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The 2021 Hyundai Elantra is a midsize cars vehicle covered by 6 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 132 owner complaints and 6 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 8 report a crash and 1 report a fire; 3 complaints report injuries totalling 3 injured people, and 1 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Forward Collision Avoidance, named in 32 complaints (24.2% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2021 Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★★ |
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (6)
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) that include the 2021 Hyundai Elantra. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 21V796000 — Seat Belts:front 13/10/2021
Summary: 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.
Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
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 recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 for Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles, 22V-458 for Venue vehicles, and 23V-094 for Genesis vehicles. Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, and Genesis vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedies completed.
Campaign 21V00M000 — Visibility:windshield 28/12/2021
Summary: 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.
Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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 this recall is 216.
Campaign 21V302000 — Seats:front Assembly:recliner 28/04/2021
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat back recliners may have been improperly welded.
Consequence: An improperly welded seat back recliner could separate from the seat back frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 204.
Campaign 22V218000 — Seat Belts:front 01/04/2022
Summary: 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.
Consequence: Exploding seat belt pretensioners can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
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 available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 223. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 22V354000 — Seat Belts:front 19/05/2022
Summary: 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.
Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
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 this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 24V879000 — Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 21/11/2024
Summary: 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 Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Owner Complaints (132)
Owners have filed 132 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Elantra with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 32 | 24.2% |
| Electrical System | 31 | 23.5% |
| Unknown Or Other | 29 | 22.0% |
| Seat Belts | 27 | 20.5% |
| Engine | 13 | 9.8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 7.6% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 6.1% |
| Power Train | 7 | 5.3% |
| Lane Departure | 6 | 4.5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3.8% |
| Steering | 5 | 3.8% |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 3.0% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Forward Collision Avoidance, 32 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2022 with 45 filings. Owners filed 132 complaints in total across 6 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 8 and those involving a fire number 1; 3 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2021 Hyundai Elantra as a midsize cars vehicle and published ratings for 6 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 28–54 MPG; the median configuration returns 32 city / 42 highway / 36 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S1) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 36 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | Automatic (AM-S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 52 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | Automatic (AM-S7) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 31 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 28 |
Showing the 4 most common configuration groups of 6 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2021 Hyundai Elantra have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 132 complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Forward Collision Avoidance with 32 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2021 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) covering the 2021 Hyundai Elantra in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 21V796000 for Seat Belts:front.
What is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2021 Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 4 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 5 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2021 Hyundai Elantra get?
The EPA rated 6 configurations of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra. Combined fuel economy ranges from 28 to 54 MPG, with a median of 36 MPG (median city 32, median highway 42).