2012 Hyundai GENESIS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Hyundai GENESIS has 362 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (19% of all complaints), specifically: in 2011 i leased a 2012 hyundai genesis. on january 25.2013 when my car suddenly stopped. i called aaa, they came out and did a diagnostic check on my battery and told me it was fine, that something in the computer, most likely the alternator was draining the battery. on june 9th 2013 while driving. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 5 crash reports 4 injuries

362

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

69 complaints

19%

• IN 2011 I LEASED A 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS. ON JANUARY 25.2013 WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. I CALLED AAA, THEY CAME OUT AND DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON MY BATTERY AND TOLD ME IT WAS FINE, THAT SOMETHING IN THE COMPUTER, MOST LIKELY THE ALTERNATOR WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. ON JUNE 9TH 2013 WHILE DRIVING
• THE COMMON DENOMINATOR FOR WHAT I EXPERIENCED HAS BEEN THAT THE CAR IS MOVING SLOWLY, 5-20 MPH (7TH OR 8TH GEAR), AND YOU FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR WHILE CHANGING THE LANE (TO MERGE QUICKLY). ALL THAT HAPPENS FOR 1-2 SECONDS IS THAT THE CAR COASTS AT THE SPEED YOU WERE GOING (ABSOLUTELY NO POWER IS APPL
• MY 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS 6 CYLINDER SEDAN HAS STALLED SINCE I BOUGHT IT (LEASED) NEW TWO YEARS AGO. EACH TIME I GO TO THE DEALER (OIL CHANGES, ETC.) AND ASK THEM ABOUT IT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND SINCE THEY CANNOT RECREATE IT WHEN THEY DRIVE THE CAR THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“IN 2011 I LEASED A 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS. ON JANUARY 25.2013 WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. I CALLED AAA, THEY CAME OUT AND DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON MY BATTERY AND TOLD ME IT WAS FINE, THAT SOMETHING IN THE COMPUTER, MOST LIKELY THE ALTERNATOR WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. ON JUNE 9TH 2013 WHILE DRIVING”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

60 complaints

17%

• I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, NOW I HAVE TWO FENDER BENDERS - REAR END COLLISIONS. THE FIRST ONE, 10/07/11, WAS AT LESS THAN OR ABOUT 5MPH AND I REMEMBER BRAKING AS USUAL BUT IT FAILED TO STOP AND REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. ONLY MINOR DAMAGES DUE TO THE SPEED INVOLVED. NEXT, TODAY
• I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH ON A STREET (THAT'S NOT HIGHWAY). I WAS MAINTAINING A PROPER DISTANCE TOO FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. FOR SOME REASON THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY. I RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE BRAKING WAS SO SOFT AND I FELT LIKE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE A
• 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER WANTED TO VOICE HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE RECALL THAT WAS ANNOUNCED, AND HOW THE DOT 3 BRAKE FLUID WAS SUSPECTED OF CAUSING CONTAMINATION OF THE HECA. THE CONSUMER STATED HIS BRAKE FLUID WAS REPLACED WI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, NOW I HAVE TWO FENDER BENDERS - REAR END COLLISIONS. THE FIRST ONE, 10/07/11, WAS AT LESS THAN OR ABOUT 5MPH AND I REMEMBER BRAKING AS USUAL BUT IT FAILED TO STOP AND REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. ONLY MINOR DAMAGES DUE TO THE SPEED INVOLVED. NEXT, TODAY”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

49 complaints

14%

• BACK UP CAMERA DID NOT FUNCTION WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE. BACK UP CAMERA CAME ON WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN DRIVE AND STAYED ON FOR A BLOCK OR SO WHILE CAR WAS DRIVEN FORWARD. GPS MAP THEN WAS ACTIVATED, BUT DISPLAY FROZE, THEN ENTIRE SCREEN WENT BLANK. VIDEO SYSTEM THEN RE-BOOTED ITSELF. THIS W
• THE LCD INFORMATION DISPLAY LOCATED BETWEEN THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACH IS TOO DIM TO READ DURING THE DAY UNLESS THE CAR IS IN THE SHADE. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE CERTAIN INFO IS NECESSARY WHILE DRIVING AND CANNOT BE SEEN UNDER THE STATED CONDITIONS. THE BRIGHTNESS CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. I HA
• AUTO HOLD TECHNOLOGY FEATURE FAILED AT A STOP LIGHT. WHEN ON, AUTO HOLD ILLUMINATES WHITE, AND GREEN WHEN IT IS ACTIVELY HOLDING THE VEHICLE IN PLACE, WITHOUT THE NEED TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL. ON A STOP LIGHT CAR JERKED FORWARD AND THE AUTO HOLD ILLUMINATION TURNED ORANGE IN COLOR FROM GREEN. AUTO HO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“BACK UP CAMERA DID NOT FUNCTION WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE. BACK UP CAMERA CAME ON WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN DRIVE AND STAYED ON FOR A BLOCK OR SO WHILE CAR WAS DRIVEN FORWARD. GPS MAP THEN WAS ACTIVATED, BUT DISPLAY FROZE, THEN ENTIRE SCREEN WENT BLANK. VIDEO SYSTEM THEN RE-BOOTED ITSELF. THIS W”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

40 complaints

11%

• VERY BAD KNOCKING WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS OCCURRED WHILE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DISENGAGED AND TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. *JS
• AUTO HOLD TECHNOLOGY FEATURE FAILED AT A STOP LIGHT. WHEN ON, AUTO HOLD ILLUMINATES WHITE, AND GREEN WHEN IT IS ACTIVELY HOLDING THE VEHICLE IN PLACE, WITHOUT THE NEED TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL. ON A STOP LIGHT CAR JERKED FORWARD AND THE AUTO HOLD ILLUMINATION TURNED ORANGE IN COLOR FROM GREEN. AUTO HO
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIVE IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTUR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“VERY BAD KNOCKING WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS OCCURRED WHILE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DISENGAGED AND TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. *JS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

33 complaints

• 2012 GENESIS R-SPEC: BLUETOOTH "UNPAIRS" OR DISCONNECTS FROM MY CELLPHONE AND REFUSES TO ALLOW ME TO RECONNECT. THIS TAKES MY ATTENTION OFF THE ROAD WHILE I FIDDLE WITH IT TO NO AVAIL. THE AGENCY WILL RECONNECT IT TO MY PHONE BUT THE CONNECTION DISAPPEARS WITHIN 2 DAYS. I'M CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY A
• WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH THE ENGINE MISSED THEN STALLED. I LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON. DEALER IS NOT FINDING ANYTHING USING COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS. LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES AT HIGH SPEEDS IS NOT GOOD!!!!
• MY WIFE AND I HAVE A 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS 3.8 SEDAN. MY WIFE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER. SHE CAME HOME ONE EVENING AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR FAILED TO STOP AND WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR A RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR DOWN THE STREET AND OBSERVED THAT YOU HA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“2012 GENESIS R-SPEC: BLUETOOTH "UNPAIRS" OR DISCONNECTS FROM MY CELLPHONE AND REFUSES TO ALLOW ME TO RECONNECT. THIS TAKES MY ATTENTION OFF THE ROAD WHILE I FIDDLE WITH IT TO NO AVAIL. THE AGENCY WILL RECONNECT IT TO MY PHONE BUT THE CONNECTION DISAPPEARS WITHIN 2 DAYS. I'M CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 362 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: IN 2011 I LEASED A 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS. ON JANUARY 25.2013 WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. I CALLED AAA, THEY CAME OUT AND DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON MY BATTERY AND TOLD ME IT WAS FINE, THAT SOMETHING IN THE COMPUTER, MOST LIKELY THE ALTERNATOR WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. ON JUNE 9TH 2013 WHILE DRIVING
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, NOW I HAVE TWO FENDER BENDERS - REAR END COLLISIONS. THE FIRST ONE, 10/07/11, WAS AT LESS THAN OR ABOUT 5MPH AND I REMEMBER BRAKING AS USUAL BUT IT FAILED TO STOP AND REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. ONLY MINOR DAMAGES DUE TO THE SPEED INVOLVED. NEXT, TODAY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: BACK UP CAMERA DID NOT FUNCTION WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE. BACK UP CAMERA CAME ON WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN DRIVE AND STAYED ON FOR A BLOCK OR SO WHILE CAR WAS DRIVEN FORWARD. GPS MAP THEN WAS ACTIVATED, BUT DISPLAY FROZE, THEN ENTIRE SCREEN WENT BLANK. VIDEO SYSTEM THEN RE-BOOTED ITSELF. THIS W
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: VERY BAD KNOCKING WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS OCCURRED WHILE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DISENGAGED AND TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. *JS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)