2021 Hyundai Veloster reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Veloster over 6 years — 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Veloster years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Engine.

2012 Hyundai Veloster — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Lane departure (7 of 11), then Engine (3) and Fuel and propulsion system (2).

Next to 2020

The 2020 Veloster has 24 complaints, 5 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Hyundai Veloster. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

Recall Engine 2021-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 21V301000

Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.

Complaints by component (11 total)

Lane departure

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"high pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced twice before 1k miles the car just stalled out of no where .. now the car needs a new wheel berrings at 10k miles ."
Steering, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2022-08-08
"Constant False positives, already took to dealership and issue still persists"
Unknown or other, Lane departure · filed 2022-06-23
"This car came with summer tires(Pirelli P-Zero summer tires), so I decide to change to all-season CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT DWS06 PLUS with the same size as OEM tires which is 235/35/19. I got my new tires installed…"
Lane departure · filed 2022-05-06
"The first oil change, December 2020, no oil was in the vehicle, it was under the recommended miles. Second oil change, April 2021, cut the recommended miles down and again no oil was in the vehicle. May 28, 2021 Leaving…"
Engine · filed 2022-04-19
"No warning lights came on during the whole time this happened ... purchased this car with 98 miles on it.... I had the car for 7 days .. mind you i did not use the special features of the car like launch control or…"
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2022-03-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Hyundai Veloster 3 HB FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Veloster	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	Front-wheel drive	28	34	30 MPG	$2150
Veloster	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	27	34	30 MPG	$2150
Veloster	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	33	28 MPG	$2300
Veloster	1.6L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	33	29 MPG	$2250
Veloster N	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	28	25 MPG	$3200
Veloster N	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S8)	Front-wheel drive	20	27	22 MPG	$3650

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2019–2021

Body styles Hatchback

Oil 5W-20/5W-30 (2.0L); 5W-30/5W-40 (1.6L turbo, see manual by climate) , 4.2 qt capacity

Tire size 215/45R17, 225/40R18, 235/35R19 (N Performance Package)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V-301 covers certain 2019-2021 Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines (and Elantra/Kona models named in the campaign): piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which can damage the engine, cause stalling, and allow oil to leak onto hot exhaust parts. Dealers inspect and replace the engine as needed and deploy PNSS software. Recall 19V-311 covers certain 2019 Veloster vehicles: in some side impacts the driver door latch housing and locking cable can be damaged so the door can open; dealers replace the latch assembly and lower channel.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Hyundai Veloster See every Hyundai Veloster model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Hyundai Veloster reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Hyundai Veloster?

The complaints owners file most often name Lane departure (7 of 11), then Engine (3) and Fuel and propulsion system (2).

Is the 2021 Hyundai Veloster more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Veloster has 24 complaints, 5 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2021 Hyundai Veloster been recalled?

The 2021 Hyundai Veloster has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Hyundai Veloster?

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Veloster with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Hyundai Veloster get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Hyundai Veloster is 27.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Hyundai Veloster?

2nd generation (2019-2021).

What oil does a Hyundai Veloster take?

Viscosity depends on engine: natural-aspirated rows often list 5W-20/5W-30; turbo rows list 5W-30/5W-40 per the manual.

What tire sizes does a Hyundai Veloster use?

Common sizes include 215/45R17 and 215/40R18; second-gen N Performance Package also lists 235/35R19.