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 stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Bought a 2016 Elantra in 2020 with 44,000 miles on it and a clean repair/ maintenance history. Let me preface the rest of this by saying I am an ASE certified mechanic of 15 years who has been in the industry even longer. The first major issues I incurred with the vehicle happened approximately one year after purchase. The lifters started tapping and not long afterwards (about a week) I had a total engine failure on my hands. I was almost killed by a passing semi truck that was merging on to the interstate but was luckily able to avoid it and get the car on the side of the interstate where I had it towed to Ralph Sellers Hyundai in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Long story short , even though the second owner is entitled to a 5 year, 60,000 mile warranty, they made me pay for a new engine. …
For the past three years I have had to add oil to my car proir to the 3000 mile mark that is recommended. As of the past year, I have had to add oil every 1000 miles. I have had several oil changer businesses tell me that they see this issue all the time with Hyundai vehicles. My car is used to get me to work, doctor appointments, children to school/appointments, grocery store. I live seven minutes from my work. I live three minutes away from the store I grocery shop at. And two minutes from my children's school. I am now starting to hear noises in the engine and I'm fearful this has caused further damage to my car. If I had been made aware of this persistent issue at the time of purchase, I would not have chosen this vehicle. The car never indicates that I'm low on oil. If it runs low prior to the 1000 mile mark it makes an awful rattling noise. …
My fuel pump comes up and my check engine light saying that it needs to be replaced when I fill up my car it automatically resets my mileage for AAA and trippy and it will tell me that I have no gas even though I just filled up or it will say I'm full when I know I'm empty so it's not reliable. It comes and goes. And then for an electrical issue my Car will randomly stop working and then like come back up and it was underneath the positive plug. there is a clip that someone had to extend because it was too short and causing electrical surges so it's still a problem if I go over a bump it gets loose so that clip under the positive terminal I believe is loose and makes my car shut off in the middle of driving at once and then it came right back on
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.
Brake and fuel lines corroded due to failure of manufacture to coat lines completely. Lost brakes completely without warning. Confirmed by Hoffman and Burnham auto services. Also contacted Garvey Hyundai who stayed this is a problem with these vehicles. Contacted Hyundai customer service as there is a Recall issued in Canada for this problem. Hyundai stated no foreseeable recall in the U.S. Lost of brakes could be deathly, not to mention high risk of fire and death if fuel lines corroded thru
Vehicle stalls while driving which is very dangerous. All dashboard lights go on prior to stalling. No engine light is on. Knocking sound coming from engine. Dealer states engine needs to be replaced. Car has been serviced regularly despite that Hyundai denies engine replacement. The knocking sound that engine does is common between this model and year but mysteriously there has not been engine recalls.
Engine Code: P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor 'A' Circuit Severe Issue Consequences of Continued Driving - Rough running - possible Misfire - May not start In my case I was at work and it wouldn't start at all. It ended up having to be towed. Had the battery tested and it was fine then I bought a "FIXD" sensor and it told me the problem
So back in November of 2020 I had a few instances where my car had issues shifting into a different gear while I pressed the gas. It was like it stalled and was suspended for a moment making a really weird noise and then got punched into the next gear super fast and made a bad noise. I was driving between 20-35 miles when these occurrences happened. I went to the Hyundai dealership and had them look at my car but they found nothing. The mechanic test drove it but they found nothing was wrong. The attendant made notes on my account about all of this so that there would be a record. He told me to come in again if I had any more issues like this. Fast forward to now March 19th 2022, there were 4 occurrences in one day, where my car felt like it was stalling differently. …
Component or System that Failed or Malfunctioned: Engine or other I was driving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra in Kissimmee, FL, 34746 when the engine suddenly lost power and the car stalled out. The rpms dropped to 0, and the car could not be restarted. I was able to coast to the side of the road, but I was nearly hit by oncoming traffic. After several minutes on the side of the road, I was able to restart the vehicle to arrive safely home. The vehicle also shuts off at stop lights, drive-through, or idle. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The loss of power while driving could have caused a serious accident. If I had been in the middle of the road or if there had been more traffic, I could have been hit by another vehicle. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? …
Fuel System complaints in other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, 7% of the model year's 300 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Hyundai Elantra fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.