⌘K
Home›Hyundai›Nexo›2021
Hyundai · Compact SUV

2021 Hyundai Nexo

Hydrogen fuel cell
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
70 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical2
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA5
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA61 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2021 Hyundai Nexo is sold in the U.S. as a hydrogen fuel cell compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Nexo Blue, is EPA-rated at 61 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the fuel/propulsion system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Nexo BlueHydrogen fuel cellFWD120 kW IPMSM655861—
NexoHydrogen fuel cellFWD120 kW IPMSM595457—

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 47541, 47540.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Hyundai Nexo is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

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 (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Fuel System, Other

269
Park outside1,545 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Nexo vehicles. The thermally activated pressure relief device (TPRD) may break and cause a hydrogen gas leak, which can result in a fire while parked.RiskA vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the TPRD, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 8, 2024. Final owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, beginning January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Service at 800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 269.
NHTSA campaign 24V761000reported Oct 11, 2024Hyundai Motor America
!critical

Fuel System, Other

225
Park outside922 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Nexo vehicles. The hydrogen gas detection sensors may fail to detect leaks in the hydrogen gas delivery system.RiskA hydrogen gas leak can increase the risk of a fire while parked or driving.FixOwners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the recall remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the hydrogen gas detection sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 12, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 225.
NHTSA campaign 22V258000reported Apr 14, 2022Hyundai Motor America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
5complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2022: 3 · 2024: 2

Most-cited components

Fuel/Propulsion System3
Electrical System2
Engine2
Forward Collision Avoidance1
Fuel System, Other1
Power Train1

What owners describe

“Hydrogen fuel cell system is unstable/unreliable. Vehicle fueling infrastructure is completely unreliable and cannot be depended on for safe, ongoing operation of vehicle.”Jun 21, 2024 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report
“It has become more frequent for there to be a delay in acceleration of about 3 to 4 seconds when traveling uphill. My car lost acceleration while going uphill. As I was gradually accelerating from a red traffic light to climb a hill, my car became stuck at a certain speed, around 50 mph on April 3rd. Even when pressing…”Apr 20, 2024 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“Catastrophic issue awaiting to happen. I am fearful the car can blow up. Hydrogen gas leak has been detected since March 2022. After and during the pumping, often there would be a loud hissing sound coming from the vehicle no from the pump itself. After fueling with hydrogen gas, it takes a minute for the car to read a…”Nov 20, 2022 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Nexo model years

A

2026 Hyundai Nexo

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2025 Hyundai Nexo

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2024 Hyundai Nexo

1 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2023 Hyundai Nexo

1 recalls · 6 complaints

B

2022 Hyundai Nexo

1 recalls · 1 complaints

D

2020 Hyundai Nexo

4 recalls · 7 complaints

F

2019 Hyundai Nexo

4 recalls · 3 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API