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2021 Hyundai Elantra Recalls, Complaints & Specs

6 safety recalls list the 2021 Hyundai Elantra, and owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

6
safety recalls
131
owner complaints to NHTSA
8 / 1
complaints citing a crash / fire
28–54
MPG combined (EPA)

6 safety recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 24V879000 Reported 226,118 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    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…

    Remedy: 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.

  2. Seat belts: front and pretensioner (seat belts)

    NHTSA 22V354000 Reported 230,233 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    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.

    Remedy: 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…

  3. Seat belts: front and pretensioner (seat belts)

    NHTSA 22V218000 Reported 6,240 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    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.

    Remedy: 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…

  4. Windshield (visibility)

    NHTSA 21V00M000 Reported 26,413 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    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.

    Remedy: 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…

  5. Pretensioner (seat belts) and seat belts: front

    NHTSA 21V796000 Reported 978 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    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.

    Remedy: 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…

  6. Recliner (seats)

    NHTSA 21V302000 Reported 1,464 vehicles potentially affected Hyundai Motor America

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.

    Remedy: 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.…

131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA; 8 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 3 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 32,057 miles. Complaints peaked in 2022 with 45 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“The passenger side headlight has significant condensation inside the housing. The car is slightly over five years old, with 40,000 miles It was rarely driven the first year due to the pandemic. I have”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 27, 2026 · Exterior lighting

“Windshield wipers intermittently malfunction in the intermittent setting. The wipers stop at random locations in the middle of the windshield, pause, move a short distance, stop again, and behave erra”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 14, 2026 · Visibility/wiper

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra (Elantra Hybrid, Elantra Hybrid Blue). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined28–54 mpg
City / Highway25–53 / 34–56
FuelRegular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine4 cyl, 1.6/2 L
TransmissionAutomatic (AM-S6); Automatic (AM-S7); Automatic (AV-S1); Manual 6-spd

Compare Hyundai Elantra model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Hyundai Elantra model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1992 Hyundai Elantra029
1993 Hyundai Elantra024
1994 Hyundai Elantra276
1995 Hyundai Elantra1112
1996 Hyundai Elantra3100
1997 Hyundai Elantra3115
1998 Hyundai Elantra055
1999 Hyundai Elantra2128
2000 Hyundai Elantra1197
2001 Hyundai Elantra6315
2002 Hyundai Elantra6342
2003 Hyundai Elantra5234
2004 Hyundai Elantra5182
2005 Hyundai Elantra4137
2006 Hyundai Elantra1155
2007 Hyundai Elantra6267
2008 Hyundai Elantra7314
2009 Hyundai Elantra4254
2010 Hyundai Elantra3379
2011 Hyundai Elantra5433
2012 Hyundai Elantra4653
2013 Hyundai Elantra41,314
2014 Hyundai Elantra2384
2015 Hyundai Elantra3262
2016 Hyundai Elantra2293
2017 Hyundai Elantra4767
2018 Hyundai Elantra0283
2019 Hyundai Elantra1251
2020 Hyundai Elantra3252
2021 Hyundai Elantra6131
2022 Hyundai Elantra5101
2023 Hyundai Elantra298
2024 Hyundai Elantra154
2025 Hyundai Elantra022
2026 Hyundai Elantra12

Checking a specific 2021 Hyundai Elantra

How do I know if my 2021 Hyundai Elantra has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2021 Hyundai Elantra; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Hyundai dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 21V00M000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Hyundai models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.