2016 Hyundai Elantra problems

POWER TRAIN

P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car

NHTSA complaint #11752793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car

NHTSA complaint #11752793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

P0420 P0441 P0014 P1326 C1260 C1688 C2130 These are the codes that's affecting my car

NHTSA complaint #11752793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine burned oil and had knocking sound, despite having regular oil changes. Stalked out while driving took to dealer initial said it was covered by the exerted coverage but ultimately denied. It had 111,000 miles on it. I believe this engine has the same issues as the others.

NHTSA complaint #11750822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The oil light & check engine started flashing. Took it to the auto shop. The mechanic stated that the oil level is very low and the engine has a bad lower-end knock. Removed the oil filter and found metal debris in the oil. No oil leaks were found under the vehicle at all. Oil is being burned out through the exhaust. The vehicle needs an the ngine replacement.

NHTSA complaint #11750263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission P0731 code. Vehicle will not shift into 1st gear when idle but will stay in 3 or 4 gear. Speedometer would indicate high speed when pressing on accelerator. At traffic light when light turn green car rev but would not shift into gear. Has only 130K miles. Car was towed to dealer and required a new transmission.

NHTSA complaint #11749594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

2016 Hyundai Elantra (75k miles) experiences severe, un-commanded Loss of Propulsive Power and a Severe Drivetrain Instability Hazard. At steady highway speeds, the automatic transmission completely loses hydraulic pressure, slips out of gear, and unexpectedly drops into a temporary "neutral." The engine suddenly revs up to high RPM on its own while losing all forward acceleration. After coasting helplessly, it violently slams back into gear, causing the vehicle to lurch forward. This also happens from a complete stop.The vehicle's OBD-II system fails to illuminate the Check Engine Light or store fault codes during these flares, providing zero warning before a loss of propulsion.This dangerous transmission slipping has occurred intermittently for several years. I repeatedly took it to an authorized Hyundai dealership to address this crash hazard. Because there was no active Check Engine Light, the dealership dismissed my concerns, refused to document it, and sent me away without a diagnosis. Recently, the service department acted in bad faith by misrepresenting my warranty terms (falsely claiming it was only 7 years) and refusing a live-data diagnostic scan. The bad faith dealership was Murdock Hyundai of Murray in [XXX], specifically the service manager Tyler as well as Krateton. The car is a verified vehicle under the Hyundai Nu 1.8L Piston Slap Class Action Settlement (TXXK Campaign). An official safety escalation case is open with Hyundai Motor America under my corporate case number XXX. I request a federal safety investigation into premature transmission pressure failure in 2016 Elantras, as this vehicle is entirely unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2016 Hyundai Elantra (75k miles) experiences severe, un-commanded Loss of Propulsive Power and a Severe Drivetrain Instability Hazard. At steady highway speeds, the automatic transmission completely loses hydraulic pressure, slips out of gear, and unexpectedly drops into a temporary "neutral." The engine suddenly revs up to high RPM on its own while losing all forward acceleration. After coasting helplessly, it violently slams back into gear, causing the vehicle to lurch forward. This also happens from a complete stop.The vehicle's OBD-II system fails to illuminate the Check Engine Light or store fault codes during these flares, providing zero warning before a loss of propulsion.This dangerous transmission slipping has occurred intermittently for several years. I repeatedly took it to an authorized Hyundai dealership to address this crash hazard. Because there was no active Check Engine Light, the dealership dismissed my concerns, refused to document it, and sent me away without a diagnosis. Recently, the service department acted in bad faith by misrepresenting my warranty terms (falsely claiming it was only 7 years) and refusing a live-data diagnostic scan. The bad faith dealership was Murdock Hyundai of Murray in [XXX], specifically the service manager Tyler as well as Krateton. The car is a verified vehicle under the Hyundai Nu 1.8L Piston Slap Class Action Settlement (TXXK Campaign). An official safety escalation case is open with Hyundai Motor America under my corporate case number XXX. I request a federal safety investigation into premature transmission pressure failure in 2016 Elantras, as this vehicle is entirely unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My driver side window has not been working for almost 3 years now. I have taken it to 4 mechanics and they fix it but only last a couple days. They have all say they can’t really do anything about it since they need an original piece. My AC is another issue I have that I have tried fixing 3 times now. The same issue happens they fix it and it last about a week or so. The longest it has lasted was 2 weeks. The mechanics each say it needs a new compressor and I’ve bought 3 new compressor already. I’m not sure what to do anymore.

NHTSA complaint #11746493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car turns off while driving it without warning or anything. Place where I got it don’t want to fix it

NHTSA complaint #11744058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely stems from P33, but requires proprietary dealer tools to diagnose. Attached video proves the vehicle runs while the alarm blares, confirming no relation to old Campaign 993 logic. Attached Repair Order proves the technician acknowledged the defect & attempted a repair. Despite this, the service manager ignores the documentation, his own technician's findings, & my demonstrations, blaming my locking habits while refusing a deep diagnostic. After 16 days in their possession, neither the dealer nor manufacturer has provided a remedy. If this malfunction were an intended feature, it would be an ongoing hazard; it creates a distraction, causes a panic response, & prevents the adequate use of turn signals while in operation. The vehicle is unsafe, & the dealership & manufacturer have failed to provide a valid repair.

NHTSA complaint #11743948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely stems from P33, but requires proprietary dealer tools to diagnose. Attached video proves the vehicle runs while the alarm blares, confirming no relation to old Campaign 993 logic. Attached Repair Order proves the technician acknowledged the defect & attempted a repair. Despite this, the service manager ignores the documentation, his own technician's findings, & my demonstrations, blaming my locking habits while refusing a deep diagnostic. After 16 days in their possession, neither the dealer nor manufacturer has provided a remedy. If this malfunction were an intended feature, it would be an ongoing hazard; it creates a distraction, causes a panic response, & prevents the adequate use of turn signals while in operation. The vehicle is unsafe, & the dealership & manufacturer have failed to provide a valid repair.

NHTSA complaint #11743948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely stems from P33, but requires proprietary dealer tools to diagnose. Attached video proves the vehicle runs while the alarm blares, confirming no relation to old Campaign 993 logic. Attached Repair Order proves the technician acknowledged the defect & attempted a repair. Despite this, the service manager ignores the documentation, his own technician's findings, & my demonstrations, blaming my locking habits while refusing a deep diagnostic. After 16 days in their possession, neither the dealer nor manufacturer has provided a remedy. If this malfunction were an intended feature, it would be an ongoing hazard; it creates a distraction, causes a panic response, & prevents the adequate use of turn signals while in operation. The vehicle is unsafe, & the dealership & manufacturer have failed to provide a valid repair.

NHTSA complaint #11743948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Car randomly will not start or will start but have no RPM's. Last year showed a crank shaft sensor code and had it replaced but car is doing it again.

NHTSA complaint #11736854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Unknown

NHTSA complaint #11736250 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE BACK DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT LATCH PROPERLY. THE DOOR WILL TRY TO CLOSE BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP SLAMMING THE DOOR UNTIL IT WILL FINALLY LATCH. I ONCE DROVE A FEW FEET AND THE DOOR HAD TO BE HELD SHUT. IT FINALLY CLOSED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED LAST YEAR (2025) ONCE I READ ON REDDIT THAT A TSB/EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED. BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT DIDN'T COVER MY VEHICLE AND IF I BROUGHT IT IN, A DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND FEE TO FIX IT WOULD BE CHARGED. SO I DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR ANYMORE, BUT THAT IS NOT SAFE. I''M AFRAID IT WILL OPEN AT SOME POINT WHILE I AM DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #11730275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car just turns off randomly. This has happened at least 6 times within a month. Once on a highway. Last time it turned off a strange sound was coming out of the car also.

NHTSA complaint #11727707 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

So I have a suspicion oh a connecting rod, might be a bearing but it’s making a tik tik noise, no other issue than that, no engine light no nothing, been doing it for a while but car still goes great

NHTSA complaint #11718092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Issue: Hyundai recall denial for paint peeling defect My vehicle qualifies for the Hyundai paint-peeling recall, and the paint deterioration matches the defect described by Hyundai. Despite this, Hyundai has denied my recall repair twice. Approximately 2 1/2 years before the recall was issued, I applied a small touch-up to the affected area to slow the deterioration. This was done solely to protect the vehicle and occurred long before any recall existed. Hyundai is now using that minor touch-up as a reason to deny the recall repair, even though the underlying paint defect was already present. The paint continues to peel and worsen. Hyundai's refusal to honor the recall appears unreasonable and inconsistent with the purpose of a safety/defect recall, especially since the touch-up did not cause the defect and was done years before Hyundai acknowledged the issue. I am requesting that NHTSA review Hyundai's handling of this recall and their denial of legitimate claims.

NHTSA complaint #11716998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My car turned off while it was in drive. The oil pressure light flashed on for a second then disappeared. The car did not have anything else seem like it is wrong. I was put in dangers way because it turned off right before I was about to turn onto a very busy street and if it had done that in the middle of the street I would have gotten into an accident.

NHTSA complaint #11714965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact of a Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,600.

NHTSA complaint #11712649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

No accident has occurred as of yet (for my case). Ongoing issues with Hyundai left brake bulb and center brake bulb burning out due to over-amperage. These two are on their own 10A circuit separate from the 5A circuit for the right brakelight bulb. It appears that these two bulbs are possibly receiving 15A and therefore burning out prematurely (3 months or less). I recently replaced these two bulbs at the same time, and now my battery is shorted. To keep my battery charged, I need to pull my 15A Brake Lamp fuse while the car is parked. This has now caused my ABS light to come on, as that system relies on the signal from the 15A brake lamp circuit. I suspect that some 15A components (10A+5A) received 20A (15A+5A) and welded shut. I am still looking for it to trace it down, resources are limited and I'm intent on just buying the $35 diagnostics book. Hyundai dealership did not inform me that this fuse was pulled while I drove home from the shop yesterday, creating an unsafe condition. They quoted me $500 to replace a brake lamp relay and the ABS (I'm assuming the whole ABS, but maybe just the control module), I declined. My plan for now, as this car isn't driven much, is to trace it down and find the shorted component. From my research, this is clearly affecting many years of Hyundais and Kias, not just my Elantra and not just my year. In fact, it's SO common that there are facebook groups (such as this one [XXX] ) dedicated to helping owners remedy this defect. I think a recall service, and a full investigation of what is electrically wrong with these cars, and what the actual remedy should be, is necessary based on the amount of cars that could be impacted. Hyundai & Kia technicians I am SURE are intimately knowledgeable about this issue by now and us owners are on the hook, having only 80,000 miles of warranty on anything purchased used. Please reach out with any add'l questions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11711743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

No accident has occurred as of yet (for my case). Ongoing issues with Hyundai left brake bulb and center brake bulb burning out due to over-amperage. These two are on their own 10A circuit separate from the 5A circuit for the right brakelight bulb. It appears that these two bulbs are possibly receiving 15A and therefore burning out prematurely (3 months or less). I recently replaced these two bulbs at the same time, and now my battery is shorted. To keep my battery charged, I need to pull my 15A Brake Lamp fuse while the car is parked. This has now caused my ABS light to come on, as that system relies on the signal from the 15A brake lamp circuit. I suspect that some 15A components (10A+5A) received 20A (15A+5A) and welded shut. I am still looking for it to trace it down, resources are limited and I'm intent on just buying the $35 diagnostics book. Hyundai dealership did not inform me that this fuse was pulled while I drove home from the shop yesterday, creating an unsafe condition. They quoted me $500 to replace a brake lamp relay and the ABS (I'm assuming the whole ABS, but maybe just the control module), I declined. My plan for now, as this car isn't driven much, is to trace it down and find the shorted component. From my research, this is clearly affecting many years of Hyundais and Kias, not just my Elantra and not just my year. In fact, it's SO common that there are facebook groups (such as this one [XXX] ) dedicated to helping owners remedy this defect. I think a recall service, and a full investigation of what is electrically wrong with these cars, and what the actual remedy should be, is necessary based on the amount of cars that could be impacted. Hyundai & Kia technicians I am SURE are intimately knowledgeable about this issue by now and us owners are on the hook, having only 80,000 miles of warranty on anything purchased used. Please reach out with any add'l questions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11711743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

No accident has occurred as of yet (for my case). Ongoing issues with Hyundai left brake bulb and center brake bulb burning out due to over-amperage. These two are on their own 10A circuit separate from the 5A circuit for the right brakelight bulb. It appears that these two bulbs are possibly receiving 15A and therefore burning out prematurely (3 months or less). I recently replaced these two bulbs at the same time, and now my battery is shorted. To keep my battery charged, I need to pull my 15A Brake Lamp fuse while the car is parked. This has now caused my ABS light to come on, as that system relies on the signal from the 15A brake lamp circuit. I suspect that some 15A components (10A+5A) received 20A (15A+5A) and welded shut. I am still looking for it to trace it down, resources are limited and I'm intent on just buying the $35 diagnostics book. Hyundai dealership did not inform me that this fuse was pulled while I drove home from the shop yesterday, creating an unsafe condition. They quoted me $500 to replace a brake lamp relay and the ABS (I'm assuming the whole ABS, but maybe just the control module), I declined. My plan for now, as this car isn't driven much, is to trace it down and find the shorted component. From my research, this is clearly affecting many years of Hyundais and Kias, not just my Elantra and not just my year. In fact, it's SO common that there are facebook groups (such as this one [XXX] ) dedicated to helping owners remedy this defect. I think a recall service, and a full investigation of what is electrically wrong with these cars, and what the actual remedy should be, is necessary based on the amount of cars that could be impacted. Hyundai & Kia technicians I am SURE are intimately knowledgeable about this issue by now and us owners are on the hook, having only 80,000 miles of warranty on anything purchased used. Please reach out with any add'l questions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11711743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I received confirmation from my local Hyundai dealership that my 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT is consuming over 1.8 quarts of oil every 1000 miles. The mileage is currently 70k miles. This is not the result of lack of maintenance or neglect but because of Hyundais engine design. I was told by the local dealership that I would need a total engine re build. This was the only option to fix the issue 100%. I was told that if the issue is not fixed it will result in engine failure. Hyundai is not recalling their engines or acknowledging the inherent danger this will cause. I am at my engines will if I cannot afford this repair because Hyundai won’t honor the Powertrain warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11709984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.