RoadVitals

2021 Hyundai Veloster

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Aug 8, 2022
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 28, 2021
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Veloster, most frequently naming the driver assistance, engine and fuel system categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 61 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance750.0%
  • Engine321.4%
  • Fuel system214.3%
  • Steering214.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

ENGINE

Apr 28, 2021
158,493 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
The risk: 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.
The remedy: 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.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 203View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

EngineFuel systemSteering
Filed Aug 8, 2022

high pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced twice before 1k miles the car just stalled out of no where .. now the car needs a new wheel berrings at 10k miles .

NHTSA ID
11478090
Incident
Aug 3, 2022
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 23, 2022

Constant False positives, already took to dealership and issue still persists

NHTSA ID
11470596
Incident
Aug 1, 2021
Driver assistance
Filed May 6, 2022

This car came with summer tires(Pirelli P-Zero summer tires), so I decide to change to all-season CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT DWS06 PLUS with the same size as OEM tires which is 235/35/19. I got my new tires installed on the morning of Feb 27, 2021, next day my blind spot system started to acting up without any error message on the dash. The indicator on both sides of the mirrors stays on while no vehicle around me, sometimes they remain off when there is a vehicle around.

NHTSA ID
11463669
Incident
Feb 28, 2021
Engine
Filed Apr 19, 2022

The first oil change, December 2020, no oil was in the vehicle, it was under the recommended miles. Second oil change, April 2021, cut the recommended miles down and again no oil was in the vehicle. May 28, 2021 Leaving a parking lot, the Veloster began to cut out and stall. Within 2 miles it died completely, three times. There was no oil in the Veloster. No lights or warnings came on, until I was leaving the dealership. I continue to have issues with the motor dragging, not shifting properly and trying to die. The recall was closed on the Veloster for the oil rings not being heat treated properly, without Hyundai actually fixing the problem. I have been told the whole time the stalling and cutting out is not connected to the oil ring issue.

NHTSA ID
11461262
Incident
May 28, 2021
EngineFuel system
Filed Mar 13, 2022

No warning lights came on during the whole time this happened ... purchased this car with 98 miles on it.... I had the car for 7 days .. mind you i did not use the special features of the car like launch control or NGrin Shifting ... i did not take the car past 4k RPM as per the manual ... @ 1100 miles exactly i had just filled up with gas and as i pull out the car dies on me ... i go to start it .. it keeps trying to turn over .. and over and over ... till i smelt gas .... so i put the car into neutral and roll back to the curb i could see the trail of gas left behind it .... so i had it towed to a different dealer as the one who sold it to me .. was not a option to take it to on the app... so the dealer calls me and tells me its the HIGH PRESSURE FUEL pump ... but funny thing is , that It had all ready been replaced before they sold me the car..... witch they did not disclose to me .... as soon as the dealer who sold me the after i filed a formal corporate complaint had the car towed to thier shop where it currently sits and its been over 2 weeks waiting on a part ... but the fact is this is the second time they have had to replace the pump or line and the car only has 1100 miles on it .....

NHTSA ID
11456521
Incident
Feb 18, 2022
Steering
Filed Mar 4, 2022

Around 6000 miles the steering wheel froze while coming from a long highway trip and tried to veer me across 3 lanes into a wall. Had to man handle it off the roadway up the off ramp. Turned the car off, then turned it back on, and it was like nothing happened. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find anything, because they say there was no code. Well, same thing just happened again while I'm out of state. Another icon appears on the screen and my steering wheel locked up at 65 miles per hour, surrounded by 18 wheelers. Had to grip the wheel again like superman and thread between 2 trucks to make it to the right shoulder. Hurried up to turn the car off and turn it back on quickly to avoid being hit from behind by any other vehicles. It worked. Car started and acted like nothing happened again. I continued on my long trip carefully and cautiously. This was the second time at 15,000 miles on car now. I googled it and saw on other car forums the same problem, but no one has complained yet. I have to make another appointment, but I'm sure they will say the same thing. This is a big safety issue that hyundai need to figure out and fix. I love my car, but its trying to kill me, and possibly others around me. So please investigate this issue. Thanks.

NHTSA ID
11455279
Incident
Mar 2, 2022
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 8, 2022

- Blind spot monitoring system - It rarely works and if it does work, it warns me of vehicles when none are around. I believe this could cause an accident if someone is not warned of a vehicle in the blind spot. - Yes, it was recalibrated by the dealer but it was not fixed. - No

NHTSA ID
11450903
Incident
Nov 1, 2021
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 8, 2022

1. What failed - BSM monitoring fails to an always on state 2. Safety affected - Visibility out of the Veloster N is already quite poor, BSM also failing makes lane changes uncertain 3. Yes it's a known issue 4. No 5. The only warning is that the BSM in the mirrors stays on constantly and doesn't respond to cars in the blindspot

NHTSA ID
11450901
Incident
Jan 12, 2022

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26-EE-003H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

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, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

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 Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

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 Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

P33 OL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023. In addition to the anti-theft software, we’ve developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade that can be installed at the ignition cylinder location to provide additional protection against the social media theft method. Because your Hyundai vehicle with the VIN listed above (“Subject Vehicle”) was not factory-equipped with an engine immobilizer and was previously eligible for the software upgrade, you are now eligible until March 31, 2027 to have the ignition cylinder protector installed — if you request it — at no cost to you through an authorized Hyundai dealership.

TRW Summary Notice

AIR BAGS

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 further information regarding settlement benefits and contacts, please review the corresponding dealer notification. It is available on Hyundaidealer.com under Hyundai Tech Info > Service News.

TRW Settlement Notice

AIR BAGS

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 to a condition called electrical overstress, which may cause the vehicles’ airbags and other safety features to fail during a collision. Hyundai has not been found liable for any claims alleged in the lawsuit. Instead, Hyundai reached a voluntary settlement (referred as “the Settlement” or “the proposed Settlement”) to avoid lengthy litigation and provide relief to people who own ed or leased Class Vehicles in the United States and U.S. Territories. Class Members may be entitled to compensation if they submit valid and timely Claims.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Veloster by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2022000
2021Viewing111032.1
2020231036.7
2019422050.6
2018000
2017490041.2
20162211157.2
20151362258.7
2014852153.9
20134203159.7
20122956262.3
2011000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.