Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 234 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, and it carries 3 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 88 | 38% |
| Unknown or other | 16 | 7% |
| Service brakes | 12 | 5% |
| Exterior lighting | 12 | 5% |
| Steering | 12 | 5% |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 7 | 3% |
| Engine | 6 | 3% |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 2% |
| Seats | 3 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase of the vehicle. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage wa
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Light on the dash showing "airbags" is lighting up for the first time since I've owned this vehicle. I remember there being a recall regarding a switch or something pertaining to the airbags sometime in the past, but n
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Passenger side, rear brake line rusted to the point where brakes failed one morning. Brake fluid leaking from rusted brake line. Lost braking pressure while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a de
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she observed that the front driver’s and front passenger's headrests had deployed without impact. The vehicle was not diagnos
NHTSA complaint: Seats
While driving the vehicle with approximately 113,200 miles on it, as the original owner, the car engine started to operate erratically. then the check engine light came on and then the check oil light came on and, after
NHTSA complaint: Engine
I was on the freeway and my car suddenly shut off completely.. engine, dashboard, lights EVERYTHING.. it was off for maybe 2 seconds and then the car Powered itself back up the car did not stop abruptly, so I was thankf
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the road however, the vehicle failed to
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Coolant leaking from back of the Engine block on 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 sedan with 67000 miles..
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Hyundai Genesis vehicles manufactured April 30, 2008, to November 21, 2010, and 2011 Hyundai Equus vehicles manufactured July 31, 2010, to November 21, 2010. Due to a circuit failure, the stop lamps in the affected vehicles may not ill
Risk: A following vehicle may not recognize that the vehicle is slowing or coming to a stop if the stop lamps on the vehicle do not illuminate as expected. There is an increased risk of a rear-end crash as
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the stop lamp switch circuit, free of charge. Hyundai issued an interim notification to owners on January 6, 2015. The recall began on March 23, 20
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburo
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the trans
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Genesis vehicles manufactured April 30, 2008, through March 28, 2012. The vehicles may contain brake fluid which does not protect against corrosion of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU).
Risk: If the module corrodes, reduced brake effectiveness may result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners and instruct them to bring their vehicle to a dealer for service. Hyundai will inspect the HECU module for proper operation, and will replace the modules as necessary. Hyu
| Reliability raw | 62 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 71 | good |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 57 | average |
| Performance | 64 | average |
| Efficiency | 40 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 234 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and service brakes is the most reported area with 88 of them (38%). There are 3 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 62/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 71/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2009 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 64/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.