Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Hyundai Veloster

With its three-door setup, the Hyundai Veloster looks like it would be a great car for smaller families, but Cars.com Family reviewer Carrie Kim found that wasn't the case for her family. The driver's side has one door, and the passenger side has two small doors; her daughter's forward-facing convertible car seat nearly blocked the entire rear door opening on the passenger side. Carrie did appreciate the Veloster's eye-popping looks and its turbocharged engine.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Family Review

Recall Alert: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai is recalling 6,071 versions of the 2012 Veloster hatchback due to panoramic sunroofs that could crack, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an expansion of a December 2012 recall that affected 13,500 Velosters with panoramic sunroofs.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from July 4 through Oct. 31, 2011 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb), and are equipped with panoramic glass panels. In these cars, the panoramic sunroof assembly may have been weakened during factory installation, which could cause it to break.

Hyundai will notify owners starting in March 2013, and dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof glass assembly for free. Owners can call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more information.

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Recall Alert: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

In its second recall of the day, Hyundai is recalling 13,500 versions of the 2012 Veloster hatchback due to panoramic sunroofs that could crack, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Nov. 1, 2011, through April 17, 2012 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb), and are equipped with panoramic glass panels. In these cars, the panoramic sunroof assembly may have been weakened during factory installation, which could cause it to break.

Hyundai reports that it's not aware of any accidents related to the recall, but the automaker did receive five reports of minor cuts due to the broken glass.

Recall Alert: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai is recalling 4,490 model-year 2012 versions of the Veloster compact hatchback due to problems with the parking brake, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles have manual transmissions and were manufactured from July 2, 2011, through Feb. 27, 2012 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb). In these cars, moisture and road grime could corrode the parking brake’s components, causing it to fail. This could lead to a crash.

Hyundai will notify owners starting in January, and dealers will fix the affected parts for free. Owners can call Hyundai at 800-633-5151or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Related
Research the 2012 Hyundai Veloster
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Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept: Photo Gallery

Hyundai's three-door Veloster Turbo hatch was already cool-looking, with its shooting-brake silhouette, LED-accented lights and gaping grille. But Hyundai's new concept will really make the hipsters drool.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept has a canvas convertible top and a trucklike tailgate, an interior made of recycled skateboards and an exterior inspired by a fixed-gear bike. A glossy white body combined with flat red and flat teal round out its eye-catching looks.  Check out the photos below.

Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show

• Looks like: A hipster-ized Veloster
• Defining characteristics: Teal wheels and canvas, rolling roof
• Ridiculous features: Floor made of broken skateboards and tiny tailgate
• Chance of being mass-produced: Hyundai hasn’t said, but we think it’s unlikely

Think Hyundai is targeting a young, active audience? Its newest concept sports a convertible body style with a trucklike tailgate, along with an interior made of recycled skateboards and an exterior inspired by a fixed-gear bike. The Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top will likely never be produced, but it sure looks cool.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The "C3" in the name stands for convertible three-door. It takes the three-door Veloster and adds a power-retractable canvas roof that can roll forward and back. Roll it back for open-air motoring; roll it forward and pop-down the tailgate to carry larger items, like a bike or surfboard.

What to Do If You Own an Affected Hyundai, Kia

We reported this morning that Hyundai and Kia are revising gas mileage ratings for nearly 900,000 vehicles from the 2011 through 2013 model years — about a third of the cars sold by the affiliated Korean automakers over that range. 

What does it mean to you if you own one of the affected cars? We just got off the line with Hyundai and Kia officials, and here are some answers:

Cars.com's Mileage Tests of Hyundai and Kia Vehicles In Line With EPA Results

In the wake of today's news that Hyundai and Kia will reimburse owners for bad mileage estimates, we've compiled the results of our mileage tests from Shootouts and other challenges we've conducted over the past few years that involved the affected cars and SUVs.

In September 2011, we took the previously 40-mpg-rated Hyundai Elantra and pitted it against special "fuel-saving" trims from the competition designed to eke out a few mpgs more to hit that vaunted 40 mpg highway figure. The Elantra's new highway rating is 38 mpg, and its combined rating dropped to 32 mpg from 33.

Our results put the Hyundai in last place.

Hyundai, Kia to Pay 900,000 Owners for Bad MPG Estimates

Hyundai and Kia announced today they would reimburse owners of about 900,000 vehicles for misstated mileage ratings.

The news came after an investigation by the EPA into complaints from consumers that the two companies' mileage claims were inflated. As a result, the stated mpg ratings for 75 different trim levels over three model years will be changed, and window stickers of cars on sale will be replaced to reflect the new numbers.

Cars.com's Mileage Tests of Hyundai and Kia Vehicles In Line With EPA Results

The investigation began when the EPA received complaints from owners of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra compact sedan who said that they were not seeing gas mileage near the stated numbers. Once the EPA’s investigators confirmed a discrepancy, they broadened the audit to the rest of the vehicles.

Hyundai and Kia are owned by the same parent company in South Korea but operate separately in the U.S. Both have seen phenomenal growth in the past few years, not just because of improved styling and quality, but also for their exceptional fuel economy.

The changes affect the 2011-2013 model years with mileage ratings dropping from 1 to 6 mpg on the highway. Combined mileage ratings were more accurate with seven of the 43 Hyundai models and four of the 32 Kia models seeing no change in combined mileage after the audit. Twenty-four of the 43 Hyundais showed a difference of 1 mpg combined, while 11 of the 32 Kias were within 1 mpg of the original rating.

The company explained the error this way: "The fuel-economy rating discrepancies resulted from procedural errors during a process called 'coastdown' testing at the companies’ joint testing operations in Korea. Coastdown testing simulates aerodynamic drag, tire rolling resistance and drivetrain frictional losses and provides the technical data used to program the test dynamometers that generate EPA fuel economy ratings."

The two brands will announce a reimbursement program for current and former owners of the vehicles. A personalized debit card will be issued that will calculate the difference based on fuel prices and miles driven, plus 15% as a mea culpa from the automakers.

Will it be enough to satisfy consumers? That’s a question that will be asked nationwide as owners digest the news.

Below are the breakdowns of every vehicle impacted in the change, provided to Cars.com by Hyundai/Kia. We’ll have much more on this story as it develops throughout the day and coming weeks. If you have a question you’d like answered, leave it in the comments below or email us at editor@cars.com.

July's Fastest and Slowest Selling Cars

Who says old cars won’t sell? July's fastest sellers include newbies like the redesigned Nissan Altima and two Hyundai Elantra additions — the coupe and GT hatchback — but a number of cars that have been on the market a year or more are flying off lots. The year-old Volkswagen Passat, our Best of 2012 car, averages just five days to sell. The Kia Soul, which went on sale way back in spring 2009, takes just a week to sell. The Hyundai Tucson, Kia Optima and Subaru Outback are also among July's fastest sellers, and all of them are at least 2 years old.

On the newer side, the Dodge Dart and Scion FR-S are off to a fast start. The Scion marks its second month in a row among the fastest sellers. Other repeat performers include the Cadillac XTS and Ford Escape (second month each), Hyundai's Veloster and Accent hatchbacks (third month), Soul (fourth month) and Toyota Prius c (fifth month). The Subaru Impreza has the longest tenure here, having been among the fastest monthly sellers since just after it hit dealerships in November 2011. July marks the Impreza's eighth consecutive month.