2016 Hyundai Veloster Problems, Recalls & Reliability

301 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Hyundai Veloster, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 57/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 81,500 miles.

Avoid this year if you can. The 2016 Hyundai Veloster sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2014, 2017, 2019.

301Complaints
57/100Trouble index
1Recalls
35,000Typical trouble mileage

Avoid

Where 2016 sits among all Veloster years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 140 complaints (47%) · typically ~81,500 miles
“It's making a lot of noise, when i turn my car on, when i turn it off and even when i'm driving it, it the sound it's coming from the engine, i got my car in a dealership 1month ago and it has 34,516 miles”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Veloster
Transmission & drivetrain 43 complaints (14%) · typically ~19,038 miles
“Experience shifting problems, hesitating acceleration, loss of power . Very on safe when driving trying to pull out into traffic the problems have been happening scince day one of buying the car new”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Veloster
Other 32 complaints (11%) · typically ~14,500 miles
“My check engine light came on, and turned out it's the transmission control module. Car is only 4 years old, i should not be having issues like this yet”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Veloster
Fuel system 23 complaints (8%) · typically ~18,008 miles
Electrical 16 complaints (5%) · typically ~52,433 miles
Airbags 11 complaints (4%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 139 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 35,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 17,000 and 85,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (1)

ENGINE 20V746000 2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor…

Federal defect investigations

Engine Fires EA21003 opened 2021, closed 2024

Led to recall campaign 23V877.

Technical service bulletins

125 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2016 Hyundai Veloster. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2016 Veloster TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2016peak 65 in 20212026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2016 Hyundai Veloster reliable?

The 2016 Hyundai Veloster drew 301 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 57/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).

What are the most common 2016 Hyundai Veloster problems?

The top reported problems for the 2016 Hyundai Veloster are engine (140 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (43), and other (32).

At what mileage do 2016 Hyundai Veloster problems show up?

Owners most often report 2016 Hyundai Veloster problems around 35,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 17,000 and 85,000 miles.

Does the 2016 Hyundai Veloster have recalls?

1 recall campaign applies to the 2016 Hyundai Veloster. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2015 Veloster All Veloster years 2017 Veloster →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.