2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE 528 HEADING TO WORK, THERE WAS AN IMPRESSIVE EXPLOSION SOUND FOLLOWED BY GLASS SHARDS AND PULVERIZED GLASS FROM THE SUNROOF BEING PROPELLED INTO THE CAR FORCEFULLY. I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 70MPH, AND THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED. ALL OTHER WINDOWS WERE CLOSED AS WELL. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. THE SUNROOF IMPLODED INTO THE CAR, COVERING ME AND THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH GLASS. THANKFULLY, I WAS WEARING SUNGLASSES WHICH KEPT THE GLASS OUT OF MY EYES. AS I WAS VERY NEAR MY JOB WHEN IT HAPPENED, I CONTINUED TO DRIVE AT A MUCH, MUCH SLOWER SPEED TO MY JOB. WHEN I ARRIVED, I FOUND GLASS INSIDE MY CLOTHING AND WAS REMOVING GLASS FROM MY HAIR ALL DAY. I CALLED A DEALER AND TOOK THE CAR IN IMMEDIATELY, MISSING THE FIRST PART OF MY SHIFT AT WORK. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING, BUT IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. A NEW SUNROOF WAS INSTALLED. TODAY, 11/14/13, WHILE DRIVING, I NOW NOTICE A "CRACKLING" SOUND FROM THE ROOF WHILE DRIVING. I AM AFRAID THE IMPLOSION IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN! I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER AND AM WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THEY ADVISE. IS TERRIBLE TO OWN A CAR AND BE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT!! *TR

ONE CANNOT SEE ADEQUATELY THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW IN ORDER TO SAFELY BACK UP. *TR

THE WINDSHIELD REAR-VIEW MIRROR DOES NOT DIM ADEQUATELY. THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR DOES NOT HAVE A MANUAL DIMMING LEVER, JUST A ROW OF BUTTONS ALONG THE BOTTOM FOR TELEPHONE, BLUETOOTH, ETC. HAVING DRIVEN THE CAR AT NIGHT, I THOUGHT IT DID NOT HAVE ANY MIRROR DIMMING, SO I STOPPED AT A HYUNDAI DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE MIRROR HAS A PHOTOCELL THAT TELLS THE MIRROR WHETHER IT IS DAY OR NIGHT, AND THE MIRROR AUTOMATICALLY DIMS. I COVERED THE SENSOR AND THEY WERE CORRECT, BUT THE AMOUNT OF DIMMING IS FAR FROM ADEQUATE--SUCH THAT WHEN I DROVE THE CAR AT NIGHT, I DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS ANY DIMMING AT ALL. I HAD TO RE-AIM THE MIRROR SO I COULD NOT SEE THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE CAR BEHIND ME. SUCH RE-AIMING OF THE MIRROR CANCELS MOST OF THE SAFETY BENEFITS OF HAVING A REAR-VIEW MIRROR. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTS ARE ALMOST UNREADABLE BY PERSONS WITH RED-GREEN COLOR BLINDNESS. APPROXIMATELY 5% TO 10% OF THE MALE POPULATION IS RED-GREEN COLOR BLIND (0.5% TO 1% FOR FEMALES). THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER DIALS ARE BLACK WITH WHITE LETTERING AND DEEP RED NEEDLES TO POINT AT THE LETTERING. THAT DEEP RED ON A BLACK BACKGROUND IS ALMOST INVISIBLE. IF I SPEND TIME SEARCHING, I CAN FIND THE NEEDLE, BUT IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO TAKE ONE'S EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO FIND THE ALMOST INVISIBLE NEEDLE. AN ARGUMENT OF, "IF YOU CAN'T READ THE INSTRUMENTS, GET A DIFFERENT CAR," IS NOT REASONABLE BECAUSE THE CAR ONE IS DRIVING IS NOT ALWAYS ONE'S OWN CAR, SUCH AS IT MAY BE AN EMPLOYER'S CAR OR (THE WAY I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM) IT MAY BE A RENTAL CAR, AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER SCENARIOS WHERE ONE DID NOT CHOOSE THE CAR ONE HAS TO DRIVE. SINCE 5% TO 10% OF THE MALE POPULATION HAS THIS COLOR VISION DEFICIENCY, I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HYUNDAI NEVER DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM, BUT CHOSE STYLING OVER SAFETY. I ALSO SUSPECT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO HYUNDAI. *TR

THERE IS A PLASTIC GUIDE THAT ALLOWS THE REAR SEAT BELTS TO RETRACT AND EXTEND FREELY. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, UNDER NORMAL USE, THE SEAT BELT HAS BECOME LODGED UNDER THE PLASTIC GUIDE PART, PREVENTING THE SEAT BELT FROM RETRACTING PROPERLY, AND THUS CAUSING EXCESSIVE SLACK IN THE SEAT BELT. *JB

THIS VEHICLE HAD A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE OCCUR AROUND 5:00 AM ON JULY 10TH; AS I WAS DRIVING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY (CAR IN DRIVE AND IN MOTION) ALL POWER FAILED. NO LIGHTS, ACCELERATION, POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, ETC. WHICH WAS A SERIOUS HAZARD ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE DARKNESS AT THAT TIME OF DAY. THIS SAFETY ISSUE FOLLOWED MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHERE ALL THE POWER FAILED WHEN TRYING TO ENTER THE VEHICLE USING THE PROVIDED KEY FOBS. THESE SITUATIONS COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS AS ON ONE OCCASION THIS HAPPENED WHILE MY CAR WAS IN AN URBAN PARKING GARAGE IN THE EVENING. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES- 1 HOUR BEFORE THE POWER RESTORED AND I COULD START THE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON JULY 5TH TO REMEDY THE POWER ISSUE AND THE TECHNICIAN COULD FIND NO ISSUE - THEY SWITCHED OUT THE CAR BATTERY AS A PRECAUTION IN THE EVENT THERE WAS A HAIRLINE CRACK CAUSING THE INTERMITTENT POWER FAILURES. AS OF AUGUST 27TH, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL NOT REPAIRED FROM THE JULY 10TH INCIDENT. DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME IT WAS REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX AND ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AS THE DIAGNOSED CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *JB

I OWN A 2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER THAT I PURCHASED IN MAY. WHILE DRIVING OVER THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE, THIS MORNING, MY SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS IN SHOCK, COVERED IN GLASS AND UNABLE TO PULL OVER UNTIL I REACHED THE TOLL PLAZA, THE THERE IS NO STOPPING ON THE BRIDGE. I CALLED MY DEALER AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS A "KNOWN ISSUE" BUT THAT MY CAR HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED AND THEY WERE NOT SURE WHY. THE TOW-SERVICE THAT IS USED FOR THE THRUWAY AUTHORITY COULD NOT TAKE ME TO MY DEALER AND ONLY TO THE NEAREST ONE, WHICH IS WHITE PLAINS HYUNDAI. THEY ALSO ADVISED ME THAT IT IS A "KNOWN ISSUE" AND HAS TO DO WITH THE GLASS. AGAIN, THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. IT IS (OBVIOUSLY) COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, I AM NOW TERRIFIED OF MY SUNROOF AS NO ONE CAN TELL ME THAT THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED AND ASSURE ME THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I'VE ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR 3 MONTHS! AT THE DEALER'S SUGGESTION, I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ANSWERS AND RECEIVED VERY LITTLE INFORMATION. I HAVE PHOTOS AVAILABLE AND AM HAPPY TO DO AN INTERVIEW. *TR

THE DCT TRANSMISSION IN THIS MODEL HAS A SEVERE LAG WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR HAVING TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY INTO TRAFFIC, WHEN YOU PRESS THE THROTTLE HARD THERE IS A ONE SECOND DELAY BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS, AND SOMETIMES IT COMPLETELY BOGS DOWN WHEN TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THANKFULLY OTHER DRIVERS HAVE SLOWED WHEN IT DOES THIS. IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO ME ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ON THE VELOSTER.ORG SITE THAT ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THE DEALER CAN DO ABOUT IT. I'VE OWNED MANY, MANY VEHICLES IN THE PAST AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE I'VE OWNED THAT I WORRY ABOUT MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE OTHER MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, FUEL FUMES FILLED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, TRAVELING DOWN AN INTERCHANGE TO ANOTHER FREEWAY, I DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. ONCE I COMPLETELY LET OFF THE GAS, I STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. JUST AS I STARTED TO STEER INTO THE TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING AND BRAKING ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT MY APPLICATION OF ANY PEDALS. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP WITHOUT ME APPLYING THE BRAKES. I WAS PUT INTO A FOUR WHEEL SLIDE WHERE I WAS ALMOST RAN INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE WHEELS THEN UNLOCKED PRIOR TO THE POSSIBLE IMPACT AND THE VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING AND BRAKING AGAIN ON ITS OWN. DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME, MY STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL LOCKED UP. I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE CAR HEADED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL LOCKED UP WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. THE CONVULSIONS (RANDOM BRAKING AND ACCELERATING) STOPPED ONCE I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. WITH THE CAR STILL UNABLE TO BE CONTROLLED AND TRAVELING ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, I SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE RANDOM BRAKING AND ACCELERATING CEASED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NO LONGER LOCKED UP. THIS COULD HAVE ENDED VERY BADLY, NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. *TR