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: other or unspecified
261 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 21, 2023
My car has an engine oil leak that has been happening for over a year now since I bought it. I have to change my oil every 2,000 miles because of the leak, when Ive been told this car should be changing its oil for every 7,000 miles. My passenger door no longer opens from the outside once my car is unlocked. I have to put my window down in order to get inside and this is a safety hazard.
Other or unspecified, Sep 2, 2023
Both front windows have stopped working. From a Google search on possible fixes, this is a common issue with 2016 Hyundai Tucsons. It’s also very expensive to fix and a great safety hazard.
Other or unspecified, Aug 29, 2023
The window regulators of this vehicle break down and stop working consistently. The plastic wheel on the inside of the door panel warps and breaks after a few months of use/being replaced. The temperatures this summer have been close to or over 100 degrees on a daily basis. This is what makes this a safety issue. Windows on the vehicle are stuck in a down position and cannot be rolled back up.
Other or unspecified, Aug 9, 2023
The right rear passenger door would not open from the inside or outside. The child safety lock was not engaged. If there had been an accident, fire or any other incident requiring a quick exit, exit through that door for my 96 year old mother, or any other passenger, would not be possible. I have heard of numerous complaints about this problem. I have not had an inspection of this problem by an outside source. There are no warning lights associated with this problem.
Other or unspecified, Jul 30, 2023
The back passenger door will not open from the inside or the outside. Any back seat passenger safety is at risk because they will be unable to exit the car incase of an emergency.
Other or unspecified, Jul 26, 2023
Back doors completely stop working. Not able to open the door from the inside or out
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 23, 2023
There are four safety concerns I have with the 2016 Hyundai Tuscon: 1.) The Check Oil light failed to illuminate indicating the need for more oil. 2.) The excessive oil consumption may have caused my catalytic converter to misfire and melt. 3.) The Check Engine light failed to illuminate when my catalytic converter misfired and melted. 4.) The Knock Sensor (if it is bad), which is installed on my vehicle, could fail and not warn me about any engine problems. On 7/3/23, my vehicle was having a difficult time accelerating up a mountain. My brother and I also heard a rattling noise, so my brother drove to a safe place. I had my vehicle towed to a local auto service garage, where I was told the catalytic converter melted due to misfiring and that I needed to replace it. On 7/5/23, I had my vehicle towed to the closest Hyundai Dealership, where they confirmed that the vehicle's catalytic converter was melted due to misfiring. After researching the causes catalytic converters misfiring, I read several complaints about the said vehicle's oil consumption and poor acceleration. I suspect there might be a connection to the catalytic converter misfiring and melting. Incidentally, I have had two other incidents where my vehicle lacked acceleration and started shaking. One occurred on 12/28/22, while I was entering an intersection. The other happened on 4/1/23, while I was attempting to pass another vehicle. All three incidents could've ended tragically. The Check Engine light did illuminate during two of the incidents, but not the incident that occurred on 7/3/23. Additionally, the catalytic converter was previously tested on 12/31/22 and it didn't have any bad codes. Sparkplugs were also replaced on 12/31/22, and a 3-Step Fuel System Cleaning was done on 6/12/23. The Check Oil light only illuminated once since I have owned the vehicle, but failed to illuminate when my oil was getting low in between oil changes. My SUV is still in service waiting for a Catalytic Converter.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jul 3, 2023
Rear driver door does not open from the outside or inside. The doors are unlocked but will not open at all.
Other or unspecified, Jun 30, 2023, fire
I was driving down the highway and I saw my usb cord smoking, I immediately threw it out the window to avoid a fire and pulled over on the highway. My heart was racing and then I called my mom. She thought it was the AC filter that needed to be changed. A few months later in October, the engine failed. A dealership fixed the engine, but it's still consuming a lot oil. I called Hyundai about the engine issues but I forgot about the smoke I saw. They closed the case on the engine, because they claimed I had no warranty. I have no warranty, because Fairfax Hyundai told me they no longer accept car shield. Hyundai closed my case last month and reopened it on 6/30, because of the smoke. I originally bought the car from Waldorf Honda, in Maryland. Dozens of issues have been reported with this vehicle. On 6/30 I realized that the two back doors also stopped opening from the inside and outside.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 18, 2023
I have 3 issues. #1. The transmission fails to shift only at certain times resulting in high RPM's on level road. #2. Engine has knocking noise at idle after having the engine knock sensor installed. #3 right, rear passenger door will not open from inside, or outside in spite of inside latch being manually opened or attempting to open with key fob activation.
Other or unspecified, May 24, 2023
We had the driver side back door fixed by dealer because it would not open. It would lock and unlock but not open from the outside or inside of car. Now the passenger back door is doing the same thing. I researched on line and there are a lot of same complaints. This is a very Serious issue in case of an accident and the people in the back could not exit the vehicle. I have contacted Hyundai but no response. With a safety issue across a lot of same cars, this should be recalled and not charge the customer $1,000 to fix it.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 23, 2023
The vehicle is burning oil quickly. I have always gotten the oil changed on time. I just reached 89,000 miles and the vehicle has begun shaking when I accelerate and the check engine light has been flashing. I checked the oil and it is at the half way line between Full and Low - even though I just had it changed 3 weeks and less than 1,000 miles ago. I took it to the dealership, they said they do not recognize a problem with oil consumption. I told them my check engine light was flashing and it felt like it was going to stall when accelerating. The dealership said they used to do diagnostic testing, but don't anymore. They said they would look into, but I would have to pay $135 for the diagnostic testing.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 19, 2023
All windows broke even though they hardly rolled down. 3 out of 4 broke within a year and the spark plugs keep burning out even though been changed and mechanic can't figure out why.
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, May 3, 2023
-Driver side and passenger side back doors do not open from the inside or outside. They just stopped opening one day, months apart. Nothing hit them or could have caused a jam. It is available for inspection upon request. -The doors don’t open, and I could not get my dog or child from out of the backseat. -This is a recurring problem based on what I have read online. The issue has been confirmed by a mechanic. -The doors were inspected by Caliber Collision and I got a quote from them. -There were no lights or warnings to inform me this was going to happen and still none now that it has happened. -
Other or unspecified, May 1, 2023
The back, driver's side, door will not open from the inside or outside. The issue has been present since the very first week I purchased the car. If this issue happens to all the doors, I could be trapped inside the vehicle, and unable to get out. It absolutely needs to be recalled and replaced by Hyundai.
Other or unspecified, Apr 30, 2023
I have several doors that do not open when unlocked. The seems to be a common issue for this vehicle based on Google searches. The drivers door has to be unlocked multiple times before the door will open. The passenger front door will not open at all from the outside. The back drivers door does not open from inside or outside. It seems all of the door are slowly failing causing the potential to become trapped inside the vehicle or being prevented from getting to someone inside if needed.
Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2023
The car is making a sound when I step on the brakes. The brakes were just done a couple of months ago. The engine is making a funny sound. The engine light came on but then went off. The air conditioner stop working and heat is only coming out of it.
Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2023
I own two Hyundai tucsons. I am very concerned about the rise of thefts and the economic damages that this vehicle has caused our nation. Close to home. I have seen my auto insurance increase with each renewal (every 6 months) by $200. So I am paying $400 more a year for the last 2 years which is an $800 increase because I own a Hyundai Tucson and the insure is taking additional precautions due to the safety and economic risk that me owning a Hyundai Tucson has. I am urging the NHTSA to hold Hyundai accountable. It's not just the fast. It's not just deaths. It's not just damage of property and the progress of crimes of stealing a Hyundai. It's all the other innocent people who are paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars more annually because a manufacturer put out a poor product. In 2023 we have now gone through a pandemic. We've gone through inflation and other numerous occurrences such as gas, eggs and milk which have dramatically increased in price because of other outside factors. Having another issue affect innocent families at no fault of their own creates a devastating result for those just trying to keep their head above water and now making a decision of food or other necessities so that they can pay inflated insurance because a company has put out a poor product that has resulted in crime and harm coming to people. Hyundai has had months to issue a recall and to do the right thing. It's clear some intervention is necessary at this point to protect the American consumer.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 16, 2023
Back in december, 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. At that time, the car had just stopped accelerating above 20mph which almost got me into an accident on the highway. I took the car to the Hyundai and they said that the engine was fine and had passed all tests, that only the sensor needed to be changed. I paid for the repair, but since I got my car back this is still happening, and I almost got into an accident again in the highway. I was just entering into the highway and when I pressed the gas pedal to change lane the car just blocked it did am abrupt movement trying to change speed, it didnt increase the speed, the car behind me was coming fast and beeping because it seemed like my car was coming to a full stop instead of speeding, but all of a sudden the car again did an abrupt change of speed and started increasing up to 60mph, but in order for this to happen, I had to release and press again. It is not the first time, I have tried contacting the service center to inform them that the car is acting the same way, the only difference is that now it doesn't stay at 20mph, this time it does speed after a few tries, but very abruptly
Other or unspecified, Apr 7, 2023
Both rear doors are now non-working as the remote and the manual lock will not open the doors. The driver's side door broke first about two months ago and just this week the other rear door is not unlocking just as the other door did. Fortunately, this did not happen when I had my one and two year old grandsons in my car. My car is unfortunately out of warranty so now I have to pay big bucks for the dealership to repair this issue. As I've researched in the Hyundai Tuscon forums this fix by the dealership is often temporary and needs to be repaired multiple times as they continue to replace the part necessary with the same part that breaks down. I've got less than 70,000 miles on my vehicle. If this is not a safety issue, I'm not sure what is.
Other or unspecified, Apr 2, 2023
Component: WIndow Regulators fail, leaving window in down position and unable to be closed. Safety issue: Weather and the elements can enter the car, there is risk that children can fall out of the open window, probably others. Has it been reproduced: My 2016 Tuscon needed its 5th window regulator replacement. I was fortunate that the first 4 were under warranty. It is evident that this is an inherent defect in the Hyundai Tuscon window design. This statement is backed up by the many comments on the Hyundai forum website: https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threads/window-regulator-2016-hyundai-tucson.671843/ At this point every window regulator has been replaced once, and in the case of the drivers window, it was replaced twice. There was no warning that this failure would appear. This component has failed on the following dates: 6/4/2019, 10/30/2019, 1/2/2021 (2 windows), 3/29/2023.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Apr 2, 2023
The passenger read doors lock up and become unoperable. So the doors cannot be opened from the outside or the inside. This creates a massive potentially tragic situation. If your children or a senior is in the back seat and a fire or an accident occurs they will not be able to leave the car from the rear doors. Let me make this very clear. The doors jam up and will NOT open from the inside or outside no matter what the lock position is in. Also, I see evidence online of this happening to a number of people. Hyundai did not issue a recall, but the indicated that they would fix it under "extended" warranty but when i brought it in (the door was frozen shut) they said this was something else and proceeded to charge me about $500 for the repair; $250 for the part and the same for the labor. This is a common problem and because of the seriousness involving injury and potential death this should have been recalled. How frightening is it to be locked in your car after an accident or fire?
Other or unspecified, Mar 30, 2023
In the last 6 months my driver side window, front passenger side window and back left side window have failed. To date it has cost over $1300, not including the newly defective rear passenger window. The dealer has no explanation, they act as if they have never seen this before. The explanation appears to be the plastic mechanism that turns the window up and down has disintegrated inside the door panel. Very faulty workmanship.
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.
Visibility, Other or unspecified, Mar 22, 2023
Window regulator has broke in all 4 windows