2015 Hyundai Tucson
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 227 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 21 Tucson model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 7 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideFeb 3, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
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 multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Campaign 22V056000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
121 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Jun 3, 2022
As part of Hyundai's class action lawsuit settlement, Hyundai promised to fix defective engines reporting the P136 error code and provide alternative transportation until the vehicle's defective engine is fixed. Instead I am without a car because Hyundai corporate claims they are "too busy" to fix it. For three weeks, Hyundai corporate has known that the engine of my 2015 Hyundai Tucson has reported the P1326 error code, and has been sitting at Key Hyundai at 4660 Southside BLVD; Jacksonville, Florida. Hyundai has refused to provide us with a loaner car, or authorize us to get a rental car, as required under the class action settlement, under the basis that the inspection has not yet been performed on the vehicle. When we asked for them to help find another dealership to inspect the vehicle, or any other assistance they could provide with alternative transportation, they refused. Hyundai assigned us a case manager, Ricardo (case number 19759747), who has repeatedly lied to us, and refuses to return our calls. For example, he claimed that he called the dealership to try to help us, even though the dealership reported no such call in their records and Hyundai confirmed that they did not have this call in their records. Hyundai refuses to assign anyone else to help with this matter. We have been calling Hyundai almost every day for three weeks and they have provided no assistance whatsoever. The constant theme has been to "sit and wait". I am requesting your office to help so that other Americans are not victimized by Hyundai. Hyundai promised to make the victims of their defective engines whole, and yet instead have vehicles subject to the class action lawsuit sitting around for weeks, and refuse to provide any assistance whatsoever with alternative transportation. Americans could lose their jobs and be forced into financial insolvency because of Hyundai not honoring their settlement agreement.
Engine and engine cooling, Air bags, May 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. There was an abnormal odor of smoke detected. The contact exited the vehicle through the window. The contact stated that ten of the air bags were deployed. There was water damage due to a storm. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and informed there was water damage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, May 16, 2022
My car has been subject to safety recall for its anit-lock break system module system since February 2022. It is now the middle of May, 2022. Hyundai, in the Sacramento area of California, says they do not have parts in stock for performing the mandated recall and will not call me back or give me any estimate for when I can have the part. The Hyundai of America representitive just told me I could keep calling, putting the burden on me, and not assisting me further in terms of becoming part of a list of people that still need the recall done, etc.. The notice says my car's engine compartment might catch on fire while parked or driving without this recall. That's pretty ridiculous and unsafe. They need to provide a remedy.
Engine, Apr 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving approximately 50-55 MPH, he heard abnormal sounds coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall as the VIN was not included. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times where it was diagnosed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The independent mechanic advised the contact to bring the vehicle back after 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the failure was diagnosed as an engine combustion failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Engine, Apr 19, 2022
1. The engine lost oil without giving any warning. 2. Vehicle stopped in traffic and could not restart. 3. Yes (an independent service center). 4. Yes (others) the oil pump in the engine stopped working). 5. No warning light.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 4, 2022
I bought My SUV on January 14th 2022, and it presented a recall problem on February 05th, 2022. On the way from Bethlehem to New York, my daughter was driving the vehicle, when it slowed down in the middle of the highway, put my daughter live in risks and it did not accelerate and she moved to the edge and called 911. I called the AUTOProved staff, the dealership I unfortunately bought my SUV from, immediately when my car broke down. On February 23rd the warranty company sent me a tow truck, which picked the vehicle to the dealer's shop from my house, and the Dealer's staff have been providing misleading information to me ever since. (They told me I couldn't call Hyundai, because this vehicle was in their name.) Now, I completely understand that my car might not be the only one they or you have to work with, however, as you may notice it's been two entire months and neither the dealership, nor the Hyundai company have provided me with neither a solution, nor any service, or helpful information to my problem. I've exhausted every possible method to get an answer from the dealership. I've emailed them, called them, personally went to the site several times, sent them messages, and they have been giving me false information about my vehicle, ignored my calls, picked up and said they will call me back with information and never called, or say that nothing can be done about my car and/or that it is MY responsibility to pay for the recall problem of my car for it to be fixed after previously telling me that I didn't have to pay for anything and as you state on your letter to me. On March 18th 2022 the AUTOProved staff, told me that my Tucson was towed to their shop and that they will have to work on it because you, Hyundai, refused to fix the problem. Lastly on March 31st I called the Warranty company to claim the rental car refund, but they said that they did have not a claim for the vehicle from the dealer staff.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 15, 2022
Previous History: Vehicle already required an engine replacement - short block assembly. Current Details: DTC P01326 - While driving - Check Engine Light blinks & vehicle's acceleration is immediately reduced, causing dangerous disruption to the flow of traffic while merging into traffic from exit ramps, at traffic lights, stop signs, turns etc. Has been to dealer 3x for diagnosis and repair. Jan 2022 - 1st attempt - Knock Sensor replaced (Recall 966 was performed in Nov 2021) 2nd attempt - Knock Sensor software updated - 3rd attempt - Knock Sensor disconnected and reconnected. After each repair attempt the vehicle continued to suffer reduced acceleration and blinking check engine light while driving within a day or two. 4th time - DTC P0087 - Fuel Rail/System Pressure - Too Low & DTC P2191 System too Lean at Higher Load (Multiple) (Bank 1). These are "new" codes discovered by subsequent Hyundai dealership after the 3rd repair attempt unresolved by the original selling dealership. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. The warning check engine lights did appear at the same time as the reduced acceleration and occurred each time spontaneously while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. There are additional complaints involving 2015 Hyundai Tucsons listed on the NHTSA website which I do not see connected to a current or previous recall. However, I do see Hyundai issued a recall # 207 in 09/2021. Please note the similarities of referenced complaints show the first 8 characters KM8JT3AF of the VIN show a direct correlation to manufacturer and engine types. Also note, there is an open unresolved recall # 218 with the potential to cause fires and currently has NO REMEDY available. Recommendations from Hyundai are to park vehicle away from buildings and continue driving even with fire hazard?
Engine, Mar 10, 2022
While driving down an interstate I accelerated to pass a semi truck. Immediately after passing the truck I took an exit and about halfway off the ramp my car lost all power...no noises or notifications. Had to coast to side of road. Once car was off thr road the engine light oil light and battery light were all lit. I bought a new battery and it did not fix my car. I had a mechanic look at my car and they believe the engine siezed up. The dealership said there is 3 recalls now on my car but engine is not one of them though is probably should be. Was told it would take 3-4 months to get my car in due so many needing repaired. I do not understand how this hasn't been recalled yet. I had my 1 yr old and 2 yr old in the car with me. If my car had quit just 10 seconds earlier we would have likely died. This is not ok for them to keep selling these cars with engine problems. Someone needs to open a lawsuit against hyundai.
Engine, Feb 9, 2022
My husband had taken my vehicle to work one day. He called me and told me that the car had shut off and wouldn’t restart. He had just turned onto a major highway and was able to pull off to the side of the road. We thought it might have been the key fob, so I brought the other fob with me. Still nothing. The brakes were stiff and the dash would light up, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. We had the car towed back to our home. We replaced the battery and starter, and after doing research, have come to the conclusion there is something in the engine that is causing the engine to not turn over. We believe we’ve narrowed it to the timing chain. Our next step is to take it to the dealership and have it evaluated, but possibly looking to upgrade.
Engine, Jan 21, 2022
After inspection by the mechanic it was determined that the engine seized. The vehicle is currently at the garage and is available. At the time the engine seized we were on the highway with a speed limit of 70 mph. The vehicle shut off but luckily I was able to pull over safely onto the shoulder. I had my entire family in the vehicle so I definitely feel our safety was at risk. The vehicle has only been inspected by my mechanic. The oil was changed less than two months ago and was changed at regular intervals. There was no warning lights or messages prior to the vehicle losing power. Once it lost power the oil light and engine light came on.
Engine, Jan 12, 2022
Our 2015 Tucson has the G4NC DOHC GDI engine, which unfortunately isn’t listed in any current engine settlement as of the writing of this complaint. Our engine started to rev at considerably high rpms while driving up hill, followed by a subsequent loss of power and speed. We managed to make it to the top of the hill and pull over, traversing over multiple lanes in front of on-coming semi trucks and other fast moving traffic with our hazards on. Upon pulling over, our engine died. There were no red or amber warning/caution lights on the dash, nor did the check engine light illuminate during the incident. After a few attempts at restarting the engine, we finally got it started and drove it home and brought it to the dealer the next day. They diagnosed it as a “clogged catalytic converter.” Although seemingly a secondary issue, and no further information as to what actually caused the clog in the vehicle inspection report, we reluctantly dished out the $3,200 for the repair of the vehicle we so desperately needed for work. They also installed a “knock-sensor” update. A couple months later… When driving the vehicle to work, the check engine light illuminates and flashes on and off continually. After pulling the vehicle over to a stop and consulting a Hyundai mechanic, I had the vehicle towed to a Hyundai dealership for diagnostics. Turns out the knock sensor update is what caused the engine light to illuminate to “prevent severe engine damage,” and I’m left with a large bill for engine repairs. Will the G4NC engine be investigated by the NHTSA? Will Hyundai honor my drive train warranty? Will Hyundai Corporate ever call me back? Tune in next week…
Engine, Jan 7, 2022
Driving down the street and the vehicle suddenly shut off in the middle of the roadway. Vehicle would not restart. Engine oil leaking out of tail pipe was noticed when vehicle was being placed on tow truck. Towed to Hyundai. They say seized engine and not covered under warranty due to low oil. No lights came on dash to include low oil or check engine. Only 66,000 miles. Oil last changed less than 4,000 miles. If there was no oil then how is it possible oil leaking from tail pipe. Looked at similar complaints. Appears rods and bearings are braking in these motors. 55 mph road when car suddenly shut off. Could have seriously injured driver. Could have caused serious accident. Hyundai does not stand by their product and warranty.
Engine, Dec 1, 2021
My engine ceased while driving, leaving me stranded on the road. I had it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer that was supposed to do any warranty repairs. Prior to this, I was needing to replace the oil, about 1 quart per week. I did my routine service maintenance and they tried replacing a seal or gasket but that did not stop the problem from reoccurring. When the car was brought to the dealer, the oil was low but there still was some oil in the engine. My engine light never came on to warn me about any issues. The car was sluggish and sputter which was when I would check the oil and put more oil in. I know there was a lawsuit which was settled with engine problems for the same make, year and model as mine but I have not received any recall notice for engine problems for my vehicle.
Engine, Sep 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. A few days later the contact was driving to take the vehicle to an independent mechanic when the vehicle loss motive power and stalled. The contact was able to get the vehicle to restart and get the vehicle slowly into a neighborhood where the vehicle stalled again. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
Steering, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 24, 2021
Twice in the last nine months (roughly December 14, 2020 at 67,000 miles & 9/7/21 at 84,300 miles) I have been left stranded on the side of the highway due to what two different Hyundai dealerships call "complete engine failure", which requires the replacement of the entire engine. Ultimately, when I asked what a "complete engine failure" entailed, the dealerships both told me there were metal flakes throughout my engine and that the engine had to be replaced. Both times the symptoms were as follows: loss of acceleration and a horrible ticking noise. The gas pedal is pushed to the floor and the car will not move forward. "Pop" or "Knock" and the engine starts smoking. No check engine light. No check oil pressure light. This is all within about 2 minutes. Moving from 65mph to 0 in a matter of 90 seconds without braking, when you have a semi truck behind you is terrifying. You put your hazards on immediately, pull over as soon as possible, and pray that nobody hits you. You try to stop and your brakes don't seem to be doing their job but you are finally able to stop. Once you've pulled over and the car stops smoking, you pop the hood. Immediately you notice the dipstick for the oil is about halfway out of the engine and oil has exploded everywhere under the hood. I purchased the car 14 months ago and so far, four of those months it has been undriveable due to complete engine failure, requiring replacement and fighting with Hyundai to do the right thing and repair it, which they refuse to do. Even when there is an active campaign (Campaign 966) to update the software to trigger a warning light. The campaign was issued 3/30/21 & I just received notification via first class presorted mail to have the software updated on 9/11/21. They say they won't make the repairs because it is out of warranty. I call lies. This is a direct result of failing to notify me in a timely manner to get the software update that would have at least supposedly triggered a warning light.
Engine, Sep 15, 2021
My car Tucson is 2015 model. Since early 2018, RPM has risen while driving, cars have been shaken, and engine check lights have continued to come in. When I went to the car repair shop and checked, my car said it was an engine piston defect. And engine oil also disappears 500 to 1,000 miles after replenishment. So I have to make up for it regularly. I'm very nervous about the car, so I have to turn on the engine before departure and leave after 5 minutes, and I have a lot of inconvenience due to this and that problems. I want to know more about what my car is like and I desperately need your help.
Engine, Aug 29, 2021
On April 16, 2021 my husband was driving our 2015 Hyundai Tucson home from work at 10:30pm. Upon entering Interstate 77 S the Tucson suddenly came to a complete stop. He was able to get it off the side of the interstate. There were no dash lights that came on or noises to give warning this was about to happen. We had not had any issues with the vehicle till then. We had the Tucson towed to the car lot where we had purchased it on 12.26.2020. This could have caused accidents that could have harmed not only my husband but others traveling that interstate that night. Other than the mechanics that replaced the engine and an individual from Warranty Solutions no one else inspected the blown engine. We spent $6948.55 for a rebuilt engine and labor. We were without our vehicle from 04.16.2021 until 08.28.2021. Hyundai had a recall on engine components but for some reason ours was NOT included. I strongly feel it should have been. Not only did this failure put my husband in danger but also anyone traveling that interstate that night.
Engine, Aug 5, 2021
At 40,000 miles with no warning engine stalled while driving Upon inspection by dealership Bore Scope Scarring on all cyl walls predominate on 1 and 2 rf suspects lower engine issue Oil change records were provided
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 23, 2021
Driving down the road and suddenly the check engine light came one and the engine started producing a knocking sound. I called several dealerships and had a couple of them run the VIN, which they said there are no recalls. However one dealer had mentioned that Hyundai vehicles, including Tucsons are starting to come in at astonishing rates with the same problem I have. I called Hyundai USA and they said there have been some known issues with engine failure describing the same problems mine has along with some known to have increased oil consumption, but they do not know why. They even said that sometimes the owners would not know of the increase in oil consumption and it could in turn cause engine fires. Any dealership I have contacted said due to the increase of vehicles brought in with the same problem, they are unable to even look at my vehicle for a month and to repair is possibly several months out.
Engine, Jul 20, 2021
Engine failure. I changed car oil and filter every 3,000 miles. A strong noise came from the engine and Pep Boys mechanic say I needs oil. I changed oil ,drove one mile and the car stop.
Engine, Jul 20, 2021
I purchased this vehicle after it had been leased. I purchased it with 48K miles in December 2018. I have maintained the vehicle, per the manufacturer's guidelines. In July 2021,at 69K miles, a high-pitched whirring sound came from engine when gas was applied. The noise did not occur when vehicle is in idle. The noise came suddenly when I was accelerating getting on a highway (on ramp). I took to my trusted mechanic immediately and they haven't been able to diagnose the issue at this time. However, they found busted metal pieces in the pan and have ruled out more common issues, like serpentine belt, timing belts, and exhaust. My mechanic was so far into the engine trying to find the clearly broken part (or parts), that it will be more cost effective to just replace the engine. I contacted my local Hyundai dealership, and they ignored my emails (until this point). A safety concern is that the car could still be driven, even though there was clearly something wrong with the engine. There were no warning lights of any kind in the dash, before or after the engine sound came on. Also, a qualified mechanic could not find/replace the broken part, and Hyundai is ignoring my engine issue requests. I also contacted Hyundai USA and am waiting for a response. The vehicle's engine, if defective, is out of warranty because I am second owner. The second owner warranty only lasts to 60K miles.
Power train, Engine, Jul 6, 2021
I was driving and there was a knocking noise from the engine and loss of power. I opened the hood and noticed a pulley on the belt that looked loose and had the car towed to the dealership. According to them they know this particular engine Theta model has been an issue for fires and engine failure with components breaking internally but no recalls have been addressed for my VIN number even though there are hundreds of thousands of customers with the same issues and only some recalls have been made. Ultimately leaving the customer with the bill. This is a very dangerous situation and reading hundreds of comments on various sites and these incidents happening in other countries as well with this engine, there should be a huge investigation and something being done about this.
Engine, Jun 25, 2021
Engine seized, yes available for inspection, no prior warning lamps, messages or symptoms, car just stopped. Fortunately this happened on a backroad and not on interstate 95 between home and school. Manufacture said they would not help, seized engine determined by mechanic, no oil. Car maintained as recommended by manufacturer. I'm now finding out this is a common problem with this make and model, it burns oil and engines seize. Who allows cars to be on the road that seize up!!!
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 4, 2021, fire
Vehicle was being driven and was alerted that smoke was emerging from the engine and then a pop was heard, car was pulled to the side and shut off. Opened hood and engine was on fire and wouldnt stop. Bystanders tried helping but fire couldnt be contained and the entire Tucson engulfed in flames. Hyundai claimed no recalls for that model and couldnt help in any way. Vehicle was completly factory with 0 aftermarket modifications. 2015 Hyundai Tucson.
Engine, May 30, 2021
The vehicle suddenly reduced power on 05/27/2021 while my 82-year old mother was driving home. When I checked the car, the check engine light was blinking. I Immediately took to a service center and noticed the same low power 'limping' performance and a knocking sound (previously unheard). On Friday, 05/28/2021, the service manager provided an update: that they found Diagnostic trouble code p1326 related to engine inspection. Performed oil change. Cleared the diagnostic code. Ran the engine. Could hear an internal knock at higher RPMs. Will need engine replaced or rebuilt. No parts are available to replace or rebuild at this time. They contacted Hyundai with the VIN who said the vehicle was out of warranty (110,000 miles). Drove the vehicle home (two blocks) at low RPMs with no issue. There was no previous indication there was any potential issue with the engine. Maintenance and oil changes have been completed on a regular basis. There were 600+ miles before the next 5,000-mile oil change was due. Drove the car the next morning, Saturday, 05/29/2021, to see about trading the car in at the local Hyundai dealer (5.1 miles away) before the situation got worse and purchase a new vehicle. I was expecting the car would be drivable - at least at lower RPMs. The car immediately began to lose power, the check engine light began blinking and stalled three times in traffic before crawling onto the dealer's lot. They had a mechanic look at the vehicle, said the engine was shot and offered $250 as all they could do was junk it since engine parts were scarce and it would not be cost-effective to replace the engine even though the body was in good shape. I felt I had no choice but to accept as it was now clear the vehicle was unsafe to drive. For the engine to die within about 15 miles of the initial onset without warning and the sudden loss of power, is a dangerous situation is this is waiting to happen to other vehicles.