71 complaints reported

2016 Hyundai Elantra Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
71
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 2022

Fuel Injector went bad in engine with 77k miles & they won’t honor the repair. The car had a knock sensor recall that I never received a letter on & received no warning that the engine was failing.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2022
Oct 2022

idle was rough when car was at the stop light, etc. Took car in to the dealership and they confirmed the issue. Car engine replacement has been approved by Hyundai Motors. I think that the NTSB should be looking in to this as there are currently 71 cars ahead of mine, with the same issue, at this one dealership. Other Hyundai dealership must be having the same issue, this cannot be happening only at this dealership. My engine will not be replaced until April, 2023. It is now October, 2022. That is the reason why the dealership has no cars to loan, the wait list for their car loaners is four months. I am the only owner of this car. I purchased it brand new from this dealership, and have followed the advised maintenance for this car. The "Customer Care" (big joke) told me that I have to pay for my own rental and that they would reimburse only a portion of the rental. I seriously think that this is a recall issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2022
Aug 2022

Sudden loss of power accompanied by a pinging vibration and no response when stepping on gas pedal !

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2021
Jul 2022

Going through oil like crazy, continuous engine knocking

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2022
Jul 2022

at 94,000 still under my engine warrant and paid thousands on "guess repairs" for the past 3 months. Shakiness of engine upon start up followed by completely shutting down and not starting. I have taken it to an auto shop and TWO different hyundai dealerships that have charged me for thousands of dollars on things like new spark plugs, fuel injector flush, O2 sensor, even tested all fuel injectors and came back with no issues. Hyundai says codes aren't showing any issues and sending me home with the same dangerous symptoms!! Even the guy at dealership said "this is why I don't buy Hyundai." I can't find someone to help my case and I feel powerless. I have read so many similar online complaints for my same make and model and nobody is getting the help they need. It's WRONG for the consumer to have to pay for the mistakes made by a manufacturer. Please, somebody take this case on! My engine has all the issues described in the 2016 elantra engine recall, I don't understand how my VIN # does not show up under recall. I am at a dead end and Hyundai won't do anything but continue to charge me for services that are not fixing my car. Recent dealership even claimed he can't show me the diagnosis of codes because their "computers don't work that way." I know there is a lack of honesty. My Hyundai case manager denied the recalls I asked about that are true and all over the internet. It's like they are paid to try and hide public information just to continue to profit off services that don't fix your vehicle. Also, I have more documentation but max was 10 uploads here. I've been dealing with this since December 12, 2021. I also have video footage of what my car does upon start up from 3/05 and 3/06 where it smells like gasoline and entire vehicle shakes like it's going to explode. It all started during a cold front in Houston the day before my moving day to Oregon for new job and car has been CRAP since living in cold weather. ALWAYS a problem and not reliable.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2021
Jun 2022 Fire

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact's wife was driving approximately 12 MPH smelled a burning odor, as she parked at the residence she saw smoke emitting from under the hood and the vehicle ignited and began to burn. The contact stated that the engine caught on fire. The contact stated his wife did not notice any warning light was illuminated. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire with water. The fire department wrote an incident report. The police department was also on scene but did not issue a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The front of the vehicle was severely damaged. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2022
Jun 2022

88,750 miles - Engine began profuse knocking suddenly when traveling down the road under 50mph. Stopped at a service center and they found no oil in the engine. Like THOUSANDS of others with the same complaint, the engine burned the oil which caused it to destroy itself LONG before the oil change interim had arrived.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2022
May 2022

My engine has almost completely burned through its oil twice. I have done routine oil changes and maintenance on the vehicle and the first time this happened, I had driven 3,000 miles since my last oil change (full synthetic, so it should be able to go up to 5,000 miles). The second time, it was out of oil at 1,200 miles. I took the car to Hyundai after the first incident and they said no error codes came up, so there was nothing they could do. This safety issue could cause my engine to stall mid drive, causing a potentially fatal accident. There are no warnings that the engine is low on oil, making this an even more alarming and dangerous defect. Hyundai will not help consumers with this issue, and there is a class action lawsuit against them right now for this problem. Many are saying the exact same thing happened when taking the vehicle into the dealer; they were turned away and charged for no help. I was told to just keep putting oil in my car, but it has gotten exponentially worse since this all began.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2022
Apr 2022

At 75,000 miles my engine randomly blew on the freeway, I rolled down the off-ramp where I lost all power and had to put it in neutral and put the emergency brake on so I didn’t roll through a red light at the bottom of the ramp. Absolutely no warning, nothing else was wrong with the car, mechanic said oil and everything else looked perfect but that it was a manufacturer defect due to the pistons in the engine. Now I owe 8.5k on a car I can’t drive because neither insurance nor Hyundai will take responsibility. Great

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2022
Jan 2022

Oil consumption is 5 quarts every 3 weeks, always do proper maintaince on car and it goes thru oil at an unbeliveble rate, and spoke to other owners that have the same problem with the same year car

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2020
Dec 2021

My car suddenly lost power and would not accelerate over 20 mph. It gave no warning whatsoever. No check engine light no dash lights at all. It seemed as if it was in some type of protection mode. I took it to the dealer and was told it was my catalytic converter. They replaced the manifold catalytic converter and sent me on my way. Within 15 minutes the check engine light was on and has been on ever since. The back of my car is covered in soot and my car uses about 4 quarts of oil per 2 weeks. My car was NOT like this before. I received a letter about a recall and when I took it to the dealer I was brushed off like it didn't apply to my car. My car was doing the EXACT thing that the recall letter stated. I have kept my car maintenance up and fully feel this is a mechanical default.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2021
Dec 2021

After a 290 mile work trip in my 2016 Hyundai Elantra (with approximately 43000 miles on it and regularly maintained at the normal maintenance schedule) I stopped to get gas. When I started the engine, I heard a horrible knocking noise and immediately turned the engine off. I let the engine cool down a little then started it again to get to an important work appointment. It continued knocking the entire time with no warning lights on. After work, I started the car again to drive it to a dealership, the knocking was really bad at this point. I got about a block down the street when the oil and engine light came on and the engine completely shut down while doing about 35 mph. I coasted into a parking lot, called a tow truck, and had it towed to a local Hyundai dealer. When I explained what happened to the service writer, he mentioned that Hyundai has been having a lot of problems with their engines. We went out to the vehicle and he asked me to start it so he could hear it. At that point, the motor didn't really want to start but did, and he checked the oil. He found that there was hardly any oil in it, but there were no leaks or signs of leaks anywhere. Again, I have always had the regularly scheduled maintenance done at my local Hyundai dealer which he verified. At that point, we went back inside and he said it will likely need a new engine. Now I am stuck without a car because it is at a dealership 290 miles away needing a new engine. I have taken such good care of this vehicle, for it to have 43000 miles on it and this happen is a major problem.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2021
Nov 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while her daughter was driving and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The driver placed the vehicle in PARK and restarted the vehicle to drive to her residence; however, the failure recurred sporadically several times thereafter. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle however, the dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were metal shavings found in the engine. The mechanic recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2021
Oct 2021

As I was driving for my job going the speed limit I heard a slight ticking/knocking sounds I pulled over right away and it sounds like the motor is knocking, the gdi in other Hyundai models have a recall for them due to faulty connection rods making the engine fail as this one is, it is going into the dealership Monday and I will provide any documentation showing the car is stock and wasn’t abused in any way or form.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2021
Oct 2021

This cars engine has seized and stopped working. This is an unacceptable problem and it seems as though other years have a recall for this same issue. I would like my year and model added to the recall. I am furious about this situation.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2021
Sep 2021

I was driving the car at 25 MPH, when suddenly there was a clicking noise and the car lost power. I made it to my local service shop, but they were already closed. The next morning they called to inform me that the engine had blown and that it was a common problem for Hyundai vehicles. When the engine blew, it enabled gasoline to leak into the engine compartment. I feel that this is a serious fire hazard. Even though the care had high mileage, it was in good mechanical shape at the time of the incident. I had routine maintenance performed regularly. There were never any warning indicators that something might be wrong.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2021
Jun 2021

Under 70,000 miles, transmission no longer works. Left me stuck in a parking lot and will not go forward. Began with pulling motion while trying to shift and rapidly declined.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2021
Apr 2021

OIL CONSUMPTION,IN THREE MONTHS OR 3K MILES, IT CONSUMES 3 LITTERS, I TOOK IT TO DEALER, THEY DID TEST AND THEY SAID YES THAT IS NORMAL, IT CANNOT BE NORMAL, IF I DRIVE ANOTHER 3K MILES WILL MOST LIKELY BURN THE ENGINE FOR SURE, I KEEP POURING OIL IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2020
Apr 2021

I WAS DRIVING TO NORWOOD ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD AND THE CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING SO I PULLED OVER, LET IT COOL DOWN, AND ADDED WATER TO THE RADIATOR. I DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD OVERHEAT, BUT ONCE IT COOLED, I DROVE BACK HOME. WE CHECKED THE OIL AND OTHER FLUIDS TO BE SURE IT WASN'T LOW. THE FLUIDS WERE FINE AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE THE RADIATOR. THE NEXT DAY, I WENT TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT IN EASTGATE OHIO. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE DRIVE THRU, IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WASN'T GETTING POWER AND THEN SHUT OFF. I WENT TO START IT, BUT IT WOULDN'T START. THE ENGINE WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO MY APARTMENT BY OUR MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND EXPLAINED THAT THE ENGINE IS LOCKED UP. I STILL OWE ON THE VEHICLE SO I PARKED IT AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SAVE MONEY TO GET AN ENGINE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2020
Mar 2021

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND, THERE WERE NOT ANY WARNING LIGHTS ON. I TURNED DOWN THE RADIO AND A/C SO I COULD HEAR IT BETTER, MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE AND SLOWED DOWN, A RED OIL LIGHT FLASHED ON BRIEFLY AND THE KNOCKING GOT VERY LOUD. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AT THE NEXT EXIT APPROX. 1 1/2 MILES DOWN. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF, HAD IT TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IN VENICE. 2 DAYS LATER THEY TOLD ME IT HAD NO OIL IN IT. 5 DAYS LATER THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW $8000 ENGINE! I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES. I WAS 2000 MILES OVER THIS TIME, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT LEAVE 0 OIL IN THE CAR. APPROX. 60,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. AND IF OIL WAS GETTING LOW WHY DIDN'T ANY LIGHTS COME ON.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2021
Mar 2021

ENGINE IS CONSUMING 1.2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES I WAS TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. I DON'T THINK THAT IS NORMAL AT ALL. I DRIVE MOSTLY ON HIGHWAY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2020
Feb 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. Twenty minutes later, there was a ticking sound coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle started sputtering. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was on backorder. the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2021
Jan 2021

CAR HAS BEGUN TO MALFUNCTION AFTER ONLY THREE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF A FAULTY ENGINE OR OVERHEATING. IN DECEMBER OF 2020 I TOOK THE CAR TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, IT IS NOW JANUARY 2021 AND I HAVE HAD TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR DUE TO AN OVERCONSUMPTION OF OIL. AFTER TAKING IT TO HYUNDAI I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT THE CAR MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THE PISTON RINGS REPLACED WHICH WOULD REQUIRE AN ENGINE REBUILD OR A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. THE CAR MALFUNCTIONS ON THE ROAD AS WELL AS WHEN IT IS IDLING. THE CAR WAS USED REGULARLY FOR SCHOOL BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN IT HAS BEEN RARELY USED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2021
Jan 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the engine failed to perform as needed. The contact stated she was able to safely pull off the road and proceeded to call a tow company. The contact stated at the time of failure several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Towne Hyundai (3170 NJ-10, Denville, NJ 07834) where they were not able to diagnose the vehicle. The contact stated that she then had the vehicle towed to Riverhead Hyundai (1800 Old Country Rd, Riverhead, NY 11901) where the vehicle remained to await a diagnostic test and repair. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2021
Dec 2020

MY ENGINE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING SIGNS, SUDDENLY STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IT. WITHIN A FEW MILES ON THE HIGHWAY, THE SOUND GOT LOUDER AND HEAVIER, AND THE ACCELERATION BECAME VERY WEAK. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT WAS SO HESITANT TO DO SO THAT I CALLED FOR A TOW. UPON INSPECTION THE ENGINE WAS CONSIDERED DEAD AND HAD TO BE VERY EXPENSIVELY REBUILT. I KEEP UP WITH MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE CAR PROPERLY FOR THE DURATION OF MY OWNERSHIP. THIS MALFUNCTION CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2020

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Hyundai Elantra has 71 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.