NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of July 2026, the NHTSA has logged 28 complaints against the 2021 Hyundai Venue. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2021 Hyundai Venue complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2021 Hyundai Venue has generated 28 NHTSA complaints and has 2 active recalls. If your 2021 Hyundai Venue has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Hyundai pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
The 2021 Hyundai Venue has generated 5 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “MY 2021 venue had less than 24,000 miles when this problem occurred. i am the original owner and until recently, worked from home. i started having issues when i put the key in the ignition to start my vehicle. none of the dash lights or A/C control would come on. i had to re-try two to three times to get it to work. when i took my vehicle in for regular maintenance and informed my dealership of the issue they did a diagnostic and called me with the results. i was informed there was a problem with the tumbler in the ignition switch and that it would be covered under my warranty; however, the warranty did not cover the re-keying of my entire vehicle. i would have to continue to use my key fob to unlock my doors but would have an additional key to turn on my vehicle. now i have basically two keys to my car. i do not understand why the warranty would not cover the entire re-keying of my vehicle so that the key fob would work on everything. i am the original owner of the vehicle, which i leased in january 2021 (and subsequently purchased in april 2024 when the lease expired). i find this unacceptable.” (NHTSA Complaint #11607155)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2021 Hyundai Venue include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 4 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “Horn doesn’t work majority of the time and the stereo works some day and I have already took this problem with the radio .” (NHTSA Complaint #11631743)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2021 Hyundai Venue include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 3 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Venue. The contact stated that the horn had become inoperable. The contact also stated that the horn had been replaced on three previous occasions for the same failure. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.” (NHTSA Complaint #11536540)
The 2021 Hyundai Venue has generated 3 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “The seat belt light comes on continually on my new Kia. I’ve been advised there is a safety recall on the seat belt system / defect and received a letter regarding it. I’ve contacted the dealer several times (3 times) and they always state there is a “nationwide back order” on the parts. Since this is a safety item I believe they need to expedite the correct repair with pressure from your organization!” (NHTSA Complaint #11495156)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2021 Hyundai Venue has generated 2 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “Last week I was driving my daughter’s Venue and the brakes became hard. Crunching noises. I suspected I had dropped my water bottle and perhaps it rolled under the brake pedal. It was hard to depress I heard the same crunching noises as I tried to use the brakes. Drove home 1.5 miles slowly and it continued to occur all the way. I had it towed to the dealer. Been there a week and they cannot replicate it. I mentioned I had an oil change 48 hours earlier. They said the oil had been over filled which they corrected. I contacted Jiffy Lube and they took exception to this. Idk what to do. I am nervous to drive it or return it to my daughter. Dealer wants me to pick it up. We are at an impasse.” (NHTSA Complaint #11672906)
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Hyundai Venue by the NHTSA or Hyundai. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner could project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai’s numbers for this recall are 211 and 009G. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall numbers 22V-354 fo
Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai’s number for this recall is 231. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 21V-79
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2021 Hyundai Venue:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Hyundai to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Hyundai must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2021 Hyundai Venue qualifies as a lemon under California law, Hyundai may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Hyundai a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Hyundai dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Hyundai pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Hyundai a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Hyundai is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2021 Hyundai Venue has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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