2026 Honda Civic vs 2026 Hyundai Elantra

On the public data alone the Civic edges it 3–2.

2026 Honda Civic

The 2026 Honda Civic is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Civic 4Dr, is EPA-rate…

2026 Hyundai Elantra

The 2026 Hyundai Elantra is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Elantra Hybrid Blu…

	2026 Honda Civic	2026 Hyundai Elantra
Segment	Midsize car	Midsize car
Powertrains	Hybrid, Gas	Hybrid, Gas
Best combined mpg	49	54
Safety Signal	92	77
NHTSA recalls	1	2
Critical recalls	0	1
Owner complaints	27	3
NHTSA overall stars	5	5

Green cells mark the better value on that row. Complaint counts scale with sales volume; treat them as a pattern signal, not a verdict. Sources: EPA, NHTSA.

Recalls at a glance

Source: NHTSA

Civic

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Steering

SJS, MJU, QJT, VJV

1,693,199 vehicles

ProblemHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V, HR-V, 2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles. The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.RiskDifficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2024. Owners may contact Honda Customer Service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV.

NHTSA campaign 24V744000reported Oct 3, 2024Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Elantra

!critical

Electrical System

301

54,337 vehiclesHybrid only

ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Elantra Hybrid vehicles. The hybrid power control unit (HPCU) assembly may overheat.RiskOverheating in the HPCU increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers 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.

NHTSA campaign 26V308000reported May 14, 2026Hyundai Motor America

▲high

Air Bags

299

2,931 vehicles

ProblemHyundai 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.RiskAir bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.FixDealers 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.

NHTSA campaign 26V254000reported Apr 20, 2026Hyundai Motor America