2018 Hyundai Tucson
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 396 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 21 Tucson model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 13 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 10 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
Representative owner complaints: engine
249 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Jul 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the check engine, oil, and additional unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact called his brother for a jumpstart, but the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence where his brother inspected the vehicle and discovered a hole in the engine block. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 123,400.
Engine, Jul 15, 2023
i was driving on the freeway on Nov 22, 2022 when without warning my car went into limp mode. the engine warning light flashed. this puts the driver (and any passengers) at great risk, as the engine is severely limited in its power output. the car will move, but very slowly and acceleration is weak to non-existent. at highway speeds, this situation could have also impacted anyone behind me who came upon my limp vehicle and could not react in time to my slow speed. it has 60,250 miles on it. i drove home, had an initial diagnosis at a local auto repair shop as follows, "removed the (spark) plug and it is badly damaged with oil in cylinder indicating an internal engine problem". i had the car towed on Dec 7, 2022 to the dealer where i purchased the vehicle. the dealer could not look at the vehicle until Feb 17, 2023 when they diagnosed a burnt valve and the engine would have to be replaced. on Feb 21, 2023 i was told that the replacement was awaiting approval and should only take a day or two. it took until May 19, 2023 to approve the engine replacement under warranty. as of this writing (July15, 2023), i am still waiting my turn at the dealership for the engine to be replaced. it appears that i am not alone in this situation of Hyundai/Kia producing bad engines that prematurely fail and then have to fight for a warranty replacement. i have been almost 8 months without my vehicle.
Power train, Engine, Jun 29, 2023
i received a letter in the mail stating the nock sensor has been replaced i dont know howlong ago but my 2018 tucan is stuck in false sage mode saying the nock senor was bad! if it is a on going issue and there is has been a recall on the part why does it show no recalls for my mode car?
Engine, Jun 25, 2023
These people have sold me a car that is burning oil and they refuse to honor their settlement made by a class action lawsuit against them to replace the motors that are in fact burning oil. At first they told me that they would seal the oil and for me to drive 1000 miles and return to them so that they can determine if the car was leaking or burning oil. Upon return they did in fact say that it was not leaking and that it was burning oil but it was "not burning as much oil as it should in order to replace the engine". In what world should a car burn oil? This car is too dangerous to drive, the other day the engine shut down as I was driving it on I75 which put my life in danger due to its lack of oil. I have reached out to corporate and unfortunately no resolution. Should I wait until I get into an accident or the engine completely burns down as I am driving it for it to satisfy their requirements to replace the engine?
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 14, 2023
I have only owned the car for 1 month. I had gotten an oil/filter change and a new oil pressure sensor at ~80,100 miles. I had requested the oil sensor be changed because it would flicker on and off when the car was idling/low RPMs once it had heated up fully. This had fixed that issue seemingly. At ~80,700 miles the car had started riding a bit "rough", especially at higher speeds, so I decided to have a look under the hood. I was terrified to see that my dipstick was bone dry. There was never any evidence of any noticeable leak underneath the car on the driveway nor any evidence of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. After some research (Hyundai corporate was telling me over the phone multiple times that there was no known issues with my specific car/engine) I was appalled to see I was essentially lied to. I found multiple official TSBs, NHTSA notices, and hundreds if not thousands of other customers noting the exact same experience. I had tried to take it to Hyundai for the oil consumption tests laid out in multiple TSBs but I was denied "due to the original warranty expiring". To my knowledge this exact issue has caused Hyundai and Kia to extend to 150k miles for all owners. This is my only mode of transportation and I am so worried my car will stall/seize/catch fire on the highway. This is beyond unsafe and unacceptable but I assume I may have to wait until the final litigation hearing in September for official recalls to be issued. If my car makes it that long.
Engine, Jun 9, 2023
In the last 3 months I have had my vehicle go into Limp Mode due to a faulty engine. All 3 times while I was on the highway and I was almost seriously injured due to traffic. Ever since I got the Knock Sensor update, I have had nothing but problems. I have had a new catalytic convertor, new spark plugs, oil change, air filter and fuel injector replaced in Dec 2022. The spark plugs are dripping in oil only after 8,000 miles. All of those parts have now failed and I am burning oil at an increased rate. I have contacted Hyundai multiple times and have had case files opened and I have not got any resolution or help. I have spent close to $6,000 on repairs and rental cars and there has still not been any resolution. My engine needs to be replaced due to the recall but no one is helping. I have attached all of the paperwork that has been done.
Engine, Jun 7, 2023
Three months after I bought my 2018 Hyundai Tucson it started having engine problems. It has went into limp mode multiple times and has been to the shop several times to have it fixed. The knock sensor has been replaced twice by two different Hyundai dealerships. The engine is losing oil rapidly and has to be replaced every few weeks. It has been advised by both Hyundai dealerships that a new engine is required at this point but Hyundai corporation themselves won’t allow the engine repair. This type of car and engine are known for engine replacements around this exact type of engine and amount of mileage on the vehicle. My safety and my sons safety is in jeopardy every time we get in this vehicle as it can go back into limp mode at any given time and if we are driving and it just stalls we are liable to get into an accident. I have to keep taking the vehicle to the shop to have oil replaced and a temporary fix put on it until it just blows as they put it. They are also unable to advise where all the oil keeps going. I shouldn’t be liable for a new engine and it should be replaced by the Hyundai corporation as this happened very shortly after I bought the vehicle, I can be in potential danger when driving, it is a known issue with this type of vehicle and engine, multiple Hyundai dealerships have advised it falls within engine replacement guidelines. I need Hyundai to be responsible for repairing my engine! I have all receipts and documentation from every repair that has been done and every time the vehicle has been taken in.
Exterior lighting, Engine, Jun 7, 2023
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION! Vehicle has less than 60k and I have to check and put oil in about every 1,000 miles. Engine light comes on and this is how I know to check the oil. This is ridiculous and should not be happening. I change my oil as directed at every 5,000 miles and at least 2-3 times before next oil change I am adding more oil. WHY AM I BURNING SO MUCH OIL? No oil is leaking that I can see...
Engine, Jun 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Engine, May 2, 2023, fire
While diving home from a baseball game my car caught fire with me and my family inside.
Engine, Apr 26, 2023
Oil light came on while driving. Pulled over checked oil and it was full and clean. Engine started making a rattling sound. Car then died and had to be towed. Mechanic says needs a new engine. Hyundai engine issue very dangerous and I don't know if they will replace. Starting the process
Engine, Mar 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where engine oil was added. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the dealer for an oil consumption test. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 25, 2023
Acceleration issue, from a stop position on a red light or stop sign, when the gas pedal is pressed the engine revs but does not move immediately, after a couple of seconds it lundges forward, also when trying to merge you must wait for a very big gap to safely merge, the car does not respond and this is very dangerous, Hyundai need to rectify this issue before someone dies.
Engine, Mar 24, 2023
When accelerating, my car seems to hesitate. This happens regularly. The other day, making a left turn in an intersection with on-coming traffic, the engine hesitated to the point that the vehicle stopped moving forward. This was a concern since I did make a timely turn, but hadn't planned on my vehicle almost stopping in the middle of an intersection. My check engine light has not turned on, and the vehicle has less than 30,000 miles on it. I am concerned to the point that I will be taking it to a dealer to check it out.
Engine, Mar 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal to gain speed and the vehicle continued to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that the engine revved and there was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway and turned the vehicle off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had her father inspect her vehicle, he then replaced the battery and was able to restart the vehicle and drove it to her residence at a slow speed. The contact stated that her father told her that the vehicle was making abnormal sounds in the engine. The contact stated that she later saw that oil had puddled under her vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the drain plug had fallen after a previous oil change. The contact stated that the oil change had been performed nearly 4 months prior. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: DP22003 (Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for a routine oil change, she was made aware of an oil leak; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was stalling while depressing the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds, and while driving uphill. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #1 and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for repair. The contact stated that after she made a local dealer aware of the failure, she was informed that the engine was discontinued and advised to contact the manufacturer for further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was made aware that the warranty had expired and that she was responsible for the costs of the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine, Feb 15, 2023
My wife was driving home. She had taken the highway home when she had suddenly lost power with no warning or indication from the cars dashboard there was no warning lamps or messages explaining why the car lost power and that the car would not turn back on. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the engine was seized up and that the motor needed to be replaced and that the car had no oil in the engine. Which is not possible since the cars Maintenace intervals were maintained. It was also later determined that the oil pan bolt was under tighten due to bad threading on the oil pan and bad oil pan seals. The car will be towed to a dealership for further inspection. This issue presents a possible fire hazard or risk of accident while at high speeds. My wife did suffer a small injury to her forehead after rapid loss of speed from the steering wheel.
Engine, Feb 4, 2023
Compression test found cylinder 3 @ 58. Found cylinder leakage between cylinder 2 & 3. Engine replacement suggested by dealer. Vehicle has 149990. Dealer also stated engine is warp which is not included in diagnostic statement. Dealer engine replacement cost $12,324.23
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tuscan. The contact stated that while her daughter was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty sensor, which had malfunctioned when the oil change was due. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions when the oil change was due. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000. The VIN was not available.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 8, 2023
The oil plug fell out of my Tuscon while I driving on the highway and it burned out my entire engine on January 2, 2023, at approximately 5:40 pm EST. The tech at the dealership found the plug in the tray under the spot where the plug goes. It was inspected by a technician at a Hyundai dealership. The car is a 2018 Tuscon--had less than 55,000 miles on it and is now basically worthless and undrivable, quoted $13,000 to fix it. My entire engine now needs to be replaced. I was within the lifespan of my last oil change when the plug fell out. A red oil light flickered on and then a battery subsequently came on. Within approximately three minutes of the light first flickering on, the car was dead on the side of the highway. The car would not turn over once it was stopped on the side of the highway. The car is still at the dealership and available for inspection as of today, but I am not sure how long it will be there because I am not sure what is the best path forward in terms of repair because of the financial cost. I'm lucky that I was able to navigate my car onto the shoulder of the highway and secure a tow without injury. It was a very foggy day and it was already dark when this occurred and I was afraid I would be struck if I exited my car. My car drifted to a stop at the start of an exit ramp with a highway barrier that prevented me from going farther right onto the shoulder.
Engine, Dec 22, 2022
Engine (1.6-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder) had a catastrophic failure driving along highway. Engine instantly lost power and stalled. No indicators on instrument cluster prior to engine stall, temperature gauge for coolant indicating nominal conditions. Upon pulling over to the side of the road, check engine & batter indicator lights shown on the instrument cluster. Hyundai's roadside assistance system, Bluelink, did not activate with the engine's stall. It was observed that a mix of antifreeze and oils were dripping behind the engine onto the ground. Dealer later discovered that a piston connection rod had punched through the wall of the engine block. Dealer has submitted issue to Hyundai Corporate. Vehicle is aggressively service with manufacture dealerships according to recommended service intervals with synthetic fluids.
Power train, Engine, Nov 25, 2022
Vehicle stalls when accelerating at low speeds. It appears to be a delay when the car transitions from 1st to 2nd gear. This creates a safety concern, especially when taking turns into traffic due to delays/stalls when turning.
Engine, Nov 18, 2022
I went to get an oil change on Sept 3, 2022. After that oil change my car went back to normal but started to slow down in speed. On my way home my vehicle stalled. The more I drove the slower it got and loud grind it would make. My vehicle stalling could've caused an accident. My vehicle had a recall done March 21, 2021, which after Sept 7, 2022, I received a letter for a recall for a sensor for my vehicle that was issue per Hyundai website March 31, 2021. Hyundai has been able to confirm the issue. Only thing warning sign I received was my vehicle cut off the day I got the oil change Sept 3, 2022. We thought it may have been my battery.
Engine, Nov 17, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact's daughter stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to lose motive power. The daughter stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The daughter stated that she pulled over and stopped the vehicle and placed the vehicle in park(P). The vehicle was turned off and restarted and operated as designed. The contact's daughter stated that the vehicle was making hissing sounds while depressing the accelerator pedal. The daughter stated that the failure was intermittent; however, the failure occurred while driving over 50 MPH. The daughter stated that the check engine warning light was flashing. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,200.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 13, 2022
The car will jerk while driving. The problem was fixed last year and again it is happening now.Worse..the car while being driven will suddenly slow down inspite stepping more on the gas pedal.