The Hyundai Elantra has made the South Korean brand’s presence in the compact sedan segment quite strong and the sedan’s latest styling makes it an intuitive car as well. The 2016 Hyundai Elantra also keeps it pleasant with its decent reliability chart with 156 complaints and zero recalls as of now. Among the complaints, there are plenty against the powertrain, airbags, and the power steering system of the vehicle. All three major issues have been a major safety concern for the affected owners too, especially the airbag failure and the steering system failures. Surprisingly, the brand did not issue a single recall to address those problems and it makes us skeptical since Hyundai vehicles are targeted at the mass markets. In its segment, the Hyundai Elantra rivals the Mazda3, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Civic.
Hyundai Elantra user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Engine failure: A plethora of owners complained about engine failures in their 2016 Hyundai Elantra sedans. The engine failures occurred prematurely and under various circumstances. For some, the failures happened suddenly after starting the engine followed by a severe knocking sound. In other instances, prior to the failures, the engines lost all power to move the vehicles. In a few cases, the engine consumed excessive engine oil before the failure. For every failure, the dealerships either recommended or replaced the engines but the brand never issued a recall to address this problem.
- Excessive engine oil consumption: For a lot of owners, their Elantra sedans consumed excessive engine oil without failing. In most cases, the excessive oil consumption did not lead to engine failures but the dealerships insisted on replacing the faulty engines instead of fixing them.
- Throttle body fracture: A single complaint is there mentioning this issue. The owner said in the report that the vehicle shook violently and stalled multiple times while driving. After taking it to a dealership, the diagnosis confirmed a cracked throttle body and it was replaced.
- Engine stall: A lot of owners complain about sudden engine stalls that are not related to the engine failure problem. The engine stalling incidents occurred while the owners were driving, and nearly caused a crash according to some reports.
Safety problems
- Power steering malfunctions: Along with the plenty of issues with the powertrain, the 2016 Hyundai Elantra also has power steering issues that trouble a lot of owners. The owners mention in their reports that the system either stops responding completely or stops working intermittently. Due to the failures, there was a significant risk to the owners’ safety which would have resulted in crashes.
- Airbag failure: There are several reports regarding airbag failures on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. Several reports mention that the airbags on the affected vehicles failed to deploy completely or partially, causing injuries to the drivers and the occupants. Some reports mention that the airbags deployed but there was fire from it.
Exterior problems
- Headlamp issues: Several owners filed reports regarding this issue. The reports say that most of the owners had to replace the headlamps of their Elantra sedans multiple times in a specific time period since the bulbs kept on burning out repeatedly.
2016 Hyundai Elantra recalls
There are no recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra yet.
Should you buy the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
The Hyundai Elantra is an appealing sedan in its class due to its design and feature-packed cabin. Its extensive warranty coverage also enhances its preference among its peers as well. The sedan did encounter several issues in the recent past and some of them involved significant safety concerns. However, the number of incidents is limited compared to the respectable selling figures of the sedan and we expect the brand to issue recalls later to fix the problems. Going with a used example does involve risks but nothing beats a trusted dealership and a thorough inspection of the used example you’ve settled on.
