Most common 2009 Hyundai Genesis problems
Share of the 235 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Genesis complaints by model year
Best Genesis years: 2014, 2016. Years to avoid: 2015, 2012, 2009. Compare all years →
2009 Hyundai Genesis recalls (3)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
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 illuminate.
Remedy: 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, 2015.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Fluid
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).
Remedy: 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.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
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 Tiburon vehicles.
Remedy: 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 campaign number is 110.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2009 Hyundai Genesis:
Brake hydraulic control module failure
On October 28, 2013, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the braking system of approximately 43,500 model year (MY) 2009 through 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedans (NHTSA Recall No.
What 2009 Hyundai Genesis owners say
Brakes all 125 →
My son was driving this car home from college mid-day on October 8. He had not driven the car for 10 days or so while at school and he did notice the brakes making an unusual sound that day he had never heard. While on the highway, there was a sudden stop ahead of him. When he pressed the brakes they completely stopped working and he rear-ended the car in from of him. The brakes were completely non-functional after the crash and he had to try to stop his car as best as he could without brakes. Luckily there were no injuries, however complete brake failure out of the blue is obviously enormously dangerous. The tow truck driver confirmed that brakes did not work at all and speculated that a "brake-line snapped". I have no idea if that is true or why he thought that. The car is totaled and no inspection of the car has taken place. …
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The driver was forced to apply the parking brake to stop the vehicle. His girlfriend was able to drive the vehicle home while the parking brake light remained illuminated on the instrument panel, even after releasing the parking brake. The contact called the dealer and was informed that his vehicle was already serviced prior under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V489000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) for the same failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided him with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 154,850.
Electrical system all 29 →
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost electrical power temporarily. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where unknown repairs were completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed that the wiring harness had failed. The contact followed up with the dealer and was advised that an unknown module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,120.
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 was 121,000. It was later discovered through auto check that the mileage was 199,985.
Lights all 24 →
The contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that she noticed that the brake lights would not illuminate when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the stop lamp switch needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The dealer stated that the diode wiring system needed to be replaced. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 13V113000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,394.
Vehicle was in motion on city street when another motorist signaled that flames were coming out of front drivers side bumper. Fortunately, my wife was nearing home and pulled over in front our house where I sprayed and soaked area of fire until it receded. When I was able to view damage, the drivers side fog light bulb and housing had dropped thru the large hole which had burned thru the plastic bumper. The bulb and housing evidently dislodged from the fog light socket and dropped into the surrounding plastic bumper below and triggered the fire . Our complaint is that the car has at least ten dealer service repairs which shows replacement of several lights and bulbs including the fog light involved in the fire. …
2009 Hyundai Genesis engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 25 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Hyundai Genesis a good car?
Based on 235 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Genesis rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Genesis at the same age. It is one of the Genesis years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Hyundai Genesis?
The brakes — 125 complaints, 53% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › control unit/module. Next are the electrical system (29) and lights (24).
How many recalls does the 2009 Hyundai Genesis have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, the most recent from November 7, 2014 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Genesis?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014 and 2016. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2012 and 2009. See the full Hyundai Genesis years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Hyundai Genesis problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 63,000 miles; 37% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.