2021 Genesis GV80
The 2021 Genesis GV80 is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the GV80 RWD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 61 complaints, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GV80 RWD | Gas | RWD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 25 | 23 | $3,550 |
| GV80 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 25 | 22 | $3,750 |
| GV80 AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 23 | 20 | $4,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43061, 43072, 43073.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GV80 AWD, GV80 RWD | 5 / 10 | California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 2.5 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 300 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4x2 |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 8 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 2.5T, 2.5T Advanced, 2.5T Prestige, 3.5T, 3.5T Advanced, 3.5T Advanced+, 3.5T Prestige). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 194.9 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 77.6 in |
| Height | 67.3 in |
| Wheelbase | 116.5 in |
| Track, front | 65.7 in |
| Track, rear | 66.5 in |
| Curb weight | 4,707–5,104 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 49/51 to 51/49 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV AWD, 4-door SUV RWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Genesis GV80 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (5)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseFuel System, Gasoline
016GSeat Belts
012GSeat Belts
211/009GFuel System, Gasoline
008GThese are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Seat Belts:Pretensioner — Seat Belt Pretensioners May Rupture closed
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) based on 3 incidents alleging front seat belt pretensioners that may rupture during deployment, on model year (MY) 2020-2022 of various Hyundai and Kia Models, resulting in 3 injuries (note: one incident occurred outside the U.S. and its territories).Between October 2021 and March 2023, Hyundai and Kia have filed the following 11 safety recalls for pretensioner rupture: NHTSA Recall No. 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-123, 22V-127, 22V-218, 22V-354, 22V-447, 22V-458, 22V-816, 23V-094, and 23V-210. Hyundai/Kia have stated that the abnormal deployment of the pretensioners is due to over-pressurization of the prete
Opened Aug 8, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023 · action RQ22003 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific GV80
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Genesis publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Genesis GV80, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2021 Genesis GV80
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this GV80 →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database5 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported
32 per 10,000 built · Genesis reported 19,320 GV80 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2021: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2026: 16
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
On two occasions in the last month the car has suffered a loss of power with the accelerator unresponsive to input. After 5-10 seconds of this still actively occurring the car began to shake violently while I was trying to find a safe place to stop the car out of the traffic lanes. Within a minute or so things would go back to normal.
While driving at low speeds (less than 50mph) the Forward Collision Warning randomly activates. Sometimes its just a warning and sometimes its a warning and forced braking. I was able to capture a video of this. Please see link below.
The contact owns a 2021 Genesis GV80. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service brakes independently engaged. The contact stated that the brakes independently engaged a total of four times while the contact was driving on a major highway. The contact’s son was a passenger in the vehicle.
Left LED Headlamps & intergral camera sensor assembly has failed due to moisture penetration behind the lenses. In addition to no left headlamps or left front turn signal, we have lost the emergency braking, forward collision warning, the lane departure warning and the lane keeping assistance features.
Child window and door locks malfunction along with mirror controls and all window controls from driver door panel. Repeated random events have occurred
Genesis 2021 GV 80 2.5 4 cylinder. Engine light on for the 3rd time. previous fixes did not fix the problem. Reported it to the corporate office. Still waiting after one week to have some one contact. No resolution to the problem yet
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Genesis itself: 9 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 10 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 47 per 100,000 built. Every GV80 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Power Train, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Structure.
- 26-DS-001G TSB Service bulletin2026-09-09 · Power Train
- Some GV70 (JK1, JK1A), GV80 (JX1) and G80 (RG3) vehicles may have a hum or whine noise condition from the rear differential at certain speeds. This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect the vehicle for the hum or whine noise and, if necessary, to tighten the rear differential lock nut to specification. If the hum or whine noise remains after tightening the lock nut, then this bulletin provid
- 26-HA-002G TSB Service bulletin2026-06-10 · Engine
- Some Genesis vehicles (listed below) equipped with Lambda-III 3.5T-GDI engines may exhibit reduced heater performance due to engine coolant deposits clogging the heater core. This bulletin provides instructions to verify the concern and to replace the front and rear heater core (if applicable).
- 26-GI-002G TSB Service bulletin2026-05-27 · Electrical System
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. Refer to the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update Key Improvements and Additional Improvements tables in this TSB for a list of specific changes. The software c
- 26-EE-003G TSB Service bulletin2026-04-18 · Engine
- Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.
- 11032523 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and
- 11032522 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may
- 26-AD-001G Service bulletin2026-03-10 · Lane Departure — Assist
- Some 2020MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front camera auto-calibration range may be exceeded while driving: • If the front camera is not properly installed and is completely or partially detached. • In case of excessive changes affecting the vehicle's b
- 26-01-006G TSB Service campaign2026-01-24 · Unknown Or Other
- Certain GV70 (JK1) and GV80 (JX1) vehicles may exhibit water leakage inside the vehicle due to the sunroof drain hose plugs being clogged with foreign material or a water gurgling noise from the sunroof while driving in the rain. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to replace the front sunroof drain hose plugs and modify the rear drain hose plugs by cutting off a portion at the end.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0300 P0300 on Genesis → | Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 2 bulletins |
| P0301 P0301 on Genesis → | Cylinder 1 is misfiring. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 2 bulletins |
| P0302 P0302 on Genesis → | Cylinder 2 is misfiring. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 2 bulletins |
| P0303 P0303 on Genesis → | Cylinder 3 is misfiring. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 2 bulletins |
| P0304 P0304 on Genesis → | Cylinder 4 is misfiring. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 2 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Genesis GV80 failed the emissions check on 1.4% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.45% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).
failed emissions
444 initial inspections of 438 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2021 GV80 | Every 2021 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.4% | 1.9% | 444 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.45% | 1.5% | 444 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.45% | 0.19% | 444 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,097 | 10,343 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 48,186 | 54,681 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
GV80 by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2021 GV80
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2021 Genesis GV80 have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 5 recall campaigns for the 2021 Genesis GV80, 3 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 26V229000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2021 Genesis GV80?
NHTSA gave the 2021 Genesis GV80 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it F (52/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Genesis GV80?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Genesis GV80, the best EPA combined figure is 23 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2021 Genesis GV80?
Transport Canada measured it at 194.9 in long, 77.6 in wide (body, without mirrors), 67.3 in tall, on a 116.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,707–5,104 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2021 Genesis GV80?
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Genesis GV80, most often about fuel/propulsion system, electrical system, exterior lighting. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2021 Genesis GV80?
The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Genesis GV80 is 5 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Genesis GV80?
The manufacturer has filed 61 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Genesis GV80, most often covering electrical system, power train, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-09. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2021 Genesis GV80 do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Genesis GV80 failed the emissions check on 1.4% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.45% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 5 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 61 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 61 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 12 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.