What breaks most · 2005 to 2026 model years
Hyundai Tucson problems by year
Owners have filed 6,241 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Tucson across model years 2005 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2016 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2017 for engine complaints and 2018 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2008 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2016, 2017, 2018
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2008, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 62412005 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 20161616 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 246140 fires · 230 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 48kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 70Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185 | 12 | 8 | Air bags (31) | |
| 135 | 15 | 5 | Air bags (37) | |
| 65 | 7 | 5 | Air bags (13) | |
| 43 | 5 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (5) | |
| 18 | 3 | 1 | Air bags (6) | |
| 58 | 3 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 124 | 5 | 5 | Engine (40) | |
| 255 | 12 | 3 | Engine (160) | |
| 266 | 16 | 3 | Engine (156) | |
| 201 | 4 | 2 | Engine (110) | |
| 226 | 7 | 1 | Engine (118) | |
| 1616 | 14 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (516) | |
| 1083 | 13 | 3 | Engine (593) | |
| 394 | 13 | 1 | Engine (242) | |
| 376 | 15 | 1 | Engine (194) | |
| 176 | 5 | 1 | Engine (71) | |
| 78 | 2 | 1 | Engine (38) | |
| 380 | 25 | 3 | Fuel system (130) | |
| 131 | 12 | 2 | Unknown or other (32) | |
| 94 | 12 | 4 | Forward collision system (23) | |
| 278 | 32 | 6 | Forward collision system (147) | |
| 59 | 14 | 5 | Forward collision system (34) |
What fails on the 2016 Hyundai Tucson
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 32% |
516 | 4 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 26% |
422 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
| Unknown or other | 16% |
261 | 3 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 14% |
227 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
214 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 10% |
157 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
111 | 4 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 3% |
55 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
All dash warning lights are on and dash lights have a intermittent bright light surge. Hard to shut off engine and have to disconnect battery for electric power to shut off. Very noticeable hesitation in acceleration starting to drive
-
Franchise dealer Preson Hyundai is actively obstructing a court-ordered settlement tracking test for an engine burning 2.0 qts internally, forcing a young driver with child to operate an oil starving vehicle at risk of highway engine seizure and fire.
-
-Very high oil consumption. Going through a little over a quart very 900-1000 miles. Has a GDI turbo engine. -Transmission issues. Has a dual clutch transmission that slips.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Tucson years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2016, 2017, 2018 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Tucson. The 2016 alone has 1616 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Hyundai Tucson problem?
On the 2016 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 516 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Tucson problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Tucson complaints that include mileage is about 48,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.