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, Aug 6, 2021
Hyundai Tucson door latch failure. Unable to open rear passenger door from the inside or the outside. If I were to be involved in an accident with passengers in the vehicle there would be no way for the passengers to exit the vehicle, which could result in someone dying. This vehicle has only 55,000 miles on it and Hyundai is aware that this is an issue on their vehicles but is failing to address it. Would like Hyundai to address this issue before it does result in a fatality.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 6, 2021
1. Back passenger door won’t open from inside or outside 2. AEB AND BDS sensor light stays on on the dashboard. No wreck and cleaned all sensors but warning lights remains on.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 4, 2021
Rear Passenger and Driver door handles do not open from the outside OR the inside. I can hear the locks clicking but the handle just will not open the door from either side. Also, after unlocking my driver door handle, I have to pull it twice for it to open. This is a huge safety issue. I cannot have anyone ride in my backseat. It is essentially useless and it seems it is just a matter of time that my driver door handle go out also and I get stuck or cannot enter through my door. This is not normal wear and tear.. this is a malfunction and from what I have read is very widespread.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 3, 2021
Rear drivers side door latch is locked shut and will not open from the inside or outside. This is a safety issue because if someone is riding in the back seat and the vehicle was to start on fire or is in a crash and the person sitting there is unable to escape, due to the door being locked shut, they would die. I took the vehicle to the dealer and their solution was to replace the latch in the door. This door handle/latch has rarely been used and has been well taken care of.
Latches/locks/linkages, Aug 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The passenger’s side rear door lock failed to unlock from inside or outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the door remained locked. The contact had spoken with the dealer however, an appointment was not yet scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 29, 2021
Rear passenger side door handle suddenly will not open from the inside or outside of the car. Only 34,000 miles on the car and rarely use the back seats or doors. Door handle worked fine and a short drive later no longer opens from inside or outside.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 29, 2021
The rear door will not open. The vehicle only has 52,000 miles and nothing was done to cause this failure. After research, his is a known issue with the Hyundai Tucson and could be a safety issue if passengers need to exit the vehicle quickly. The door actuator's in certain years of the Tucson are known to fail.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 28, 2021
Rear passenger side door will no open from the inside or outside. Additionally, have to pull on the driver's side door forcefully at least three times in order to open when attempting to enter the vehicle. My safety and the safety of my passengers is in jeopardy if we are unable to exit or people are unable to properly enter the vehicle in an emergency. There were no warnings provided by the vehicle before the issue began.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door would not open when unlocked from either inside or outside the vehicle. The contact had not taken the vehicle to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the driver’s side and both rear passenger’s side doors failed to open using the door handles from the outside with door locks unlocked. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 25, 2021
My car is a 2016 hyundai tucson with about 24,000 miles on it and bought brand new. I have had multiple issues from the beginning. I would have issues with my car turning off then it would leave me in stuck and wouldn't excelerate and almost killed me multiple times so I had it in the shop for the third time. Finally, it was soo bad that they put a new transmission in under my almost expired 5 year warranty. My car has been doing better since the new transmission so that is good so far, but wanted to tell you since other ppl are struggling with this as well and should be a recall and we should not have to pay for it at all. Second complaint is that my car is NOW experiencing door lock issues which makes it a huge safety issue as well. It unlocks the actual button inside but the handle takes multiple pulls to open from the outside. So I had to crawl over to push the door open to get in the passenger side, sometimes it will NOT open at all which is very scary. It all sounds like these make and models are the pits when I google issues. So I am hoping to add this to a safety recall which it definitely should fall under one. Thank you for your time and consideration :)
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 21, 2021
The driver side window motor failed and window is stuck in the closed position. The front passenger window motor has failed and that window is stuck in the down position. Last, we are unable to open the driver side rear door where my daughter sits from the inside or outside. This is not only frustrating but a major safety issue for occupants in the vehicle.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 20, 2021
The back drivers side door will not open. Can not get child out of car in an emergency situation because the door can not be unlocked or opened. This seems to be a problem for other Hyundai Tuscons. There was no warning about this issue. I went to open the door to let my child out and the door could not be opened.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 16, 2021
The Doors are failing. Eventually, the actuator fails and cables stretch due to use. The door cannot be opened from the inside nor the outside. In an emergency situation where a door needs to be opened from the exterior even when the doors are unlocked, an emergency responder would not be able to access the vehicle. Additionally, if the vehicle had an emergency situation where the occupants of the vehicle needed to disembark the vehicle, the vehicle doors do not open even though child locks are no engaged. This is a very serious and high risk of concern and issue and must be brought forward for review and resolved as soon as possible. Bringing this vehicle to the dealership for repairs does not always guarantee proper repair. If the actuators are at fault and that is being replaced with the same Original Equipment Manufacture parts, this is going to be an ongoing issue possibly deadly.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 10, 2021
2016 Hyundai Tucson rear passenger door is stuck closed. When door has been unlocked, door cannot be opened either from the inside or the outside of the vehicle using the door handles. The Passenger becomes trapped inside the car and should something happen, they cannot exit the car immediately if needed. Someone on the outside of the car is unable to open the door to assist any passenger trapped inside. A dealer or independent service has not yet reproduced or confirmed the problem and I will be contacting my dealer to have them address the issue. However, after researching this problem, I found numerous posts complaining that this fix is very costly and it is possible that all four doors will experience this same problem soon. At this time, no manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others have inspected the vehicle but based on the numerous complaints online, this issue should already be a recall on these vehicles. The only symptom was that the door did not open once it had been unlocked.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 7, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door locking mechanism had failed and the door could not be opened from inside or outside the vehicle. Additionally, the passenger’s side front door and the driver’s side rear door could not be opened from outside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 41,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 7, 2021
Rear passenger side door will not open from the inside or outside. Happened right after parking. Tried using the remote key and manually unlocking, flipped child safety lock on and off, nothing worked. The door won't budge. Passenger had to climb over our child's carseat to get out on the other side. Major safety hazard if the car were on fire or flipped over, especially for our child whose carseat is in the back. No warning or error message in the car. We've researched and found thousands of reports from other Hyundai Tucson 2016's with the same exact issue (often starting with one door and then spreading to all four others). I don't feel safe driving the car in case it spreads to the other doors. This needs to be a recall ASAP. Happy to have our car inspected if needed. Have not yet gone to a dealer but plan to soon.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 5, 2021
Rear driver side door handle stuck and unable to open from outside or inside. Extremely unsafe due to not being able to exit the vehicle in case of fire or accident.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 3, 2021
The driver side door will not open.. You can unlock with the fob or button on the door, or the mechanical Key. The same issue will all methods. Inside or outside latch, but the handle will not open the door at all or there is a long delay. Very dangerous if you needed to exit the vehicle quickly.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 2, 2021
Door handle mechanism won’t open the door. It started with one back door and now all but the driver door are stuck shut. It is a safety issue for passengers who cannot get out of the car. Please read the forums to see how many of us Hyundai owners are experiencing this issue making it an obvious problem with faulty equipment. Thanks
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 30, 2021
Rear driver side door latch will not open when unlocked. Believe it is actuator issue. Will not open from inside or outside. Front driver side lock will intermittently not release lock/will not open.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 28, 2021
The rear doors do not open from inside or outside. We have attempted to pull the battery for a potential reset, without success. Both doors became inoperable simultaneously. The electric locking mechanisms work. The electric windows go up and down. We noticed this on a multi state road trip with backseat passengers. In the event of an accident, the backseat passenger would not have egress from the vehicle.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 25, 2021
Latch assembly-rear door LH failed. Could not open door from outside or inside. Replaced on 06/26/2021 Latch assembly-rear door RH failed. Could not open door from outside or inside. Replaced on 02/09/2018
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 24, 2021
My rear driver side door will not open from the outside or the inside. This is a serious safety issue. If a person or even a child is in the back of my car, how are they supposed to exit the vehicle in an emergency if they can't get the door open? Hydundai is saying the door not latching is not a safety concern, it is.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 23, 2021
Door actuators are failing causing doors to not open/be permanently locked. I have paid to repair one (which I don't have any confidence in), it's happening to another already, and countless others I've read are having the same issue. I hope that I don't run into the issue in a real emergency.