IllustrationThe car is sluggish and loses power when it is taking off. It is like it is in slow mode. The other issue is that it uses lots of oil. I even had the dealership to repair the valve cover gasket. It should not use oil at the rate.
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
340–25K
1825–50K
1150–75K
2075–100K
22100–150K
3150K+
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.
15 crash reports4 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
222 reportsThe engine has a known issue with the port holes being too small to allow adequate oil flow, this has been addressed in the non turbo engines. Our veloster had the same malfunction engine failure in which hyundai is not covering and the dealership is doing a goodwill coverage of only 70% expense of engine only. When the engine…
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The engine has a known issue with the port holes being too small to allow adequate oil flow, this has been addressed in the non turbo engines. Our veloster had the same malfunction engine failure in which hyundai is not covering and the dealership is doing a goodwill coverage of only 70% expense of engine only. When the engine throws a rod due to the malfunction it damages the turbo most times and they are requiring a full payment for that issue. Main focus is the engine when replaced has larger holes/ports and the engine can perform adequately. So as a consumer and owner we want to advise on this unbalance of coverage of the extended warranty. Especially since the turbo engine is identical just adding the turbo which it's performing at a higher rate.
The car stall when I'm driving
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk, and the oil warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the highway to inspect the vehicle and the contact became aware that the oil level was low. The contact waited for sev…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk, and the oil warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the highway to inspect the vehicle and the contact became aware that the oil level was low. The contact waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and continued driving to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the catalytic convertor had caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 132,000.
The component that failed is acceleration. He came from work at the Frywed when he reduced the speed from 65 to 30 and no longer accelerated .. if an independent service had no warning or failure at that time they were detected
Oil continuously drains beyond normal usage. Fuel consumption has also been consumed beyond normalcy. Taken major advantage of lack of knowledge on car maintenance by Hyundai dealership. No repair orders are issued as of late for any major changes to the vehicle. Last repair order(s) was completed 10/24/2023.
The "touch screen" in the car has warped from heat and no longer responds to touch. Many features and settings for the car are no longer available. Not sure if it's a safety issue; it would depend on the car model and which settings are managed through the touch screen. Since I can't access the settings, I don't know what featur…
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The "touch screen" in the car has warped from heat and no longer responds to touch. Many features and settings for the car are no longer available. Not sure if it's a safety issue; it would depend on the car model and which settings are managed through the touch screen. Since I can't access the settings, I don't know what features or settings are now inaccessible, so I'm reporting the affected equipment as a precaution.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Midas where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pressure regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was …
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Midas where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pressure regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Shortly after finishing major repairs at my local dealer, I started to expirience, what I believe, now, to be a "low-end engine knock". Engine knock can usually occur due to oil starvation, where the connecting rod bearings are worn and debris enters the engine. So, I brought my car back to the dealer to ask them what this stra…
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Shortly after finishing major repairs at my local dealer, I started to expirience, what I believe, now, to be a "low-end engine knock". Engine knock can usually occur due to oil starvation, where the connecting rod bearings are worn and debris enters the engine. So, I brought my car back to the dealer to ask them what this strange noise was I was hearing; I asked them if it could be the brand new clutch, or their equipment they left in the engine bay for me. They gave me an answer and it was to not drive the car anymore. One employee of the dealer even suggested "wrapping it around a telephone pole"... They told me what the repairs would cost and I had not qualified for a warranty extention so I left. I acquired a definitive diagnostic elsewhere and was shown the gravity of the situation. My oil filter had caught pieces of the engine and it was dubbed an engine knock. This incident took me completely by surprise. I regularly changed my oil and never saw my levels get so low that they would be considered empty. I have only owned the car for 5 years and it being only 8 years old, I was hoping to enjoy the driving expirience for years to come. That sensation has been replaced with apprehension and possible engine fire... how do I afford to buy a new car every 5 years if I can't drive the one I have now??
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at an undisclosed speed. No warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed black smoke coming from the vehicle The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings failed and needed t…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at an undisclosed speed. No warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed black smoke coming from the vehicle The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
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.