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2013 Hyundai Veloster

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Veloster years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Hyundai Veloster are substantially higher than the model-year median of 85.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

273 reports with mileage · 149 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 171 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports33 fire reports9 injury reports

Engine complaints

171 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2025
Engine

Vehicle Info: 2013 Hyundai Veloster VIN: [XXX] Odometer: 75,000 miles Problem Description: My check engine light began flashing and the vehicle entered limp mode. Diagnostic codes showed P1326 and U1103, which are linked to a known Theta II engine defect involving rod bearing failure. Hyundai issued a 15-year / 150,000-mile w…

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Vehicle Info: 2013 Hyundai Veloster VIN: [XXX] Odometer: 75,000 miles Problem Description: My check engine light began flashing and the vehicle entered limp mode. Diagnostic codes showed P1326 and U1103, which are linked to a known Theta II engine defect involving rod bearing failure. Hyundai issued a 15-year / 150,000-mile warranty extension and settled a class-action lawsuit to cover these failures. However, my request for coverage was denied due to “time in service” despite being well below the mileage limit (only 75k miles). This is a serious safety concern that may result in sudden engine failure. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Hyundai's denial and handling of such cases INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11669133

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2025
Engine

I was driving my vehicle and it began severely misfiring and stalled on me. I took it to the dealer and found there was damage to cylinder number 2 engine balance. After research I found there are many claims and complaints due to this type of issue. The likely cause is preignition caused by what Hyundai calls bad software. I re…

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I was driving my vehicle and it began severely misfiring and stalled on me. I took it to the dealer and found there was damage to cylinder number 2 engine balance. After research I found there are many claims and complaints due to this type of issue. The likely cause is preignition caused by what Hyundai calls bad software. I recently purchase the vehicle and they say it was updated in July of 2024 and will not repair my vehicle as they say because of its age and mileage. That being said I’m at 120k mileage and work in the auto industry…. They is nothing that could cause valve burn outside of the known ignition issue with these cars. I have no problem paying for repairs due to my cause issues or normal wear and tear but a melted valve is caused by the know issues on these cars. I am looking for help working with Hyundai to get this issue fixed.

NHTSA ODI #11657673

172,000 miles · Mar 13, 2025
Air BagsEnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle started to shake. The contact stated that after shifting into gear the vehicle became difficult to drive. The vehic…

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The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle started to shake. The contact stated that after shifting into gear the vehicle became difficult to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a passenger’s air bag fault. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

NHTSA ODI #11648164

Mileage unknown · Nov 12, 2024
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

On October 17, 2024, owner was leaving Denver, CO on the highway and had to stop for traffic and vehicle wouldn't move. Was in drive but vehicle would not drive and pulled to side of road. Had insurance tow to nearest Hyundai dealership. Check engine light was on and dealership checked vehicle and needed to have the crankshaft p…

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On October 17, 2024, owner was leaving Denver, CO on the highway and had to stop for traffic and vehicle wouldn't move. Was in drive but vehicle would not drive and pulled to side of road. Had insurance tow to nearest Hyundai dealership. Check engine light was on and dealership checked vehicle and needed to have the crankshaft position sensor replaced. Fixed the problem thank God and I was on my road shortly there after. My Veloster is 2013 with 47,000 miles at time of incident.

NHTSA ODI #11624857

Mileage unknown · Sep 16, 2024
Engine

A connecting rod bearing failed in the engine leading to catastrophic engine failure with the connecting rod breaking through the wall of the engine block causing a hole and undriveable vehicle. According to my research, this issue has been recalled in adjacent model years (2015-2016) but not in my model year (2013) that has the…

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A connecting rod bearing failed in the engine leading to catastrophic engine failure with the connecting rod breaking through the wall of the engine block causing a hole and undriveable vehicle. According to my research, this issue has been recalled in adjacent model years (2015-2016) but not in my model year (2013) that has the same engine. This issue has already been confirmed in these engines, but Hyundai states my car is not included in the recall. This was a safety risk because the engine failure breached the engine wall which could have ignited engine oil and caused a fire. The engine may have also failed at a critical driving moment when acceleration was needed and stranded the car in an unsafe position. Yes, the problem was reproduced at the dealer's service center because the failure occurred while they were test driving my vehicle. Since the service center tech was the one driving the car when the incident occured, I do not know if there was a fire or not and the speed they were traveling, etc. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer service center and confirmed that this is the issue that caused the problem. The dealer even suspected this was going to happen as they had foreknowledge of the issue occurring on other vehicles that had already been recalled for this issue. The only prior warning of this issue is that I had some misfires on the engine a few days before which is what prompted me to bring it in for service. The misfires temporarily illuminated the "check engine" light but then the light went back out again. I had no idea this minor issue would result in such a severe, catastrophic failure.

NHTSA ODI #11614896

Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

One night I was driving on the highway and my check engine light came on. At first I thought it was weird because I had just gotten the car from a dealership three weeks prior. I pulled into a gas station and checked my oil which was low so I added some oil that I had bought. As I was driving home the car suddenly developed a ti…

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One night I was driving on the highway and my check engine light came on. At first I thought it was weird because I had just gotten the car from a dealership three weeks prior. I pulled into a gas station and checked my oil which was low so I added some oil that I had bought. As I was driving home the car suddenly developed a tick and started to lose power. The turbo stopped working. I was pretty concerned about this so the next morning I decided to top off the oil and I decided to take the car into a shop. The first shop heard the engine knock and told me that my crankshaft might be going bad but I wanted a second opinion so I took it to a trusted shop who heard the engine knock and told me the engine would need to be replaced. I called the warranty company and they inspected it at the shop and said the engine would need to be torn down for diagnosis. I had to agree to pay for the shop to tear down the engine if it would not be covered. The shop found metal shavings in the oil pan. Once the engine was apart, they said that the rod bearing was bad. The car and engine are available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI #11611684

Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2024
Engine

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

NHTSA ODI #11609578

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

Vehicle is burning through oil without having oil light engaged. Vehicle is going through two quart + of oil every 3 weeks. Just added 2 quarts of oil 3 weeks ago when the car would not accelerate past 5mph and rough idled (this turned out to be caused by a different issue still being diagnosed), I added the oil as dip stick sho…

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Vehicle is burning through oil without having oil light engaged. Vehicle is going through two quart + of oil every 3 weeks. Just added 2 quarts of oil 3 weeks ago when the car would not accelerate past 5mph and rough idled (this turned out to be caused by a different issue still being diagnosed), I added the oil as dip stick showed no oil on the stick. Light did not come on. Took to independent mechanic this week who stated I had no oil in the vehicle. Can not go 3 month/3000 miles for an oil change or the engine would be damaged. Have taken the vehicle several times to Valvoline who indicate no oil with no oil pressure light on, each time. This has been constant for 2 years. Each mechanic shop states the GDI engines are burning through oil. No oil leaks have been detected. This issue could result in serious engine damage.

NHTSA ODI #11593239

Mileage unknown · May 14, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

First the turbo stopped working n smoking. Took it to the dealer n they had it for a month.. Get it back one day later had to have it towed . Vehicle was there for another 2 weeks got it back and it started to smoke. I pressed on the gas pedal n the car wouldn’t move! The first time the turbo was supposed to be replaced I beli…

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First the turbo stopped working n smoking. Took it to the dealer n they had it for a month.. Get it back one day later had to have it towed . Vehicle was there for another 2 weeks got it back and it started to smoke. I pressed on the gas pedal n the car wouldn’t move! The first time the turbo was supposed to be replaced I believe ever since it was sent there to be replaced it was never the same. I still have the car and it will not start. The turbo n engine are filled with oils .

NHTSA ODI #11588739

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2024
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

Abs component and or fuse is causing pre ignition in the motor thus causing abnormal rpm’s when idling or driving thus further causing damage to the vehicle itself

NHTSA ODI #11586988

Official recalls

3

23V651000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Sep 22, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.

23V132000 · Electrical System

Feb 28, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Veloster vehicles. High conductive liquid may leak into the Reverse Park Aid Sensor (RPAS), which can result in an electrical short circuit.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the RPAS fuse and sensor, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 242.

19V204000 · Electrical System:software; Engine

Mar 14, 2019

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013 Veloster vehicles that are equipped with 1.6 liter turbo engines. The engine management software may cause premature ignition (pre-ignition) of the air/fuel mixture in the engine. The resulting excessive cylinder pressure may damage the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Engine damage can increase the risk of a fire or cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 182.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013 Veloster vehicles that are equipped with 1.6 liter turbo engines. The engine management software may cause premature ignition (pre-ignition) of the air/fuel mixture in the engine. The resulting excessive cylinder pressure may damage the engine.

Consequence: Engine damage can increase the risk of a fire or cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 182.

Electrical System:software

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013 Veloster vehicles that are equipped with 1.6 liter turbo engines. The engine management software may cause premature ignition (pre-ignition) of the air/fuel mixture in the engine. The resulting excessive cylinder pressure may damage the engine.

Consequence: Engine damage can increase the risk of a fire or cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 182.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.