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'Big Gap Here:' Man Buys Hyundai Elantra. Then He Realizes Newer Models All Have This Design Flaw That Leads To Rust

'Oof. I just replaced one.'

Hyundai Elantra taillight rust

Photo by: @wheelhousecomposites/TikTok

Nina Hernandez

By: Nina Hernandez

Jun 9, 2025 at 9:00am ET

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A man learned the hard way to trust your instincts after he bought a 2021 Hyundai Elantra. His concern about a potential design quirk leading to rust was correct.

TikTok user Wheelhouse Composites (@wheelhousecomposites) posted a video on June 5 that he titled: "2021+ Elantra owners watch."

In the video, the man behind the TikTok account explains that he noticed a "big gap" between the taillight and the trunk of the Elantra. "I said, 'Hey, that's going to be an issue in the future with dirt and rust and stuff getting back down under here,'" he recalled. "There's not really a good way to clean it.'"

The Elantra owner shows viewers the back of his vehicle with the tail lights already halfway disassembled. There is visible dirt on the paint. “And this is the first time taking it off in about six months, and that's pretty much what it looks like,” he said.

What can you do about the gap on the Hyundai Elantra tail light?

Clean it, he says.

"I would definitely recommend taking the time to pull it off," the man said. "It's this panel right here. It's two 10-millimeter bolts—just make sure you don't drop them, otherwise you’ve got to take the whole liner out. Once you take those out, you kind of just have to grab onto it and wiggle it a bunch."

However you get it done, the TikToker recommends that you do. "Take the time to clean that out because otherwise that's going to be a rust issue," he said to close the video.

In the comments section, some viewers offered measured responses stemming from personal experience. Others flippantly suggested the good ol' American way.

"Add a bead of silicone along the top so water flows around it, not through," wrote one person.

“Oof. I just replaced one of the light assemblies on my Honda Insight 2019, and it was a little dirty from parking under trees often, but not too bad," a second viewer wrote.

“Duct tape works wonders,” joked another.

And several commenters seemed to take this as an opportunity to settle a personal score with the Hyundai brand.

"That car isn't built to last anyway," said one person. "Ask yourself what kid is going to rebuild that car 20 years from now."

He isn't the first to notice the Elantra design quirk

It’s possible that Hyundai designed the Elantra’s tail light to be slightly less than flush with the trunk in order to provide extra ventilation, which is a huge issue for modern car manufacturers. Car owners with a corrosion warranty are covered for up to 7 years.

This isn’t unique to the TikToker’s 2021 Elantra. In a Reddit thread posted to r/Hyundai three years ago, car owners discussed their experiences with Hyundai tail lights not being perfectly flush with the body of the vehicle and corresponding issues with moisture and rust.

One Redditor wrote that there are seep holes in the headlight housings that allow moisture to escape in certain conditions. "Sometimes it's possible for water to get into the housing because of them," the user wrote. "My MK7 GLi and current GT Sport both have this happen every now and then if I go through a power wash or rain hits them the right way. Give it a day or two to evaporate out, but if the water starts actually accumulating at the bottom or your actual bulbs are affected, then I'd take it in for warranty."

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A second user replied, "Yes, this is correct. Hyundai switched to a 'vented' lamp assembly for the Elantras. Mine did this with 100 miles on it. Goes away after sitting in the sun for an hour or so, or just after time. No real reason to worry unless there is a visible amount of water in the housing regularly."

Motor1 reached out to Hyundai via press email for comment. We also reached out to Wheelhouse Composites via TikTok for comment. We'll update this story when we hear back.

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