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Hyundai Elantra Reliability by Year

Every Elantra model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Compact Passenger Car of the same year.

The short answer

Best model year
2006
#3 of 31 that year
Year to avoid
2017
#35 of 41 that year
Latest scored
2025
#5 of 18

Across 22 scored model years the Elantra needs fixing less often than its class, and repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2006 is its strongest, 2017 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Compact Passenger Car sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#5 /2986th
2005#3 /3193th
2006#3 /3193thBest year
2007#14 /3359th
2008#19 /3649th
2009#13 /3261th
2010#17 /3045th
2011#18 /3245th
2012#24 /4143th
2013#31 /4329th
2014#23 /4145th
2015#13 /3968th
2016#11 /3873th
2017#35 /4115thAvoid
2018#26 /3526th
2019#16 /3455th
2020#22 /2719th
2021#17 /2533th
2022#9 /2971th
2023#14 /2238th
2024#10 /2257th
2025#5 /1876th

The line has moved around across 22 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2018–2020. The recent trend is upward. This 2025 car falls in a strong stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Elantra model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Compact Passenger Car of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), the trouble concentrates in one place: engine. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Compact Passenger Car of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

🔒 System-by-system breakdown
All 12 systems scored for the Elantra year you are looking at — which ones fail more often than the class, by how much, and on how many reports.
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How it compares to the class

All 18 Compact Passenger Cars from 2025, plotted by how often they need fixes and what those fixes cost.

🔒 The whole class, plotted
Where the Elantra lands against every other 2025 Compact Passenger Car — and which rivals beat it.
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Common questions

What is the best year for a used Hyundai Elantra?

2006 is the strongest Elantra model year on record, ranking #3 of 31 Compact Passenger Cars that year.

Which Hyundai Elantra years should I avoid?

2017 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #35 of 41.

Is the latest Elantra reliable?

The 2025 Elantra ranks #5 of 18 Compact Passenger Cars — the upper quarter of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Elantra

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.