Hyundai Azera: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Hyundai Azera: 7 model years scored from 291 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2011.
Hyundai Azera: which years to avoid
Across 7 scored model years the Hyundai Azera ranges from 46/100 in 2013 to 91/100 in 2015 — a 45-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy an Azera at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Steering (33 of them).
Avoid: 2012, 2013 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the Azera changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2012–2014
Mean score 51/100, about 6 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Steering more than anything else (80 complaints). 5 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2015–2017
Mean score 90/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Steering more than anything else (11 complaints). The record improves by 39 points against the years before it. 1 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2011 (score 85). Worst: 2013 (score 46, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 90 | BUY | $4,325 | 12 | 1 |
| 2016 | 90 | BUY | $4,468 | 15 | 1 |
| 2015 | 91 | BUY | $4,595 | 9 | 1 |
| 2014 | 60 | CAUTION | $4,948 | 49 | 1 |
| 2013 | 46 | AVOID | $5,174 | 112 | 2 |
| 2012 | 47 | AVOID | $5,150 | 74 | 2 |
| 2011 | 85 | BUY | $5,365 | 20 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Azera, through the years →
Azera sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Azera on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Azera
Across every Azera model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Steering95 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Service Brakes64 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Engine45 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Hydraulic43 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement$680–$1,520
- Air Bags32 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Electrical System31 complaints across all Azera years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Hyundai Azera years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2012, 2013 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2013 is the weakest at 46/100, with its complaints concentrated in Steering.
What are the best Hyundai Azera years to buy?
2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2015 at 91/100, on 9 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Hyundai Azera problem?
95 of the complaints filed against the Azera across all its model years sit in the Steering group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04