Hyundai owners have filed 47,965 complaints with NHTSA across 34 models. On average the car was 5.15 years old when the problem happened, and 36.3% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Hyundai
The systems Hyundai owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Hyundai | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 17.3% | 0.6% | |
| Air Bags | 6.2% | 28% | |
| Steering | 5.9% | 2.4% | |
| Unknown Or Other | 5.4% | 3.2% | |
| Power Train | 4.8% | 2.1% | |
| Electrical System | 4.8% | 0.9% | |
| Structure | 3.1% | 1.4% | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2.9% | 4.7% |
When Hyundai problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 5.15 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 36.3% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 2,570 | Of 47,965 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 1,313 | Of 47,965 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Hyundai models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Hyundai | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONATA | 30.2% | 5.9 yrs | 643 | |
| ELANTRA | 16.1% | 5.4 yrs | 733 | |
| SANTA FE | 14.3% | 5.6 yrs | 317 | |
| TUCSON | 12.4% | 4.4 yrs | 222 | |
| PALISADE | 4.7% | 1.8 yrs | 51 | |
| ACCENT | 3.4% | 5.1 yrs | 218 | |
| IONIQ 5 | 2.6% | 1.5 yrs | 24 | |
| VELOSTER | 2.5% | 5.8 yrs | 35 | |
| GENESIS | 2.4% | 5.4 yrs | 62 | |
| SANTA FE SPORT | 2.3% | 6.0 yrs | 16 | |
| KONA | 1.5% | 2.6 yrs | 45 | |
| AZERA | 1.4% | 6.5 yrs | 28 | |
| VERACRUZ | 1.3% | 8.7 yrs | 13 | |
| TIBURON | 1.2% | 4.2 yrs | 77 | |
| SANTA CRUZ | 0.6% | 0.8 yrs | 9 |
Hyundai complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 | — | |
| 2025 | 52 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 54 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 59 | 8 | |
| 2022 | 64 | 11 | |
| 2021 | 33 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 66 | 27 | |
| 2019 | 62 | 34 | |
| 2018 | 64 | 55 | |
| 2017 | 102 | 73 | |
| 2016 | 85 | 78 | |
| 2015 | 86 | 102 | |
| 2014 | 94 | 111 | |
| 2013 | 226 | 234 | |
| 2012 | 160 | 145 | |
| 2011 | 160 | 130 | |
| 2010 | 76 | 25 | |
| 2009 | 83 | 27 | |
| 2008 | 93 | 56 | |
| 2007 | 109 | 38 | |
| 2006 | 101 | 19 | |
| 2005 | 87 | 11 | |
| 2004 | 81 | 12 | |
| 2003 | 105 | 13 | |
| 2002 | 102 | 11 |
What Hyundai owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Engine 8,317 Read
I was turning into a parking space at my work and almost at a complete stop when the engine suddenly revved and accelerated, causing my car to jump the curb and hit a light pole. My foot was on the brake the whole time as I was coming to a stop. It happened so fast. One minute I was parking and the next second I hit the pole. I sustain several injuries and am waiting to hear about my car
Your website states I am not in a recall but indeed I have been under recall 302, now 974, and another one currently. The dealers have lied and falsified records. My new Kona with less than 31000 miles is burning more than a qt of oil weekly on average, knocks loudly, looses power, and now I'm finding burnt labels on the booster vac lines. The dealer states I was under recall 203 in 2020 for "vibration inspection" ABSOLUTELY NOT I was seen for recall 203 bad piston rings with less than 12k miles. Now for the SECOND time I'm told it's not safe nor advisable by Hyundai to park my vehicle in my driveway or garage due to fire risks of my car. The car is worth 30-45% lower value than retail due to issues. Hyundai has lied non stop, the dealers have lied non stop, and no one cares. I also have over 5k in wrap warranties that are not valid anymore due to abnormal oil consumption and the dealer will not allow me to remove the packs. It's all BS Now involved in a rear end collision not at fault. Hit at 40mph at a dead stop. It destroyed the rear collision system and bars as well as sensors but not one air bag deployment or safety feature. Almost 8k in repair and over 3 weeks in shop. In one of the safest vehicles nationaly
The contact owned a 2012 hyundai santa fe. While driving approximately 20 mph, the contact was alerted of flames under the vehicle as black smoke poured from the engine. The contact crashed into a pole. The air bags deployed. The contact received bruises on the face and chest and experienced trouble breathing. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000
Air Bags 2,978 Read
I was recently involved in a front side swipe accident where a person ran a red light and hit me while I was passing through an intersection. The impact was all in the front of the vehicle where the air bag had deployed. The air bag caught on fire within seconds after it had deployed. Thankfully I was conscious to where I was able to unbuckle my seat belt quickly and someone came to my aid quickly enough to where I was able to exit the vehicle safely
The contact owned a 2014 hyundai sonata. While making a left turn at 20 mph, another vehicle collided with the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. The contact noticed smoke and felt heat on her feet. A bystander pulled the contact from the vehicle and flames appeared underneath the driver's side. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire. The contact stated that the driver's side curtain and front passenger side air bags failed to deploy. The front driver's side air bag and passenger side curtain air bag deployed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, abdomen, and neck. The contact also sustained left and right leg and knee scratches and bruises that required medical attention. The driver and rear middle seat passenger of the other vehicle also sought medical attention, but the extent of their injuries was unknown. A police report was filed. It was unknown if a fire report was filed. The contact's vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The cause of the air bag failure was not determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000
The contact owns a 2016 hyundai elantra. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags deployed and emitted fire during the deployment. A police report was filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,999
Steering 2,817 Read
The contact called on behalf of the driver of a 2019 hyundai elantra. While driving, the steering wheel seized. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into trees and a small abandoned home. The vehicle burst into flames. The driver was trapped inside the vehicle and burned to death. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The state trooper contacted hyundai of dothan (located at 2329 ross clark cir, dothan, al 36301, (334) 699-6416) where the vehicle was purchased. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The cause of the steering failure was unknown. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown
The contact owned a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving and pulling out of a parking space, the steering wheel turned to the right and then left, after which the vehicle lost power and steering capability. As a result, the contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and collided with a pole. The contact could not recall any warning indicators that illuminated after the incident. The driver side bumper and hood sustained damage from the collision and a nearby concrete barrier was also scratched. The vehicle came to a stop in the parking lot in front of the pole. No air bags deployed. The vehicle was subsequently towed to a collision repair facility. No police report was filed. The insurance company determined the vehicle to be a total loss. The contact stated that the seatbelt locked during the crash, causing strain to the left shoulder and a laceration to the left thigh. The contact also reported striking the steering wheel. No medical treatment was sought. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 28,791
My Tucson was involved in a MVA. I was hit in the rear end by another SUV on the rear back passenger side of the vehicle. During impact, the steering wheel literally detached from the dashboard in my driver's hands leaving us with no way to steer or maneuver the vehicle. The result of this safety failure could have lead to serious injury or death of myself, my driver or anybody in the path of the vehicle. We did have hit anything. There is zero front or side damage to the Tucson. No airbags deployed, not even the one in the steering wheel. There were no warning lights or anything indicating there was a problem w the vehicle. I called the dealership and filed a complaint with Hyundai consumer affairs. They had an inspector go inspect the vehicle and followed up w a letter stating the vehicle did as it was designed to. The vehicle was deemed a total loss from my insurance company. It is currently sitting in impound and unsure if it is available for future inspection. There was zero issues with the vehicle prior to this incident other than a stone chip to the windshield that was due to be replaced. This vehicle was only 5 months old
Unknown Or Other 2,585 Read
The 565 and 566 required to be submitted by manufacture prior to sale in US lists the vehicle manufacturer in korea, describes vehicle as a truck and weight recorded at over 33000 lbs. The vehicle has had no safety Inspections and a rather loose self certification process allows the oversight and quality assurance that the vehicle did meet fmvss and all FMVSS requirements. Simply taking a manufactures word for it does not protect innocent consumers and endangers every driver on the road. The vehicle was driven on a fully capable scale and weighed 3, 126lbs fully loaded. The vehicle has a WMI of KM8, when a WMI search on the NHTSA website through manufacture information list only the Sonata as KM8 and decodes the vin KMH in the US not KM8. The window sticker lists a port of entry as PT, however again 0 import documentation is found. The Washington State DOL states the vehicle was manufactured in the US and shipped to the dealer. However the only US hyundai manufacture plant in the US was HMMA and they according to 555 and 566 submittal do not manufacture the Kona. The kona is not listed as manufactured by any US Hyundai rather Hatci is listed as a parent company and has a submittal of a 565 and 566 listing the Kona as a truck but was not submitted until 2023. Again my vehicle was said to have been registered in washington state in 2018. A recorded conversation I had recently with NHTSA safety hotline, NHTSA representative can be heard stating not every vehicle is test
Car stalled while driving on highway… causing the car to crash. The air bags deployed and me out! The car burst into flames and I was rescued by another motorist
As I was driving the car to a vacation resort, the car caught fire and was completely destroyed. Myself, adult son, and wife were in the car at the time. We were luckly to get out of the car before it blew up and killed us all. The car was melted down and completed destroyed. This event happened on May 2, 2021 near Pooler, GA. The only warning sign was smoke, then flames. We lost engine, brakes and control. We hit a light pole to stop the car. Police reports and fire department reports were filed
Power Train 2,326 Read
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on and shifted into park, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled away with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then collided with a tree. The contact also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the crash. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where full body repairs were completed. The vehicle was later taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred, and during the second incident the contact’s spouse attempted to stop the vehicle and was almost run over. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was provided. The contact stated that the their arms and fingers are hurting during the failure, The contact stated that the vehicle then collided with an area of the contact’s home. The contact stated their concern that there vehicle is very hazardous and very unsafe and the failure could have been worse for the contact's spouse. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000
2013 Hyundai Sonata has a loud knocking noise from engine. Purchases 8/5/25 at 43K miles, currently at 44K miles. There is a Technical Service Bulletin, # 22-EM-009H dated June 2022 about an extended warranty but its time limit is questionable. Unknown and undocumented when purchased. Not listed as an official recall so not covered under warranty repair and the only course of action I have been given is install a new motor quoted at $15K from local Hyundai dealer. Further research shows that driving should be limited to avoid further engine issues/fires. Occurrence since January 2026. Progressively worsening. Cause for concern. Is there an official recall on for the piston flap pending? Unsure if accident noted below is due to the issue
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while parked for approximately an hour and the front driver seat unoccupied, the contact's granddaughter climbed into the front seat from the rear to sit with the front passenger occupant and accidentally depressed the drive (D) button and the vehicle began rolling forward. The vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle. There were no injuries and no police report filed. Additionally, the contact stated that she attempted to switch to each gear and the vehicle's brake did not need to be applied to shift gears. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000
Electrical System 2,287 Read
12v connector for phone charger melted my phone cord. Reported to Centennial Hyundai Las Vegas and High Desert Hyundai Kingman Az. Both service departments said my vehicle cannot detect the problem because I purchased a substandard plug-in. I have worked as an operator of high voltage electrical systems. I understand in some circumstances that a system cannot detect a fault, however the company is still responsible for the fire it caused. This is unsafe and can cause serious consequences. It must be corrected
The consumer was traveling about 60mph on the highway, and with no prior warning saw flames shooting up though the hood area. Consumer pulled over immediately, and notified the police. Vehicle was towed to the dealership
Vehicle Incident Statement – 2021 Hyundai Palisade Driver/Owner: [Your Name] Vehicle: 2021 Hyundai Palisade Date of Incident: [Insert Date] Location: Restaurant drive-thru (vehicle stopped in line) Summary of Incident On the date listed above, I was stopped in a restaurant drive-thru lane with the vehicle in drive and Auto Hold engaged. The vehicle had recently had a battery replacement performed at a Hyundai dealership on the day prior to the incident (repair order available). While stopped, I pressed the accelerator to move forward in the drive-thru line. The vehicle did not respond immediately. There was a brief delay, followed by a sudden and unexpected surge of acceleration. Vehicle Behavior The vehicle accelerated rapidly after a short delay in response to accelerator input The brake pedal felt normal when pressed Applying the brake did not appear to slow or stop the vehicle effectively The vehicle continued moving forward and struck another vehicle Additional Relevant Information The Idle Stop & Go (auto start/stop) system had not been functioning for approximately one year prior to the incident On the day of the incident (after battery replacement), the auto start/stop system began functioning again unexpectedly The vehicle had no known prior issues with unintended acceleration No floor mat or physical obstruction was present affecting the accelerator pedal (to the best of my knowledge) Vehicle Condition The vehicle has not yet been repaired or inspected and is curren
Structure 1,471 Read
Hit a deer on highway and when impacted the hood flew up and smashed the windshield. I was unable to see where I was or if I was headed into the ditch or on coming traffic. The hood latch is metal the bar that the latch is attached to is plastic and broke completely off which allowed the hood to fly up and shatter the windshield. Having an important bracket like the hood bracket made out plastic is a huge safety issue. The vehicle is not available for pictures for the fact my insurance has deemed the vehicle unrepairable and have totaled the vehicle. I do believe checking into the plastic hood components should be conducted for a safety issue
As I was driving the hood opened breaking the windshield which obstructed my view and caused me to veer off-road and crash.I acquired the vehicle less than a year ago and only learned of a recall for hood latches from the tow truck driver. Afterwards. I had no prior problems with the latch opening and I was not physically injured but my vehicle is a total loss
The contact owned a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while exiting the vehicle to go into a store, he looked back and noticed the vehicle was on fire. No warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned he noticed the fire was coming from the rear driver's side quarter panel. The contact called 911. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to a savage yard, and the insurance will then have the vehicle towed to a body shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed the contact that they would inspect the vehicle, and they also offered to buy back the vehicle. Recently, he got an email informing him that they are not going to buy back the vehicle. The failure mileage was 18,000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1,404 Read
The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights illuminated. The contact pulls over to the right side of the road, exits the vehicle, and notices flames coming from the engine, and smoke starts coming inside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that a bystander gave him a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire, the flames stopped, then a couple of seconds later, the failure persisted. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to J&J Towing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating to the failure of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while pulling into an automatic car wash and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal travelled down to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle then drove into the car wash while the car wash conveyor system was not engaged. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving 2-3 MPH in a parking lot, and the vehicle rear-ended another occupied vehicle. There was no damage or injury sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and pulling out of a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed, but travelled down to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pumped the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond and rear-ended another occupied vehicle. The contact sustained cuts on the left leg from hitting the leg against the dashboard while pumping the brake pedal. The contact's vehicle sustained scratches on the front end, and the other vehicle sustained damage on the bumper plastic cover. A police report was filed. Both vehicles could be driven away from the scene. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing on several occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine compartment had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage junkyard. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle would be destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 47,965 Hyundai complaints.
Hyundai against the rest
| Measure | Where Hyundai sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #8 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #23 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 5.4% | across all 47,965 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Compare Hyundai with the rest
Hyundai problems by model
31 Hyundai models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 3 Hyundai models have no complaints on record at all.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Hyundai?
Owners have filed 47,965 complaints across 34 Hyundai models. On its own that number reflects how many Hyundai cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (5.15 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Hyundai?
The most reported system is Engine with 8,317 complaints.
Do Hyundai problems show up under warranty?
36.3% of Hyundai complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Hyundai model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.