The Hyundai Venue is the smallest, cheapest, and easiest to live with Hyundai SUV money can buy. Given the fact that we live in an SUV/crossover-dominated era, the Venue certainly should be a really popular car. The Venue did manage to win quite a few awards which further boost the car’s appeal and try to push it into the most popular car segment there is.
In order for a car to be really successful, it should be reliable and able to do its job without any major reliability issues. Thankfully, the Venue is exactly such a car as most reliability charts and surveys give it at least four out of five stars for reliability. Therefore, the Venue is in a really good spot to become a smash hit if it manages to satisfy in all other regards.
The most common Hyundai Venue issues are associated with seatbelts, various electrical issues, the CVT transmission, various safety systems, and the lights. All in all, most of these issues are minor if you take care of the car properly, if you don’t, they can even become catastrophic.
To conclude, the Venue is a really competitive SUV that does not break the bank at all. It is a well-equipped small SUV that is surely going to satisfy most existing small Hyundai SUV customers.
Hyundai Venue – Seatbelts issues
To kick off this list, we first need to mention seatbelt issues that are common on many newer Hyundai models. The problem here is that the seatbelt tensioner can break in an event of a crash which can significantly increase the chances of getting injured. This issue is so serious that Hyundai recalled thousands of 2020-2022 models including a bunch of Venue models.
This is the only recall that has been conducted on the Venue SUV by this point which means that you should focus your attention on those seatbelt tensioners as you don’t want them to fail. To make matters worse, the tensioner materials can snap and literally shoot out small shrapnels that can cause a lot of damage.
Hyundai Venue – Electrical issues
As is the case with most Hyundai models, the Venue is also prone to various electrical issues, some of which are worse than others. For example, some owners have complained about peculiar electrical burning smells coming from under the hood. This issue is mostly down to overheated wires which can catch flames if they are left unattended for an extended period.
This issue seems to be really rare, so we will have to wait a while to see if these are really common or not. Other electrical issues include the horn not working, issues with the infotainment system, and potential issues with phone connectivity.
Hyundai Venue – CVT transmission issues
A few owners have complained about the CVT transmission failing on low-mileage models, especially on models with just 1,000 or 2,000 miles. Thankfully, both of these were covered under warranty which meant that Hyundai fixed the issue free of charge. The most common symptoms of CVT issues are delayed shifts, grinding noises, shuttering, and all other kinds of irregularities.
These issues are sporadic to say the least which means that we will have to wait and see if these issues persist on higher mileage models. CVT transmissions are not the most reliable transmissions out there, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if this one fails eventually.
Hyundai Venue – Safety systems issues
We also need to mention that the Hyundai Venue tends to suffer from safety systems-related issues which can affect your overall safety levels while on the road. The lane departure system is the one with the highest amount of reported problems as it is known to disengage without any apparent cause and fail to notify you when you cross the line.
Other issues include a blind spot warning system that can also fail, but these issues seem to be fairly rare. All in all, many of these can also suffer from sensor-related issues which can be easily solved with software updates.
Hyundai Venue – Issues with exterior lights
The Hyundai Venue also suffers from headlight-related issues, more specifically, many owners reported that the headlights on the Venue are a bit too dim. The solution here is to adjust the positioning of the headlamps in order for them to shine the road at a more proper angle.
Technically, this is a design flaw and Hyundai hasn’t addressed it yet officially. Either way, this is not a significant issue, but it should be addressed adequately if you want your headlights to always illuminate the road perfectly.
FAQ Section
Should I buy a Hyundai Venue?
The Hyundai Venue truly does offer a lot of value for the money as it is the cheapest Hyundai SUV money can buy. Considering that Hyundai is one of the most successful and largest automotive brands in existence, this certainly is a good thing.
However, you should not expect a sub $20k SUV to be anything special in any way, shape, or form. This means that an average luxury car buyer is likely not going to be satisfied with the Venue. The Venue also seems to be a fairly popular 1st car for many younger drivers which certainly is a good sign.
Does the Hyundai Venue offer a lot of space?
Not really. Even though the name Venue somewhat suggests lots of space, the Hyundai Venue has nothing in common with a venue at all. It is an SUV which means that it should inherently have more space inside than most other cars, but that really isn’t the case as the overall form factor isn’t too different from a small hatchback.
As such, the Venue isn’t the best when it comes to carrying four adults as rear seat passengers could feel a bit cramped on a long journey. The cargo space is decent, but you can upgrade it by using a roof-mounted cargo box.
Which Hyundai Venue should I buy?
If you want a coherent experience, one that is worthy of keeping the car for a while, you ought to go for the top-spec SX(O) model as it is the only one that gets all the necessary features. Lower-end models are really badly equipped and aren’t really fit for the 21st century daily driver.