What breaks most · 2012 to 2021 model years
Hyundai Veloster problems by year
Owners have filed 1,284 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Veloster across model years 2012 to 2021. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 2012 for engine complaints and 2016 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2019, 2017 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2012, 2016
- Fewest complaints: 2019, 2017, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 12842012 to 2021, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013422 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 4257 fires · 57 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 63kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 18Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 295 | 15 | 6 | Engine (61) | |
| 422 | 6 | 3 | Engine (171) | |
| 85 | 0 | 2 | Engine (33) | |
| 136 | 0 | 2 | Engine (76) | |
| 221 | 15 | 1 | Engine (132) | |
| 49 | 4 | 0 | Engine (26) | |
| 42 | 2 | 2 | Engine (18) | |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | Engine (8) | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | Lane departure system (7) |
What fails on the 2013 Hyundai Veloster
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 41% |
171 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 23% |
97 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 14% |
58 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
52 | 1 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
35 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
24 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
21 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
20 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster |
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.
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Car hit 100k miles engine is knocking and mechanic says engine is blown. Researched the issue and found many other people having same issue. Hyundai issued a recall for this year's veloster but is saying my car does not fall under the category even though it is one of the issued problems with vehicle
-
I was driving up to the mountains yesterday and my car began to make a knocking noise, my check engine light began to flash, the car turned off, and we had to basically let the car coast to an exit. Firestone said that my spark plugs 1,2,3 failed and my engine is knocking aggressively (code P1326).
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When changing vehicle oil it has been noticed that there is contaminants appearing to be metal bits/glittery could possibly be rod bearing material. Also have noticed fluctuating idle
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 6, 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 Veloster years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2012, 2016 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Veloster. The 2013 alone has 422 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Hyundai Veloster problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 171 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Veloster problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Veloster complaints that include mileage is about 63,000 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.