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
Latches/locks/linkages, Apr 18, 2022
Passenger door has to be forced open when unlocked. Once opened the door works fine. Door works fine from inside. This is a safety issue because if n an accident happens and can't get in the driver's side, rescue workers couldn't get into the passenger side. I've read many customer complaints for the same issue with all doors. This should be a recall.
Latches/locks/linkages, Apr 17, 2022
The rear doors on both driver and passenger side will not open. They will not open from the outside or inside. This is a safety concern since I have children in car seats. I am not able to secure my children in their seats. My children are not able to exit my vehicle safely. If I were to be in a collision, first responders would not have access to my children. This is not the first Hyundai Tucson to have this problem as from further research, hundreds or owners have complained of this exact problem. Someone should be held responsible and accountable.
Latches/locks/linkages, Apr 4, 2022
Multiple door latches failing all within the past 6 months, UNABLE to open from inside or outside. Rear doors both failed within weeks of each other. Front driver's side door is now beginning to stick, which is how the other failing doors began to initially fail. If you Google this issue, you will see it is a common problem for 2016 Hyundai Tucson model. This is a critical issue as all door latch assemblies are failing at the same time on my vehicle, which will make it nearly inoperable, as well as a safety issue if I or my 3 children are unable to enter or exit the vehicle. I took the vehicle to a local ASE certified repair shop and they stated that the cables inside the latch assembly become stretched or compromised. They were able to perform a temporary fix, but they said in order to completely fix the issue, the entire latch assembly needs replaced. The temporary fix did not even last for 3 days and cost me $300. Cost for the assembly part alone for one door is approximately $200. If you add that to labor, I will be spending nearly $1,600 to replace all 4 door latch assemblies. This should not be the consumer's responsibility as it is an ongoing issue for this make and model year. I have submitted a complaint for recall directly to Hyundai US, but this is a critical issue, and something needs to be done immediately!
Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she attempted to open the front passenger's side door using the driver's side power door lock switch however, the door failed to unlock. The contact engaged the front passenger's side door lock switch but the door failed to unlock. The contact also stated that the door would not unlock from the outside. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to manipulate the door switches until the front passenger's side door unlocked. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Electrical system, Visibility, Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s, front passenger’s, and rear driver’s side windows would independently lower without warning. The contact stated that each window regulators had gradually failed over time. The contact then stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the passenger’s side front window shattered into tiny pieces and fell inside the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home and had an independent mechanic come to her home to replace the front passenger’s side window. In addition, the contact stated that the rear passenger’s side door would fail to open from both inside and outside the vehicle. The contact had yet to notify either the dealer or the manufacturer of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Structure, Latches/locks/linkages, Feb 11, 2022
The drivers side door almost never opens on the first try, I usually have to pull the handle twice. Recently the passenger side back door will not open from the inside or outside, despite being unlocked. This is a huge safety concern if I were in an accident and could not open this door. I have seen DOZENS of other reports of people having this same issue and a recall should be issued immediately to fix this potential life threatening and dangerous issue.
Latches/locks/linkages, Service brakes, Engine, Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 55-60 mph, she heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to park on the side of the road before the vehicle was seized. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, started to experience failure with the brakes. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V543000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The dealer completed the recall repair however, the failure with the brakes recurred. Additionally, the rear driver’s side door failed to open. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,055.
Structure, Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 1, 2022
The passenger front door Will not open from the outside once locked. It must be open from inside the car. This would be a safety concern if there was an accident and people were trying to get into the passenger side car. It seems from research that this is a known issue from Hyundai
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door would not open from the inside or the outside. The contact also stated that excessive force was needed to open the driver’s side front door. The dealer had been notified of the failure and the contact was provided the cost for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 14, 2021
The locks in the doors do not alway unlock and sometimes stick. When in a accident or and emergency I won’t be able to get my kids out of the back seat due to the doors not always wanting to open. The front door does not open till the third pull at times. The back doors take a good 15 hard pulls for the lock to open. It shows unlocked inside while not opening from the outside or inside. You just get lucky to it finally opening sometimes.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door failed to open without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,880. The VIN was invalid.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to open the rear driver’s side door from the inside and the door failed to open. The contact exited the vehicle from the rear passenger’s side door. The next day the contact attempted to open the door and the rear driver’s and passenger’s side door would not open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 19, 2021
Both of my rear doors will not open. It started with the rear passenger side door and as of two days ago now my rear driver side door will not open either. I am also having some problems with my driver door, sometimes it won’t open until the second try. I searched online and this seems to be a common problem. This is a safety concern, I am not sure how there isn’t a recall for this.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 17, 2021
Back rear doors do not unlock. No matter how many times you press the unlock button they just do not unlock. Nothing has been done to the doors or just started out of no where. This is a huge safety problem. If there is a crash or emergency there's no way for the back doors to open. It started with one door and now the second is doing the same thing. You have to either push the door in trying to get in or pull the door towards you if your trying to get out. I looked into this and there are several other complaints about the same thing.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 16, 2021
Once my car door is unlocked from the outside it WILL NOT open! My son also owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson and the SAME thing is happening. I have been hearing of this happening for many, many more Hyundai owners. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE as one is unable to get into the car or get out of the car. This could pose a risk in the event that my granddaughter is stuck in the car under dangerous circumstances or that I am or if someone with a physical limitation is in the car...needing to quickly exit the car OR even to quickly gain entrance to the car. I have read other owners' posts about the blasé, even bored, responses from Hyundai and that just diagnosing the issue costs around $100. Also, even if the car is still in warranty and the item is replaced, one still has to pay for labor! It will also cost around $4000 to get all 4 doors repaired. RIDICULOUS!! While this is a major inconvenience, it also puts the driver and passengers in DANGEROUS risk of injury just to get out of the car! Hyundai HAS AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE THEIR VEHICLES SAFE. This should be a safety recall and 100% covered by Hyundai. Thank you
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 7, 2021
We have had 3 doors malfunction to the point where they can't be opened (even from the inside) and need to be repaired. This is a safety issue because it could prevent safe exit from the car in the event of an accident. This is a commonly reported issue with 2016 Tucsons and should be the subject of a recall. For more information see here: https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threads/rear-passenger-door-wont-open.603329/page-4
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 5, 2021
Very common problem in the 2016 Hyundai Tucson that is a safety hazard. The locking mechanism becomes unresponsive and the doors can only be unlocked from within. The driver door in this vehicle specifically can no longer be unlocked from the outside. In case of an emergency situation the driver would ne be able to be pulled by opening the door, the window must be broken or someone else must enter the vehicle to unlock the driver side door from within, assuming the doors are unlocked.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 24, 2021
First, in 2019, my front driver’s side door stopped working. I could only open it from the inside if I kept my doors unlocked and eventually couldn’t open it at all and I had to crawl in and out of the passenger seat when it wasn’t working. The dealership repaired it because it was under warranty but I still had to pay for everything but the part. Now, In 2021 my front passenger door is doing the same thing. What’s worse? My rear passenger door won’t open AT ALL. I have two children and I have to pull them out of the window on occasion. We had to pull over on the freeway in an emergency and I had to PULL MY CHILDREN OUT OF THE WINDOW. If we’re in an accident I’m terrified of what will happen since we can’t use half of the doors. This is a major safety issue and I’m terrified for my family to use this vehicle. Since my warranty expired 3 months before the second and third door had the issue, it’s going to cost me over $1400 to get this repaired. I’m a single mother of two and this is causing hardship in addition to the safety issue. I’m getting it repaired and I can update with the invoice of the repairs.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 21, 2021
In late 2020 my airbag had to be replaced for numerous malfunctions, at the same time my passenger side front door would not open on the first try with the key fob. 8 months later, now my driver door is doing the same thing and I'm no longer under warranty. It's ridiculous this isn't a recall with so many similar complaints. My doors unlock but still won't open until I tug on it numerous times. If it stops working completely it is a real safety hazard.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 20, 2021
Rear passenger door will not open from inside or out. This happened with no warning. Grandchild was in rear seat and could not get out. This is a safety issue. The door actuators should be recalled.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side door failed to open without warning. The contact stated that the lock and unlock function operated as designed however, the door would not upon from the inside or outside. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that they had to hire a locksmith to repair the door. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 18, 2021
Initially, a couple weeks ago my back passenger side door stopped opening consistently from the inside. Locking and unlocking the door repeatedly would fix it. Now, with the key or inside unlock buttons, the driver and passenger side front door will visibly unlock but not open from the outside until the car has been opened from the inside - meaning you have to crawl through the back to get your doors open. The doors do not always open from the inside, as well, across the board now. That’s a huge safety risk if there were an accident or fire.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 18, 2021
This safety problem has now occurred twice. The passenger door is sticking and takes 5 or 6 times to pull on the handle to open the door. The door opens from the inside but not the outside. This same problem occurred in 2020 on the drivers door. The safety of others are put at risk because I have elderly parents that need to be transported and the door can not be open. This problem was reported to the dealer about a year ago since it occured on the other door(drivers door) of the car. The vehicle has only been inspected by the service department at the dealership. There were no warnings or messages prior to the problem failure.
Latches/locks/linkages, Engine, Aug 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to accelerate, there was a grinding noise coming from the vehicle. Additionally, if the accelerator pedal was not depressed a certain way, the vehicle would stall. The oil light would illuminate upon starting the vehicle and would disappear after a while. The contact would restart the vehicle 3-4 times before the vehicle would regain proper functionality. The failure occurred again while driving 50 mph. The doors failed to open from the inside or the outside except for the driver side door. However, for the driver’s door the contact had to lift the handle twice before the door would open. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the driver’s side rear and passenger’s side front door would not open from inside or outside the vehicle. The dealer repaired the front driver’s side door latch a year ago. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.