Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
93
Complaints
8
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2023 Hyundai Elantra have filed 93
safety complaints with NHTSA
between September 2022 and August 2026.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 22 of them
(24%). The typical failure was reported at 15,000 miles, the median
across the 15 complaints that gave an
odometer reading.
NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this
vehicle.
Recalls (2)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP
23V526000 · July 27, 2023
Park outside until repaired
The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.
The risk
An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting September 7, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 246.
Hyundai Motor America · up to 52,109 vehicles across all model years covered
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
22V632000 · August 18, 2022
The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Elantra N and 2022-2023 Elantra vehicles. The emblem on the cover of the driver's front air bag may not have been welded properly, which can result in the emblem detaching upon deployment.
The risk
A detached air bag cover emblem may strike a vehicle occupant, which can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 14, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 234.
Hyundai Motor America · up to 247 vehicles across all model years covered
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add
up to more than 93.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 24%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22 24%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 20 22%
ENGINE 16 17%
LANE DEPARTURE 9 10%
POWER TRAIN 9 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 9%
AIR BAGS 6 6%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 5 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 4%
TIRES 4 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 4%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2024 at 29.
2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed
My vehicle was involved in a auto accident. A chain reaction of multiple cars was hit I was rear ended by a Subaru Outback and was push into a box commercial truck my vehicle was deemed total and I sustain serious injuries my front in was smash in and no airbags deployed I contacted National consumer affairs my case number [XXX]. My case manger Elijah was very unprofessional and did not help and suggested I have an attorney reach out. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11563673. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed
I have been encountering a series of troubling and erratic issues with my vehicle. These problems occur under various driving conditions, including acceleration, steady-state driving, and braking. However, the most prevalent and problematic occurrences seem to transpire during acceleration and braking. During acceleration, I've observed inconsistent behavior. Sometimes, the car shifts smoothly, with minimal torque drop between gears. On other occasions, the vehicle accelerates initially but then abruptly loses all power between gears, resembling the sensation of someone engaging the clutch in a manual vehicle and shifting slowly. This results in a temporary power loss lasting 1-2 seconds, …
NHTSA complaint 11622137, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 71,000 miles
The contact owned a 2023 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at night and at approximately 60 MPH, a deer had crashed into the driver's side front door and bounced off and crashed into the driver's side front bumper. The contact stated that he had been thrown forward by the force of the crash, but then he was thrown back when the seat belts restrained him. The contact hit his headrest with force. The contact was unable to stop immediately, and when he had stopped, he observed that the front bumper was hanging from the frame of the vehicle and that he was leaking radiator fluid. The contact stated that the police and emergency services had arrived. The contact stated that …
NHTSA complaint 11700651, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEAT BELTS
1 injured · crash
On July 28th I had an accident and hurt myself because seatbelt did not work
NHTSA complaint 11535617. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle is a 2023 Hyundai Elantra N Line purchased from CarMax in February 2026 with approximately 40,000 miles. It currently has approximately 49,000 miles. The vehicle intermittently cuts off, hesitates to accelerate, and jerks/shudders during acceleration. The specific failed component or system is UNKNOWN because CarMax has not yet provided a definitive diagnosis. The suspected problem involves the engine, fuel/ignition system, transmission, electronic throttle, or another powertrain/control component, but this has not been confirmed. The vehicle’s sudden loss of power and hesitation during acceleration creates a safety risk because the vehicle may fail to accelerate when needed, …
NHTSA complaint 11757020, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While driving on [XXX] north near exit [XXX] in rain, at 70 mph Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assistance were on. The vehicle displayed a warning that the smart systems were disabled. The vehicle then began jerking and changing lanes and speed unexpectedly. The steering wheel pulled/jerked forcefully to the left and right and I had difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle. When I attempted to brake, the brake pedal became very hard and could not press down the vehicle did not slow normally. I was able to get the vehicle onto the shoulder and shut it off. After restarting the vehicle, the problem occurred again. The vehicle was towed to Wallace Hyundai dealership in Stewart …
NHTSA complaint 11755848, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn is intermittenly failing and was verified by a Weimer Hyundai in Morgantown, WV on XXX. This is a known defect in 2023 Hyundai Elantras and they have issued an extended warranty to address the problem. An absence of a horn is a safety issue as you cannot signal other drivers in emergency situations. It is unlawful to have a horn that does not operate in most states including WV ([XXX]) which is where I currently reside. While a horn is not required by NHTSA , if it is present it must be operable by driver (Safety Standard No. 101, 49 CFR '571.101). For these reasons I am requesting that this should have and should be considered a SAFETY RECALL which is NOT predicated on mileage. By …
NHTSA complaint 11753112, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is the second time the horn has stopped working. The first time was a year or two ago (records available on request), and both of the two horn units failed. The manufacturer Hyundai replaced them both and told me the issue they were having was the stamped housing of the horn has a seam that folds up and collects water, may freeze, and causes the unit to fail. Clearly they installed two replacement units of the same style because both units just failed again. The way I found out was someone almost changed lanes into me, I tried to honk to alert them to not collide with me, and the horn didn't work. Thankfully I was able to stop fast enough to avoid the collision. I will be taking it to …
NHTSA complaint 11738447, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
I purchased a 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 2023 on December 15, 2023, and since early ownership I have experienced persistent jerking/clunking while slowing to a stop, harsh downshifts, hesitation during braking, and rough transitions between electric and engine power. The issue was first documented around 5,744 miles and continued through approximately six to eight repair/work orders, where dealerships repeatedly described the condition as normal hybrid/DCT behavior while performing software resets, adaptive relearns, and diagnostic checks. After continued complaints, Hyundai Techline became involved and the dealership concluded the vehicle “jerks pretty bad,” leading to a full transmission …
NHTSA complaint 11738642, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
towed · 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while slowly pulling into the parking space the contact lifted off the brake pedal and while costing into the parking space the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and drove over a curb. During the incident the vehicle sustained damage to the undercarriage. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the fialure. The manufacturer was nofited of the incident. An engineer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. No further information was available. During the incident the contact suffered emotional stress and fear. The failure mileage was 30,000.
NHTSA complaint 11736932. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon
law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back.
What each state asks for
, read from the statutes.
Where these numbers come from
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file
, published August 20, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API
, most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file
, published 2026-08-19.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst