at that moment. I initially reported it to Hyundai USA (as a dealership doesn't seem to consider this a serious issue at all), but decided not to let them investigate on their end based on their slow and unprofessional responses.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2022
I was driving on a 40mph speed road at 45 mph and the car stopped accelerating abruptly and remained stuck at 20 mph even thou my foot was on the gas pedal. I had to put the caution lights on and get to the side of the road. I had every car behind me honk and yell when passing by. This could have been a big crash. I have the video of this when I was driving. This happened various times, in December, Feb and last week.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2023
How the 2021 compares with other Elantra years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 8 Elantra years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical3222
- Seat belts214
- Automatic emergency braking184
- Acceleration and cruise control184
- Engine837
- Transmission716
Where the 2021 fits in the Elantra's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the first model year of the Elantra's seventh generation (2021–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Hyundai fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Hyundai updated the Elantra for 2024, so a 2021 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2024 (not on a 2021)
- New exterior design enhancements
- Updated safety features
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recalls to confirm (7)
Recall repairs are free at any Hyundai dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
24V879000Backup cameraNov 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. 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.".
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
23V589000ElectricalAug 2023
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Elantra HEV vehicles. A software error in the motor control unit may cause unintended vehicle acceleration after the brake pedal is released.
Risk: Unintended vehicle acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the motor control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 29, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 248.
22V354000Seat beltsMay 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Fix: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
22V218000Seat beltsApr 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Risk: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 31, 2022. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
21V00M000Wipers and visibilityDec 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
21V796000Seat beltsOct 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.
21V302000SeatsApr 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
Risk: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the seat back frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 21, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-888-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 204.
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2021 owner complaints, side by side
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