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: latches/locks/linkages
157 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility, Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger’s side door failed to unlatch as needed. The front passenger's side window failed to roll up or roll down. The driver's side rear door failed to unlatch or latch as needed. Additionally, the trunk switch failed to operate as needed. The dealer was made aware of the failures but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repairs were not covered under recall or warranty. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. The contact feared being locked inside the vehicle and being unable to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Other or unspecified, Latches/locks/linkages, Nov 14, 2024
The driver's side rear door cannot be opened from either inside or outside. In researching the problem, I found evidence that the issue is commonly reported with the Model 2016 Hyundai Tucson, which I own. Many other owners have reported that their vehicles have experienced the same issue. Mechanics have also expressed curiosity about why there hasn't been a factory recall. The problem is a design issue in some model years, including the 2016 model year. Inability to access the back seats from the driver's side is an obvious safety concern.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked at the residence, the rear doors on the driver’s and passenger’s sides were not opening as needed after several attempts of locking and unlocking the doors. The vehicle was not towed to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Apr 18, 2024
The driver side door will no longer open from the outside. I have to crawl through the passenger side to open the door from the inside. According to a Google search, this is a common issue with this car.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door was stuck closed and was unable to be opened from inside or outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the door had been stuck closed for a month. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Other or unspecified, Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 23, 2023
The issue that is prominently in other Hyundai cars is the rear back doors will not open to be released. The locks will unlock and lock and it has no correlation with key battery and power to the door; the issue is the latching mechanism itself. This is a hazard to those who need to get out of vehicle in serious and emergency situations and having a door failed on a latching mechanism is not okay. This is also an issue to parents or guardians who travel with kids and use the child safety lock, and there is not a proper solution to this issue without tearing the door apart and having that be paid out of pocket of their own expense because a door latching mechanism has failed them. The responsible owner of this situation needs to be addressed and resolved by Hyundai, itself.
Latches/locks/linkages, Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2023
Arrived home and went to open rear passenger door to remove recently purchased groceries and rear door will not open. I've tried locking, unlocking, trying to open from the inside and outside and door just won't open. Awaiting service appointment and diagnosis.
Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 13, 2023
On the way to work this morning, the rear lift gate came unlatched and did not stay secure. Although the lift gate did not raise while on the highway, it did rattle and bounce. The temperature outside was approximately 21 degrees Fahrenheit. A couple other similar events have occurred at below freezing temperatures.
Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 7, 2023
The door latch has failed on now 2 of my doors. The rear driver side door will not open from either the inside or outside and the front passenger door will not open from the outside without pulling the handle 5 to 7 times. I have looked at the other comments from other people with this car and this is a known issue, this should be made a recall since so many people are having the same issue.
Latches/locks/linkages, Feb 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door and the rear driver’s side door would not open remotely or manually, from inside or outside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 160,000. The VIN was not available.
Latches/locks/linkages, Feb 7, 2023
I am having problems with the driver side door. The latch is not working properly. The door gets stuck and doesn't open all the time from the outside. Or I have to tug hard 2 to 3 times before it will open. I had this problem with the passenger side door. It would only open from the inside. Hyundai fixed this for free because it was still under warranty. Now I'm having the same issue with the driver side door. I read in all the reviews and comments that other people are having the same issue and have filed a complaint but nothing has been done. Why is this no getting solved? or Recalled? I bought my 2016 Hyundai new. It only has 43, 000 miles. I take good care of my Hyundai. What is Hyundai going to do to resolve this matter. How many people need to file a complaint in order to get this resolved? A response will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 31, 2023
Rear liftgate did not latch on three occasions this winter when temperatures were below freezing down to -4 degrees. The liftgate would lower but not latch properly. Dash would indicate that lift gate was not latched. Attempts to latch manually were unable. During the drive home, the lift gate would moved freely. In order to not risk spilling cargo, we moved everything out of the trunk area.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 31, 2023
2016 Hyundai Tucson Front Right Passenger door latch does not allow door to be opened from the outside. No warning. Research shows this as a definite safety issue on several Hyundai models and has been for years but see no recall. Doors can be impacted from both inside and outside with no warning. Crawling over the seats from the inside to open the door or being trapped in vehicle are a real possibility. I have a scheduled appointment but understand it could be a costly repair that should be considered a replaceable manufacturer’s defects AND A SAFETY HAZARD!!!! Car only has 66,000 miles.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 29, 2023
Rear door on the driver's side will not open from the outside or the inside. This is a known problem but there is no recall. I called my local dealership and they won't guarantee that this is under warranty, and they won't give me an appointment for 6 weeks. Hyundai and it's Service Reps are clearly not concerned with their customers.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 28, 2023
Driver's side passenger door sounds like it is unlocking when I use the key fob or the interior power lock on the driver's door, but the passenger door can only be opened if I reach from the driver's seat across the center console to manually open the door using the handle. No way to open the door from the outside using the outer handle, even if it looks like the lock is fully open from the inside. No dashboard warning symbols. This appears to be the subject of a technical service bulletin, Hyundai TSB 21-BD-006H, so I will be contacting my local Hyundai dealer next week to set up an appointment for diagnostics and repair, hopefully covered under the extended warranty described in the TSB.
Latches/locks/linkages, Dec 21, 2022
The contact's husband owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side door was unable to open from inside or outside the vehicle. Additionally, the driver's side rear passenger door was also unable to open. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 10, 2022
Driver Door and right rear door are having issues opening. Unable to open right rear passenger door at all which is a safety concern. Hyundai dealer stated nothing was wrong when I first reported the front door handle issues
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 28, 2022
Both the rear driver side and rear passenger side door lock actuators have failed, making it impossible to open either door from inside or outside the vehicle. This is very dangerous in general, but especially young children are in the backseat.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 24, 2022
Rear passenger door suddenly would not open from either the inside or outside. My child was in the car, and I could not get him out for some time. This was a safety concern even without an accident or emergency, and creates a potentially fatal situation if there is an accident or fire where a child would need to be retrieved from the vehicle. From internet searches, this is not an isolated incident, and should be addressed by the manufacturer. As a note, this is in addition to, and distinct from, the known issue of the front doors wearing out and not opening from the outside.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 22, 2022
Rear drivers side door latch stopped working unprovoked. The door was working fine and was parked for the night. The next morning the rear drivers side door would not open from inside or outside upon unlocking doors. This is a safety concern due to the fact that in the event of an accident emergency services would have a difficult time accessing the rear passenger area of the vehicle delaying any medical attention that would possibly be needed in the event of an accident.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 18, 2022
Door locks do not unlock. Cannot get out of the car from inside and cannot get in to the car from the outside.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 9, 2022
Door handles on vehicle not working. When you go to pull back on the door handle it won’t open. I couldn’t get my Nephew out of the car. Very frightening. Had to crawl through the hatch to get to him. It started one day with my driver door and I had to pull back at least twice or more before it opens. Now the front passenger’s side door will not open unless pulling the handle from inside to let them in. Back doors are not wanting to open from outside. The day my Nephew was trapped no door would open. Thank god the hatch opened. This is a serious safety issue. Makes me nervous that one day I won’t be able to open my car doors from the inside too. I had trouble with that yesterday on the front passenger door. I don’t have kids and it’s just me a single lady that lives 5 minutes from work. I typically don’t have kids in my vehicle, this was the first time. Made me look like a bad auntie putting my brother’s child in danger. There is hardly any wear on my vehicle, so there must be an issue with the door handles in general.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 8, 2022
3 of the 4 doors of my 2016 Hyundai Tucson are suddenly unable to be opened from the outside or the inside. There has been no damage to the vehicle. The driver door is able to be opened at this time. This is a major safety issue as passengers are not able to exit the vehicle in the case of an emergency/children passengers are not able to be removed from the vehicle. This seems to be a widespread issue for 2016 Hyundai Tucson customers. Internet thread included below: https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t57988_ds1084478
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 6, 2022
The passenger door will not open after being unlocked
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 30, 2022
Back passenger door will not open from time to time from the outside or inside. It unlocks and everything but you have to keep trying before it opens. I looked this up and it is common for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson. This is a defect that can be dangerous under certain circumstances.