EXPERIENCE SHIFTING PROBLEMS, HESITATING ACCELERATION, LOSS OF POWER . VERY ON SAFE WHEN DRIVING TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SCINCE DAY ONE OF BUYING THE CAR NEW
2016 Hyundai Veloster
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Veloster years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Veloster are substantially higher than the model-year median of 85.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Veloster years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
108 reports with mileage · 114 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 132 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
222 reportsBEEN A YEAR FIGHTING HYUNDAI AND WENT TO ARBITRATION YESTERDAY. STILL SAYING ISOLATED INCIDENT AND CAR IS FUNCTIONING AS INTENDED ALRHOUGH THEY PAID FOR A 2ND TRANSMISSION AT 12K MILES. STILL MISSING SHIFTS, REVING UP TO REDLINE WHILE NOT PICKING UP SPEEF AND CUTTING OUT WHILE PULLING FROM STOPS INTO TRAFFIC. SEVERE SAFETY CONCE…
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BEEN A YEAR FIGHTING HYUNDAI AND WENT TO ARBITRATION YESTERDAY. STILL SAYING ISOLATED INCIDENT AND CAR IS FUNCTIONING AS INTENDED ALRHOUGH THEY PAID FOR A 2ND TRANSMISSION AT 12K MILES. STILL MISSING SHIFTS, REVING UP TO REDLINE WHILE NOT PICKING UP SPEEF AND CUTTING OUT WHILE PULLING FROM STOPS INTO TRAFFIC. SEVERE SAFETY CONCERN TO SAY THE LEAST. IF THE DCT FAILED AND IS PART OF THE LARGEST RECALL IN HYUNDAI HISTORY, DON'T YOU THINGTHEY SHOULD BE TAKING A LOOK AT OUR DCT TRANSMISSIONS? I FEEL SWEPT UNDER THE RUG AND MY CONCERNS FOR OUR FAMILIES SAFETY ATE BEING OVERLOOKED. I FOUND QUITE A FEE OWNERS ON THE VELOSTER NATION AND OHIO VELOSTER FORUMS WITH EXACT COMPLAINTS. HYUNDAI REFUSED MY SUBMISSIONS FROM THESE FORUMS AS WELL AS NHTSA COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE. SHAMEFUL ON THEIR PART.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI VELOSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S REARVIEW CAMERA WAS ALERTING HER TO CHECK THE SURROUNDINGS AND EMITTED A HUMMING NOISE INDICATING THE CAMERA WAS ACTIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE REARVIEW CAMERA WAS ONLY MEANT TO BE OPERABLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. THE SCREEN…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI VELOSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S REARVIEW CAMERA WAS ALERTING HER TO CHECK THE SURROUNDINGS AND EMITTED A HUMMING NOISE INDICATING THE CAMERA WAS ACTIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE REARVIEW CAMERA WAS ONLY MEANT TO BE OPERABLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. THE SCREEN THAT THE CAMERA DISPLAYED THE VEHICLE'S SURROUNDINGS ON WAS THE SAME SCREEN WHERE THE RADIO WAS LOCATED. DURING THE FAILURE, THE RADIO WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN OFF UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. ALSO, THE BLUETOOTH THAT OPERATED FROM THE SAME COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILED TO TURN OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,500. ...UPDATED 11/12/17/*BF CONSUMER STATED REAR CAMERA TURNS ON IN DRIVE SHOWING RED LINES. ALSO, NOT REPORTED - SOUND COMING FROM RADIO/ OR NEAR RADIO WHEN STARTING CAR OR WHEN I GET IN CAR IN AM OR WHEN GETTING OUR OF CAR. SOUNDS LIKE A "BUZZING" OR HUMMING SOUND WHICH COULD BE RELATED TO CAMERA/ ON SCREEN ISSUE. UPDATED 7/25/18*JB
THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO PERFORM MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. TAKE OFF FROM A LIGHT AND ABOUT 3RD GEAR THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE BUT RPMS WILL RISE AND WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO RED LINE, FOOT ON GAS PEDAL BUT NO CORRELATING ACCELERATION, KICKS IN MOMENT LATER WITH A JERK. CAR HAS HAD TWO DCT UPDATES, ONE ENGINE UPDATE ALL HAVE NOT FIXED…
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THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO PERFORM MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. TAKE OFF FROM A LIGHT AND ABOUT 3RD GEAR THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE BUT RPMS WILL RISE AND WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO RED LINE, FOOT ON GAS PEDAL BUT NO CORRELATING ACCELERATION, KICKS IN MOMENT LATER WITH A JERK. CAR HAS HAD TWO DCT UPDATES, ONE ENGINE UPDATE ALL HAVE NOT FIXED THE JERK ACCELERATION AND SPORADIC UNABLENESS TO GET VEHICLE GOING BUT RPMS RISE. CAR HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN GEAR WHEN MERGING ONTO FREEWAY, THE CAR HAS HAD ITS RPMS RISE CONTINUOUS TO RED LINE WHILE FOOT WAS ENTIRELY OFF THE GAS PEDAL THEN RPMS FELL AND ACCELERATION FUCNTION RESUMED. NO REAL HELP FROM HYUNDAI AS OF YET OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A PROBLEM. ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THEM SINCE 2016. THIS ISSUE HAS ALSO OCCURED ON HIGHWAYS WHILE IN A HIGHER GEAR AS WELL AS INTERSECTIONS AT LOWER GEAR. GEARS SHIFT EFFORLTESSLY AND SMOOTH SOMEDAYS AND ERADICT AND UNRELIABLE OTHER DAYS. ALSO HAS FAILED TO ACCELERATE AFTER RED LIGHT RIGHT TURNS THAT COULD CLEARLY BE MADE, HOWEVER WHEN THE VEHICLE GETS STUCK AND WONT ACCELERATE THE RISK OF GETTING HIT OR REAR ENDED IS OF HIGH PROBABLILITY AND CONCERN. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN. ISSUE OCCURS SPORADICALLY (AVG COUPLE TIMES A MONTH) SINCE JUNE 2016 WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO DUPLICATE BUT IT OCCURS AND IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE CAR IS NOT FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. PROUD MILITARY FAMILY IN THIS OUR SOLE VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION IT NEEDS FROM HYUNDAI IN REGARDS TO THIS MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. CANT BELIEVE THEY KEEP SENDING US OFF IN THIS DEATH TRAP SAYING THEY UPDATED IT AND IT SHOULD FIX OUR ISSUE. THEY ARE AWARE AND THEY DO NOTHING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS ISSUE OR ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FAMILIES IN THEIR VEHICHLES WHEN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE HAS PRESENTED ITSELF IN OTHERS VELOSTERS AS WELL.
MY HUSBAND AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BACK IN APRIL 2017. EVER SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WE HAVE BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STALLING WHEN PULLING ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING VERY BIZARRE AND MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH FEEL EERIE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE EVEN FOR SHORT DISTAN…
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MY HUSBAND AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BACK IN APRIL 2017. EVER SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WE HAVE BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STALLING WHEN PULLING ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING VERY BIZARRE AND MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH FEEL EERIE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE EVEN FOR SHORT DISTANCES. WE HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AROUND 12-15 TIMES AND EACH TIME LEAVE WITH NO RESOLUTION OR CARE. WE GO TO THE HUMBLE HYUNDAI IN TEXAS. WE HAVE HAD SO MANY SITUATIONS WHERE THEY JUST SEND US HOME, PUT US IN A LOANER WHILE THE CAR STAYS PARKED, ETC. WE HAVE PULLED ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP SO THEY WOULDN'T HIT US, WE HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER AND PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON, WE ALSO HAVE ONE INCIDENT ON FILM. I JUST DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND/OR THE COMPANY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE BACK BURNER AND OUR LIVES DON'T MATTER, ONLY OUR MONEY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME THROUGH EMAIL DURING BUSINESS HOURS DUE TO MY JOB. [XXX] MY CELL PHONE IS [XXX]- I AM AVAILABLE BEFORE 8 AND AFTER 5:30 .. ATTACHED IS 1 OF MANY REPAIR ORDERS THAT THEY GAVE US AND SENT US AWAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB
MY CAR OCCASIONALLY WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUT AND I'M UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. VERY DANGEROUS IF TRYING TO MERGE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
WAS DRIVING 70 DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN SUDDENLY HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN AND THEN HEARD AIR AND GLASS WENT DOWN MY BACK. SAW GLASS ROLL DOWN THE BACK WINDOW. PULLED OVER ONLY TO FIND THE SUNROOF WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE.
THE DCT TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND OVER REVS CONSTANTLY. WHEN YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WILL SHIFT GEARS AND USUALLY DURING THE 2ND TO 3RD GEAR SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION MISSING AND YOUR RPMS SHOOT. ONCE REVS COME DOWN THE CAR SLIPS INTO GEAR. VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE YOU CAN PULL OUT OF A DRIVEWAY OR ENTER …
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THE DCT TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND OVER REVS CONSTANTLY. WHEN YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WILL SHIFT GEARS AND USUALLY DURING THE 2ND TO 3RD GEAR SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION MISSING AND YOUR RPMS SHOOT. ONCE REVS COME DOWN THE CAR SLIPS INTO GEAR. VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE YOU CAN PULL OUT OF A DRIVEWAY OR ENTER A ROAD AND THEN NO POWER BECAUSE THE GEAR SLIPPED. DEALERS WAS INFORMED AND AN UPDATE WAS APPLIED TO THE ECU. WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND NOW CAR DOES IT AGAIN.
DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND FOOT OFF OF GAS, ENGINE SCREAMS BUT THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN DRIVE. SLOWLY GOING UP A HILL IN DRIVE ECHO, ENGINE DIES AS I PRESS DOWN ON GAS PEDAL.
IVE BEEN BATTLING WITH THE DESLERSHIP AT COLLEGE PARK HYUNDAI FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS ABOUT MY CAR NOT READING TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE CAR ONCE AND TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED. 2 WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR THE CAR STARING HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY TOLD ME THEY C…
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IVE BEEN BATTLING WITH THE DESLERSHIP AT COLLEGE PARK HYUNDAI FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS ABOUT MY CAR NOT READING TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE CAR ONCE AND TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED. 2 WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR THE CAR STARING HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IVE CALLED CORPORATE AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THE SAME EXACT THING. THE ONLY THING THEY TOLD ME WAS TO TRADE IN THE CAR AND PAY A DOWN PAYMENT. IM LOSING ALL MY MONEY ON A CAR THAT HASNT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR AUGUST 30,2016 AND ITS NOW APRIL 7,2017. I HAVE A VIDEO AND A LOG BOOK OF WHEN IVE CALLED AND TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ISSUE. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DO NOT CARE FOR THE CUSTOMERS SAFTEY OR ABOUT THE LOSS IM TAKING FOR A CAR THAT NEVER WORKED PROPERLY WHEN I BOUGHT. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO HELP ME OR GIVE ME A NEW CAR WITHOUT PAYING. HELP ME.
Official recalls
120V746000 · Engine
Dec 1, 2020
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 198.
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
1EA21003 · Engine Fires
Opened Dec 22, 2021 · Closed Feb 5, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles. During the PE investigations, Hyundai and Kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types. The remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement. Additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modification known as Knock Sensor Detection Software (KSDS) which is intended to detect impending engine failure, alert the driver, and limit engine power (to lessen likelihood of engine failure).KSDS is being installed under recalls and non-safety field actions, and both companies have extended limited engine warranties (see recall files). On December 22, 2021, ODI upgraded PE19-003 and PE19-004 to this Engineering Analysis (EA21-003, covering both Hyundai and Kia) to evaluate the scope of the prior recalls related to engine failures/fires and the efficacy of the recall remedies for the recalls, as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia. The former issue involved approximately 550,000 MY 2013 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2011 Kia Sorento, and MY 2012-2015 Kia Rio. The latter issue involved approximately 2.5 million recalled vehicles, which have been identified as displaying potential remedy concerns: Hyundai recalls 15V-568, 17V-226, 20V-746, and 21V-727; and Kia recalls 17V-224, 19V-120, 20V-750, and 21V-844. Regarding the recall scope issue, among all of the scope vehicles identified at EA opening, ODI found only the MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with both the Theta II 2.4L 4-cylinder Multi-Point Injection (MPI) and the Lambda II 3.5L 6-cylinder MPI engines experienced relatively high rates of reported fires. In December 2023, Kia issued recall 23V-877 that will cover about 80,000 MY 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with the Theta II 2.4L MPI engines. The remedy will involve an inspection, and if necessary, a replacement of the engine, as well as the installation of KSDS. It should be noted that in 2021 these vehicles were included in a KSDS product improvement campaign with warranty extension. For the MY 2011 Sorento vehicles equipped with the Lambda II 3.5L engines, ODI believes that future engine failures/fires involving these vehicles will likely be due to a lax in adhering to the proper or scheduled engine maintenance (regular engine oil changes), rather than a design or manufacturing engine issue. Regarding the issue of the efficacy of the recall remedies, ODI found the majority of the recalled Hyundai and Kia vehicles, by model, experienced lower reported fire rates after the remedies were applied. Furthermore, ODI found that for most vehicles that did not receive the recall remedies, by model, experienced relatively high fire rates. To address this problem, Hyundai informed ODI in December 2023, that it will renotify all of its owners covered by the Hyundai recalls of engine failures/fires every 8 months for the next 3 years. In December 2023, Kia stated that it will renotify the majority of its owners every 8 months for the next 3 years.Several previously recalled Kia models are excluded from the renotification due to their lower reported rates of engine fires. Overall, the renotification actions will help to increase the recall completion rates, thus reduce the frequency of engine fires in the future. In view of the recall action being taken by Kia and renotification actions being taken by both Kia and Hyundai, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis. Also, both companies have been released from the 2020-iniated Consent Orders (Kia since November 2022 and Hyundai since November 2023). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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