Hyundai Veloster Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data
Comparing used Hyundai Veloster options? We analyzed 10 model years (2012–2021) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact Hyundai Veloster you plan to buy.
HYUNDAI VELOSTER (2012–2021) has 1,268 NHTSA complaints and 18 recalls. Engine issues account for 525 complaints, with the 2013 model year being the worst (418 complaints). Later years (2018–2021) show far fewer complaints. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Make
- Hyundai
- Model
- Veloster
- Model years analyzed
- 2012–2021 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,268
- Safety recall campaigns
- 18
- Crash-related complaints
- 42
- Fire-related complaints
- 56
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2013 (418 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2021 (11 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Below Average
Hyundai Veloster: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
Below AverageBased on NHTSA complaint data, the Hyundai Veloster from 2012–2021 shows a high volume of engine-related complaints (525) and electrical system issues (203). The 2013 model year alone accounts for 418 complaints, making it the most problematic. Buyers should prioritize engine and electrical system inspections. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Engine complaints total 525, the highest of any component.
- The 2013 model year has 418 complaints, the most of any year.
- Electrical system complaints number 203, the second most common issue.
- Engine failure or stalling
- Electrical system malfunctions
- Power train issues
2012–2013 models have the most complaints (294 and 418 respectively), driven primarily by engine and electrical issues.
2018–2021 models show very few complaints (0–23 per year), suggesting improved reliability.
- Check for open recalls on engine and electrical system at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for engine repairs or replacements
- Have a mechanic inspect the engine and electrical system before purchase
- Test drive for steering and transmission smoothness
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
18 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2012–2021. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 1,268 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
1,268 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
high pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced twice before 1k miles the car just stalled out of no where .. now the car needs a new wheel berrings at 10k miles .
Constant False positives, already took to dealership and issue still persists
This car came with summer tires(Pirelli P-Zero summer tires), so I decide to change to all-season CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT DWS06 PLUS with the same size as OEM tires which is 235/35/19. I got my new tires installed on the morning of Feb 27, 2021, next day my blind spot system started to acting up without any error message on the dash. The indicator on both sides of the mirrors stays on while no vehicle around me, sometimes they remain off when there is a vehicle around.
The first oil change, December 2020, no oil was in the vehicle, it was under the recommended miles. Second oil change, April 2021, cut the recommended miles down and again no oil was in the vehicle. May 28, 2021 Leaving a parking lot, the Veloster began to cut out and stall. Within 2 miles it died completely, three times. There was no oil in the Veloster. No lights or warnings came on, until I was leaving the dealership. I continue to have issues with the motor dragging, not shifting properly and trying to die. The recall was closed on the Veloster for the oil rings not being heat treated properly, without Hyundai actually fixing the problem. I have been told the whole time the stalling and cutting out is not connected to the oil ring issue.
No warning lights came on during the whole time this happened ... purchased this car with 98 miles on it.... I had the car for 7 days .. mind you i did not use the special features of the car like launch control or NGrin Shifting ... i did not take the car past 4k RPM as per the manual ... @ 1100 miles exactly i had just filled up with gas and as i pull out the car dies on me ... i go to start it .. it keeps trying to turn over .. and over and over ... till i smelt gas .... so i put the car into neutral and roll back to the curb i could see the trail of gas left behind it .... so i had it towed to a different dealer as the one who sold it to me .. was not a option to take it to on the app... so the dealer calls me and tells me its the HIGH PRESSURE FUEL pump ... but funny thing is , that It had all ready been replaced before they sold me the car..... witch they did not disclose to me .... as soon as the dealer who sold me the after i filed a formal corporate complaint had the car towed to thier shop where it currently sits and its been over 2 weeks waiting on a part ... but the fact is this is the second time they have had to replace the pump or line and the car only has 1100 miles on it .....
Around 6000 miles the steering wheel froze while coming from a long highway trip and tried to veer me across 3 lanes into a wall. Had to man handle it off the roadway up the off ramp. Turned the car off, then turned it back on, and it was like nothing happened. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find anything, because they say there was no code. Well, same thing just happened again while I'm out of state. Another icon appears on the screen and my steering wheel locked up at 65 miles per hour, surrounded by 18 wheelers. Had to grip the wheel again like superman and thread between 2 trucks to make it to the right shoulder. Hurried up to turn the car off and turn it back on quickly to avoid being hit from behind by any other vehicles. It worked. Car started and acted like nothing happened again. I continued on my long trip carefully and cautiously. This was the second time at 15,000 miles on car now. I googled it and saw on other car forums the same problem, but no one has complained yet. I have to make another appointment, but I'm sure they will say the same thing. This is a big safety issue that hyundai need to figure out and fix. I love my car, but its trying to kill me, and possibly others around me. So please investigate this issue. Thanks.
1. What failed - BSM monitoring fails to an always on state 2. Safety affected - Visibility out of the Veloster N is already quite poor, BSM also failing makes lane changes uncertain 3. Yes it's a known issue 4. No 5. The only warning is that the BSM in the mirrors stays on constantly and doesn't respond to cars in the blindspot
- Blind spot monitoring system - It rarely works and if it does work, it warns me of vehicles when none are around. I believe this could cause an accident if someone is not warned of a vehicle in the blind spot. - Yes, it was recalibrated by the dealer but it was not fixed. - No
I recently switched on winter tires for my 2021 Hyundai Veloster N. This car comes with stock summer tires and they would be unsafe for winter conditions in New England. After switching on the winter tires, the blind spot monitoring system has started registering a lot of false positives, especially at low speeds. I verified this issue is strangely caused by the tire change because if I put my stock summer tires back on the car, the false positives go away. Other 2021 Veloster N owners have already submitted similar reports to NHTSA so I am helping out by highlighting this issue as well. Once a driver such as myself becomes acclimated to the blind spot monitoring system, having constant false positives is dangerous and I am getting subconsciously trained to ignore the warnings. Also turning off the system is not a good option either because I am too used to the system being on and might momentarily forget that the system is off and mistake that as nothing in my blind spot. Switching tires on my other vehicles with blind spot monitoring does not pose any such issues, I want to note that here. It seems to be exclusive to Hyundai and this model also as reported by other Veloster N owners.
Blind Spot Warning no longer works correctly after replacing stock Pirelli high performance summer tires with All-Season tires. The system constantly detects a vehicle on the passenger side, even when nothing is there. Numerous other Veloster N owners have reported this issue on the "velostern.com" forum site. I drive my car 300+ miles a week and depend on the Blind Spot Warning system while driving on busy highways, especially now that it is dark out so much. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership and they also could not figure out the issue. They claim to have spoken with Hyundai Tech Support and they said to replace the radar unit. This was on 11/16/21. The radar is still on back order with not estimated date of arrival. This car is not even a year old with 10,000 miles and a safety system that I depend on for safety has stopped working after replacing the tires.
Blind spot warning system does not work correctly when using any wheel or tire other than the OEM supplied wheel and tire. The mirror light will stay on when there is no car in the blind spot or will fail to detect when there is a car there. The system works correctly with the OEM wheel and tire and also notably will work in rain and snow conditions. Dealership seems not especially willing or able to assist in resolving this, as also reported by other Veloster N owners as well.
I started to hear a grinding sound when breaking and I took it into a Meineke dealer to see about getting it fixed. During a general diagnostic they discovered that 3 of the four brakes were not working and the calipers needed replaced. I was told this was due to a manufacturer issue and that there will be a recall on these parts soon but no ETA. They informed me that they have seen this similar issue on many 2019 Hyundai Velosters and there would be a recall soon but I have no ETA and I cannot drive my vehicle.
Engine locked on me during driving almost caused a car rear ending me during rush hour. Called AAA and they printed out a recall form for over heated piston that may cause engine damage. Towed to Tito Auto care and then printed out the same information for recall details NHTSA Campaign Number 21V301000. Advised me to take to Hyundai dealership to repair for free. Hyundai states the vendor number is not pulling up for a recall. Both AAA and Tito Autocare stated they would fight this. I am requesting you order the Hyundai Manufaturer to repair. I believe there were missed vin numbers in the recall including my vin number.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Attempted to pull out of our neighborhood and car check engine light as well as every other light came on on the dashboard. Car completely loss power and stalled in the middle of the road. Multiple attempts to re-start the car but would not start. Had mechanic check vehicle, originally pulled a code for fuel pump but when tested a few days later and at the fuel pump that code was gone. Checked everything could not find a reason it would not start. Called the Hyundai dealership and they said yeah your engine lost compression and probably has to be replaced but we can't tell you for sure until you bring it in and it will be $350 to tell you if that is the problem. I am having it taken in to see. The car VIN does not show as part of the 21V 301 recall on this site but is experiencing the exact issues listed in the recall. We will see...
This car was recalled for a bad engine and because their computer would not throw off a code they refused to replace the bad engine. It has 60000 miles on it and has been well maintained. The rocker arms have gone bad and there are countless others who have the same issue that Hyundai refuses to address because now computer code was thrown off. They hide behind this to avoid replacing their bad engines.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked in extremely cold weather, the driver’s side door failed to open or close as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the door actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred a year later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving 76 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and decelerated to 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced intermittent, unintended acceleration. The contact shifted the transmission to neutral(N), but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact then pressed the shift lock release button, and the vehicle was able to stop. The steering wheel also inadvertently turned left or right while driving, and the Lane Keep Assist System was not activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that fuel and oil were leaking into the exhaust pipe, allowing smoke into the cabin. The dealer replaced the alternator, battery, and spark plugs, but the failure persisted. The dealer notified the manufacturer about the failure. The vehicle was then taken to Tarr Hyundai (5524 W Andrew Johnson Hwy, Morristown, TN 37814); however, the dealer was initially unable to duplicate the failure. When Tarr Hyundai was able to duplicate the failure, the failure information was forwarded to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and several cases were opened. The final case was resolved through arbitration, and the manufacturer was ordered to buy back the vehicle; however, the contact declined the buyback offer. The failure mileage was approximately 141.
When you put the car in DRIVE it will go in REVERSE. Happened several times and on the last time caused us to back into a pole and mess up the back bumper. We were trying to go forward but went in reverse. We have video proof but I can't load the video in this document.
Showing 20 of 1,268 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact Hyundai Veloster
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Hyundai Veloster has 1,268 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Hyundai Veloster has 18 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 42 of the Hyundai Veloster's 1,268 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Hyundai Veloster vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Hyundai Veloster vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Hyundai Veloster has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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