Hyundai Genesis: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Hyundai Genesis: 6 model years scored from 1,039 NHTSA owner complaints and 26 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2016.
Hyundai Genesis: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Hyundai Genesis ranges from 39/100 in 2015 to 97/100 in 2014 — a 58-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Genesis at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (113 of them).
Avoid: 2015 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 — 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.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, which has 305 complaints, six recall campaigns and a score of 39, and treat the 2012 car (269 complaints, score 59) with caution. Buy a 2014 car, which has 23 complaints and no recalls and scores 97 on low evidence, or a 2016 car, which has 102 complaints and scores 75; the 2011 and 2013 cars score 73 and 71. The 2012 and 2013 cars are led by Engine at 71 and 66 with Service Brakes at 65 and 58, and campaign 13V489000 covers the 2011 and 2012 cars for brake fluid that lets the hydraulic control unit corrode. The 2015 second-generation sedan is an electrical record: Electrical System has 113 complaints, and its campaigns cover water leaking into the rear lamps and corrupting the gear display, an instrument cluster that can show the wrong speed, an ABS module that can short circuit, and a starter solenoid that admits water and can start an engine fire. Several campaigns here also cover the Genesis Coupe.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2016 (score 75). Worst: 2015 (score 39, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 75 | BUY | $5,234 | 102 | 5 |
| 2015 | 39 | AVOID | $5,706 | 305 | 6 |
| 2014 | 97 | BUY | $5,306 | 23 | 0 |
| 2013 | 71 | BUY | $5,545 | 195 | 4 |
| 2012 | 59 | CAUTION | $5,564 | 269 | 5 |
| 2011 | 73 | BUY | $5,774 | 145 | 6 |
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 Genesis, through the years →
Genesis sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Genesis 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 Genesis
Across every Genesis 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.
- Electrical System245 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine232 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes190 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other140 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Hydraulic77 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement$680–$1,520
- Power Train76 complaints across all Genesis years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
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 Genesis years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2015 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2015 is the weakest at 39/100, with its complaints concentrated in Electrical System.
What are the best Hyundai Genesis years to buy?
2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2014 at 97/100, on 23 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Hyundai Genesis problem?
245 of the complaints filed against the Genesis across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04