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
396 reports, newest first.
Power train, Service brakes, Aug 24, 2023
Transmission is jerking when driving. Brakes are squeaking.
Engine, Aug 15, 2023
My vehicle is burning 2 1/2 quarts of oil a month , my catalytic converter is clogged due to this, Hyundai is fighting me and will not take responsibility for either. With some research I’ve found they they do know about the issue in thousands of their vehicles and they are refusing to help anyone. I was driving up the road and my speed declined to 8mph & would not go any faster
Power train, Engine, Aug 14, 2023
This very low mileage vehicle recently had the same incident for I believe the fifth time since I've owned the car. In a very dangerous situation the car exibited the car going almost dead after normal acceleration. It regains power after 3-5 seconds and rapidly returning to acceleration. It happened to my wife soon after purchase and she has refused to drive it since. Last week while I attempted to make a left turn at a yellow light it again went dead and traffic was forced to slow while the car behind me almost rea ended me. Recently the engine seems to run rough at times. Never have I seen any engine trouble lights since I've owned it. Three separate Hyundai dealers have looked at and seemed to be aware of what's causing it, but chose their words carefully. My neighbor owns one of the largest new cars dealerships in the Midwest. I spoke with him about this problem and he said his used car manager would NEVER purchase one with this engine/transmission for resale! A Hyundai service manager told me to get rid of it soon. When told I was planning on gifting it to my daughter, he said he wouldn't... The car only has 33,000 miles and looks new. Always garaged, never driven in snow.
Engine, Aug 6, 2023
In May 2023 while on family vacation my tucson oil light came on and went what I believe in limp mode. Oil has always been changed on time, checking oil, was full and clean. Had to tow back from TN to PA. Called hyundai and they stated that the engine has a known problem and a campaign is on them. I then had it towed to a hyundai dealership for a June 9th 2023 appointment. The dealership didn't even know why they let me make it. They had 9 tucsons with same problem in front of me. Now Aug 6th 2023 still waiting at dealership to be even looked at. Unreal
Engine, Aug 5, 2023
At about 60k miles I noticed the check engine light would come on and so I checked the oil only to see it completely empty. I get regular oil changes and have documentation. I took into Hyundai to get recalls fixed and mentioned the excessive oil consumption to them and the service manager stated that it was not enough oil consumption and I would have to pay to diagnose further. Well I have contacted Hyundai corporate and they denied looking any further at my vehicle. So I have been goin to my oil change place about every 2-3 weeks and I have records that after about 1,000 miles I am having to put two quarts of oil in. Current mileage now is 100k and the value of my car is like $5-8 dollars. I owe 23k on this vehicle! I was also not told it was in a n accident when I purchased it.
Engine, Aug 1, 2023
Vehicle purchased Jan 2023. Vehicle began making suspect noises in June 2023 and was taken to Ford dealership where the car and extended warranty were purchased in January. We were told that the noise was believed to be due to low oil. Oil was changed as part of maintenance covered under the extended warranty. About 5000 miles had been driven since last known oil change that was done prior to our purchase of the car in January. On Jul 19, 2023, vehicle began to make loud noises again and had difficulty accelerating. The same day, engine stopped while exiting highway. Car was found to have little to no oil in it even though it had been serviced 6 weeks prior and had only been driven ~3000 miles. Engine was knocking badly but did not seem to be overheating. Three quarts of oil were added, but the car cut off when put into drive. Vehicle was towed to Ford dealership where it and extended warranty were purchased. Ford dealership declined to work on the car and stated it should go to Hyundai because the engine needed to be replaced. Due to long wait for Hyundai appointment, the vehicle is currently being assessed by a certified mechanic. I am looking to Hyundai or Class action lawsuits to see if this vehicle and situation will be covered by the manufacturer. We do not know the exact cause of the failure yet and if it will be covered. My mechanic is working with Easy Care warranty company. There were no warning lights, no check engine light, no gauges indicating it was overheating or low on oil.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, prompting him to pull to the side of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the independent mechanic, who again diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. The vehicle was repaired a second time, but the failure reoccurred a third time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Power train, Jul 31, 2023
Immediately after purchasing the car I stopped for gas. When pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road, the transmission stalled. The car did not move, the rpms jumped to 5-6 and the lurched and jerked forward then stopped and lurched forward again with the rpms jumping high. This had happened numerous times to various deplgrees since purchasing the car 48 hours ago. There were and continue to be no warning lamps or messages on the dash. I have an appointment with the dealer to have it assessed in a week. This is dangerous because it causes the vehicle to not pull into or cross traffic in a smooth, sage and predictable manner, potentially causing a collision.
Power train, Jul 29, 2023
Back in January of 2023, car would not go into reverse. While out driving the engine light came on and went into safety mode. I had no power to merge onto highway and make it up hills to get to Hyundai service repair. They said the gear actuator failed. They repaired, but within a week the car was not going into reverse and engine light came back on. They had my car for over a month with no loaner car. They replaced transmission. Car only had 32,000 miles on it. Yesterday, July 28, car started losing power in traffic. Sometimes car would lurch. Engine light on so I pulled into grocery store parking lot. Turned car off and when I turned back on a loud clunking noise. Called Hyundai and drove to service. The entire time the car struggled to merge or go up hills. They ran test and said the gear actuator failed. So this is a trend. It is under warranty but that is not the point, this is dangerous and you can get stranded or the car can lurch or loose power at any time. I complained to Hyundai the first time and they did nothing except repair under warranty guidelines.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 27, 2023
The car has acceleration issues and when you try to press down on the gas it sputters and loses power, it is becoming a safety hazard when driving 45 mph or higher. If you try to pass another vehicle it slows down and almost stops, we have had to pull to the side of the road to avoid being in an accident. This is NOT normal for a vehicle to do this and something needs to be done before we end up dead.
Engine, Jul 24, 2023
On Sunday July 16 while driving home from Cape Cod to my home in Walpole, my engine stopped working while on the highway in Plymouth, ma. I promptly turned on my hazards and had to get over to the travel lane as I was in the passing lane when this occurs.The oil light was flashing as was the engine light and I had to coast to a gas station. Thankfully the exit was a downhill one
Engine, Jul 18, 2023
On April 30th my cars check engine lite came on while driving on I84 with multiple people in the car, the car slowly started to lose momentum and could no longer accelerate. The next available appointment at the local dealership (MotorWorld, Wilkes-Barre PA) was on May 22nd. It was then confirmed that my knock sensor detection was faulty. It was recently recalled or something along those lines. It was then fixed on May 22nd then returned to me. On May 23rd less than 24hrs later my car was being towed back to the dealership as the check engine light had come back on, code P1326, after having fuel injectors 2 and 3 replaced and the engine cleaned, Hyundai tech line declared my engine needed to be replaced. However, Hyundai is refusing to replace the engine even though it is code P1326 (knock sensor detection) that has called my engine to now become faulty. Replacing the knock sensor has not fixed the problem. It is now July 18th and I still do not have my car back as it is sitting at the dealership, undriveable.
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, Jul 13, 2023
Tucson 2.0L hesitation at acceleration particularly from a rolling stop: This intermittent problem was checked initially by Marhofer Hyundai in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio, their findings were negative. We then took it to Great Lakes Hyundai in Streetsboro and they said they were aware of the problem and reset the computer, but it did not resolve the problem. This problem has put my family in harm's way many times, making a turn from a rolling stop the car lags into ongoing traffic. Our last visit to dealership we were told car was out of warranty 19,000 miles but the problem was never fixed. This vehicle was a certified pre-owned and have an extended warranty. I have attached a technical service bulletin.
Other or unspecified, Jul 11, 2023
Paint on the bonnet started peeling and flaking off. You can easily slide your finger on the edges of the paint and it will peel right off.
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.
Exterior lighting, May 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the headlights intermittently failed to operate as needed. The headlight bulbs detached from the headlight socket with the headlight message displayed on the instrument panel. The headlights were replaced multiple times by an independent mechanic. Due to the failure, the headlight wiring harness kit had melted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained in the dealer's possession unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was not available.
Exterior lighting, May 22, 2023
The headlights and taillights fail frequently. I have replaced each every 90 days. I find the contacts melted on them when they fail. I have never seen this happen on any other vehicle I have owned.