Total Complaints
288 filings
HYUNDAI VELOSTER · model year
288 NHTSA complaints, 22 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016HYUNDAIVELOSTER carries 288 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 22 crashes, 5 fires, 14 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 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 2016 VELOSTER is engine with 124 filings, followed by power train (40) and unknown or other (31). 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 1 investigation file overlapping the 2016 VELOSTER. 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.
Total Complaints
288 filings
Crashes Reported
22 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 124 |
| POWER TRAIN | 40 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 31 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 20 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 |
| AIR BAGS | 11 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 9 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 8 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 6 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| SUSPENSION | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
ENGINE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.
As I was driving to work one day my 2016 Veloster suddenly lost power on the expressway at expressway speeds. Now that in itself is very dangerous seeing as how there were big rigs around me. Luckily I managed to make it off of the expressway traveling slower than I turtle.i was almost rear ended on various occasions. I parked right away and left to work. I came back later that day and cranked her over and it started,but now with the check engine light blinking. So I attempted to drive it a little and it worked but now I've come to find out that it is in protect mode.I took it to my local Hyundai dealership (Hyundai of pharr) in pharr Texas and was told that Hyundai would not honor their extended warranty because whatever is wrong with it is not covered according to them. So a while back there was a class action lawsuit in California against the Hyundai Corporation of which I was a part of. When it was time for settlement I had a choice of monetary gain or and overly extended warranty
The climate control knob and AC system failed due to an apparent wiring defect. This is a known issue affecting hundreds or thousands of Hyundai Veloster owners. The failure causes loss of climate control and creates a safety issue due to a lack of defrosting and cabin airflow, as well as electrical fires. I have spent thousands of dollars trying to get this fixed, and mechanics are turning me away.
On March 2024, I had my veloster towed to a certified Hyundai service dealer because it suddenly began losing power, the oil light came on, the engine light flickered, and it began making a whining noise, and then the engine died and wouldnât crank again. It took them weeks to diagnose it, and they told me the turbo was out in it, and quoted me an absurd amount to replace it. I had the turbo replaced, as well as some gaskets, the coils and spark plugs. It ran fine after that until June 2025 when the oil and check engine light came on and the engine died again while we were coming home from a vacation, 2 hours south of where we live in a tiny town that had no dealership or rental company within 100 miles. We found a small mechanic who said it needed a lower fuel pump. He put one in it and we got back on the road, but it still wasnât running as well as it should. It donât have quite as much power, but no dash lights came on. When I got home I took it to another local certified
While driving my 2016 Hyundai Veloster (VIN: [XXX] ) on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. I went from 60 mph down to 20 mph with no throttle response, and the car only continued moving briefly from momentum. I was forced to stop in unsafe highway conditions and had the vehicle towed home. Prior to this complete failure, the car had recurring transmission/drive issues: it would start, but when placed in reverse it moved backward, and when shifted into drive it still only moved backward. Despite repeated repair attempts, the problems persisted. A certified mechanic later inspected the vehicle and confirmed severe internal engine damage, including metallic noises, blue smoke, oil leakage from worn piston rings, and complete compression loss. The mechanic concluded the vehicle requires deep engine repair or replacement. These failures are consistent with widespread reports of Hyundai Veloster engine defects, which pose serious safety risks to drivers. My vehicle is now
While driving my 2016 Hyundai Veloster (VIN: [XXX] ) on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. I went from 60 mph down to 20 mph with no throttle response, and the car only continued moving briefly from momentum. I was forced to stop in unsafe highway conditions and had the vehicle towed home. Prior to this complete failure, the car had recurring transmission/drive issues: it would start, but when placed in reverse it moved backward, and when shifted into drive it still only moved backward. Despite repeated repair attempts, the problems persisted. A certified mechanic later inspected the vehicle and confirmed severe internal engine damage, including metallic noises, blue smoke, oil leakage from worn piston rings, and complete compression loss. The mechanic concluded the vehicle requires deep engine repair or replacement. These failures are consistent with widespread reports of Hyundai Veloster engine defects, which pose serious safety risks to drivers. My vehicle is now
While driving my 2016 Hyundai Veloster (VIN: [XXX] ) on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. I went from 60 mph down to 20 mph with no throttle response, and the car only continued moving briefly from momentum. I was forced to stop in unsafe highway conditions and had the vehicle towed home. Prior to this complete failure, the car had recurring transmission/drive issues: it would start, but when placed in reverse it moved backward, and when shifted into drive it still only moved backward. Despite repeated repair attempts, the problems persisted. A certified mechanic later inspected the vehicle and confirmed severe internal engine damage, including metallic noises, blue smoke, oil leakage from worn piston rings, and complete compression loss. The mechanic concluded the vehicle requires deep engine repair or replacement. These failures are consistent with widespread reports of Hyundai Veloster engine defects, which pose serious safety risks to drivers. My vehicle is now
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. While the contactâs wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled at a stoplight. The vehicle was restarted and immediately driven to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine compression was abnormal and advised the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while at the dealer, the service and diagnostic guidelines were not followed regarding the NHTSA Action Number: EA21003 (ENGINE), and the coverage was denied. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 125,367.
Mileage: 125,367
King Hyundai hung up/refused free Recall 198 inspection despite confirmed defect (rod bearing/crank damage). VIN [XXX] . Case #1824300. Safety riskâstall/fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My vehicle has been burning through oil for 2 years now. It started with me having to get oil changes every 3 months, then 2, then 1, now I am forced to go get oil top offs every 2-3 weeks or the check oil light comes on and car drives very rough. I have been reaching out and opening cases with Hyundai and working with my local dealer for a year now and still nothing is being resolved. I need my engine replaced and they refuse, wanting me to jump through hoops and doing various tests only to tell me that even after I pay thousands for the tests, thereâs no guarantee they can replace the engine. This is a known issue when you search online and thousands of peopleâs Hyundais are being affected. This vehicle is less than 10 years old it should not be having these issues. Hyundai is at fault for creating faulty vehicles and they are refusing to do anything about it.
Greetings, I went in for an oil change and was notified that my car airbags did not work and/or have not worked for an indeterminant time. The dealership ordered a part which still has not arrived. Itâs been nearly 3 weeks, and I am unable to collect my car unless I pay $2,000. Iâve been paying out of pocket for a rental during that time, and as a college student have missed some classes. Currently, my car is still at the dealership unable to be driven safely. They say the seat sensor went bad and disabled my entire airbag system. Thereâs no telling how long my family and I have been at great risk of injury or death driving this car. Iâm afraid to pay or pickup the vehicle as Iâm unsure if itâs safe. I have been denied warranty coverage from corporate Hyundai and from the dealership. Im not sure how to proceed.
I am going to answer each point one by one for clarity. 1.) Mass oil consumption from bad piston rings, and yes it is available. 2.) I was driving after work one night and my oil pressure light was blinking red. Needed to immedelty pull to the side and have someone get me oil to top off. This was when I first found out about this issue. 3.) Yes as it is a constant problem and I've had two different mechanics look and confirm that my engine is essentially toast. 4.) No, not yet as I am not willing to pay an absurd amount of money for a dealer inspection unless they truely mean well with it. 5.) Other than the red oil pressure light I mentioned eariler, no. This was Augest 12th. Bought the car from the dealer April 18th.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that after completing a routine oil change, the contact discovered that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine). The contact had an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, who determined that the failure was related to the engine. The local dealer was contacted, and it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. There was corrosion around the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and requested the maintenance records, but declined to assist due to maintenance neglect. The contact stated that the maintenance records were not accessible due to not being the original owner. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the connecting rod bearings failure had resulted in the engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000(Engine), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Mileage: 99,000
While driving home one late night, the engine completely locked up while driving causing the vehicle to come to a halt and left me stranded in the road. Got it off the road and eventually towed home where it was later inspected and found the engine bone dry of oil. There were no signs or indications there were any issues with oil leaking, etc. After much research, it's a commonly known issue with other Hyundai makes and models and even some of the same as mine in other years. This engine only has 100,000 miles on it. It just barely broke that mark before completely leaving me stranded. It's still an unresolved issue as no one wants to repair my car.
The reason I am submitting this form is because my 2016 Veloster Turbo has an open recall out for premature wear in the bottom end (bearings and rods) and my car has been experiencing the same problems. I have had the highest rated shop in my area to look at the wear directly and it is clear this is the problem with the engine. Despite this all attempts to contact dealers and the manufacture have resulted in those parties claiming my unit was not affected during the recall and therefore there is nothing they can do to help me. It is clear my engine is experiencing the exact problems detailed in the recall and I have treated this engine as well I can as I had knowledge of these problems, even still my engine is only a couple hundred miles away from blowing up completely and not running. When this car was bought I added a catch can to specifically help with the premature wear on the engine as well as never revving the engine to over 5,0000 rpms. As well to both of the previously mentione
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle hesitated to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal, failed to exceed 45 MPH and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a BCT (Bearing Clearance Test) was performed, and the knock sensors were replaced; however, the failure recurred immediately while leaving dealer's parking lot. The vehicle was taken to two other independent mechanics, where the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to damage to the engine rod bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000(Engine); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The fail
Mileage: 79,700
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof glass shattered. The contact was unaware of what caused the glass to shatter. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,900.
Mileage: 90,900
I am the second owner of a 2016 Hyundai Veloster Base, purchased used at approximately 19,976 miles. Since then, the vehicle has experienced multiple major powertrain-related failures. At 49,196 miles, the first catalytic converter failed and was replaced. Later, both the engine and second catalytic converter were replaced by Kearny Mesa Hyundai, a certified Hyundai dealership in San Diego, CA. When I brought the vehicle to Kearny Mesa Hyundai, there were no warning lights or active diagnostic trouble codes. However, the dealershipâs service documentation stated that a P0420 code (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) was present â a code that was not active when I dropped off the vehicle, raising concerns about diagnostic accuracy or documentation. Now, at 61,982 miles, I brought the vehicle to Hyundai Ontario due to delayed shifting and hesitation when accelerating. The dealership diagnosed internal transmission failure and quoted approximately $5,000 for repairs. There w
I am the second owner of a 2016 Hyundai Veloster Base, purchased used at approximately 19,976 miles. Since then, the vehicle has experienced multiple major powertrain-related failures. At 49,196 miles, the first catalytic converter failed and was replaced. Later, both the engine and second catalytic converter were replaced by Kearny Mesa Hyundai, a certified Hyundai dealership in San Diego, CA. When I brought the vehicle to Kearny Mesa Hyundai, there were no warning lights or active diagnostic trouble codes. However, the dealershipâs service documentation stated that a P0420 code (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) was present â a code that was not active when I dropped off the vehicle, raising concerns about diagnostic accuracy or documentation. Now, at 61,982 miles, I brought the vehicle to Hyundai Ontario due to delayed shifting and hesitation when accelerating. The dealership diagnosed internal transmission failure and quoted approximately $5,000 for repairs. There w
I am the second owner of a 2016 Hyundai Veloster Base, purchased used at approximately 19,976 miles. Since then, the vehicle has experienced multiple major powertrain-related failures. At 49,196 miles, the first catalytic converter failed and was replaced. Later, both the engine and second catalytic converter were replaced by Kearny Mesa Hyundai, a certified Hyundai dealership in San Diego, CA. When I brought the vehicle to Kearny Mesa Hyundai, there were no warning lights or active diagnostic trouble codes. However, the dealershipâs service documentation stated that a P0420 code (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) was present â a code that was not active when I dropped off the vehicle, raising concerns about diagnostic accuracy or documentation. Now, at 61,982 miles, I brought the vehicle to Hyundai Ontario due to delayed shifting and hesitation when accelerating. The dealership diagnosed internal transmission failure and quoted approximately $5,000 for repairs. There w
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.