Hyundai Genesis vs Volkswagen CC: which is more reliable?

The Volkswagen CC is ahead of the Hyundai Genesis on the federal record, 76/100 against 70/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.

The record, side by side

Hyundai Genesis
Hyundai Genesis · Wikimedia Commons

Hyundai Genesis

70/100 mean
  • 6 model years scored
  • 1,039 owner complaints on record
  • about 14 complaints per year on the road
  • 26 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
  • best year 2014 (97/100) · worst 2015 (39/100)

Volkswagen CC

76/100 mean
  • 7 model years scored
  • 604 owner complaints on record
  • about 5 complaints per year on the road
  • 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
  • best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)

Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.

Year by year: Genesis against CC

The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.

YearGenesisCC Gap
2017—89 BUY—
201675 BUY83 BUY-8
201539 AVOID85 BUY-46
201497 BUY71 BUY+26
201371 BUY52 CAUTION+19
201259 CAUTION36 AVOID+23
201173 BUY76 BUY-3

What owners actually complain about

Hyundai Genesis

  • Electrical System — 245 complaints
  • Engine — 232 complaints
  • Service Brakes — 190 complaints

Volkswagen CC

  • Air Bags — 279 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
  • Engine — 119 complaints

They do not fail the same way: the Genesis's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the CC's in Air Bags. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.

Years to avoid on each

Hyundai Genesis — avoid: 2015.

Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.

A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.

What each costs today

A recent used Hyundai Genesis prices at about $28,200 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800 — the Volkswagen CC is roughly $6,400 less, and they return 19.0 against 25.0 MPG combined.

Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.

FAQ

Is the Hyundai Genesis or the Volkswagen CC more reliable?

On the NHTSA record the Volkswagen CC scores 76/100 against the Hyundai Genesis's 70/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.

Which Hyundai Genesis and Volkswagen CC years should I avoid?

Hyundai Genesis: 2015. Volkswagen CC: 2012. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.

What goes wrong on the Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen CC?

The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Genesis is Electrical System (245 complaints); on the Volkswagen CC it is Air Bags (279).

Is the Hyundai Genesis or the Volkswagen CC cheaper to own?

A recent used Hyundai Genesis prices at about $28,200 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.

More head-to-heads