The Hyundai Equus is a full-size car built from 2011 to 2016. Most were assembled in South Korea — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: V8. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Equus is
The Hyundai Equus is a full-size car that Hyundai built from 2011 to 2016 — 6 model years. It has been offered with V8 power. Its closest siblings in the Hyundai range: Sonata, Ioniq, Elantra GT.
Where the Equus is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 94 Equuss on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | KMH | 2011-2016 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Hyundai VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Equus belongs to. What every character in a Equus VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Hyundai Equus adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Hyundai Equus tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Equus owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Hyundai Equus have? Power & range
The Hyundai Equus is offered with 1 powertrain — 5L 8-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Hyundai Equus, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V8 | 5.0L · 8-cyl | Automatic (S8) | RWD | Premium |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Equus by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Hyundai Equus. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Equus | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 7 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 97 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Insurance | $1,938/yr | Estimated full coverage |
| Used value | 46 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Hyundai Equus?
The Equus is a full-size car, built from 2011 to 2016. Engines offered: V8.
Where is the Hyundai Equus made?
Across 94 cars in our records the split is: South Korea (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Hyundai Equus warranty?
New models carry 5 years / 60,000 miles basic cover and 10 years / 100,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Equus reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Equus?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Hyundai
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2001–2026 | 109 | 36 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 2020–2026 | 33 | 34 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 1992–2026 | 116 | 54 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2005–2026 | 76 | 50 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 1989–2026 | 151 | 52 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2018–2026 | 28 | 120 mpg | 4.5/5 |