HYUNDAI EQUUS · model year

2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS

5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012HYUNDAIEQUUS carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 EQUUS is suspension with 2 filings, followed by electronic stability control (esc) (1) and power train (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2012 EQUUS, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
POWER TRAIN1
AIR BAGS1

Recalls (1)

16V11700029/02/2016

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2012 Genesis vehicles manufactured August 1, 2011, to April 30, 2012, and 2011-2013 Equus vehicles manufactured July 10, 2011, to June 12, 2012. The windshield wiper motor cover seal on the affected vehicles may degrade allowing corros

Recent Complaints

20200531CrashAIR BAGS

FOLLOWING A SLIP ON THE ROAD I AM THE VICTIM OF AN ACCIDENT ON THE EDGE OF A HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CAR STRUCK THE MOUNTAIN, BUT THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO ACTIVATE IN THE ACCIDENT RESULTING IN A FRONTAL IMPACT, WHICH CAUSED ME SERIOUS INJURY. WHY THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT TRIGGERED ?? THE CAR MADE SEVERAL ROTATIONS AND SUFFERED IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE AND DESPITE EVERYTHING THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT TRIGGERED.

Mileage: 75,000

20200320SUSPENSION

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 FO

Mileage: 108,516

20150309POWER TRAIN

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.

Mileage: 41,000

20150120SUSPENSION

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

Mileage: 31,000

20140801ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

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

Mileage: 8,000

Compare 2012HYUNDAIEQUUS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS have?
The 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS?
The 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS?
Yes, the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS?
The most-complained component for the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS is SUSPENSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.