2016 Hyundai Elantra Exterior lighting Problems

The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights confuse other motorists, & the malfunction prevents me from using turn signals, violating safety protocols. I demonstrated this to the service manager on 06/10/26. While the technician acknowledged the defect during a road test & performed a 'cap reset' (documented on the repair order), this attempt failed to resolve the issue. Despite this, the service manager refuses to acknowledge the defect, claiming it is an 'intended feature' of a 2023 recall at a different facility (993). This contradicts the technician's findings & my years of incident-free driving until the work on 05/27/26. The dealership initially omitted my return visit from their records, only acknowledging it after I confronted them in writing. An independent shop confirmed this electrical failure likely stems from P33, but requires proprietary dealer tools to diagnose. Attached video proves the vehicle runs while the alarm blares, confirming no relation to old Campaign 993 logic. Attached Repair Order proves the technician acknowledged the defect & attempted a repair. Despite this, the service manager ignores the documentation, his own technician's findings, & my demonstrations, blaming my locking habits while refusing a deep diagnostic. After 16 days in their possession, neither the dealer nor manufacturer has provided a remedy. If this malfunction were an intended feature, it would be an ongoing hazard; it creates a distraction, causes a panic response, & prevents the adequate use of turn signals while in operation. The vehicle is unsafe, & the dealership & manufacturer have failed to provide a valid repair.

NHTSA ID

11743948

Incident

May 27, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Available for inspection upon request. Please do! Loss of power. Reported same issues a year ago. Brought to dealership, sold on other services that did not solve problem. Opened a case with Hyundai. No solution. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Random loss of power. Hyundai rep stated it’s a problem their systems do not actually scan for so it’s common this won’t appear in inspection reports. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealer rep drove my car and mentioned he noticed it tries to accelerate when idle, but without a code he can’t do anything about it. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A Hyundai dealership inspection was completed. Suggestion I buy a new engine. I declined since the multiple repairs paid for already were supposed to fix the problem, but they didn’t. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights for anything in over a year but I am still dealing with same loss of power and acceleration control issues.

NHTSA ID

11559634

Incident

Dec 11, 2023

All 3 brake lights stopped working over the weekend & there was a recall for all other years except for 2016. This is a serious problem & Hyundai has been having major recalls on their vehicles as of recent

NHTSA ID

11527675

Incident

Jun 17, 2023

-Exterior lighting continuously burns out and I am willing to have my vehicle inspected. Lights that continuously burn out are both headlights, all blinkers, all break lights. -Since the lights burn out so frequently (sometimes as soon as you install a new bulb) I am concerned that without adequate lighting I am at risk for an accident by not being able to properly see at night, be noticed by other vehicles during rain, and risk of being rear ended due to not having adequate break lights. I have spent hundreds of dollars replacing bulbs since I have owned the vehicle and I am also at risk of getting ticketed. -I have informed the dealer of my problem on multiple visits to the dealership. The first time the associate simply responded with "Yeah, they're known for that" and asked if I wanted them to replace the bulb for an up-charge. The second time the response was "There aren't any recalls, you'll have to pay to have it thoroughly inspected and fixed". -The vehicle components have not been thoroughly inspected by anyone. -I do have a warning indication when my blinkers go out. The arrows on the dash will stay lit constantly and there is a faster pace blinker tick when it is not working properly. Other than that there are no other warnings. These issues have been occurring ever since I bought the vehicle in November of 2016. Most recent date I had to buy 2 blinkers, 1 tail light, 2 break lights, and one headlight is listed in the additional details section.

NHTSA ID

11503125

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

FRONT HEADLIGHTS NEED REPLACING ONE MONTHLY. HAD IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A WIRING ISSUE BUT SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE FRONT HIGHBEAMS AND DAYLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOR GOING OUT (NO LONGER WORKING) 12 TIMES IN 2 YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11382810

Incident

Feb 22, 2019

Mileage

46,000 mi

HI... I OWN 11 ELANTRA'S. 4-2013, 3-2016, 2-2018, 1-2019, 1-2020. I OWN A DRIVING SCHOOL. THEY ALL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BURNING OUT LIGHT BULBS, HEADLIGHTS ,SIDE MARKERS AND TAIL LIGHTS. I AM REPLACING BULBS 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE SOCKETS BECAUSE THEY MELTED. THE PLASTIC HOLDERS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT ALSO MELTED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A REMEDY FOR THIS OR ONE IN THE PROCESS. I ALSO HAVE A COMPLAINT ON WHY IT SO DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS.

NHTSA ID

11302462

Incident

Jan 28, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TURN SIGNAL WAS BLINKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (HYUNDAI ON PERRYVILLE, 343 N PERRYVILLE RD, ROCKFORD, IL 61107, (815) 229-0089) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BULBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INCORRECT BULBS WERE INSTALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,021.

NHTSA ID

11161395

Incident

Dec 1, 2015

Mileage

111,021 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON THE AUTOMATIC SETTING AND WHEN EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS USED TO TURN, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE, THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 16,000.

NHTSA ID

11025244

Incident

Sep 23, 2017

Mileage

16,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE CLOCK WILL START TO FLASH THEN THE HEADLIGHTS WILL FLASH AS THE RADIO/CLOCK FLASHES. IF HEAD LIGHTS ARE OFF THE LIGHT BY GAUGES WILL START FLASHING MAKING A CLICKING NOISE, THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES COME ON AND FLASH ALSO. IF I TURN THE AIR ON THE FLASHING WILL STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10920146

Incident

Oct 30, 2016

Mileage

20,000 mi