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
1,620 reports, newest first.
Power train, Visibility/wiper, Jul 5, 2023
excessive oil consumption. it has been confirmed by valvoline instant oil change center. after an oil change, round 600 miles the oil is to be checked and topped off completely because the reservoir is bone dry. can not make it a complete 3,000 miles until the next oil change. the oil has to be topped off at least 2-3 times until the next oil change. there are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms to notify of the problem. it has been inspected by hyundai dealership, whom at someone point replaced the turbo in the limited 1.6L. also, the windshield wiper reservoir decided to stop working. I have to wait until it rains or go through a car wash to clean my windshield. all hoses have been checked and there are no leaks or disconnection of the hose. the windshield wiper fluid will not come out and remains completely full.
Structure, Jul 4, 2023
Rear passenger door will not open from inside or outside
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.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 28, 2023
Complete Engine failure under 100k miles. Electrical issues with toggle switches
Structure, Jun 27, 2023
Door latch suddenly stopped working, making it impossible to open the door from either inside or outside the vehicle. Had this occurred in an emergency situation passengers could have been trapped inside. Hyundai is aware of this defect and has issued a Technical Service Bulletin and purportedly extended the warranty but there is a shortage of parts to make repairs and so they cannot effectively honor that warranty or make needed repairs. NHTSA should require a recall on this problem to inform owners of this potential hazard and force Hyundai to put more resources into correcting the defective latches and possibly avoid unnecessary loss of life.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 26, 2023
Similar to other owners my car has been burning oil at a higher-than-normal rate. Because of this, there has been a carbon build-up causing my engine to start misfiring and stop working while driving on the interstate.
Engine, Jun 22, 2023
Was driving on the highway and my car wouldn't go above 45mph, then check engine light and oil pressure lights came on. Pulled over on the shoulder and checked the oil and it was low oil by about 2 quarts. I checked the oil about 3 weeks prior and had no issues with oil loss and had no lights ever come on the dash prior. Had to get towed home because the car was sputtering and would accelerate. The car is inoperable now and needs engine repair.
Engine, Jun 21, 2023
My engine has 98,000 miles and is burning two quarts of oil every 1000 miles. I have no visible oil leaks.
Engine, Jun 21, 2023
My car was having issues with the engine making a rattling sound and having difficulty accelerating. About a week after the symptoms came up, my car died on the side of the road. I am so lucky I was in a neighborhood and not on the freeway. No lights came on at all until 10-20 seconds before it died. I was able to get my car to the dealership and was told I'd need a new engine. Although I bought it used, I've only had this car for four months. I'm hoping Hyundai places the 2016 Tucson under recall as many others seems to have similar issues.
Engine, Jun 20, 2023
THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. HAVE RECEIPTS FOR MOST ALL SERVICES. AT AROUND 90,000 MILES, THE CAR STARTED "BURNING OIL" AND NEEDED FREQUENT TOP OFFS. AT 108,000 MILES, I HAVE CAR SERVICED AND STARTED A ROAD TRIP. IN LESS THAN 40 MILES, IT STARTED TO SHUDDER AND MISS FIRE ON THE INTERSTATE. CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY OFF INTERSTATE 40. I DID NOT DRIVE FURTHER AND HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO TOWN. AT DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD "ENGINE FAILURE" DUE TO 2ND CYLINDER LOSS OF COMPRESSION, AND NEW ENGINE IS ONLY OPTION. I WAS DENIED ANY SERVICE UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO BEING OVER 100,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT WORK WITH ME ON VARIANCE OR GOODWILL GESTURE. I HAVE SEEN IN ONLINE FORUMS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND NEVER GAVE ANY HINT OF THE PENDING FAILURE. I AM FILING THIS AS FORMAL COMPLAINT AND SAFETY HAZARD WITH THIS VEHICLE.
Equipment, Jun 19, 2023
The regulator and motors have failed in all four windows. Two have been replaced with "panel assembly" parts - on 03/24/2022 the parts cost $383.09 and on 10/07/2022 the same [XXX] cost $470.16. I have not yet replaced the back two windows which are held in place by tape. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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.
Electrical system, Jun 17, 2023
Window and motor regulators both went out in 1-2 weeks apart may 2023
Steering, Engine, Jun 16, 2023
The engine is consuming more than 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. This began around 100000 miles at 1 quart per thousand miles and has since progressed to 1 quart every 500--800 miles. I found this problem when my oil pressure light came on as I was going around a curve. I checked my oil level and it was not visible on the stick. My engine was 3 quarts low 3000 miles since the last oil change. This has been going on since April of 2021. My steering column makes a significant rattling noise and jiggles up and down when going over bumps. This has been going on since about the 80000 mile mark which was around April 2020. My local shop confirmed there was something likely worn out and needing replacement, perhaps the entire steering column.
Engine, Jun 14, 2023
My car has been consuming oil at a higher than normal rate. The engine light came on and they told me it was a PCV valve. My oil smells. I put in 2-4 quarts in-between a 3,000 mile oil change. Even though the recommended oil change for my engine is 4500 miles. So with a standard 5 quart oil change plus 3-5 more quarts, my car is consuming 7-10 quarts every 3,000 miles. This is not normal. I have started the Oil Consumption Test with Hyundai in NW Arkansas at Crain Hyundai and was told my powertrain warranty is now up to 120,000 mile warranty. I did not know this Hyindai Corp. never informed me. Also, I have paid out of pocket for every new oil change I've needed for the last 20,000 miles and oil in-between. Yesterday, while I saw the dipstick was under the L the tech told me it was within normal range. How is this possible? My car has gone into Limp Mode a few times because of the oil problem.
Structure, Jun 13, 2023
About a year ago, the driver's side door stopped opening. Since the vehicle was out of warrantee, I had it repaired but do not have the invoice any longer. I didn't expect it to happen to another door. A couple of months ago, the rear passenger door stopped opening. I have had it fixed. There was no warning, the doors just stopped opening, trapping whoever was inside at the time. Of course another door could be used, but that's assuming it didn't just stop working at the same time.
Power train, Jun 12, 2023
While driving the car, when you press down on the accelerator to pick up speed, the car actually slows down. Eventually it will run normally at speed, however it creates a significant risk when pulling into traffic.
Engine, Jun 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to excessive oil leaking. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with an engine failure and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired under warranty however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed after the recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Power train, Jun 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V628000 (Power Train, Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 51,800.
Electrical system, Structure, Jun 8, 2023
Passenger doors do not physically open when unlocked from outside and inside. Known stretched cable problems, with hundreds of complaints when doing a Google search. Elderly parents cannot yank hard enough to get them open by brute force. God forbid if there was an accident, you would not be able to open to door from inside to get out and others from outside would not be able to open either to assist. Rolling death trap. Hyundai Korea knows about the door cable problem and fixes it for free. USA wants you to pay $400 per door to fix. Shame on you Hyundai USA!!!
Structure, Jun 7, 2023
Rear passenger door would not open after door is locked from inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle. Was stuck in the vehicle. Had to crawl out via other side door. Due to my size this would be a great hazard in an emergency exit situation. Have not take it to the dealer police or insurance but internet search leads to a faulty actuator. No warnings.
Exterior lighting, Visibility, May 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that when she was near her vehicle, she noticed that the driver's side window was down. The contact stated that she could not roll the window up. The contact stated that over the next month, the other three windows were lowered and could not be rolled up. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlights had failed, and she had them replaced. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the windows mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Engine, May 25, 2023
I have a 2016 Hyundai Tucson and under warrantee they replaced the transmission. But it has never been right. Hyundai has had a multitude of problems with this transmission and it should have been recalled, but was not! Now it has problems again and I've asked Hyundai corporate for help but all they say is its up to the goodwill (translation generosity) of the Hyundai dealer in Charlotte. So I am screwed. I need help contacting the government agency that can do something to help me.
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.