Common Hyundai Tucson Failures: Tips, Breakdowns And Solutions!

The Hyundai Tucson is a compact SUV that is known for its reliability, fuel efficiency, user-friendly features, and spacious interiors. If you want to see if this car is actually as good as they say, stay until the end and find out all about common Hyundai Tucson faults .

The downside is that this model has a hefty 43% depreciation rate, which means that from a sale price of around $30,600, the Tucson’s resale value drops to roughly $17,352 after five years.

How good is the Hyundai Tucson?

The Hyundai Tucson is a reliable SUV . In fact, it has had an above-average reliability score of 4.0 out of 5.0, with the Tucson ranking fifth in a lineup of 26 compact SUVs.

Not only is it known for its reliability in the US, but it has also won reliability awards in the UK. The UK-based marketing research firm gave the 2018 Hyundai Tucson a quality award. This award was given due to the fact that there were only a few problems reported by owners in their first 100 days with the vehicle.

The Tucson is also relatively affordable to maintain, with an average annual repair cost of just $426. Compare this number to the average annual repair cost of other compact SUVs ($521) and other vehicle models ($652).

As for repairs, you can expect to take your Tucson in for unscheduled work 0.3 times a year, which is pretty average for its class. The probability of major repairs on a Tucson is only 10%, which is lower than the average for other compact SUVs (11%) and other vehicle models overall (12%).

As far as longevity goes, the Hyundai Tucson can last approximately 200,000 miles , which translates to about 15 years. However, some 2008 and 2009 model year owners have reported that their Tucsons have already exceeded 200,000 miles. With proper care and maintenance, a Tucson can be expected to last that long and possibly even longer.

Main common faults of the Hyundai Tucson

Despite being a very reliable vehicle, there are some notable problems with the Hyundai Tucson. Some model years have worse problems than the others combined. Below are some of the common Hyundai Tucson faults :

1- Problems with the forward collision prevention system

Late model year Hyundai Tucsons are equipped with a Collision Avoidance System, which is a safety feature that prevents or lessens the severity of a collision. Some 2019 Hyundai Tucson owners have problems with this system.

According to one owner, even though they have set the system to early warning, the vehicle reacts too late to a potential collision . Some owners have also said that they were told to wait for two warnings (initial and secondary) before the vehicle took control and applied the brakes to avoid accidents.

But in some cases, drivers ended up applying the brakes themselves because the warnings came too late. In a few cases, the vehicle has simply skidded to a stop without giving either warning.

In response to these complaints from 2019 model year owners, Hyundai released a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) in May 2019. TSB #19-BE-009H contains troubleshooting information for technicians to service the Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW/BSD) module. This document covers the 2016-2019 model years of the Tucson, as well as other Hyundai models such as the Santa Fe and Sonata .

2- Acceleration Failures

Difficult to accelerate is a major problem with the 2017 Hyundai Tucson, but it is also found in the 2016 and 2018 model years. In fact, this is the worst problem with the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, which helped it earn its title of “Clunker “ in the website. On average, affected owners would encounter this problem anywhere between 7,000 and 13,000 miles.

Some owners have reported that their vehicles refuse to accelerate from a standstill . According to some affected owners, their SUVs were unresponsive even if they stepped on the accelerator pedal. Some even say that it takes three to four seconds for the vehicle to start accelerating. Some owners have observed that their SUV would get stuck at around 2,000 RPM and not move any further during the lag.

To address the issue, Hyundai issued Recall #149 (NHTSA Campaign #16V628000) for select 2016 model year units on August 30, 2016. This recall affected 41,000 vehicles in total. Hyundai also posted a TSB on October 13, 2020, for a similar issue.

TSB #20-AT-025H provides repair instructions for upgrading the transmission control unit (TCU) on affected vehicles that exhibit hesitation on acceleration, specifically from a rolling stop condition. This TSB covers 2016-2018 Tucson (TL) units equipped with a 2.0L engine.

3- Change and transmission failures

Another major problem with the 2016 Hyundai Tucson (along with the 2011 model year) is a faulty transmission. According to some 2016 model year owners, their vehicles were hesitating when turning and suddenly lurching forward. A few owners heard unusual grinding noises when accelerating.

Also, the stream seemed to be unresponsive in some cases . For 2011 model year owners, the problem was pretty much the same, but their transmission had a habit of slipping out of gear.

Hyundai published quite a few TSBs and other documents related to these transmission problems. For example, TSB #5NP-F6W6P-05, which was published in April 2018, contained diagnostic procedures to correct an error in 2016 Tucson units that prevented them from shifting out of park. This TSB covered the 2010-2016 model years of the Tucson, as well as other Hyundai vehicles.

4- Problems with hot air

Although not as important as transmission and acceleration problems, A/C failures in various units of the 2016 Hyundai Tucson are very expensive to repair. Affected homeowners have reported that their A/C units were blowing hot air intermittently. While many have been told to replace their thermistor, a few have replaced their actuators in the hope that this will fix the problem.

On average, owners noticed this problem at 11,050 miles, and it cost approximately $580 to fix.

5- Shakes excessively at idle

Some 2015 Hyundai Tucson owners have had idling problems . Many of them noticed that their vehicles jerked violently at idle.

Owners noticed the problem at an average of 500 miles, and some even reported noticing the problem as soon as they first drove their SUV. Many of the affected owners did not know how to fix the problem . But one owner said that a concentrated cleaning of the fuel system at each oil change fixed the problem for him. At the time of writing, Hyundai has not issued a TSB regarding this specific issue.

6- Engine failures

Engine failure is one of the most common failures on the 2012 and 2013 Hyundai Tucson. Affected owners have reported their vehicles suddenly shutting down for no apparent reason.

A few owners have said that before their SUV stopped running, they noticed it making loud knocking sounds and the check engine light came on . For some, there was no hint of a malfunction.

After having the vehicle checked out by a mechanic, many of the affected drivers were surprised to discover that the engine needed to be replaced, a repair that cost them at least $4,000. Owners were experiencing this problem at 89,000-90,000 miles on average. Some drivers were told by their mechanics that the problem was with the rod bearings.

TSB #21-EM-004H was published on March 30, 2021, providing service procedures for checking the clearance of engine connecting rod bearings. This document is not yet available online. Meanwhile, Hyundai has released TSBs to address other engine-related issues, such as TSB 19-AT-015H (automatic transaxle solenoid repair procedure).

7- Low gas mileage

Some owners of 2011 Tucsons have reported that their vehicles had lower fuel mileage than expected. Owners would compare their actual fuel mileage to that advertised in Hyundai advertisements. According to some owners, they tried to contact Hyundai for help.

They were told that while 2012 and 2013 model year owners were eligible for gift cards for this issue on their vehicles, 2011 model year owners were not eligible for the same benefit.

Hyundai released some TSBs to address fuel system issues on 2011 Tucson units . TSB #20-01-012H was published in March 2020 to help dealers inspect and install auxiliary carbon cartridge kits on affected Tucson models.

TSB # 13-FL-003 was published in May 2013 to help technicians inspect and fix problems with fuel level senders on Tucson, Genesis Coupe, and Sonata units. So far, there are no specific fixes for the poor gas mileage reported by 2011 Tucson owners.

To end

Overall, the Hyundai Tucson is a very reliable compact SUV . As long as you avoid model years with really bad problems, buying this model comes with little risk. Before you buy a used Tucson, you should do a little research on the model year you plan to buy. Also, be sure to clarify everything with the seller before closing the deal.