Is Hyundai as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Hyundai 3.24 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Hyundai owners filed 3.4× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Hyundai vs Toyota at a glance
| Hyundai | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 3.24 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.20 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #15 | #2 |
| Models covered | 9 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 5,390,017 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 17,455 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 95.4% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 46% · Powertrain / transmission 14.3% · Electrical system 12.7% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 166 (14.9 million) | 198 (15.8 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Hyundai's count is driven most by 2016–2017 Tucson complaints about engine and powertrain / transmission (2,723, 15.6% of Hyundai's complaints). Other models with rates above Hyundai's overall 3.24: Sonata (4.26), Palisade (4.70), Santa Fe (3.48).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Hyundai vs Toyota complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | 3.11 | 4.68 | 6.51 | 2.48 | 2.08 | 2.75 | 1.84 | 2.38 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Hyundai and Toyota owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Hyundai
- Engine46% · 8,028
- Powertrain / transmission14.3% · 2,504
- Electrical system12.7% · 2,211
- Brakes7.2% · 1,261
- Fuel / propulsion7% · 1,217
- Body structure5% · 870
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact SUVs: Hyundai Tucson vs Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Tucson 4.52 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Tucson's most-cited area is engine (42.2%); the RAV4's is electrical system (21.5%).
4.52 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,511 complaints / 998,897 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008–2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2016–2019, 2022, 2023, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 42.2% · Powertrain / transmission 24.1% · Electrical system 11.4%
1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,483 complaints / 3,155,248 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 21.5% · Engine 17.8% · Fuel / propulsion 13.6%
Midsize cars: Hyundai Sonata vs Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Sonata 4.26 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Sonata's most-cited area is engine (53.2%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
4.26 complaints per 1,000 sold
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Hyundai Elantra vs Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Elantra 1.85 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Elantra's most-cited area is engine (39.9%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
1.85 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,373,756 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2010–2013, 2017, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 39.9% · Electrical system 13.8% · Powertrain / transmission 9.2%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Three-row SUVs: Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Palisade 4.70 vs Toyota Highlander 1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Palisade's most-cited area is engine (19.8%); the Highlander's is powertrain / transmission (31.1%).
4.70 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,314 complaints / 279,868 sold, MY 2019–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 19.8% · Visibility / wipers 18.8% · Seat belts 18%
1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,749,226 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2017–2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 31.1% · Brakes 11.8% · Electrical system 10.5%
Midsize SUVs: Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Santa Fe 3.48 vs Toyota 4Runner 0.44 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Santa Fe's most-cited area is engine (56%); the 4Runner's is steering (13%).
3.48 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,324 complaints / 956,425 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022–2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 56% · Powertrain / transmission 14.6% · Brakes 9.1%
0.44 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 438 complaints / 1,003,611 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2018, 2019, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Steering 13% · Air bags 12.6% · Electrical system 12.3%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Hyundai as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Hyundai 3.24 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Hyundai owners filed 3.4× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Hyundai or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Hyundai logs 0.20 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10. Those are 6% of Hyundai's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Hyundai and Toyota rank overall?
Hyundai ranks #15 and Toyota #2 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Hyundai and Toyota owners complain about most?
Hyundai: engine (46%), powertrain / transmission (14.3%), electrical system (12.7%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (13.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Hyundai or Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 166 Hyundai recall campaigns covering 14,938,849 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Hyundai Tucson more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Tucson 4.52 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 998,897 and 3,155,248 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Tucson: 2016–2019, 2022, 2023, 2025. Years to avoid on the RAV4: 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Sonata 4.26 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 949,669 and 2,788,813 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Sonata: 2011–2017. Years to avoid on the Camry: 2008–2012, 2018–2020.