2,470 of the
8,648 complaints filed about the Hyundai Tucson
are about the engine —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
I had bought my car in May of 2025 and within 12 hours of owning it. The check engine light came on. They replaced the sensor well. A couple days later, the check engine light came on again, and they had to rebuild my whole engine had the car for a month at this time. When they rebuilt the engine, they had the car for over a month. And ever since I got it back, it's always something the same thing has to get repaired. Well, I took it to the shop. Yesterday because it was misfiring, and I needed to have some spark plugs replaced, and they said that the Ignition coil needed to be replaced, but there was a recall on that not too long ago. And they fixed that on the recall. There's no reason that should have already went a few months later. Well, the problem is when I bought my car, I bought it from tar. Hyundai, it's now rusty, while it's Hyundai. They charged me $200 just to get my car out of their lot. Because I refused service because they were trying to charge me. $2500 to fix my car. Now mind you, I've already put over $4000 extra into this car. After purchasing it for over 21000 now they're not wanting to honor any work that Tara. Hyundai done because they don't be responsible. They don't want to honor the tar. Hyundai warranty or anything I've had it with this Hyundai company. I've been driving this lemon. It is yet again in the shop. Being fixed, although the engine was rebuilt a year ago, there is no reason. This car should keep having engine failure. They don't want to honor it. They don't want to give me a new car, they don't want to, they're acting like they don't care like, 00 well, it's your fault, but I did not buy the car, as is it came with a warranty. When they reserved my engine and had to rebuild it. They extended my warranty 2 hundred and fifty thousand miles
NHTSA complaint #11763305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Fuel Injector code P053F84 Reading on 9/9/26, this is the second time vehicle was taken to the dealership for the exact same problem, the idle button in orange, and displayed, first visit while vehicle within warranty limits technician stated couldn't find anything wrong, now vehicle is out of warranty and dealership wants $1300 to fix the same issue.also the Engine was hesitating at each occurrence.
NHTSA complaint #11763264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle unexpectedly entered 'Limp Mode' due to engine tracking code P1326. The vehicle severely restricts engine power and RPMs while driving on public roads, preventing normal acceleration. This creates a severe safety hazard as the vehicle cannot safely merge into oncoming traffic, accelerate away from intersections, or maintain basic road speeds, putting me at a high risk of being rear-ended.The fault is under Hyundai Theta II Txxm. I have been given the runaround by both hyunday corporate and the local dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11763199 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle is losing a lot of oil. But there is no oil leaking on the ground. Upon looking at the safety recall, it says it might be fire hazardous. I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Vehicle run rough and also hear sounds.
NHTSA complaint #11762626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2019 Hyundai Tucson repeatedly shuts off while driving , without any warning. It rolls backwards while in park. The car could easily hit me taking things out of the trunk or hit my neighbors walking past my drive. The car has no power. It can’t get up to speed. It shakes and I have to get someone to add oil to it frequently. The first time this happened was in April of 2023. The engine seized up and it was towed to Driver’s Village in Cicero, NY. They replaced the engine block. But not the converter. Now, it is happening again. I have had 2 diagnostic tests done. One by my mechanic and the other by Advanced Auto Parts. Both tests say that the problem is the catalytic converter, but Hyundai refuses to fix the problem and will not honor my extended warranty. I have written and called them numerous times for almost 2 years now, about this and they say they will call me back, but they do not. None of the dealerships will even look at my car. I need someone to look at my vehicle. This vehicle is not safe. Other Tucson owners have the same problems with their cars, that I am complaining about. There is a federal emissions warranty that Hyundai claim they have never heard of, that would fix my car and make it safe to drive. I just want Hyundai to stand behind their warranty and fix my car before it kills someone.
NHTSA complaint #11762256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I took my Tucson to my local Hyundai dealership on Friday, August 28, 2026. It was there for a standard oil change and tire rotation. When I scheduled the appointment online the system also said there was a recall. I always stay on top of that so I let them take care of that as well. The recall didn’t seem like anything major, it was something to do with emissions. Ok, when I left the dealership that day the engine was warm so there was no noticeable difference. I didn’t use my vehicle at all for the next few days. When I got into it Monday morning for work I noticed immediately after starting the car and taking off the engine was hesitating and bucking. This lasted a few minutes. The problem seems to improve once the engine is warm but others are reporting online that they’re having issues with engines stalling as well. There’s something wrong with the software update that’s being used and no one seems to have a fix. I reached out to Hyundai with my concern and they recommended I take it back to the dealership to be diagnosed and see if my warranty would cover any repairs. My vehicle was free of problems before that update and now it’s falling back on me to pay for a potential problem they caused. There has been no accidents for me personally with this but it’s most definitely a safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11761793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2018 Hyundai Tucson catastrophic engine failure consistent with known Hyundai Nu engine defect pattern documented across 141 prior owner-filed NHTSA complaints for this same vehicle. OBD codes P0326, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304 documented July 19–25, 2026. Independent licensed mechanic confirmed in writing that engine requires replacement. Authorized Hyundai dealership service manager verbally confirmed coolant in oil — the exact failure mode documented in prior NHTSA complaints for this vehicle generation. Service Campaign 966/KSDS was completed and active when failure occurred and did not prevent it. Hyundai Motor America denied goodwill claim Case #43120457 citing out-of-warranty status and aftermarket parts — no written test results or inspection report has been produced to this household. Requesting federal investigation into pattern of engine failures in 2018 Hyundai Tucson consistent with acknowledged Nu engine defects.
NHTSA complaint #11762047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a Hyundai Tucson 2018 SEL Plus. My problem is my vehicle is coming to the end of it's 100,000 mile warranty. This vehicle started burning oil about 30,000 miles and it got worse. I checked on recalls and there was no recalls for my VIN number for this vehicle. My Hyundai vehicle is burning a quart of oil every 300 miles and this is no exaggeration. I bought the car brand new and had to replace my 1st Catalytic converter at 79,627 miles on 5/14/25 that was originally on the car. The second Catalytic converter that I had put on I, had to replace that Catalytic converter again at my cost at approximately $900.00 and then after that it plugged up again at 91,928 miles on 7/28/26 and I, had to replace that one that is the third one now. The Catalytic converter company had warranted the work and the converter to be installed. This has caused the car to not only misfire, but become a possible road hazard to miss enough and possibly cause it to stall or reduce the power output of the vehicle while in operation and on public roads in traffic and possibly create a major accident on the freeway. This is a major saftey concern being that you could not only lose power while in motion but could lock up the engine. We talked to mechanics, other people that own them and even the service guys at Hyundai knew it is problem. The service genteman said that they would clean the valves I, believe they talked about cleaning the valves with walnuts like sand blasting and I, told him cleaning the valves is not going to do anything for the oil consumption, because the oil consumption is the engine.The engine when it was originally made on the number 3 cyclinder was bored wrong. That is our problem because the oil rings and rings are letting the oil bypass the piston and filing out the iriadium spark plug and our car mileage has gone down because of this the rings are wearing faster and causing us to keep buying newer spark plugs. " Check Engine Light Flashes " plugged Cat Converter.
NHTSA complaint #11761559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While traveling northbound on [XXX] in Florida traffic came to a stop, and when I stopped, my engine seized, I attempted to restart, but was unable to get a restart. My attempts to restart caused the starter to start burning smoke was coming from under the hood this put me at serious risk being on an interstate highway in the left lane at [XXX]. It was very difficult for me to push the car to the side of the road in this dangerous situation, recalling how Harry Chapin died in New York, because his car failed, and was struck by another vehicle. I was able to get the car onto the shoulder away from the moving traffic. The engine that seized is a 2.0 GDI engine and that engine has been identified to have multiple failures and being replaced after failing . Hyundai sent a letter. I believe this engine should be recalled and replaced before others are put in the same dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11761578 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and turned off, the vehicle rolled backwards and occasionally ended up in the street in front of the residence. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic and other vehicles to go around the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and was pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The contact stated that there was ice built up underneath the tires, and an unknown ring was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the vehicle reversed inadvertently while parked and stalled while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer but was not diagnosed; however, the contact was notified that the failure might be associated with the catalytic converter. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11761675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sudden uncommanded high engine revving 4000 rpm with loss of forward acceleration while driving. ISG (Idle Stop n Go) indicator on dashboard turned yellow and system could not manually override. Vehicle was turned off. After car turned back on after about 30 minutes It entered a Protective Limp Home Mode, which cleared the systems. All seemed back to normal. It was advised to have vehicle towed to the dealer where purchased. The vehicle has only 4,000 miles and 9 months old. To date the dealer could not replicate the malfunction and could not find any abnormalities In the codes.
NHTSA complaint #11761527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My engine is consuming an excessive amount of oil due to a known issue with the Hyundai engine design impacting cars from 2011-2018. My car only had approximately 89,900 miles on it when I noticed the issues. Hyundai is aware of the defect and has re-engineered their engines due to the issue. The engine is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others is put at risk every time I drive. By denying my claim, I am forced to repeatedly top off my oil to maintain levels and try to drive as safely as possible, however my car is at risk of engine failure due to the consumption. I have escalated these concerns to Hyundai and I was still denied. The problem was confirmed by a Hyundai dealer. The denial stems from Hyundai’s policy that it must be consuming greater than 1 quart for every 1,000 miles driven. However, my car is still consuming oil and it is incredibly unsafe. The engine was inspected by qualified Hyundai mechanics. The consumption issue was documented in their paperwork. The oil light would intermittently flicker while I drove, which had never happen before. Additionally, the car began to drive rough and I recognized something was likely wrong with the car. Unwilling to take any safety risks, I immediately scheduled an appointment with the dealership to determine the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11760584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
OnXXX my car experienced sudden knocking in the engine. I pulled over to the service station on the [XXX] and had my car towed to Empire Hyundai in [XXX]. I had just changed oil on XXXand upon inspection oil level was fine. Problem is the theta 2 engine and though the car is under extended warranty Hyundai is requesting maintenance records before repairing this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11760673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In April 2026 (29,805 miles) I was on an interstate underpass U-turn and when I went to accelerate from the U-turn, the vehicle “revved”, had difficulty accelerating, and appeared to not go into the next gear for a roughly 10 seconds, meaning I was unable to accelerate and get out of the way from oncoming traffic. Traffic slowed and the vehicle suddenly returned to normal (no warning lights appeared) and I drove home cautiously with hazards on. When attempting to leave less than 45 minutes later, the vehicle started, then as I placed it into drive, it began lunging and the check engine light appeared. Because it was running rough and kept lunging, I parked and had it towed to the dealership. The DTC code listed was PO30300 (DTC system powertrain and subsystem EMS). Per the dealership, fuel injector #3 was bad and needed to be replaced. When I picked up the vehicle, notes stated “ GDI FUEL INJCTR REPL (ALL4)”. I picked up the vehicle after the repair. In August 2026 (30,923 miles), with less than 1,000 miles driven since repair, I started the vehicle and it immediately “died”. I restarted it and the check engine light came on and it began lunging out of my driveway. I also had difficulty getting the vehicle to brake and almost hit our community entrance/exit gate. A notification appeared on my infotainment system stating: “A possible condition with your Engine Control System has been detected. A full system check is recommended to be done soon. Please contact your local dealership to schedule an appointment”. The DTC codes listed on the Hyundai app were: PO30020, PO30040, PO30010, PO30000, and PO19185, P217700. (DTC system powertrain and subsystem EMS). I had the vehicle towed to the dealership. They didn’t have a loaner vehicle and I canceled my trip. Later, I was notified that “a hose was disconnected and was allowing air to enter the engine”. He stated, “we flushed it out and everything is working now”. I was told I could come pick it up before they closed.
NHTSA complaint #11760655 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with ECU software error. The contact was advised to contact the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,565.
NHTSA complaint #11760437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased this vehicle brand new in December of 2023 - It has an oil consumption issue which started on May 13, 2024 - I have had the vehicle to the dealership for repairs to resolve the issue 13 times so far - Vehicle is currently at the dealership and has been for 7 days and they have not done anything to rectify the issue - Dealership says they are waiting on Hyundai to give them the approval to proceed - They have not provided me with a loaner vehicle - I have had to rent a car so I can get to work - The vehicle only has 28,388 miles on it - The issue started in May of 2024 with only 5,412 miles on it - I filed a complaint with Hyundai Case # 40508090 but they have failed to repair the vehicle or buy the vehicle back from me - I need help with this issue and I don't know what else to do
NHTSA complaint #11760213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Complete engine failure in July of 2024. When the car was sold to us it was under recall and not repaired and we were not told there was a recall. When the engine failed we were told we were at fault because we failed to get the recall addressed.
NHTSA complaint #11759748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.