Hyundai
Hyundai Veloster years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015 and 2016. Best years: 2020 and 2021.
The 2015 and 2016 Hyundai Veloster draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 137 complaints (11 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 222 complaints (20 for each year on the road), against a median of 5 a year across the 7 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (62 reports).
- 359complaints
- 2recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 27, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: engine failure (39 reports, median 86,000 miles) and stalling (38 reports, median 86,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: engine failure (62 reports, median 104,886 miles) and stalling (51 reports, median 98,000 miles).
Best years
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Hyundai Veloster year here: 222 of 359 (62%).
- Problem across the years
- Engine failure is the top problem in every model year with a page, 101 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 52 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 100,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9% of Hyundai Veloster complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 21 of its 222 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report engine failure also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2021 at 83 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 30. So far in 2026, 21 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (84), 2017 (50), 2019 (42), 2020 (24), 2021 (11).
Year by year
2016 Hyundai Veloster avoid
222 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (3.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (62 reports, median 104,886 miles), stalling (51 reports, median 98,000 miles) and misfire (38 reports, median 99,000 miles). 15 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 1 recall: 20V-746 on the engine.
2015 Hyundai Veloster avoid
137 owner complaints, 11 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (39 reports, median 86,000 miles), stalling (38 reports, median 86,000 miles) and misfire (23 reports, median 94,000 miles). 2 recalls, including 20V-746 on the engine and 23V-651 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.
Questions
What Hyundai Veloster years should you avoid?
The 2015 and 2016 Hyundai Veloster draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 137 complaints (11 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 222 complaints (20 for each year on the road), against a median of 5 a year across the 7 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (62 reports).
What are the best years for the Hyundai Veloster?
The 2020 and 2021 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2020 has 24 (3 a year) and 2021 has 11 (2 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Veloster?
Engine failure, with 101 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015 and 2016.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Veloster have?
2 recall campaigns cover the Hyundai Veloster model years 2015 to 2016 on this site. The widest, 20V-746 on the engine, covers 2 model years.
How many Hyundai Veloster complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Hyundai Veloster?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.