Hyundai Motor America is recalling 54,337 model year 2024-2026 Elantra Hybrid sedans because a transistor inside the Hybrid Power Control Unit can overheat under high electrical loads and create a fire risk. The campaign, NHTSA recall 26V308, covers vehicles assembled by Hyundai Motor Company in South Korea between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2025. Hyundai estimates roughly one percent of the recall population may exhibit the defect. The remedy is a free software update at Hyundai dealers.
Highlights
- 54,337 model year 2024-2026 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid vehicles affected
- Metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) inside the HPCU can overheat under high current load
- Four field incidents reported, including one fire; no crashes or injuries
- Dealers will install updated HPCU software free of charge; owner notification scheduled for July 13, 2026
What the Defect Involves
The HPCU governs electrical power delivery to specific components of the Elantra Hybrid’s hybrid system. Inside the unit, a MOSFET can overheat when subjected to high electrical loads. Drivers may notice a “no start” condition or see the vehicle enter a reduced-power “limp” mode with the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illuminated. In a smaller number of cases, the HPCU itself can sustain localized thermal damage to its assembly and internal components, raising the risk of fire.
Hyundai attributes the condition to the current-level HPCU software logic, which may not provide sufficient cooling of the unit under those loads. The recalled parts are HPCU reservoir modules carrying part numbers 36600-2BBG0 (Blue trim) and 36600-2BBG1 (SEL and Limited trims), supplied by Hyundai Mobis in Seoul.
How Hyundai Reached the Recall Decision
The investigation began on December 13, 2024, when Hyundai’s North America Safety Office opened a case after a Speak Up For Safety report involving a 2025 model year Elantra Hybrid. The original incident HPCU was recovered in February 2025 and sent to Hyundai’s Safety Testing & Investigation Laboratory, which found MOSFET damage and coolant inside the housing.
Multiple lab teardowns through the summer of 2025 confirmed a consistent failure location on the MOSFET, though damage severity varied and was not externally visible. Replication testing by Hyundai Motor Company in July 2025 indicated that the failures could be triggered by localized heating during high-current loads at vehicle ignition. Supplier cold-start testing of revised software parameters showed reduced localized heating in the failure zone.
Two additional thermal-damage incidents were reported between December 2025 and April 2026, with one recovered part showing the same MOSFET damage pattern. On May 7, 2026, Hyundai’s North America Safety Decision Authority elected to proceed with a U.S. safety recall. As of that date, Hyundai is aware of four incidents, one of which involved a fire. There have been no crashes or injuries linked to the condition.
Remedy and Owner Notification
The remedy is a software update applied at Hyundai dealers at no cost, regardless of whether the vehicle remains under Hyundai’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The updated software improves MOSFET cooling and limits current delivery during vehicle operation. Hyundai adopted the same software as a production running change on January 7, 2026.
Out-of-pocket expenses already incurred by owners to obtain a remedy for the recall condition are reimbursable under the plan Hyundai filed with NHTSA on March 2, 2026. Dealer notification and owner notification are both scheduled for July 13, 2026 on a phased basis. VINs became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 16, 2026.
Owners can reach Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference Hyundai’s internal recall number 301.
The Elantra Hybrid joins a list of hybrid powertrain recalls tied to overheating power electronics. Late last year, Toyota recalled roughly 55,000 Camry Hybrid and Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles over an improperly torqued inverter bolt that posed a similar loss-of-power and fire risk, though Toyota issued “do not drive” and “park outside” advisories that Hyundai has not issued in this campaign.
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