The Hyundai Genesis is a midsize sedan that focuses more on luxury and comfort, which the car clearly delivers. Apart from the bling and quality, the Genesis packs some reliability as well which makes this a luxury sedan that would not burn a hole in your pocket over the long run. Hyundai managed to sell over 36,000 units of the Genesis, which isn’t the highest but is a decent number for a premium-class vehicle. NHTSA has recorded a total of 235 complaints from Genesis users and Hyundai has recalled the sedan 3 times. The car was mostly found to have an electronic glitch with the infotainment and headlights with some users also reporting engine-related issues. Cars that are up against the Genesis are the Infiniti G25, the Volvo S80, and the Cadillac CTS.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Display – The display between the speed o meter and the tach that provides some key information is too dim during the day unless the car is under the shade. This made it difficult to read and the brightness could not be adjusted. Research showed that the Rspec variant of the car didn’t have this issue and dealers did not have any solution to fix this problem.
- Infotainment – The infotainment display was said to freeze on the boot-up Genesis logo and the users could hear the radio while the screen was frozen. This restricted access to the rear camera and users contacted the dealers who opted to reset the module which took multiple tries before the screen would work as intended.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – Users found the car to rev up upon starting the car and this stayed even after letting the engine warm up for a while. When the gear was positioned to drive, the car would accelerate on its own up to 40 MPH, and when the vehicle was taken to the mechanic, it was found that the issue was with the vehicle’s throttle body which had to be replaced.
- Fuel system – The vehicle emitted a strong odor of fuel while driving and when the dealers inspected the vehicle, they were able to find a faulty gas tank valve that leaked fuel. Replacing the valve fixed this issue. There also was reporting of an engine misfire that was caused by insufficient fuel delivery to the cylinders. This was fixed by updating the vehicle software.
- Transmission – It was noticed that the gears were being shifted in a rough manner with a lot of delays. The gears were also said to skip at times and when the mechanics examined the vehicle, it was found to be ab issue caused by a faulty synchronizer in the transmission. The entire transmission had to be replaced and this was said to be a known issue.
- Brakes – The users found the brake pedal to travel all the way to the floor and it required them to pump the pedal before it could stop the car. This was found to happen because of a faulty hydraulic electronic control unit that had to be replaced.
Safety Problems
- Seatbelt – The rear left and center female seatbelt buckled were reversed and this restricted the use of the center seatbelt while the left one was buckled as it would cover the center buckle. Dealers stated they cannot be reversed due to the way the vehicle is designed.
Exterior Problems
- Headlight – When the lights are positioned in the “ON” position, the lights would flicker every time the turn signal is engaged. At times, the headlights would not stay on after the use of the blinkers but this issue would not happen when the headlights are positioned in the “AUTO” mode. The turn signal stalk had to be replaced in order to resolve this issue.
2012 Hyundai Genesis recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
7th October 2016 |
16V722000 |
OCS electrical connector may disconnect. |
This can lead to only the first stage of the airbag deploying no matter what the scenario is or how severe the crash is. This increases the risk of injury. |
OCS connector will be secured to prevent it from disconnecting. |
|
2. |
29th February 2016 |
16V117000 |
Loss of wiper function due to corrosion. |
The cover seal on the affected vehicles may degrade, allowing corrosion to form on the wiper motor’s circuit board. This can cause intermittent loss of wiper function. |
Dealers will replace the wiper motor cover and seal. |
|
3. |
29th October 2013 |
13V489000 |
Brake fluid may corrode brake module. |
If the module corrodes, the braking ability of the vehicle will degrade, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The hydraulic electronic control unit will be inspected and replaced if necessary. |
Should you buy the 2012 Hyundai Genesis?
The 2012 Hyundai Genesis definitely packs in the luxury it intended to provide and the reliability that Hyundai is known to offer. This sedan sold some decent numbers for its class and also managed to keep the complaints slightly controlled. Hyundai stated that a very limited unit of this sedan had a transmission issue that would require a complete replacement and the users were able to get it done under warranty, which completely solved the issue. At $34,500, Hyundai offers the most affordable deal in this segment without compromising on any aspects when compared to its rivals. We do however recommend getting the blinker stalk replaced as that could cause the headlights to flicker but otherwise, the car is a great value for money ideal if you intend to hold the car for a long time.
