Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Hyundai Elantra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated that while her wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact's wife was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The co-workers of the contact's wife inspected under the hood and noticed that there was no engine oil in the vehicle. However, the contact stated that she had recently completed an oil change. The contact's wife added engine oil in the vehicle with assistance. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle emitted an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer identified the failure as excessive oil consumption that had damaged the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the emission valve sensor needed to be replaced. The contact's son diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved the DTC code: P0017 (Crankshaft Position). The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the emission valve sensor, variable valve timing (VVT), VVT intake, camshaft position sensor, timing chain, and camshaft sprockets; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated that the instrument panel software was previously replaced by an independent mechanic as the instrument cluster lights were inoperative. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The manufacturer offered to cover a percent of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
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.
The contact daughter owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart after 5 minutes. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where is it was diagnosed with engine failure, and that the catalytic converter failed due to oil entering from the engine. The contact was informed that the engine and catalytic converter and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the engine made abnormal loud knocking sounds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine threw a rod through the engine block and destroyed the engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would cover a percentage of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 77,170.
Engine complaints in other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA has 118 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, 39% of the model year's 300 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline › belts and associated pulleys (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Hyundai Elantra engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Hyundai Elantra engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.