Hyundai Elantra 2017–2020 problems by year and mileage
6th generation · AD
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,549 complaints, 503 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 44,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 767
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2017 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2017
- Engine290 reports · median 49,000 mi
- Body structure134 reports · median 58,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise131 reports · median 38,000 mi
4 recall campaigns name the 2017: Steering — electric power assist system; Service brakes, hydraulic — power assist; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2018 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 27,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 282
- Recalls naming this year
- 0
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2018 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2018
- Engine140 reports · median 38,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise54 reports
- Electrical system43 reports
The 2019 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 50,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 250
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2019 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2019
- Engine132 reports
- Exterior lighting65 reports
- Electrical system37 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2019: Engine. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2020 Hyundai Elantra
Close- Median failure report
- 9,500 mi
- Complaints filed
- 250
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2020
- Engine105 reports · median 31,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline47 reports
- Exterior lighting28 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2020: Engine; Suspension — front; Wheels — lugs/nuts/bolts/studs. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. † marks a year whose median likely understates the mileage: much of its reporting came after 2020, when most complaints stopped recording an odometer reading. The 2019 reports latest and the 2020 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2019 has had 1 more year on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2017–2020 Hyundai Elantra reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 39,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 105,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 503
- Recalls
- 7
At least 40% of this generation’s complaints were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading, so the median likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported
- Engine43.1% of complaints · median 47,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise15.2% of complaints · median 34,000 mi
- Electrical system14.1% of complaints · median 39,000 mi
Owners filed 1,549 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017–2020 Hyundai Elantra; the engine leads with 43.1% of them, and half of the 503 that record an odometer reading came by 39,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 10,000 and 70,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2017–2020 Hyundai Elantra last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2017–2020 Hyundai Elantra, half of the 503 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 39,000 miles and 90% by 105,000 miles.
10 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 2 past 200,000 — each one proof that an Elantra reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Elantra 2017–2020 · 503 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 121 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 2 complaints (0.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 2,000
- 25%
- 10,211
- Median
- 39,000
- 75%
- 70,000
- 90%
- 105,405
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 121 | 24.1% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 50 | 9.9% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 30 | 6.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 56 | 11.1% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 39 | 7.8% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 36 | 7.2% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 34 | 6.8% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 34 | 6.8% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 21 | 4.2% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 17 | 3.4% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 24 | 4.8% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 13 | 2.6% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 4 | 0.8% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 8 | 1.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 6 | 1.2% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 4 | 0.8% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 200,000+ | 2 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Elantra problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Hyundai Elantra 2017–2020
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline144 reports21,0003,000–74,000Transmission and driveline: 144 reports, median 21,000 miles, middle half 3,000 to 74,000 miles.
- Steering116 reports22,0005,000–60,000Steering: 116 reports, median 22,000 miles, middle half 5,000 to 60,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise235 reports34,00016,000–70,000Problems owners could not categorise: 235 reports, median 34,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 70,000 miles.
- Exterior lighting132 reports35,00010,000–57,000Exterior lighting: 132 reports, median 35,000 miles, middle half 10,000 to 57,000 miles.
- Electrical system218 reports39,00012,000–60,000Electrical system: 218 reports, median 39,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 60,000 miles.
- Engine667 reports47,00018,000–85,000Engine: 667 reports, median 47,000 miles, middle half 18,000 to 85,000 miles.
- Body structure159 reports54,00036,000–77,000Body structure: 159 reports, median 54,000 miles, middle half 36,000 to 77,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 667 | 43.1% | 47,000 | 18,000–85,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 235 | 15.2% | 34,000 | 16,000–70,000 |
| Electrical system | 218 | 14.1% | 39,000 | 12,000–60,000 |
| Body structure | 159 | 10.3% | 54,000 | 36,000–77,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 144 | 9.3% | 21,000 | 3,000–74,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 132 | 8.5% | 35,000 | 10,000–57,000 |
| Steering | 116 | 7.5% | 22,000 | 5,000–60,000 |
| Brakes | 77 | 5.0% | 20,000 | 10,000–44,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 58 | 3.7% | 28,000 | 4,000–58,000 |
| Latches and locks | 56 | 3.6% | 70,000 | 45,000–92,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 39,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 43.1% of complaints (667 reports, 204 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 47,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 18,000 and 85,000 miles.
A single system taking 43.1% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 15.2% of complaints (235 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 34,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 70,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 14.1% of complaints (218 reports, 57 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 39,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 60,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 10.3% of complaints (159 reports, 42 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 54,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 36,000 and 77,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 9.3% of complaints (144 reports, 63 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 21,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 74,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 8.5% of complaints (132 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 35,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 57,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2017–2020 Elantra
Engine 2017–2020
Nu 2.0L connecting-rod bearing failure leading to knocking, engine seizure, stalling and in some cases engine-compartment fire; addressed through recalls and the Hyundai/Kia engine settlement with knock-sensor detection software and coverage extended to 15 years/150,000 miles.
Transmission 2017–2018
7-speed dual-clutch transmission shudder, hesitation from a stop and clutch actuator faults on the 1.4T and 1.6T trims.
Anti-Theft 2017–2020
Key-start trims lack an engine immobilizer, enabling the widely publicized USB-key theft method.
Before you buy a 2017–2020 Elantra: the 3-minute check
Generated from 503 mileage-tagged complaints, 7 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 7 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine on 2017–2020 cars. Nu 2.0L connecting-rod bearing failure leading to knocking, engine seizure, stalling and in some cases engine-compartment fire; addressed through recalls and the Hyundai/Kia engine settlement with knock-sensor detection…
- Check transmission on 2017–2018 cars. 7-speed dual-clutch transmission shudder, hesitation from a stop and clutch actuator faults on the 1.4T and 1.6T trims.
- Check anti-theft on 2017–2020 key–start trims cars. Key-start trims lack an engine immobilizer, enabling the widely publicized USB-key theft method.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 10,000 and 70,000 miles, with a median of 39,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 34,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Elantra problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi66% below | At 90k mi84% below | At 120k mi94% below | At 150k mi98% below | At 200k mi100% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 18,000–85,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 16,000–70,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 12,000–60,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Body structure | 36,000–77,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 3,000–74,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Exterior lighting | 10,000–57,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 5,000–60,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Hyundai Elantra 2017–2020 · 503 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 66% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 84% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 94% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 98% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 100% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 100%: the remaining 0.4% of reports (2) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2017–2020 Hyundai Elantra recalls (7)
NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (2), the engine (1), the suspension (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Apr 2021 · 2019–2020 · EngineA damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
What can happen. A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed…
Oct 2019 · 2020 · SuspensionA detached ball joint can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Elantra vehicles. The lower control arm ball joint fasteners may have been insufficiently tightened allowing the ball joint to detach from the lower control arm.
What can happen. A detached ball joint can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the ball joint fasteners, free of charge. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…
Oct 2019 · 2020 · WheelsA wheel detaching from the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Ioniq Hybrid and 2020 Elantra vehicles. The right-side rear wheel lug nuts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the wheel to detach from the vehicle.
What can happen. A wheel detaching from the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, tighten the lug nuts, free of charge. The recall began November 15, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Mar 2017 · 2017 · SteeringLoss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may…
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Elantra vehicles. The affected vehicles may have a damaged Electronic Power Steering (MDPS) connector resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
What can happen. Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS motor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-243-7766.…
Jan 2017 · 2017 · Service Brakes, HydraulicA loss of power brake assist can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a…
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Elantra vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake booster may fail, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
What can happen. A loss of power brake assist can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai has notified owners, and dealers will replace the brake system booster assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Dec 2016 · 2017 · Air BagsIn the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2017 Hyundai Elantra vehicles manufactured April 15, 2016, to September 13, 2016, and Sonata vehicles manufactured May 27, 2016 to September 16, 2016. In these vehicles, the end seal for the…
What can happen. In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully increases the risk of injury.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Apr 2016 · 2017 · Air BagsAn air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured…
What can happen. An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,549 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 82 (5.3%)
- Fires
- 22
- Injury reports
- 40
- Fatality reports
- 3
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Elantra problems by model year
The 2017 drew the most complaints of this generation, 767, most of them about the engine, and the 2019 the fewest, 250. A typical year drew about 266.
That makes the 2017 stand out at roughly 2.9 times a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 767 | 280 | 44,000† | Engine (290) | 4 |
| 2018 | 282 | 91 | 27,000† | Engine (140) | 0 |
| 2019 | 250 | 57 | 50,000† | Engine (132) | 1 |
| 2020 | 250 | 75 | 9,500 | Engine (105) | 3 |
What Elantra owners reported
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 35-40 MPH on a bridge, the engine made a loud banging and knocking sound, and the vehicle stalled. The driver shifted into neutral, coasted down the bridge with the engine off, and pulled over to the side of the road. The…
2019 · 120,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted but unexpectedly stalled. The vehicle was taken…
2020 · 47,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. No warning light was illuminated. An…
2017 · 108,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic Camshaft sensor failure. The camshaft sensors were replaced; however, the issue…
2020 · 105,000 miles · Engine
Built from 503 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Elantra generations
- Elantra 1996–2000 163 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline
- Elantra 2001–2006 952 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Elantra 2007–2010 940 reports with mileage, most about the steering
- Elantra 2011–2016 1,970 reports with mileage, most about the engine