The 2016 Hyundai Veloster has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 128,948 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 300 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE20V7460002020-12-01128,948 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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 Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may…
Complaints by component
ENGINE
132
7crashes2fires4injuries
POWER TRAIN
42
2crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
31
1crashes1fires
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
20
1crashes1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
15
3crashes4injuries
AIR BAGS
11
5crashes3injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
9
SERVICE BRAKES
8
2crashes
STRUCTURE:BODY
7
3crashes3injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
6
1fires
Total complaints300
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“2016 hyundai veloster with 1.6l gamma engine experienced repeat catastrophic engine failure consistent with nhtsa recall 20v746000 / hyundai recall 198 for connecting rod bearing failure. Failure #1: at 124,036 miles, engine developed loud knocking noise increasing with rpm, check engine light,…”
“I was driving down the highway when I lost all power to my engine and had to coast off and exit. Prior to the incident there was no indication of a problem. White smoke began coming out of my exhaust. I brought the car to a dealership and they told me that I would need a timing job and a new…”
“The contact owns a 2016 hyundai veloster. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The vehicle was restarted. The contact shifted to reverse and pulled into a parking lot. The message that the transmission had overheated was displayed. The contact used a…”
“I was driving on the highway when suddenly the car lost power and the engine light started flashing. I was able to coast into a gas station. The car would no longer start and I was stranded. The next day, we drove back to where the car was stranded and attempted to get it started again, but we…”
“I was driving on 8 east freeway when all of a sudden my car lost complete power. Engine light flashing, and couldn't pick up any speed. The truck in back of me almost hit me cause my car wouldn't go. Prior to this incident, my car was and has been working perfectly. . My mom had it towed back home…”
“I was instructed by hyundai usa to tow my veloster to west palm beach hyundai dealership specifically for the rod bearing diagnostic after I reported huge amount of smoke coming from the engine, engine oil leak, failed thermostat, and failed water pump, all while I was driving to work. I have…”
“On march 2024, I had my veloster towed to a certified hyundai service dealer because it suddenly began losing power, the oil light came on, the engine light flickered, and it began making a whining noise, and then the engine died and wouldn’t crank again. It took them weeks to diagnose it, and…”
“While driving my 2016 hyundai veloster (vin: [xxx] ) on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. I went from 60 mph down to 20 mph with no throttle response, and the car only continued moving briefly from momentum. I was forced to stop in unsafe highway conditions and had the vehicle…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA21003 Opened 2021-12-22 · closed 2024-02-05
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles. During the PE…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Hyundai Veloster as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.