2026 Elantra and Tucson Hybrid Recalled Over Loose Strut Bolts

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 24 of its 2026 Elantra sedans and Tucson Hybrid SUVs because the bolts holding the front struts to the steering knuckles may not be tight enough. The cars were built at the Ulsan plant in South Korea.

The problem surfaced on July 20, when Hyundai’s North America Safety Office received a field report of suspension noise over bumps on a 2026 Elantra. A survey of unsold cars turned up two with strut fasteners below the torque specification, and Hyundai Motor Company traced the cause to operator error at Ulsan, where the torque readings recorded on the line were also logged incorrectly and so never flagged the loose bolts. Hyundai added torque monitoring and sign-off checks to the line by September 9 and decided on the recall on October 13. It knows of one incident in the US and of no crashes, fires or injuries.

The recall report filed with NHTSA covers 20 Elantras built from December 30, 2025 to July 6, 2026 and four Tucson Hybrids built from January 21 to March 20, 2026, and Hyundai estimates that about 10 percent of them actually have the defect. A second recall filed one day later covers loose wheel lug nuts on 17 more 2026 Venues and Elantras from the same plant.

The defect: the fasteners joining the front strut assemblies to the steering knuckles may be insufficiently tightened.

The hazards: loose strut fasteners can let the suspension parts partly or fully separate, increasing the risk of a crash. Warning signs are suspension noise or vibration and the car pulling to one side.

Components: front MacPherson strut flange nuts, part number 62618-4D000, supplied by Samjin Nut

Affected vehicles: 2026 Hyundai Elantra (20 cars) and 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid (4)

Number of vehicles affected: 24

The fix: dealers will inspect the fasteners on both front struts and, where needed, retighten them, replace the related hardware and perform a wheel alignment, free of charge. Hyundai will reimburse owners who already paid for the repair.

Source: Hyundai Motor America’s filing with NHTSA

Owners should: watch for a letter from Hyundai Motor America, expected to go out December 19, 2026, or check their VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, where the affected numbers have been searchable since October 23. Hyundai’s number for this recall is 309.

Contacts:

• Hyundai Motor America customer service: 1-855-371-9460
• Hyundai Motor America recall number: 309
• NHTSA campaign number: 26V692000
• NHTSA vehicle safety hotline: 1-888-327-4236
• Check a VIN: nhtsa.gov/recalls

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