Model year 2016 · Midsize Cars

2016 Hyundai Elantra: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Hyundai Elantra at 27–31 mpg combined across 7 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 300 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

27–31

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as ELANTRA GT.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Hyundai dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Hyundai Elantra recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 26V307000 Reported May 14, 2026

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 300)
Units affected: 3,493 (estimate)
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
Risk: An air bag inflator that ruptures may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 300. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Latches/locks/linkages: Trunk lid: Latch

NHTSA 24V146000 Reported Feb 23, 2024

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 256)
Units affected: 186,588 (estimate)
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 256.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Hyundai Elantra fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Hyundai Elantra EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Elantra	1.8L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	28/37/31 mpg	$2,150	282
Elantra	1.8L 4-cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	27/36/30 mpg	$2,250	290
Elantra	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/35/28 mpg	$2,400	315
Elantra	2.0L 4-cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/34/28 mpg	$2,400	319
Elantra GT	2.0L 4-cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/32/27 mpg	$2,500	329
Elantra GT	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/32/27 mpg	$2,500	331
Elantra Limited	1.8L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	27/36/30 mpg	$2,250	295

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Hyundai Elantra crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Hyundai Elantra NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	10.9%	No
2016 Hyundai Elantra Gt 5 HB FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	10.9%	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Hyundai Elantra owner complaints

Owners have filed 300 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, most recently on Oct 1, 2026. 22 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 17 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Hyundai Elantra complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	116
Unknown or other	54
Power train	30
Air bags	26
Electrical system	20
Fuel/propulsion system	19
Steering	19
Vehicle speed control	18
Service brakes	16
Structure: Body	16

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Hyundai Elantra model years

Hyundai Elantra by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2026 Elantra	23–54 mpg	4	4	5/5
2025 Elantra	23–54 mpg	2	34	5/5
2024 Elantra	23–54 mpg	2	63	5/5
2023 Elantra	23–54 mpg	4	170	5/5
2022 Elantra	23–54 mpg	8	159	5/5
2021 Elantra	28–54 mpg	7	162	5/5
2020 Elantra	26–36 mpg	3	262	4/5
2019 Elantra	25–35 mpg	1	266	4/5
2018 Elantra	25–35 mpg	1	335	4/5
2017 Elantra	25–35 mpg	4	796	5/5
2015 Elantra	27–31 mpg	3	261	5/5

All Hyundai Elantra years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Hyundai models

2016 Hyundai Accent 2016 Hyundai Azera 2016 Hyundai Equus 2016 Hyundai Genesis 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 2016 Hyundai Sonata 2016 Hyundai Tucson 2016 Hyundai Veloster

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Hyundai.