- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 6
- on record
- MPG
- 31
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2021 Hyundai Elantra
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- Owner complaints
- 128
- Complaints citing a crash
- 8
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
6 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
6 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 21V796000high
Safety restraint issue
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
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.
Consequence
An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V00M000high
Visibility issue
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
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.
Consequence
A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V302000high
Safety restraint issue
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
Consequence
An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 22V218000high
Safety restraint issue
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
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.
Consequence
Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 22V354000high
Safety restraint issue
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
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.
Consequence
An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 24V879000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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."
Consequence
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.1%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2021 Hyundai Elantra 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2021 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.1% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
28
City
36
Hwy
31
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,000
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 288 g/mi
How this compares
At 31 MPG combined, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra ranks 5th of 18 midsize cars EPA rated for 2021 — 2.5 MPG better than the 28.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little above the middle of its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,000, $75 less than the $2,075 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,000, a $375 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 288 grams per mile — about 4.3 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
128 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 128
- Total
- 8
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER35
- SEAT BELTS25
- ELECTRICAL24
- ENGINE20
- BRAKES7
Serious Concerns
128 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 3 reports involve injuries. 8 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, newest first.
- Recall
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ22003
Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ22003
Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture
- Recall
An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
- Recall
Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
- Recall
A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Recall
An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
- Recall
An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
28
City
36
Hwy
31
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,000
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ22003
Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ22003
Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture