Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
23–54 mpgcombined; city 20–51, highway 27–58; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$6,020–$17,500U.S. average; Ohio $5,380–$16,490 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 Elantra. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Elantra. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
1
0
0
1
Engine
1
0
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
1
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 Elantra over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Elantra Hybrid vehicles. The hybrid power control unit (HPCU) assembly may overheat.
Risk: Overheating in the HPCU increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the HPCU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 301. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Elantra N, 2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), and Elantra vehicles. The B-pillar impact sensors may have been misassembled, which can delay air bag deployment.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the impact sensor(s), as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 11, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 299. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 22, 2026.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 6 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Elantra, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: air bags (2), engine (2), exterior lighting (1), forward collision avoidance (1), lane departure (1).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 Elantra.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Elantra Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S7)
Regular Gasoline
28 / 35 / 31
Elantra Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
49 / 52 / 50
Elantra Hybrid Blue Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
51 / 58 / 54
Elantra N Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Elantra N Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Premium Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Elantra non-ISG Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S1)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 40 / 34
Elantra w/Stop-Start Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S1)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 40 / 35
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data