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Selling a junk Hyundai Elantra

Any Elantra sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Hyundai Elantra

NHTSA has 11,650 owner complaints on file for the Hyundai Elantra, model years 1995 to 2022, the 37th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (1,619, 14%), air bags (1,322, 11%), steering (1,135, 10%). 1,230 complaints involved a crash, 298 a fire, and 529 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 60,570 miles. The 2013 model year has the most complaints (1,865). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Hyundai Elantra by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995179Air bags3251—
1996138Engine and cooling1143—
1997196Transmission and drivetrain260389,000
199875Engine and cooling1000—
1999183Transmission and drivetrain244294,500
2000259Engine and cooling432150,512
2001445Air bags10010670,500
2002431Suspension807672,225
2003310Suspension591568,500
2004209Air bags323555,112
2005180Air bags435459,925
2006209Air bags370168,500
2007367Visibility and wipers2619673,000
2008424Steering5739764,500
2009324Steering3917478,000
2010504Steering7117364,659
2011590Engine2911571,000
2012921Engine7415463,000
20131,865Brakes15957450,000
2014555Engine5825260,000
2015357Engine4512353,500
2016399Engine306255,970
20171,080Engine589444,049
2018408Engine1612037,334
2019334Engine195148,500
2020346Engine3311311,000
2021216Driver assistance1116—
2022146Driver assistance815—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Hyundai Elantra recalls

NHTSA lists 53 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (14), fuel system (8), brakes (6). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2015 model year, air bags (campaign 26V307000, May 2026): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
  • 2021 model year, driver assistance (campaign 24V879000, Nov 2024): 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…
  • 2015 model year, latches and locks (campaign 24V146000, Feb 2024): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the re…
  • 2011 model year, brakes (campaign 23V651000, Sep 2023): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 T…
  • 2022 model year, air bags (campaign 22V632000, Aug 2022): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Elantra N and 2022-2023 Elantra vehicles. The emblem on the cover of the driver's front air bag may not have been welded properly, which can result in the emblem …

What a Hyundai Elantra is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Elantra on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Hyundai Elantra worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Elantra gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Hyundai Elantra that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Hyundai Elantra?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Hyundai Elantra numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.