2016 Hyundai Tucson
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,620 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 21 Tucson model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 14 involved a crash and 26 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 outsideSep 4, 2020
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) recalled certain 2019-2021 Tucson vehicles on September 4, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Hyundai expanded the recall population, and added certain 2016-2018 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) could corrode internally and cause an electrical short, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HECU fuse. For 2019-2021 model years, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software will also be updated. Recall repairs will be performed free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 195.
Campaign 20V543000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringNov 21, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected accessory trailer hitch wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 153.
Campaign 16V842000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Aug 30, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 20, 2015 through May 31, 2016 and equipped with a 7-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission. Certain driving conditions and high temperatures may cause the vehicle to not move if the accelerator pedal is pressed and released repeatedly.
Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the Transmission Control Module software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 149.
Campaign 16V628000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchMay 24, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015 to March 14, 2016. In the affected vehicles, if the primary hood latch has been released, and the vehicle is driven, the secondary hood latch may not hold adequately secure the hood to prevent it from opening while the vehicle is in motion.
If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch cannot secure the hood, the hood may unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary hood latch, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 145.
Campaign 16V348000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, tail lightsMar 10, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured May 26, 2015 to January 15, 2016 and equipped with an accessory trailer hitch harness either included with the accessory trailer hitch or sold as a service part. In the affected vehicles, when the vehicle's engine is running and the brake lights are illuminated, if the turn signal is activated, the trailer turn signal lights will either turn off or remain continuously illuminated (not flash). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Failure to illuminate the trailer's turn signal lights would prevent the communication of the driver's intent, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began on May 2, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9640. Hyundai's number for this recall is 142.
Campaign 16V147000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
429 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 9, 2022
My car was doing a shocking change of speed all of a sudden, for example I would be driving and accelerating, but the car would not speed above 40mph, and while I was still pressing on the accelerator, it would do like a shocking movement and accelerate all of sudden. Yesterday, December 8th, 2022, I was driving on the highway on the 3rd lane and while driving the call did a shocking jump and all of a sudden the speed went down to 20mph, I panic of course because all the cars where going fast, it was a nightmare for me to change lanes because I couldnt manipulate the speed of my car.
Engine, Nov 11, 2022
The check engine light came on, on my dashboard, so I took my car to Honest-1 Auto Care (certified mechanic), on Oct 18 (I could get in faster with Honest-1.) The manager printed off a Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin, dated April 2022, entitled Engine Warranty Extension (TXXM). He explained that I needed a new engine, and that I had to take it to the Dealership. I drove directly to the Hyundai dealership. They were very busy that day, but the manager told me I could bring my car in for evaluation the following Saturday morning. I drove carefully, because my car didn't have a lot of acceleration. As I was driving to work, early on Oct 21, in the cold and in the dark, my car slowed down dramatically and completely stopped. I was able to restart it and coast into a nearby parking lot. Then my car was towed to the dealership, where it remains still, awaiting a new engine. I was lucky there wasn't much traffic the morning my car died. I still get upset, when I think of what might have happened, if my car had died on the interstate or in the middle of a dangerous intersection. At no time, did the dealership say this warning light/situation was potentially dangerous, even though I showed the manager the Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 9, 2022
There have been several incidents where my Hyundai Tucson could have caused a major accident with another vehicle. The first time, I was driving down a hill and I barely could control the car. It began to jerk and I had to gradually steer it into another lane out of traffic. Another time, the oil just began to spout out from under the car while I was driving. It's still difficult keeping oil in the car, but the mechanic says there's no leak. Lastly. my engine light has been blinking off and on , and the mechanic changed the spark plugs and a number 2 coil, but I am still having engine problems. I was given the engine code P1326 from their diagnosis. Since purchasing the car with only about 43000 miles, I have had to replace the transmission, catalytic converter. get a tune up, spark plugs and a coil, and get the drivers side window fixed. All of this has come to over $5000, and now I'm told the engine needs to be replaced. Something about the camshaft.
Engine, Oct 25, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle began to stall and he saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and quickly exited the vehicle. The contact waited several minutes. The contact stated that upon opening the hood of the vehicle, he saw flames. The contact was able to extinguish the fire by shutting the hood closed. The contact stated that in the process of exiting the vehicle, he bumped his knee and twisted his ankle and received care from his caregiver. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced under an unknown recall. However, the contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle was experiencing rough starts and the engine was misfiring while driving. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Ron Tonkin Hyundai (675 NE Burnside Rd, Gresham, OR 97030), where it was diagnosed that the cylinder was misfiring. The dealer replaced the fuel injector, the spark plugs, and the cylinder head, and completed an oil change. However, the engine was knocking upon starting the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that he would need to pay an Engine Control Unit (ECU) repair fee. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine, Oct 11, 2022
Car suddenly lost significant acceleration power in normal conditions. According to Hyundai dealer inspection, the rod bearing failed and pressure in the engine was lost. Safety risk was causing an accident because of loss of power. No accident occurred due to being so close to the right shoulder. This would have been far more dangerous if this was on a 6-7 lane highway causing major accidents due to being an obstacle to normal traffic flow. No warning lights or lamps were displayed before incident.
Engine, Oct 3, 2022
i have taken my car in to dealership a few times over the last couple years,Complaining about excessive oil burning and loss of power.The last time,The dealership told me the catalyc converter was clogged.I had it repaired but asked Dealership,If engine doesnt get repaired itll happen again.they told me its fine and engine was fine.Well,It isn't fine and went and spoke to a few auto repair shops and they told me if car is under warranty,Car needs to go back to dealershipto have engine looked at and repaired..I feel I'm definitely getting the run-around.I can not keep replacing a catalyc converter every year and the problem not being fixed.the situation of losing power while driving is putting myself and family at risk.this is very concerning and life threatening.Im still well within my warranty and feel unsafe and ripped off.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 30, 2022
Car is burning engine oil at the rate of one quart a week after normal city driving. Usual and frquent oil changes and almost dry when going in for every 3000 miles oil change. Took to a private (non-Hyndai) mechanic shop Christian brothers in Colorado and told that perhaps that my car had some engine damage or problems due to burn of engine oil and not leaking. Next car began to have engine check light go on and off with never staying on for more than one day. Called Hyundai dealership and told that light had to be on solid and complete for inspection. This week car starting misfiring and dragging when acclerating. Black smoke coming out of exhaust and check engine light illuminated and stayed on. Could not get into delaership until November of 2022 and currently September of 2022. Once again took car to Christian Brothers for diagnostics and told car was full of carbon and misfiring and told unsafe to drive and would not work on car as they believed that engine was damaged/defective and needed to be replaced. Made appointment with PLanet Hyundai in Golden, Colorado where I purchased the car brand new. October 20th is my appointment and car will need to be towed. Undriveable and needing car to work to see my autistic clients in their homes. Final event with engine and misfiring happened at 104,000 just past the warranty time even though no one would look at the car despite my former complaints and concerns prior to the warranty expiration.
Engine, Sep 29, 2022
last June at about 82k miles my car started making a knocking noise while in town. Decided to drive the short distance home and right as I pulled in the driveway the engine light flashed briefly but didn't stay on. First thing I did was check the oil and there was no oil in the engine at all. Called all around to dealers and since this was in the middle of the pandemic it was a nightmare and I had to wait like 4 weeks and get the car towed twice to a shop that had the shortest wait. The car had regular oil changes and wasn't overdue for an oil change. There was no oil spots that would suggest it had been leaking and zero smoke to show it was burning off the engine at any time, there also was no check oil light that came on at any time to warn that the oil was low. I wasn't able to be provided a loaner until they could diagnose the vehicle and confirm it wasn't my negligence. Turns out this is a regular issue with this model/engine. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I been driving 70mph down the freeway. Now the engine is at 101k miles and it came with only a 10k 12 month warranty and it is now going through a quart of oil every 1k miles it seems. Have an appointment AGAIN to have it looked at in but not until the first of November. So now I have to check my oil all the time to make sure it doesn't run dry again...
Engine, Sep 22, 2022
My 2016 Hyundai Tuscon 1.6 liter Turbo threw a rod when I was driving home. All service lights turned on and we pulled over immediately just in time for the car to shut off completely. We had to push the car into a parking spot and saw that all of the oil had fallen out of the bottom. I have approximately 113k miles on the car. I have been religious with my service and maintenance. It was late at night and we were on a 2 lane levy road. Thank goodness the second the lights came on we were in front of 1 of the 2 spots in a 9 mile stretch to pull off. This was extremely scary and dangerous. We had the car towed to the nearest shop where they inspected it and let me know that they have seen several other Hyundai's come through with the same issue and they directed me to take it to the closest Hyundai Dealership so they could take care of it. It has been at Dublin Hyundai where they looked it over and neglected to cover the issue. It is still there now. Dublin Hyundai confirmed that I do need a new motor. They said that they will not cover it due to "Extreme Neglect" due to the Car Fax report. I am currently seeking out the rest of my maintenance records that were not reported. There are a total of 10 oil changes over the course of the past 5 years not reported but that have most definitely been done. There were no symptoms of this problem prior to the failure. This is my third Hyundai in a row and I have never had any issues prior. I have always been a happy Hyundai owner until now. I am beyond disappointed with the way that this case has been handled and would greatly appreciate assistance in learning my next steps to a resolution of repair or replacement.
Engine, Sep 16, 2022
The Vehicle is a 2016 Hyundai Limited 1.6 Turbo. Back around the first part of May, we were driving down the interstate when the vehicle lost power, the check engine light came on, and the engine began to vibrate. The engine is also burning oil. There were no warning signs prior to the incident and the lights did not come on until the incident occurred. We took it to a dealership and they did a compression test. I was told, I would need a new engine. There has since been a recall on Hyundai engines, having the same issues mine has, but they did not include my vehicle in the recall. The 1.6 Turbo engine that my vehicle has, seems to be the same engine as the Hyundai Veloster which has been recalled. They also included the 2017 Hyundai Tucson in this recall. The vehicle in its current state is not safe to drive as it loses power while you are driving. This vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Engine, Aug 31, 2022
My engine started stalling on me and has loss of power then out of nowhere I started getting a knocking noise which was followed by a check engine light. I had a oil light flashing before this occurred but oil level was good. Changed oil and filter and noise persisted along with stalling making it hard to drive anywhere safely. I haven't had it taken anywhere because I see this is a known issue on hyundai vehicles and newer models have recalls out on them. My vehicle only has 38,000 miles and shouldn't be having engine issues already.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 29, 2022
Vacuum pump was recalled back in 2019 - T3C: TL Tucson Vacuum Pump (19-01-010H). My car was “repaired” to fix the seal/cap. However, today the vacuum pump needs to be replaced. The engine light, brake assist and traction control lights all came on and stayed on. After talking with Hyundai it appears as though back when the recall occurred, the minimum was repaired and proper replacement of the part was not taken. Hyundai says they are no longer required to remedy the problem because they already addressed the recall back in 2019. Is there any action enforceable to take toward Hyundai to honor a complete repair of the recall rather than just slap a band-aid on it?
Engine, Aug 25, 2022
on multiple occasions the transmission failed to engage at slow speed then lunges forward when it does. it happens when your at a stop accelerate slowly to about 10 mph get off the accelerator then re-apply it. the engine revs but the transmission acts like it goes into neutral then catches a gear and lunges forward. It is unsafe because the driver behind you can hit you from behind, which almost happened to me, or you can hit the car in front of you when it lunges or worst hit a pedestrian because of the unpredictability of the transmission/ engine power engagement. The so called fix was a software issue that didn't fix it. mine still has it and when i told the dealer they said they couldn't duplicate the problem BUT it has happened so many times to me that i can make it fail. Hyundai should be accountable for this but no one ever listens to the consumer until its to late. it asks below when it happened but it started shortly after i purchased the car and happened multiple times. but the one i absolutely remember was when i had my daughters in the car right after my daughters birthday.
Engine, Aug 24, 2022
I have a 2016 hundai Tucson limited 1.6 l turbo and have had a lot of problems with this car when I merge on a highway I put the foot on the gas and the car doesn’t move even though I have the foot to the floor and when I’m in stop and go traffic the car jerks like it wants to stall I brought the car to the dealership and told them what the problem is they could not duplicate my issue and they said there is nothing wrong with it and also they didn’t find any codes on the computer, next week I’m bringing my car back to the dealership for the same problem and I bet that they are not going to find any problems again. I’ve been driving over 45 years and never had this problem with any other car’s that I have owned, I’m afraid that one of this days I’m going to get hit from behind. I hope that the manufacture puts a recall on these cars soon, I’m ready to sell my car and never ever buy another Hyundai again.
Service brakes, Engine, Aug 23, 2022
2 separate issues - oil is being consumed at alarming rate- not burning off and not leaking just disappearing at a rate of a quart every 200 miles -brake pedal is vibrating and clicking up while breaking, then goes straight to floor causing driver to release brake and then repress while stopping
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 19, 2022
I have made multiple complaints to Jenkins Hyundai of leesburg about my car hesitating and not going like it should and almost causing multiple accidents because it wouldn’t go when it should. However, they stated nothing was out of the ordinary and to just drive it in sport mode. Well I’m December of 2020, the turbo went out while driving home. They then wouldn’t fix it until I had a friend state that her dad worked at a diff location and that it was covered under warranty. They told me they had to do an investigation to see if it was covered under warranty or not. They kept my car for a few weeks before I got a phone call on New Year’s Eve stating my car was ready for pick up. Meanwhile, there was an active recall with the brakes from September of 2020, that they in fact did not fix while having my vehicle there. Fast forward to June 9, 2022, and my turbo went out again and there is water mixed with the oil in my car. I have made multiple reports along with others on the transmission issues and now making a report on the turbo. These vehicles are not safe, I don’t understand why they have not been recalled for these issues.
Power train, Engine, Aug 14, 2022
While driving the car started making a clicking noise. Then shortly after the noise started, the car would no accelerate over 40mph. Once pulled over after this, we discovered that there was no oil in the engine. There have been no signs of oil loss and we also get our cars oil changed regularly and we were towards the end and already had an oil changed scheduled. There were also no warring lights that ever became illuminated while this all happened so we had no idea of the issues until the car was already seizing up. This seems to be a common issue with 2016 Hyundai Tucson’s
Engine, Aug 13, 2022
My car would not accelerate over 20mph took into dealership in 5/2021 with 75,000 miles I was told I needed a new Catalyst converter I replaced it. My oil started leaking in 10/2021 was told my oil pan gasket needed resealed I completed it. In April of 2022 I was recommended to get oil pan gasket resealed still. In July of 2022 my car slows down then stop on expressway. It starts back up I’m only able to go 20m0ph on the expressway this is not safe at alll with my children in the car it was very scary. Dealership finally has an appointment 8/9 diagnoses car 8/11 stating my Catalyst Converter is clogged and need replacement that caused my car to stop and slow down as well as I need oil pan gasket burning oil/leaking oil. This is a safety problem the car is not 10yrs old and has less than 100,00 miles to stop without warning lightsss or anything on a moving fast expressway could have caused me and my kids life. This issue need to be taken serious and inspected because I continue to have the same issues with the car a little over a year!!
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Aug 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond while the RPM gauge was at 5000 RPM. Additionally, the vehicle emitted an abnormally loud sound and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed a trail of coolant and oil leak on the highway. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Engine, Aug 10, 2022
My car seemed to be lagging severely when accelerating and then started coughing when accelerating and the check oil light came on even though I had plenty of oil and had just had it changed. I took it into the dealership and they said that the check engine light was also flashing just so fast I couldn’t see it. Several engine cylinders were apparently misfiring but it wasn’t covered by warranty. They installed new spark plugs and cleaned something to do with the fuel system and told me that would “be the starting place” several hundred dollars in. It worked fine. Fast forward 4 months I take it in for its regular oil change and mention how it’s been lagging again and here we go again. Same issue. According to my local mechanic a lot of these engines end up needing to be replaced completely to resolve the issue.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 30, 2022
I have been finding when going for an oil change, the mechanic is stating that my vehicle has no oil in it, no signs of a leak, and this has occurred multiple times in last couple months. Now I check oil once a week and finding more often then not my oil is low and I need to add oil. not once has any warning light come on. What irritates me most is if this seems to be occurring with others - Hyundai needs to do something about this. Who knows how long I drove with low to no oil in my vehicle before knowing I had this problem. Can't imagine the damage done to my engine!
Power train, Engine, Jul 16, 2022
This car is burning oil and locking up the engine while driving. This has happened multiple times now! I am changing the oil every couple two thousand miles instead of 3000, and sometimes even sooner than that. I was on the interstate a couple of times and the car will not accelerate. This is a danger to myself as well as other drivers. Why is this not being investigated??? Looking through the complaints, it has been happening to so many people and no one is doing anything about it!
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the catalytic converter, spark plugs, and coil packs were replaced. Eight months later, the failure returned and the same mechanic informed her that the evaporated oil had melted the catalytic converter and referred her to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer on three separate occasions and each time the catalytic converter was replaced; however, despite the numerous replacements, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,963.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 20, 2022, fire
I was on my way to work as normal. There were no warning lamps or other notifications/signs of a problem when all of a sudden, my vehicle started decelerating. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw smoke. I immediately pulled over and the smoke increased. Within a matter or seconds flames started to shoot out from under the hood. I don't know if the fire started from something electrical or engine-related but it spread fast! Before the police and fire truck arrived at the scene, my car was engulfed in flames! This was a terrifying and horrific experience! Prior to this, I had to replace all of the motors on the windows and noticed the jerky movements when driving in Turbo mode that I was told was normal. I didn't even have the car for 2 years! When I contacted Hyundai about the windows, they did nothing and the Rep referred me to get rid of it! I should have listened.
Engine, Jun 19, 2022
Engine has no oil less three months since last oil change, vehicle did not have any type of low oil notification, car just stopped engine locked up.