2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 29 owner complaints on record; most reports concern vehicle speed control.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Nov 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH during ice and snow, the engine revved, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the Hybrid battery. While turning, the contact stated that the vehicle had unintendedly accelerated. Additionally, the tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact believed that the failure was related to the Hybrid battery. The vehicle was driven to the residence, where it remained parked and was not driven since. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,900.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2026
“The Hybrid charging system fails once the vehicle is above 75 mph. After about an hour or two, the vehicle will die on the highway. This is a reoccurring issue putting our safety at risk. The dealership cannot find what the problem is. Online forums show similar issues with dealerships unable to solve the problem.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2024
“At around 93k miles my HECU unit apparently malfunctioned at the same time as the left front tire speed indicator. All of my safety features ABS, adaptive cruise control, lane departure, lane keeping etc do not work because of this.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2024
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“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Elantra HEV. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with a battery warning light illuminated. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle had to be turned off and restarted for the vehicle to recharge and restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact informed the dealer that the failure was intermittent and within an hour the dealer stated had replicated the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2024
“When gas is pressed (even to floor) in drive, vehicle stalls, does not accelerate. Then vehicle jerks into propulsion after revving. Other instances, at deceleration the car will jerk and shake to a stop. I have mentioned the problem at every scheduled maintenance”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Apr 2024
“My 2021 Hyunadai Elantra HEV Blue 12v battery light comes on and I lose power to the engine and all internal electrical components. It has happened while driving on the highway and it is a safety concern. I have addressed it with the dealership and they stated there were no codes and they canot replicate.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2023
“the h e v warning light comes on when driving. the hybrid battery disconnects from the engine and the car is undriveable. have to pull over, stop the car, turn off the car and then reset the hybrid battery. this has happened twice in last week. thank fully i was able to pull over safely, but this a dangerous situation for me and other cars around me. the car had been taken to the dealership just two weeks ago and they were unable to diagnose the issue”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2023
“I was driving on a 40mph speed road at 45 mph and the car stopped accelerating abruptly and remained stuck at 20 mph even thou my foot was on the gas pedal. I had to put the caution lights on and get to the side of the road. I had every car behind me honk and yell when passing by. This could have been a big crash. I have the video of this when I was driving. This happened various times, in December, Feb and last week.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2023
“So the car will come to a dead stop. Then when I give gas, it will not go for 1-2 sec, then all of a sudden it go at high speed by itself. Even when I brake, it will feel like as if I have stepped onto gas. Very dangerous”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2023
“On a few occasions (3?) the cars' automatic emergency braking feature activated while driving at both highway and normal speeds. On none of the occasions was there inclement weather or a "slick" condition on the road. The feature would activate, give a visual and audible warning, and then de-activate within a few seconds. When the feature activated, I felt the car jerk a bit to slow down, and sort of swerve in one direction before righting itself. There is a possibility that the feature activated because I had manually enabled the Auto Hold feature as well which I usually do.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Apr 2023
Recalls - 4 campaigns
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Elantra HEV vehicles. A software error in the motor control unit may cause unintended vehicle acceleration after the brake pedal is released.
Remedy: Dealers will update the motor control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 29, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 248.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Elantra Hybrid years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Elantra Hybrid by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid reliable?
NHTSA has 29 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.