2012 Hyundai Tucson
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 255 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 21 Tucson model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 12 involved a crash and 13 involved a fire. 9 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 22, 2023
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Campaign 23V651000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineFeb 5, 2019
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Tucson vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai has notified owners, and dealers will inspect for an oil pan leak, replacing it if necessary, and install an updated oil pressure switch, free of charge. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 181.
Campaign 19V063000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsMay 13, 2014
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured January 3, 2011, through December 23, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the air bag assembly installed in the steering wheel may come loose from its mounting.
An air bag assembly that is not properly mounted may result in an increased risk of injury to the driver in the event of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts that secure the driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 118.
Campaign 14V245000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
255 reports, newest first.
Engine, Apr 24, 2023
Hola el motor del auto se tranc Hello the engine of the car stalled
Electrical system, Apr 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while using the key fob, the alarm engaged. The contact was concerned about the vehicle being vulnerable to theft. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled and entered into Limp Mode without warning. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V063000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which she linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.
Engine, Sep 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost all motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine, Sep 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that she had a routine recall repair completed at the dealer however, while attempting to leave, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a manager. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
Power train, Engine, Sep 7, 2022, fire
I was driving down the interstate, going approximately 70mph, and my 2012 Hyundai Tucson started having difficulty maintaining speed. The engine started revving up while the car was still slowing down. Suddenly, I felt a knock and smoke started bellowing out of the engine bay. I pulled over immediately, opened the hood to inspect, and was almost burnt by the flames. There was a fire near the back of the engine block which I was able to put out with some water. I had my vehicle towed to the Hyundai of West Allis in Wisconsin. The dealership and a corporate Hyundai inspector determined that the cause of the fire was a thrown engine rod. There were no signs of issues or engine lights prior to this event. My Tucson has been at the dealership for nearly two months. After tens of hours dealing with Hyundai customer service and the dealership, both entities decided that they will do nothing to remedy the situation. My Hyundai vehicle has the 2.4L Theta II engine which is clearly implicated in the recent class action lawsuit against Hyundai for faulty engines. There is a recall for the rod bearing which was the direct cause of my engine throwing a rod and causing the fire.
Engine, Jun 23, 2022
Driving home doing about 70 mph, i perchased this vehicle directly from a Hyundai Dealership, (112,445 at time of perchase) I had the vehicle for about a month and half, the vehicle did not give me any warnings until it randomly started to rev high while on the highway and very quickly after that I heard a clanking noise and my dash lights came on and my car filled with white smoke I had to pull over and there was oil all over the back of my car, the dealer never told me exactly was was wrong (after it was fixed) with it besides it happened near the engine block, there have been reports of this engine breaking (Hyundai Theta II 2.4L) due to faulty connecting rod bearing in the engine that may starve themselves of oil (there is actually a pending lawsuit for oil consumption) I believe this is what caused my engine to go. They gave me a different engine with 16,000 miles less (it has yet to break) At the dealership (where I bought it from)it took about a month and half to get it back it was “inspected” by my extended warranty and Hyundai mechanics, I was left without a loaner for two weeks and paid 106$ out of my pocket for a faulty engine, the dealership was kind enough to cover a big portion of it.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Jun 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V063000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and had a recall remedy completed. The contact stated that three days later while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park at a nearby parking lot and checked the oil level and saw that the level was low. The contact added one-fourth of a quart of oil and restarted the vehicle but heard an abnormal noise. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. The consumer stated the replacing the engine costs $12,000 and this is the 2nd vehicle destroyed with an oil incident. This has cost her 2 engines, oil change, and a engine switch.
Engine, Apr 19, 2022
2012 HYUNDAI TUCSON Bought it used, 1 prior owner ~50K, very clean. Since is VERY well maintained (incl. oil changes). Periodic engine light off & on for no reason. NO other probs, no oil leaks EVER. All recalls done. Dealership checked 11/2021 when doing recall, didn't document, it's "a short in wiring", "expensive to fix" & blamed "not tightening gas cap"?! THEN...On freeway with no warning light, a loud "bang" noise heard, vehicle began shaking. Initially felt like flat tire, barely able to control, lost power but able to steer off highway, engine died. VERY, VERY dangerous situation in heavy traffic. During tow to dealership, found # to national recall center who assigned a case number & was told "it's being escalated nationally..a corporate case worker (CW) will call in 3-5 days". Told "tell dealership to give loaner car". No loaners b/c LONG waiting list. Corporate requested multiple exams & photos from dealership in search of "engine sludge" (shift blame technique "poor maintenance") none was found. Engine pictures pristine (per dealership) "like a new engine". Corporate even requested 1st owner records!? Diagnosis:"catastrophic engine failure" due to bearing failure, estimate ~$7K+ for new engine. Corporate offer: 80% of engine replacement cost w/parts warranty (1 yr/12K), no loaner car unless delay due to backorder. Owner gets to counter offer or discuss w/ CW whose role (apparently)is to negotiate w/owner. 3 wks, never rec'd call from anyone. Hrs, days, wks spent chasing elusive CW. "Cust. Care" answers "hello, what's VIN & mileage?". Forced to repeat same story over & over, finally learned CW out on PTO, no one reassigned (someone slipped w/ "we are SOO busy here"). Finally reached CW. Call #1: nice guy. Call #2: lied, blamed dealership, mean, shaming, told to quit calling, wasting HIS time. Take it or leave it on 80/20 deal to replace w/another Theta II (aka we never fixed our prob) engine. NEVER BUY HYUNDAI! SOMEONE COULD'VE DIED.
Power train, Engine, Mar 1, 2022
My 2012 Tucson engine, with 62,000 miles, locked up on 09/22/21 while I was on a trip, without warning & no check engine light came on. Luckily, I was able to coast to the small shoulder. It suddenly seized on a stretch of I15 in the mountains of the Mohave Desert. The engine completely stopped so suddenly that I was lucky I was able to coast to the shoulder. The shoulder was very narrow, so I was barely off a very busy highway, at night. The breakdown happened just before midnight. I was stuck on the side of the road as cars and trucks were flying by us, with little room to avoid hitting us. It took 4 hours to find someone who would tow my car. I was towed to Midas shop at a cost of $800. The Midas shop confirmed that my engine had seized, was full of oil, and no explanation for the engine seizing could be found. The only option was to replace the engine. I wanted a new one, but they could not find one. They found a "used" one from a 2012 Tucson, supposedly with 40,000 miles on it. The mechanic had to go to Huntington Beach to pick it up. He was amazed at the cost of the engine (much higher than they had paid for any other used engine). Ultimately the replacement cost $12,118.41. When I picked up my car on 10/15/21 I headed home to San Diego (170 miles). After approx 100 miles, the transmission suddenly stopped shifting into any gear. It would not come out of neutral. I was in a lane close enough to the shoulder to coast just far enough to get a few inches off the highway. Because it was a Friday evening, there were no auto shops open. I had no choice but to have the car towed to my house (70 miles) at a cost of $500. A local transmission shop diagnosed my transmission problem. It was due to failure of the part that pumps fluid into the transmission. Yet another problem that shouldn’t occur in a car with only 61,000 miles on it. The cost of the repair was $4,200. The failure of those parts put me in 2 very dangerous situations and cost me $20,000.
Engine, Jan 19, 2022
Air conditioning system was just replaced for $2000. A week later, car to a dealership for a recall. Two and a half weeks later, while driving, engine lights came on, hard to accelerate, then rattling noise from engine. My son was on way back to college and on a rural road with not too much traffic. He pulled over and was not able to restart car. Had to be towed to nearest town (between home and his school, about 1 1/2 hours from each). The repair shop said total engine failure. They investigated and not able to find a rebuilt engine because engine has too many problems and a used engine would be $8000 to install and would likely have same defect. The car only has 96,000 miles. We bought used, from a Hyundai dealership, with a good CarFax report. It was a safety problem because he could have been devastating if he was on a busy highway. Unfortunately, it happened in a scarcely populated area and he was stranded while it was getting dark waiting for the tow truck. No warning lights until time of engine breakdown. Car had just been seen at a service station and car dealership just days before breakdown. We cannot take chance of investing that much money into a car that would have same problem. Had to have car sold for scrap.
Engine, Jan 13, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving approximately 68 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle lunged forward. The check engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the connecting rod and engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, cylinder #3 was blown. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,450.
Other or unspecified, Nov 9, 2021
At 139k miles, my wife was on her way to work when she stated she heard a knocking coming from the engine. On her way home the engine stalled out 3 times where she had to pull over and shut it off completely for a minute. By the time she made it home the vehicle was making a really bad knocking/ticking sound with the oil warning light flashing. I have not heard back from the dealership where it was towed to, but this is the same sort of rod bearing problem that plagued other vehicles from Hyundai in that 2012 range.
Other or unspecified, Oct 26, 2021
On 5/13/21 I took my vehicle to Preston Hyundai to complete 2 recall campaigns. Campaign 958 20-01-012H and Campaign 181 #19-01-012H. Part of the instructions for Campaign 181 (attached), states they must "Loosen the intake manifold stay bolts and remove the intake manifold stay. After the recalls were done, Preston checked my vehicle and there were no active . Also, my vehicle was working fine prior to the recalls that were done. Less than 2 weeks after Hyundai completed the engine oil recall campaign, my engine light came on. I took it back to Hyundai on 6/1/21 and they said the Intake Manifold was broken and needed replaced. I told them if was fine when I brought it in for the recall and they worked on it during the recall and therefore, needed to replace it. They refused. Hyundai said it would be $1149.76 to replace Intake Manifold and Ford said only the Intake Manifold Runner needs replaced and it would be $360.43 before tax to replace it. I am requesting that my Intake Manifold be replaced by Preston Hyundai or that they pay the $360.43 plus tax for Fairway Ford to replace the Intake Manifold Runner.
Engine, Oct 7, 2021
10/5/21Driving on interstate. Experienced sudden loss of power. Pulled to side of road and car completely stopped and shut down. No warning lights prior to incident. Vehicle routinely serviced and had full tank of gas. Mechanic stated catastrophic engine failure.
Engine, Sep 20, 2021, fire
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact owns a 60 MPH, the contact heard a loud pop noise and from the outside of the vehicle and the vehicle began to lose motive power and smoke coming from the front of the hood. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and open the hood and saw fire coming from the engine. The contact back up and waited for police to come out to assist. The fire extinguished on its own. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was later deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Aug 28, 2021
Driver side front and rear doors will not lock or unlock while using the switch that locks and unlocks the doors from the inside of the car. The remote will lock and unlock all of the doors.
Power train, Electrical system, Aug 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated the all-wheel drive (AWD) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Engine, Jul 19, 2021
Noticed a knocking had started and soon after the car stalled on the freeway. Towed to mechanic and then dealership. Engine failure. Metal shavings found in oil. Failed rod bearing.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 9, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the contact heard a clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated moments later, a loud explosion came from the rear of the vehicle. The contact saw smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle stalled while driving to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the engine needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced two years prior under NHTSA campaign number: 19V063000 (Engine and engine cooling) which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Engine, Jun 29, 2021
My vehicle has stalled (died) several times on me in the last several months. This happens when I am pulling into traffic or stopping at a light, etc. and is a serious problem because it could cause me to be hit. I took the car to my licensed mechanic and he said there was metal in the variable timing hub...he put the new part on it and then changed the oil and took it for a test drive. On return it was rechecked and found to be full of metal shavings again. He stated I would need new engine because mine was falling apart. He checked for recalls and found that this problem was a recall on the Santa Fe and the Sonata but not for my Tuscon...this does not make sense as these vehicles basically have the same or similar engines. Check engine light and oil light came on and stayed on. I was advised by my mechanic to contact you with this problem. I believe Tuscons should be added to the recall list before lives are lost. I believe my car should be repaired by the dealership..I would appreciate any help you can give me on this
Engine, Jun 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at 40 - 50 mph, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as engine failure. The mechanic referred the contact to tow the vehicle to another independent mechanic who specialized in engine repair. The vehicle was then towed to the second independent mechanic where the vehicle remained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was over 100,000.
Engine, Apr 27, 2021
HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED ON THE CITY STREET. THE MECANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE DUE TO THE ENGINE ISSUE. SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO HYUNDAI- CAMPAIGN181 IN JANUARY WITH NO RESPONSE.
Engine, Feb 25, 2021
[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Engine, Feb 25, 2021
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MILES AND HOUR AND FOR NO REASON I LOST POWER , THE OIL LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED BRIEFLY AND THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OFF THE HIGHWAY. IT TURNED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGIN AND BABY IT TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION LESS THAN A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. MY HUSBAND TOLD ME TO JUST BABY IT HOME AND HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. IT STARTED MAKING A TICKING SOUND. I DID GET IT HOME AND MY HUSBAND SAID MY ENGINE WAS SHOT. NOW I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE FOR A CAR THAT WAS RUNNING JUST FINE AND THEN ALL THIS WERID STUFF HAPPENS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. NOW WE HAVE A DEAD CAR THAT WE STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR. AND WE CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ENGINE PLUS THE LABOR TO PUT IT IN. NOW WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A NEW CAR.