Hyundai Veloster: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Hyundai Veloster: 9 model years scored from 1,274 NHTSA owner complaints and 17 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2017.
Hyundai Veloster: which years to avoid
Across 8 scored model years the Hyundai Veloster ranges from 39/100 in 2013 to 94/100 in 2017 — a 55-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Veloster at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (170 of them).
Avoid: 2012, 2013 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 — 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 2012 and 2013 Hyundai Veloster, which have 295 and 421 complaints and scores of 43 and 39, and treat the 2016 car (221 complaints, score 54) with caution. Buy a 2014 or 2015 car, which score 86 and 76, or a 2017, 2019 or 2020 car, scoring 94, 91 and 94 on small counts. Engine is the top category in every scored year, peaking at 170 on the 2013 car, where Electrical System adds 97 and Steering 58. The 2012 car's six campaigns include two for panoramic sunroof assemblies weakened at the factory and one for a parking brake that binds on manual cars; 19V204000 covers the 2013 1.6-litre turbo for engine software that can cause pre-ignition, and 20V746000 covers the 2015 and 2016 cars for connecting rod bearings that wear prematurely, the Engine count of 132 on the 2016 car. There is no 2018 model year; the 2019 and 2020 cars carry 21V301000 for piston oil rings on the 2.0-litre engine, but have 42 and 23 complaints.
Read the guide
Used Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster: the years to avoid — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Veloster changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 3 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2012–2013
Mean score 41/100, about 27 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (231 complaints). 7 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2014–2017
Mean score 78/100, about 12 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (268 complaints). The record improves by 37 points against the years before it. 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2019–2020
Mean score 92/100, about 5 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (26 complaints).
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2017 (score 94). Worst: 2013 (score 39, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,140 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 94 | BUY | $3,352 | 23 | 1 |
| 2019 | 91 | BUY | $3,534 | 42 | 2 |
| 2017 | 94 | BUY | $3,753 | 49 | 0 |
| 2016 | 54 | CAUTION | $4,210 | 221 | 1 |
| 2015 | 76 | BUY | $4,214 | 136 | 2 |
| 2014 | 86 | BUY | $4,256 | 86 | 2 |
| 2013 | 39 | AVOID | $4,825 | 421 | 3 |
| 2012 | 43 | AVOID | $4,901 | 296 | 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 Veloster, through the years →
Veloster sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Veloster
Across every Veloster 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.
- Engine525 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System206 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other177 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train136 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Steering116 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Visibility55 complaints across all Veloster years · typical job: Glass, wiper or defogger repair$490–$1,200
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 Veloster 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 39/100, with its complaints concentrated in Engine.
What are the best Hyundai Veloster years to buy?
2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2017 at 94/100, on 49 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Hyundai Veloster problem?
525 of the complaints filed against the Veloster across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04