Hyundai Equus Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

2016 HYUNDAI EQUUS - BLACK SOOT BEING EMITTED FROM ENGINE THROUGH EXHAUST SYSTEM. VERY HEAVY DEPOSITS ON REAR OF VEHICLE, SUFFICIENT TO BLACKEN CLOTHES, DISCOLOR THE VEHICLE, DOES NOT WIPE OFF AFTER A FEW DAYS AND CHEMICALS MUST BE USED TO REMOVE. MANUFACTURER SAYS: "THIS IS A NORMAL BYPRODUCT OF THE GDI ENGINE". SEE (PICS) MULTIPLYING THE NUMBER OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES IN THE U.S. BY WHAT I AM SEEING ON MY CAR, THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS AIR POLLUTION ISSUE.

2016 HYUNDAI EQUUS WITH CONTINENTAL CONTIPROCONTACT P245 / 45R / 19 98V TIRES; DOT AF7VP1H6 (0615); WHILE DRIVING MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILD TO THE AIRPORT ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE. UPON RETURNING HOME, CALLED CAR DEALER AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT THE NEXT DAY. WE BOTH THOUGHT A FRONT TIRE HAD POSSIBLY THROWN A WHEEL BALANCING WEIGHT. DEALER FOUND BOTH FRONT TIRES HAD BELT SEPARATION CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE. THE CAR AND TIRES WERE PURCHASED NEW AT THE DEALER AT THE END OF 2016, ARE ONLY 22 MONTHS OLD AND HAVE ONLY 19,700 MILES. WE HAVE NOT HIT ANY CURBS, ROUGH RAILROAD TRACKS OR LARGE POT-HOLES AND IT IS SUSPICIOUS THAT IT WAS BOTH FRONT TIRES. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEALER, REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A LIKELY MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND OFFERED ONLY 50% OF THE TIRE REPLACEMENT COSTS AND THEY WANTED THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE OTHER NEW TIRES FOR LESS COST THAN WHAT THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE TIRES IN MY POSSESSION AND PLAN TO RUN ROOT-CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS ON THE TIRES SUSPECTING THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE RUBBER USED CAUSING THE BELTS TO PREMATURELY SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE COMPOUND. I NOTED OTHER SIMILAR BELT SEPARATION FAILURES ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE LISTED UNDER THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, BRAND AND EVEN CAR BRAND. WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING THE CAR MAKER AND TIRE MANUFACTURER TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT OF A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.

I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROD IN LAUREL, MARYLAND. MY CAR HIT A POTHOLE AND I GOT OUT TO LOOK AND DISCOVER THAT I HAD TWO FLAT TIRES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANT SHOWED ME THAT THE FRONT RIM WAS SPLIT AND THE BACK TIRE HAD A HOLE ON THE SIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT CONCERNING THE FRONT WHEEL OF THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT.

I am writing to log an immediate emergency update to my vehicle safety report regarding my 2012 Hyundai Equus Signature 5.0L. On Friday afternoon, July 10, 2026, Hyundai Motor America’s corporate office formally initiated a high-level Tier-2 supervisor review to investigate the severe powertrain safety hazard currently present on my vehicle—specifically, a catastrophic internal rupture of the transmission fluid cooler loop that has cross-contaminated and flooded my engine block infrastructure and main radiator with high-velocity metallic shrapnel. However, today, Saturday, July 11, 2026, the servicing franchise dealership, Patrick Hyundai, issued an immediate verbal denial of all goodwill repair or safety inspection coverage. This premature weekend denial represents a blatant, bad-faith attempt by a localized franchise to circumvent an active manufacturer safety audit. By issuing a verbal denial while corporate offices are closed, the dealership is attempting to apply high pressure to force me to immediately tow this severely compromised, non-driveable vehicle off their property. This action is designed solely to force the removal and destruction of critical, un-tampered physical fluid evidence before a qualified Federal Safety Engineer or a Hyundai Field Product Engineer can mandate a teardown or structural inspection. The manufacturer's franchise is actively evading its product liability and safety screening protocols for an integrated, multi-system thermal failure. I am requesting that federal safety auditors expedite an intervention, freeze any attempt to eject the vehicle from the facility, and order a formal manufacturer field safety audit. Case number 11749120

I am reporting a severe vehicle safety hazard involving a sudden loss of motive power and extreme thermal failure on my 2012 Hyundai Equus Signature 5.0L. In July 2022, at 88,845 miles, an authorized Hyundai dealership replaced the transmission under a factory warranty event. Rather than replacing the transmission oil cooler assembly—which was contaminated with heavy metal shrapnel from the original mechanical breakdown—the servicing dealer chose to only flush the lines, creating a latent fluid restriction. After approximately 18,000 miles of operation, this restriction completely choked the transmission fluid pressure loop. The extreme thermal stress and back-pressure caused the internal walls of the transmission cooler to suffer a catastrophic structural rupture. This caused the transmission to suddenly overheat and fail while driving, creating an immediate highway safety risk and a total loss of vehicle control. Furthermore, the internal rupture of the cooler walls has caused direct fluid cross-contamination ('SMOD'), forcing transmission fluid and metallic shrapnel directly into the engine's main radiator and cooling passages. This metal shrapnel is currently circulating through the engine's cooling network, creating a severe secondary hazard of catastrophic engine seizure and thermal runaway while traveling at highway speeds. The manufacturer has been notified but has formally refused in writing to dispatch a field engineer or authorize a safety inspection of this cross-contaminated powertrain network.

I was driving on the highway and my transmission due to a failed transmission service done to my vehicle caused my vehicle’s transmission to overheat a blowout my transmission cooler and mix coolant and transmission fluid unknown to me because of a clogged transmission cooler line improperly flushed instead of replaced by the Patrick Hyundai dealership there could’ve been and electrical fire or a crash due to these things.

FROM THE DESK OF LMI'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: [XXX] I PURCHASED 2012 EQUUS ON MARCH 7, 2012 WITH 108,216 MILES. THE CARS SUSPENSION STARTED GOING BAD AS OF LAST WEEK. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK ON MARCH 20, 2020 TO HAVE A MIRROR REPLACED AND TO DISCUSS THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM. IT?S BEEN OVER A WEEK AND TODAY THEM AFTER A 45 MINUTE DRIVE I WAS TOLD THEY HAD THE WRONG MIRROR...EVEN THOUGH I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE PERSON ([XXX]) AND HE ASSURED ME EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER AND HE EVEN SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE MIRROR. WHILE I WAS THERE I SHOWED [XXX] THE SUSPENSION AND I WAS REFERRED TO THE SALES MANAGER. TALK TO THE SALES MANAGER AND HE SHOWED NO CONCERN...THE SALES MANAGER GAVE ME A LOOK LIKE, SO WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT. I STATED MY CONCERN AND THAT I'VE ONLY DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE 590 MILES (TO WORK AND HOME) SINCE I PURCHASED IT AND THE SUSPENSION SHOULD NOT BE ACTING UP ALREADY. I COULD SEE IF I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR SOME MONTHS BUT I HAD IT ROUGHLY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AGAIN, HE SHOWED NO CONCERN AND RESTATED THE "AS IS" POLICY. I UNDERSTAND THE "AS IS" PART AND I ADMIT I DID SIGN THE DOCUMENT BUT THE VEHICLE SEEMED FINE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. MY CONCERN IS THE DEALERSHIPS ATTITUDE AFTER THE SALE. NO ONE SHOULD TREAT CUSTOMERS THAT WAY. I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE GOOD REVIEWS...IT IS BECAUSE MOST OF THEM COME FROM PEOPLE WHO PURCHASED NEW CARS OR CARS UNDER WARRANTY (MY FAULT FOR NOT DOING SO) HOWEVER A BUSINESS SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OR ATTEMPT TO TRY HELP OUT A CUSTOMER (IT'S CALLED MAINTAINING REPEAT BUSINESS AND DEVELOPING CUSTOMER LOYALTY). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JOLTED CONTINUOUSLY AND SHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY INTO ANOTHER GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

MY VEHICLE SWAYS LIKE A BOAT SIDE TO SIDE NO MATTER MY SPEED, BUT ON THE HIGHWAY IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE I'M LOSING CONTROL. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AFTER HAVING IT FOR 4 WEEKS THEY RETURNED MY VEHICLE BACK TO ME NOT REPAIRED AND NO ANSWERS TO WHY THE ISSUE STARTED. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE REQUESTING AN HYUNDAI FIELD ENGINEER TO COME OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM IN ALMOST 2 MONTHS. *TR

AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING CAR THE ECS LIGHT STARTED ILLUMINATING WHICH IN RETURN GAVE CAR A SPONGY, BOUNCY RIDE ETC., HEIGHT FUNCTION WOULD NOT WORK. AFTER REPAIRS WERE DONE 1ST TIME AROUND JUNE-AUGUST OF 2013 SEEM LIKE EVERY FEW MONTHS PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR AGAIN AND AGAIN, LATEST BEING JULY 2014,CAR WAS PLACED IN SHOP JULY 7TH AND CAR WAS JUST RETURNED JULY 31ST IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT I THINK WILL CONTINUE FROM MY EXPERIENCE SINCE PURCHASING CAR, I AM NO TECH OR ENGINEER BUT FOR A FAIRLY NEW CAR THAT'S NOT THAT OLD THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING, IT IS MIND BOGGLING. *TR

Tilt/telescopic functions just stopped working. Replaced switch, and module and still not working. Dealer now wants $10k for a new dash wiring harnesses. Found TSB for similar issue on sister vehicle (Genesis). Not sure if that needs to be expanded to this vehicle.

ABS light is on and diagnosed needs replaced shortly after purchased the car November 2022, and is ongoing and currently an issue 4/5/24. The original ABS began to go out, would have to pump the brakes to stop and would not always catch. I have concerns this would be closely related to your current recall and believe the 2013 Equus be considered for inclusion in this risk. [XXX] recalls?nhtsaId=23V651000 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When I press my brakes sometime I have to pump the pedal.