I am reporting a safety-related engine defect involving sudden internal engine failure, excessive oil consumption, persistent bearing knock, and overheating of the catalytic converter. The vehicle repeatedly triggered Bank 1&2O2 sensor fault codes due to oil blow-by and thermal overload. A certified mechanic documented the engine is failing internally and that the cat. converter has been damaged as a direct result of engine defect. The failure pattern is consistent with known Hyundai engine defect investigations involving bearing wear, oil consumption, stalling, and fire risk. The overheating cat. converter presents a significant safety hazard, including potential engine seizure. I purchased the vehicle used in March 2025. I am the third owner. Despite maintaining the vehicle responsibly (Regular oil changes), the engine failure progressed rapidly. Hyundai Motor America has denied a goodwill repair solely on the basis of mileage, even though the defect clearly originated long before my ownership and aligns with previously identified safety-related engine issues. Additionally, Hyundai's records show that this vehicle had an engine-related recall active during prior ownership period; the recall was never performed by the Hyundai dealership that sold the vehicle to the previous owner. This raises concerns about improper recall handling and whether the defect should have been corrected before the vehicle was resold. Given the safety implications, the documented defect pattern, and the unresolved recall history, I am requesting the federal safety agency's review of this matter. The engine failure poses a serious safety risk; Hyundai's refusal to address a known defect, the vehicle is unsafe to operate. Timeline: 2014 Hatchett Hyundai West, KS 17,665 mi.; 2017-H. West serviced vehicle, 58,918; 2019-Engine powertrain alert 83856mi; 2020- Edmund Hyundai, OK-engine power train 100179 mi; 2021- Edmund 145418mi.; Hy. Noblesville, IN 167,603mi.; 2024 - H.N. 171937; 2025 - denied repair 188890.
2015 Hyundai Veloster: engine failure
17 of the 137 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Veloster describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- recalls
- 1
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
I took my car to Gilroy Hyundai November 11, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. because my engine was not running normal, it shook lightly while driving at an incline and the engine light would not shut off. they charged me $284.99 to tell me what needed to be fixed, engine was not looked per Ernesto Garcia. Ernest told me they go by mileage, not actually checking the engine. He also stated that the mechanic drove it and it was fine. December 28, I was driving from Chico, CA back home to Morgan Hill, CA and the car shook and just died and left me on the side of Highway 505 Winters/San Francisco. I had it towed to Moorehead Automotive in Fairfield, CA and they said this car needs a new engine. I still owe 7,000.00 on this car and have had trouble with both Hyundai and Power (the additional insurance I purchased when i bought this car.)
nothing has been done for the recall engine, Hyundai recall 198 which states damage engine can increase the risk of fire or engine stall increasing the risk of a crash. why is Hyundai selling cars that are recall for engines . as stated before oil consumption, jerks, no compression, going up hills is rough, cabin gets warmer than usual Hyundai Corp told me that the clogged catalytic converters were no cause by engine failure is this correct i have to pay for them. i have the recall for the brakes finally making a appt can you help me my engine is getting worse i'm afraid to drive it.
my car is recall for connecting rod bearing failure hyundai gave us a extended warranty for this 15 years or 150,00 miles plus i have 20 year 200,00 mile warranty too my engine has oil consumption a quart every 2- 3 weeks been in the Hyundai shop October 2023 for oil around spark plugs jerking engine trying to stall i had my car tow they did a tune up charge me for towing and spark plugs said it was part of engine failure. next in 04/24 engine light came on compression has been getting worse over two years car tow was told catalytic converters were clogged which is not covered so there another bill on me which i think at 124 plus mileage was due to engine problems but Hyundai Corp denied this of course. They want me to drive the car until the engine light flashes in middle of nowhere all i want is my recall engine fixed so i will feel safe in my car there was a lawsuit on the connecting rod bearing failure RECENTLY nothing has been done i can't afford another car at my age
The contact called on behalf of his girlfriend who owns a 2015 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated independently, and the driver pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number related to the engine. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine temperature increased, and the check engine warning light illuminated before the engine failed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the head gasket was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced under a Manufacturer Service Campaign. The failure mileage was 129,000.
Engine failure outside of normal warranty period. However oil consumption is the cause. Hyundai allows for 1quart of oil loss every 1000 miles. There should be no oil loss. Before I could get an oil consumption test my motor started knocking. The dealership was supposed ask for goodwill assistance but never did. They found no compression in cylinder 4 and stated since it wasn’t a rod bearing failure they would not cover it. Also they are using third party BBB to turn down complaints which should be a violation of the consumers rights. They are paid by Hyundai to reject claims.
Rod bearing in the fourth piston is failing and there is an existing TSB for this problem on this year (2015) of Veloster however Hyundai is saying that it doesn't cover this engine model so we are going to be out $7,000 for a new engine. Seems like the engine is the same only difference is the turbo so seems like this model should be part of the TSB as well. The problem has been confirmed by a mechanic at his shop C&C automotive in Fayetteville AR
We purchased the vehicle in March 2022 and in May 2022 the engine light came on and there was knocking in the engine until finally the engine quit while driving. Upon inspection of the engine it appeared to have blown as there was oil all under the hood. The car was towed and serviced at a Hyundai dealer and I was told it needed a new engine. They put another engine in the car. We got the car back December 31, 2022 with the "new/used" engine and that night the engine overheated and had to be towed back to the dealer that did the repairs costing almost $10K. They repaired the engine again, saying that they put another engine in and we got the car back in late February 2023. April 2023 the car engine light came on again and the car began to smoke. My son had been driving, pulled into our driveway, popped the hood to see why it was smoking and the car then caught fire! My son could have been seriously hurt or even worse! The car has been inspected by our insurance company and is now claiming a total loss. I have since emailed the pictures of the car to the service manager at the dealer where the work was done and he is claiming that he can't tell by the pictures what caused the fire. This is the SECOND engine they put in this car!
As I was turning off a main road into my neighborhood at night with little visibility for oncoming traffic, I lost power steering and the car began to shake. I was able to coast into my driveway. As I coasted into my driveway I noticed my engine, battery, and water light illuminated. Upon parking my car, I returned to where I lost my power steering found my damper pulley/crankshaft pulley and the crankshaft bolt in the middle of the street where I lost my power steering. I called the dealership and they took a look at it and are saying the entire engine needs to be replaced.
I brought in my car to the Irvine Tuttle-Click Hyundai Service location because the recall said my car had a possibility of engine fires, and my car has been with this service location for more than four months because the employees at this location inspected my car and confirmed that it needed to be replaced. There were no issues with my car prior to bringing it to this location and no warning lights were appearing on my dash to alert me of any problems. Now that they claim that they have completed replacing my engine, they are claiming that the alternator on my car is now damaged and needs to be replaced for $535.15, and if I do not replace it my car will not start without a jump start. Before bringing my car into this location there was no problems getting my car to start. The representative I spoke to claimed the part no longer works because the engine is new and the preexisting parts are old so they will most likely be damaged now because they are unable to work with the new engine. Again there were no issues with my car outside of the recall. It was running perfectly with no issues before I brought it to this service center and the only reason I brought it in was because I got the recall notice in the mail. Along with this issue they have had my car for since May 20th and it is now October 1st, because of this new issue they still have my car even though they claim to have completed the recall service. Also throughout the entire four months of my car being at their location they were not communicating with me at all regarding any of the progress with my car. Any communication was from me calling for updates on the services which were met with incomplete answers. Now that they are attempting to charge me for the part that they claim is damaged, the representative I have been working with and the front desk have not been picking up my calls.
The engine in my 15 Veloster is going out at only 140,00 miles despite tedious care and up keep. I've had a issue of rough idling, loss of power to the engine including a back fire. The engine makes a distinct ticking noise when the accelerator is pushed down. I have paperwork from a mechanic that reports these problems and them looking at it. They told me to take it to the dealership. I took it to a Bachman Hyundai and they said it definitely had connecting rod bearings issues. They were surprised it wasn't under recall. As was I when I saw online from multiple sources, that "2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle" had this recall. My VIN is not applied to this recall however. I have contacted Hyundai Customer care and they refuse to give me a explanation of this reasoning. I asked if they were made in different plants. He gave me no straight forward response, and declined my request to speak with a supervisor with more information. The dealership will not replace the engine, and I will not pay over 6,000 to replace a engine that "can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash." Source: https://www.autobytel.com/hyundai/veloster/2015/car-recalls/
Service bulletins that may apply
- This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s...
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Engine
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- A class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America (“HMA”) alleges that certain Hyundai vehicles (“Class...
- Op code/part number (reference guide for service campaign T6G)
- The warranty coverage for engine repair or replacement regarding engine damage or malfunction from...
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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 contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 198.
Recall number 20V746000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2015 Hyundai Veloster engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2015 Hyundai Veloster?
17 of 137 owner complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Veloster (12%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Hyundai Veloster?
There is 1 recall and 32 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2015 Hyundai Veloster
Check engine light 30Knocking 30Stalling 28Oil consumption 13Loss of power 9Fire or smoke 8Sunroof shattered 6Hesitation 5Won't shift 5
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