Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2017 Hyundai Elantra: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 764 safety complaints about the 2017 Hyundai Elantra with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

764
Complaints
4
Recalls
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 37 crashes, 6 fires, 24 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling leads the complaint list, cited in 290 of 764 complaints, followed by Body & structure.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 122 of the 764 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 4 years after the model year (128 filed in 2021) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2017 Hyundai Elantra, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 764 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
290
Body & structure
185
Other / unspecified
130
Electrical
111
Steering
71
Power train / transmission
62
Brakes & stability
53
Airbags & restraints
37

"Car had check engine come on with No significant symptom. Mechanic said this code leads them to either timing chain, phasers, or piston valve all located in the engine. The car does not have much time at this point. It’s very costly after just having changed all the oil gaskets from a leaky engine. Mechanic said it will suddenly get bad if left unpaired and could be dangerous for me while driving."

Owner complaint filed June 2025 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11665761

"The cars just stops running as you are driving. It's happened multiple times. We've changed the crankshaft sensor & cleaned the fuel system. We saw these remedies online as multiple people are having this same problem with their Hyundai."

Owner complaint filed November 2024 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11627192

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2017 Hyundai Elantra peaked later than usual, in 2021.

Complaints filed per year — 2017 Hyundai Elantra
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
7
35
44
67
85
128
125
107
75
59
32
1617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2017 compares with other model years

Across the Hyundai Elantra model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (1,328); the 2017 ranks 2 of 4.

Total complaints by model year — Hyundai Elantra
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
460
674
1,328
2017
764
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 4 recalls

4 recalls apply to some or all 2017 Hyundai Elantra vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Apr 201616V-232
Air Bags:Frontal

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 October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the…

Dec 201616V-956
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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 driver's frontal air bag inflator may not hav…

Jan 201717V-063
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic

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.

Mar 201717V-213
Steering:Electric Power Assist System

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.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★☆
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2017 Hyundai Elantra have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 764 complaints about the 2017 Hyundai Elantra with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2017 Hyundai Elantra have?

The 2017 Hyundai Elantra has 4 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2017 Hyundai Elantra safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2017 Hyundai Elantra an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.