Hyundai Elantra reliability by year
26 recalls and 6,851 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2024. Year to avoid: 2017.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 11 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Elantra aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Hyundai Elantra?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2024 Hyundai Elantra scores 8.0/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 51 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Hyundai Elantra year should I avoid?
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra scores 6.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 756 owner complaints with NHTSA, 3 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2017 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Hyundai Elantra should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2020 (avoid — the engine — engine: 74 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 8,200–70,000 mi); 2018 (avoid — the engine — engine: 87 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 14,000–86,151 mi); 2014 (avoid — the engine — 5 fire-related complaints and 3 crash-related complaints on the engine); 2013 (avoid — the brakes — 5 fire-related complaints and 8 crash-related complaints on the brakes); 2012 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints and 2 crash-related complaints on the engine); 2010 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 1 fire-related complaint on the steering). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2024, 2023, 2006, 2022, 2021. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Hyundai Elantra are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 26 recalls and 6,851 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Hyundai Elantra?
steering is the most-reported category — 1,102 complaints across 19 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.