AI Damage2021 Hyundai Elantra: common problems
Owners of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra filed 132 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and electrical system. The maker issued 81 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 132
- involving a crash
- 8
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 81
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 5% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 32 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Electrical system: 31 complaints (23% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 42.
- Seat belts: 27 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 13 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Vehicle speed control: 10 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 1.6 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- CVT
- dual-clutch (DCT), 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
- dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speednamed in 2 complaints
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 132 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 32 | 1 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 31 | 0 | 42 |
| Seat belts | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Backover prevention | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained stomach chest and arm injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000.
AFter the collision repair, the warning light comes on and the car has been at Bakersfield Hyundai now for over a week, but they can't find anything wrong with the warning system, but the system does not function (no warning of collision and auto braking does not engage).
The vehicle’s brakes failed, and I struck a Blue Ford Escape from behind with a speed of approximately 37 mph. On January 13th, I made an appointment with the Napleton Valley Dealership in Aurora, IL.
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.
The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V354000(Seat Belt) and notified the manufacturer about the accident. The contact was initially informed that a case was opened; however, after weeks of no response, she called back and was informed that the case was closed.
Not one airbag did not deploy when the car got hit on right rear door side and back bumper by pickup truck while making a left hand turn. I've called dealership about the airbag issue and they have not receive any calls about it.
The passenger side headlight has significant condensation inside the housing. The car is slightly over five years old, with 40,000 miles It was rarely driven the first year due to the pandemic.
Windshield wipers intermittently malfunction in the intermittent setting. The wipers stop at random locations in the middle of the windshield, pause, move a short distance, stop again, and behave erratically. This can obstruct the driver’s forward visibility.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 476 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Elantra has 124 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 132, about average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this…
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
- Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather
This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.
- Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and…
Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front camera auto-calibration…
- Some Elantra (CN7, CN7A), Kona (OS, SX2), and Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines…
Some Elantra (CN7, CN7A), Kona (OS, SX2), and Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines may illuminate a warning lamp for DTC P218100 (Cooling System Performance) related to the Integrated…
- Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service…
Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front…
- In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc…
In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade is being made available to customers upon request. This…
- This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector…
This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows.
- In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method…
In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023…
- This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the…
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…
NHTSA lists 81 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, electrical system, seat belts. Total complaints: 132. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), warning lights, check engine (14%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA lists 81 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2021 Hyundai Elantra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2021 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.