What breaks most · 2008 to 2018 model years
Hyundai Genesis problems by year
Owners have filed 780 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Genesis across model years 2008 to 2018. Two years stand out: 2009 for brakes complaints and 2012 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2008, 2014 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2008, 2014, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 7802008 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2009207 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 578 fires · 33 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 48kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 20Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) | |
| 207 | 14 | 3 | Brakes (107) | |
| 77 | 4 | 3 | Brakes (23) | |
| 97 | 12 | 3 | Unknown or other (22) | |
| 181 | 5 | 2 | Engine (47) | |
| 83 | 12 | 0 | Engine (27) | |
| 9 | 3 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 97 | 5 | 6 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 25 | 2 | 3 | Engine (8) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Wheels (2) |
What fails on the 2009 Hyundai Genesis
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 52% |
107 | 6 | Shop brakes parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 11% |
22 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
22 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
19 | 3 | Shop steering parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
16 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
15 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
13 | 2 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
8 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
My wife and i have both experienced the same problem. While in motion and have had to come to a stop the brake pedal bottoms out and have had to pump the pedal to bring the car toa stop. Took the car to the dealership; nothing was determined to be the problem. This has occurred several times.
-
Engine stalled while driving. I was making a left turn in a center turn lane and the engine stalled out. Coasted back to the center turn lane, put the car in park and it started back up. No check engine light or other warning lights.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Genesis years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2012 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Genesis. The 2009 alone has 207 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Hyundai Genesis problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 107 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Genesis problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Genesis complaints that include mileage is about 48,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.