Hyundai Veloster VIN Number Check

Run a free NHTSA vPIC decode on a Hyundai Veloster VIN to confirm the model year and engine, then see which of the 12 NHTSA recall campaigns for 2012–2022 cover that year.

VIN prefixKMH

Free decode plus the NHTSA recalls for its model year. 17 characters, no I, O or Q.

Hyundai Veloster

About the Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai sold the Veloster in the US for model years 2012–2022, across two generations. The FS came first (2012–2017), and the JS took over for 2019–2022. Across those years NHTSA lists 12 vehicle recall campaigns and 1,353 owner complaints. Complaints pile up on the FS. Its 2013 and 2012 model years alone account for 720 of them, with owners bringing up engine and cooling most often and the electrical system after that. EPA rates the FS at 26–31 mpg combined, while the JS gets 22–30 mpg. A free VIN decode gives you NHTSA vPIC’s record for the car (model year, engine, plant) and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. It won’t show theft, flood or lemon-law history.

US model years2012–2022

GenerationsFS · JS

NHTSA recall campaigns12

Owner complaints1,353 at NHTSA

Hyundai Veloster photographed at a US vehicle auction — Auction lot photo, for illustration

Generations

Hyundai Veloster generations

Two generations since the 2012 model year. The FS (2012–2017) has both the most owner complaints and the most recall campaigns (8).

2 / 2

2019–20222nd generation

Photo: Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

201220152020

2019–2022· Generation 2 of 2

JS · 2nd generation

EPA classCompact Cars

EPA combined mpg22–30

NHTSA recalls4

Engines (EPA)

1.6 L 4-cyl (turbo) · 2019–2021
2.0 L 4-cyl · 2019–2021
2.0 L 4-cyl (turbo) · 2019–2022

Drive & transmission (EPA)

FWD
automatic (2019–2021), manual (2019–2022), automated manual/dual-clutch (2019–2022)

Known issues to check

Lane departure (49)Engine and cooling (37)Steering (35)1 high-risk recall campaign

Mentions in 139 NHTSA complaints.

Sample VIN pattern · JSKMHT36AH?NU······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 2022 Hyundai Veloster N, built in Ul-San, South Korea

Check a Veloster VIN

Sources: EPA · NHTSA · vPIC

NHTSA campaign data

Which Veloster model years each recall covers

NHTSA data

NHTSA has 12 campaigns on file for Veloster model years 2012–2022, and the 2012 shows up in more of them than any other year (6), ahead of the 2013 (3). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.

Pick a row

What to ask

Source: NHTSA recall database, vehicle campaigns only; row text is NHTSA’s summary. A listed year does not mean every car is covered, so check the VIN.

Canada rows: Transport Canada recalls database. Transport Canada recalls that match an NHTSA campaign are folded into that row by VinNumber.net; rows with the Canadian flag have no NHTSA match. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Transport Canada.

Owner reports · NHTSA complaints

What Hyundai Veloster owners report

Owner summaries + NHTSA data

Between them, the 2013 and 2012 hold 720 of the 1,353 complaints, or 53%. Tap any bar or generation.

1,353NHTSA complaints, 2012–2022

43mention a crash

58mention a fire

57injuries reported

Owner complaints by model yearJS: 139 complaints · most for the 2019 (46)

Top complaint areas · JS

Mentions in 139 complaints, 2019–2022.

Lane departure49

Engine and cooling37

Steering35

Electrical system15

Powertrain (transmission, driveline)11

Structure and body10

Crashes 3Fires 1Injuries 3

2019–2022 (JS)

NHTSA data summary

Lane departure leads the JS list with 49 mentions, yet no earlier Veloster generation has it among its six most-mentioned areas. Its first model year, the 2019, drew more complaints than any other (46 of 139).

What Veloster owners report across recent generations

Owner summary

2012–2017 (1st generation)

The 2012 and 2013 draw the most complaints. Many NHTSA owners of the 2013 describe engine failure and fires, often on the 1.6 liter turbo, along with steering noise and exploding sunroofs. CarComplaints lists connecting rod failure, stalling and an exploded sunroof for 2013, a steering coupling problem and tire blowouts for 2012, and limp mode and hesitation for 2016. Recalls cover engine software on 2013 turbo models that can damage the engine, rear parking sensors on 2012–2014 models that may short circuit and ABS modules on 2012–2015 models that may cause a fire. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

What to check before buying

Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup, including the turbo engine software, parking sensor and ABS module recalls.
Ask for engine repair records, especially on turbo cars.
On the drive, listen for knocking or clunks from the steering when turning, feel for hesitation and check the sunroof glass for damage.

Sources (5) and method

Sources:

Counts: NHTSA complaints file, records to October 1, 2026, one count per complaint; areas are NHTSA component groups.

Owner summary updated September 25, 2026.

Owner complaints · by model year

Veloster complaint breakdown by model year

NHTSA data

Every Veloster version is counted together. Tap a year to see its top systems.

1,353complaints, 2012–2022

43mention a crash

58mention a fire

57injuries reported

1complaint reports a death

Most complaints: 2013 (424), 2012 (296), 2016 (222)

2013 · 424 complaints

Crashes 6 · fires 33 · injuries 9

Engine171

Electrical system98

Steering58

Unknown or other52

Power train35

Systems as NHTSA names them; a complaint can list several. Source: NHTSA complaints data, records to October 1, 2026.

EPA fuel economy & emissions

Veloster CO₂, smog rating and yearly fuel cost

EPA data

EPA lists 40 Veloster versions for model years 2012–2022. The lowest tailpipe CO₂ is 287 g/mi (2012). Pick a model year and powertrain to see each version.

FS2012–2017

26–31 mpg · CO₂ 287–333 g/mi

JS2019–2022

22–30 mpg · CO₂ 296–400 g/mi

Model year2021

30combined MPG

296CO₂ grams per mile (tailpipe)

$2,250EPA yearly fuel cost

5/10Smog rating

1 = worst · 10 = cleanest

6/10Greenhouse gas rating

California LEV-III ULEV70 · Federal Tier 3 Bin 70Emission standard

Cleanest gas version of 2021: Veloster · Auto (AM-S7), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo — 30 MPG · 296 g/mi

Best (lowest) CO₂ by model year

Gas

Annual fuel cost is EPA’s estimate at its current fuel-price assumptions (15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving), so older years are priced at today’s fuel prices. Smog rating and emission standard can differ by sales area (federal vs. California); both are shown. Greenhouse-gas ratings start with the 2013 model year. Source: fueleconomy.gov.

Compare rivals

Veloster vs Honda Civic vs Volkswagen Jetta

NHTSA + EPA data

Take 2019–2022. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the Veloster, against 8 for the Honda Civic and 17 for the Volkswagen Jetta. Pick a range to compare.

Hyundai VelosterJS

Model years 2019–2022

NHTSA recall campaigns: 4
NHTSA owner complaints: 139
EPA combined mpg: 22–30
Engines (EPA): 4-cyl 1.6, 2.0 L
Also listed: turbo
Drive (EPA): FWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

Lane departure 49
Engine and cooling 37
Steering 35

Honda Civic

Model years 2019–2022

NHTSA recall campaigns: 8
NHTSA owner complaints: 1,801
EPA combined mpg: 25–36
Engines (EPA): 4-cyl 1.5, 2.0 L
Also listed: turbo
Drive (EPA): FWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

Steering 1,011
Forward collision avoidance 206
Fuel system 183

Volkswagen Jetta

Model years 2019–2022

NHTSA recall campaigns: 17
NHTSA owner complaints: 714
EPA combined mpg: 28–35
Engines (EPA): 4-cyl 1.4, 1.5, 2.0 L
Also listed: turbo
Drive (EPA): FWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

Electrical system 196
Engine and cooling 176
Powertrain (transmission, driveline) 171

NHTSA recalls (vehicle campaigns for all powertrain versions; equipment and tire campaigns left out), complaints (not sales-adjusted) and 5-Star overall ratings for the latest year rated for all three; EPA mpg, engines and drive. Rivals: same EPA class, picked by VinNumber.net.

Hyundai Veloster VIN number location

Where to find the VIN on a Veloster

Tap a spot. Every location should show the same 17 characters.

Dark grey Hyundai Veloster (second generation) hatchback, front three-quarter view, with the VIN locations marked

Photo: Hans Haase, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Illustration: VinNumber.net

Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net

The Veloster's asymmetric door layout places a B-pillar label on the passenger side between the unique third door. The primary VIN plate sits at the base of the driver's side windshield, with a door jamb sticker on the driver's side as the standard secondary location. The JS generation starts with the 2019 model year; the VIN’s 10th character (K for 2019) shows which side of that line a car falls on.

Windshield plateRead it through the glass at the base of the driver's side windshield.
Source: 49 CFR 565.13(f) (NHTSA): VIN inside the passenger compartment, readable through the glazing next to the left windshield pillar
Door jamb labelOpen the driver's door: the certification label on the B-pillar lists the VIN.
Source: 49 CFR 567.4 (NHTSA): certification label with VIN at the driver door hinge pillar, latch post or door edge

The title, registration and insurance card show the VIN as well. All locations should match.

FAQ

Common Hyundai Veloster VIN questions

Which Hyundai Veloster model years have the most owner complaints?

The 2013 leads with 424, ahead of the 2012 (296) and 2016 (222). Those first two alone make up 53% of the 1,353 Veloster complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.

How many recalls has the Hyundai Veloster had?

NHTSA’s recall records show 12 vehicle campaigns for model years 2012–2022, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns. By generation, FS leads with 8. Then come the JS (4), and a campaign can span two generations.

Which Hyundai Veloster recalls are high risk?

NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 20V-393, 23V-132, 23V-651, 19V-204, 20V-746 and 21V-301. Park-outside advisories came with 23V-651. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.

Which Veloster generation am I looking at?

By US model year, the FS is 2012–2017 and the JS 2019–2022. Read the year off the VIN’s 10th character (K is 2019).

What fuel economy does the Hyundai Veloster get?

It varies. EPA rates the 2019–2022 JS at 22–30 mpg combined, depending on engine and drive, up from 26–31 mpg for the 2012–2017 FS (fueleconomy.gov).

How does the Hyundai Veloster compare with the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta on recalls?

For 2019–2022 models the Veloster has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns. The Honda Civic has 8, the Volkswagen Jetta 17. Complaints run 139, 1,801 and 714 in that order, with no sales adjustment.

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Hyundai Veloster VIN Number Check

About the Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai Veloster generations