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.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 7, 2021
Passenger door lock won’t unlock from inside or outside. 4-year old Grandson could not get out This happened before with the passenger front seat door. Took to dealer and fixed. I am seeing online that many people are having the same problem. This could be dangerous.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 4, 2021
Two doors will not unlock or open.If in a wreck you are trapped. Dealer said I would have to pay to fix the car. Car will not speed up when on a rough road, which other cars will run over you. Mileage 90122
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 4, 2021
My back passenger door will not open from the inside or outside.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 2, 2021
My passenger side door and back door not opening from outside. We have a kid in the seat so we have a child lock in the back. Because of that we couldn't able to open the door. When I called hyundai about that they said they will first evaluate for that I need to pay and then they charge me for the 2 doors. This is very absurd.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 1, 2021
I have had three of the four doors unable to open at different time before repairing them. This is a safety issue putting my daughter trapped in the vehicle with the only way out to climb over the seats. If in an accident she would be unable to get out of the car quickly. I don't understand why this hasn't been addressed by NHTSA yet. Having a vehicle that could trap you in it is unsafe. One door was repaired when still under warranty, the next was repaired and paid for and now it's happened to another door that needs repairs and finally the drivers door appears it's going to have the same thing happen to it. Currently once the vehicle is unlocked you have to pull on the door handle twice before it opens. First pull still feels locked second pull opens it.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jun 1, 2021
The diver side rear door will not open. Does not open from outside or the inside. If this happens to the other rear door a person could get trapped inside the car.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 29, 2021
When unlocking the doors with key fob, all the doors besides the driver's side, will open. The drivers side won't open at first. Have to unlock and relock the car several times just to open the door on the drivers side. The same thing is happening when sitting inside the passenger seat on the left handside of the driver, the door won't open from inside out. The door has to be open by someone on the outside. This is been happening a lot to many people.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated the vehicle's rear passenger door failed to open and close. The rear driver's side door failed intermittently, and the front passenger's side door required several attempts to open or close the door from the outside before opening and closing successfully. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,500.
Structure, May 26, 2021
My rear passenger side door does not open from the inside of the car and also from the outside of the car when unlocked. This is a huge safety concern as anyone sitting in the back seat would be trapped inside the car in an emergency especially if my grandson were strapped in his car seat in the back and I had to get him out of the car as quickly as possible in an emergency. I called the dealership where I bought the car and they acted surprised even though this is clearly a known issue as I discovered while researching this problem on various blogs. I haven't taken my car to the dealership yet, I'm trying to determine if this will be covered under my 5 years/60,000 mile warranty as my car is right on the edge with my car having 55,000 miles and being 5 years and 2 months old. This problem happened very suddenly and we had no warning at all. The door worked when we left home for a trip and when we reached our first stop 60 miles later, the door would not open from inside or outside.
Electrical system, May 26, 2021
Had to replace 2 door latches on passenger side in 2020. 3 months later the rear passenger on driver side is also defective. Can't open door from inside OR outside. This is a major safety issue. 3 out of 4 door latches failed.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side door failed to open from the inside or outside while unlocked. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Other or unspecified, May 25, 2021
Passenger front and rear doors do not open. Latches frozen and dog was trapped in front seat. Dog was able to crawl over driver seat to get out. Dealership Atlantic Hyundai in West Islip NY evaluated car and will charge over $1600 to repair two doors with 68,000 miles on car out of warranty. This problem is corrected in Korea without a charge, according to my internet research.
Engine, May 25, 2021
When driving uphill on Vasco Rd between Brentwood, Ca & Livermore, CA started slowing down the more gas I gave the slower it went then suddenly there was a clattering sound all panel lights came on and engine died and would not restart. Tow truck driver said my engine blew. I usually get my oil changed between 5k & 7k . I just had my oil changed 600 miles ago. It is a 2.0 Hyundai 2016 Tucson. I read the NHTSA fined Hyundai for failure to recall engine failures on their 4 cyn and wondered if my car should have been included in any recalls.
Structure, May 22, 2021
PASSENGER SIDE DOORS, FRONT & REAR, FAIL TO UNLOCK OR OPEN WITH THE INTERIOR DOOR LOCK SWITCH ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR OR FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. USING THE LOCK/UNLOCK ON THE KEY FOB DOES NOT WORK, EITHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 20, 2021
Rear Passenger Door won't open and driver side door is getting stuck. Have 2 pull drivers side door to get it to open.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 19, 2021
The left-back passenger door now will not open from outside. I think it is a safety issue. In case of an accident, I would able to get my kids fast from the car.
Structure, May 18, 2021
The passenger side front and rear doors can no longer be opened either from the inside or outside even when th vehicle is unlocked. The mechanism that activates the latches seems to be working as it can be heard on both doors, but the latches themselves seem to fail frequently. This results in a safety hazard since exiting the vehicle in case of an accident where the the only side that's not blocked is the right one becomes impossible except by crawling through the door windows which may not fit the occupant(s).
Other or unspecified, May 18, 2021
Passenger side door ( front) and driver side door (rear) are getting increasingly difficult to open even when they are unlocked.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 17, 2021
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER’S AND PASSENGER’S SIDE DOORS ALONG WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER’S DOOR FAILED TO OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE USING THE DOOR HANDLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED AT AN AUTHORIZED HYUNDAI DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
Power train, May 16, 2021
CAR FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD FROM STOPPED POSITION. WHEN GAS PEDDLE IS APPLIED PRESSURE, CAR DOES NOT MOVE, ENGINE REVS UP AND THEN CAR LUNGES FORWARD. IN SLOW TRAFFIC, CAR LUNGES FORWARD WITH NO ACCELERATION ON THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, CAR WILL CEASE TO MOVE FOR A COUPLE SECONDS AND THEN TAKE OFF. WE ARE EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS VEHICLE.
Structure, May 14, 2021
BOTH REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN NEITHER FROM THE OUTSIDE OR THE INSIDE, THE DOOR ACTUATORS FAILED 3 MONTHS APART. I'M VERY CONCERN CHILDERN ARE INVOLVED, AND I AM NOT SAFETY CONFIDENT WITH THE OTHER TWO FRONT DOORS! THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER - HYUNDAI HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE EXCEPT REPLACE THE ACTUATORS WITH THE SAME STYLE FAULTY ACTUATORS THAT WILL FAIL AGAIN - THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR SAFETY OF MY FAMILY
Structure, May 13, 2021
DOORS WON'T OPEN. DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR IS FAULTY. CURRENT REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX... AND PROBLEM REPEATS. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO FIX AND RECALL. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR AND A CRAZY SAFETY ISSUE!
Air bags, May 12, 2021
PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG IS FAULTY. DEALER STATED THAT THERE IS NO OBVIOUS REASON WHY IT WOULD BE DAMAGED. THERE WAS A SIMILAR RECALL ON THESE PASSENGER AIRBAGS FOR A PREVIOUS MODEL.
Electrical system, May 9, 2021
WHILE STOPPED,, WITH CAR POWERED BOTH ON AND OFF, REAR LEFT DOOR LOCK MECHANISM WORKING BUT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE.
Structure, May 8, 2021
THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE CHILD LOCK WAS DISENGAGED, AND NO AMOUNT OF LOCKING/UNLOCKING WOULD FIX IT. WE WERE IN THE CAR AND IT WORKED NORMALLY, THEN WHEN WE ARRIVED TO OUR DESTINATION COULD NOT GET MY KIDS OUT. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE DOOR HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. IT HAPPENED OUT OF NOWHERE. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AS NOT ONLY COULD I BIT GET MY KIDS OUT QUICKLY IN AN EMERGENCY, I ALSO CAN'T LET THEM OUT CURBSIDE, AND AM FORCED TO PULL THEM OUT OF THE BACK SEAT WITH CARS FLYING BY. I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS WITH ALL OF THE REMAINING DOORS FAILING, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A CHRONIC WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH HYUNDAI VEHICLES, AND TUCSONS IN PARTICULAR. I'M FEARFUL THAT THE DOORS WILL JUST SEIZE UP AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR.