Hyundai Veloster

Where it stands out against its peers

• Visibility: more complaints than 97% of 2013 cars — 6% of its 420 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.
• Hydraulic: more complaints than 92% of 2013 cars — 4% of its 420 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ENGINE — 107 owners reported this, 17 involving a fire
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 49 owners reported this, 5 involving a fire
• STEERING — 44 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY — 18 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 15 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 14 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN — 11 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 9 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 8 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 8 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 7 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 6 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

84% of 2021 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 12V567000

  If the parking brake components bind, the parking brake may not operate properly, and the parking brake may drag while driving or may not fully engage when the vehicle is parked. If the parking brake is not fully engaged when parked, a manual transmission may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake caliper assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began January 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

• 12V568000

  If the assembly was weakend at the factory, the panoramic glass panel may break while the vehicle is in motion leading to personal injury or a vehicle crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sunroof's integrity and replace the sunroof glass assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began January 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

• 13V051000

  If the assembly was weakend at the factory, the panoramic glass panel may break while the vehicle is in motion leading to personal injury or a vehicle crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sunroof's integrity and replace the sunroof glass assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began during March 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

• 19V204000

  Engine damage can increase the risk of a fire or cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 182.

• 19V311000

  The door opening could result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side door latch assembly and lower channel, free of charge. The recall began June 17, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 183.

• 20V393000

  An overheated accessory outlet increases the risk of fire.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire Mobility Kit accessory outlet plug with a direct-to-battery connection wire harness kit, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 193.

• 20V746000

  A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 198.

• 21V301000

  A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.

2 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  Audit query, opened November 2023, still open.

• Engine Fires

  Engineering analysis, opened December 2021, closed February 2024.

• Panoramic Sunroof Breakage

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2012, closed February 2013.

  Became recall 12V568000.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Hyundai filed 61 bulletins about the 2021 Veloster.

• Electrical system: 29
• Engine and engine cooling: 7
• Air bags: 5
• Equipment: 5
• Power train: 4
• Steering: 2
• Visibility: 2
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 1
• Exterior lighting: 1
• Service brakes: 1
• Other: 4

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile… · May 2026
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo… · May 2026
• Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary,… · April 2026
• A Class Action settlement regarding the TRW Airbag was recently decided. Based on the Class Action, customers are eligible for certain settlement benefits. Please see attached for details. Impacted… · January 2026
• A Class Action settlement regarding the TRW Airbag was recently decided. Based on the Class Action, customers are eligible for certain settlement benefits. Impacted vehicles are also noted below. For… · January 2026
• Hyundai has settled a class action lawsuit that alleges that certain Hyundai and Kia Class Vehicles (defined below) contain defective ZF-TRW airbag control units (“ZF-TRW ACUs”) that are vulnerable… · January 2026
• Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft… · January 2026
• In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade is being made available to customers upon… · January 2026

53 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.