2020 Hyundai Tucson
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 178 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 21 Tucson model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 5 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 5 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
178 reports, newest first.
Engine, Aug 14, 2024
Check engine light came on and went off again prior to waiting the 2 weeks for service. Infamous code P0420 catalytic converter bank 1 code where manifold, catalytic converter, and O2 sensor were replaced at a measly 37k miles.
Engine, Aug 13, 2024
This is the second Hyundai Tucson that I have owned and the same thing has happened wih both of them. My daughter also bought her Hyundai Tucson the same day as I got mine in June, 2020, and the same thing is happening to her. It starts with the engine warning light coming on, and then finding that the engine oil is low in between oil changes. There is no visible sign of the oil leak (no drops on the driveway, no oil in the engine compartment, etc.) but now the oil is disappearing at an alarming rate. My daughter has had her car looked at, and it appears that she may have to get a new engine, which is what happened with my previous Tucson (2015). Luckily, Hyundai "good-willed" me the replacement of my previous engine, but now I am at, or close to the limit on my extended warranty (for which the dealership did not give me paperwork), and have an engine that is just disappearing engine oil. Hyundai has to know of the issue, but refuses to make corrections to the problem which sticks people with huge bills to correct a problem they know exists. I have seen MANY complaints about this exact thing, so it's not a secret.
Seat belts, Vehicle speed control, Aug 9, 2024
When driving this car it is hard to go to higher speed. Acceleration is a huge problem. Coming on to the highway I have to wait until there's no one approaching due to the fact that it takes about 40 seconds to a minute for the car to accelerate once it comes to a stop. When switching lanes it takes 40 to 60 seconds to accelerate as well. That's not safe. God forbid someone was speeding directly behind me I would absolutely be hit. It takes to long to accelerate and get out of the way. I was nearly hit by a semi truck due to this problem. Thank goodness the truck moved to the other lane because the Tuscon couldn't! Also the car won't allow you to close off the outside air while if the front or rear air function. So if I want to place air on the windshield I have to breathe in the air from the person in front tailpipe. That's crazy. This is the first car I've had that did this. It's disgusting especially living in ny why should I have to breathe in that toxin. Also I can not find the third seat belt for the passengers in the back. The car is suppose to be a five passenger car however only four can safely be seated.
Engine, Aug 8, 2024
On 8/7/2024 the engine light came on and stayed on. I took the car to my service pro and he did a pcm scan. Error code displayed a catylitic problem on bank 1. This is the secind time this has happened to this vehicle. First time was 2/13/2023, Mileage was 52000 miles. Salem Hyundai replaced the Cat with a new one. On 8/8/2024 I called Salem NH Hyundai to report the issue and have an appt for 8/14/2024. Milage on vehicle is 77181.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 22, 2024
While driving the vehicle suddenly started alarming indicating to check "Forward Collision Warning" followed by an alert to check "Lane Keeping Assistant." Immediately pulled off the road shut the vehicle off and checked the perimeter. No issues noted. Issue continues, while waiting for service from local dealers.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 27, 2024
Had for a year. 6 months ago, started sputtering, surging, slowing and dying on a regular basis. Have had it shop at Chapman used in Tucson, AZ and Lawley Hyundai in Sierra Vista Arizona 3 times. Chaan couldn't repair, so we went to Lawley. The mechanism there keep saying they cannot reproduce! The engine malfunctions 3-4 time during any drive we do. Has been going on for 6 months.
Service brakes, Jun 16, 2024
Electrical rear brake system. My rear driver side brake like sometimes fails to operate properly. Brake warning light on dash comes on. This happens on and off. After researching the issue I found numerous owners are having the same issue. Some replace the bulb multiple times while others have had dealerships replace the harness. Both solutions only temporarily fixed the problem for a short time
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 25, 2024
The vehicle is a 2020 Hyundai Tucson with AWD. Current mileage of the vehicle is 58,309. In the last 10K miles, there have had 4 separate instances of a sustained flashing check engine light that has put the car into limp mode. Since the first instance, a knock sensor, catalytic converter, and spark plug coil, among other things, have been replaced. However, the issues persist and have yet to be resolved. The engine continues to misfire, resulting in dangerous driving situations. Most recently (XXX) the car went into limp mode on an interstate highway where the vehicle was unable to accelerate and could not exceed 2000 RPMs. The code scanner read P1326 - Glow Relay Short Circuit. This was just a week after the vehicle was towed to McGovern Hyundai in Brockton, due to the car being in limp mode (XXX) and the vehicle was given a clean bill of health. I was told that there was no cause for concern and the code was cleared. I’m extremely concerned about this issue with the vehicle and don’t feel that it is safe to drive, especially when it loses power on the highway. The vehicle is insured, but has not been inspected by an insurer. Nor has the vehicle been inspected by police. The car has been inspected by the dealership, but that have not produced any findings. The car is certainly available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Electrical system, May 20, 2024
2020 Hyundai Tuscon May I have had numerous incidents where my stereo navigation screen goes black, and then instantly comes back. This happens frequently; whether or not my phone is plugged in. I have stopped plugging my phone into the car. May 1, 2024 As I was backing into my garage this afternoon I started the turn to get into my driveway. I turned the steering wheel tight and it seemed to lock up just like the car had turned itself off. My vehicles main screen went blank along with the stereo navigation. May 16 2024 As I backed into my driveway and straightened my steering wheel position to get into the garage the vehicle screen went black along with the navigation stereo screen I felt the steering wheel tug a little bit along with a knocking noise All lighting quickly came back and then the same exact thing happened again. I then finished backing in and turned the car off. May 18 My husband and I went to the market 1 mile away and as he was backing into the driveway at home the steering wheel locked up then the stereo navigation screen went black and we heard bumping sounds same as before. This happened numerous times in a row going in reverse and forward and we were able to get two videos. After we got the car parked in the garage we tried to open the back hatch to get the groceries out and we were unable to do so manually or with the key fob. At that time, we then noticed that the entire electrical system was down. I then sat in the front seat, tried to turn the car on and it was completely unresponsive. A few seconds later, we were able to open the back hatch along with turning the car on. At this point, we decided to have the car towed in as opposed to driving it in to have it looked at. We have videos of the issue as it happens. But cannot upload to your site
Engine, May 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently decelerated. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a knock sensor failure. The contact was informed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,196.
Engine, May 11, 2024
I was driving home last week when I came across a large crash on the highway. Traffic was backed up for a mile. I decided to turn around through one of those crossovers and head a different way home. I accelerated to catch up to the oncoming traffic when my car suddenly sounded more loud like it was struggling to accelerate. I got onto the off ramp and my car slowed from 70mph to 40mph and would not go any faster. It began lurching and I decided to try to get off the highway and get as close to home as I could as it was 9pm. My car slowed to a stop and the oil light and engine light and battery light came on. A few moments later the whole dashboard lit up and the car died. I popped the hood and to my horror there was literally no oil in my car. My oil light never came on and my oil change service notice never came on at any point. I took it to a dealership where they told me my engine has blown and needs replacing. This engine experienced the same issues as listed in the lawsuit earlier this year, only my 2.4L was not included as an affected model. This car only has 88,000 miles on it and has had at least 9-12 oil changes. My car was working normally until it shut down, no warning, no lights, and no other issues this entire time I’ve had it. I was broken down on a country road in the middle of the night with no phone service. Hyundai claims my car was not one of the engines affected by the recall or lawsuit, yet my car did exactly what others stated happened to theirs.
Other or unspecified, Apr 7, 2024, fire
In May of 2023, my house burnt down. We were in it at the time when the smoke detector went off. When I opened the door from to kitchen to the garage, I saw flames shooting up at the front of my car. The fire was so intense at that moment, I knew all we could do was flee the house. I grabbed my wife and we ran out the front door. You do not have a recall listed for my vehicle, but Hyundai lists two. The first one listed can potentially cause a fire. Both recall maintenance was performed on my car. I sincerely believe that the car was the cause of the fire. Since it had been sitting in my garage for approximately four hours, the engine wasn't hot. I had it regularly serviced at the local Hyundai dealership. There were multiple fire investigators, including one from Hyundai. Here is the recall information. Recall 195Recall2016-2021 TUCSON (TL) ABS FUSE KIT INSTALLATION AND SOFTWARE UPDATEDec 21, 2020 Service Campaign 966ServiceCAMP 966 - ENGINE MONITORING LOGIC - VARIOUS MODELSMay 23, 2022
Other or unspecified, Mar 24, 2024
unknown cause for internal malfunction of the catalytic converter. Hyundai did have prior issues in 2019 with the publication of a technical service bulletin
Engine, Mar 8, 2024
The "check engine" light has come on at least three (3) times. The first time, the car went into slow down mode. We stopped at a mechanic, who reset the computer so that we could drive it. We then had it towed to our mechanic, who told us about the problems these Hyundai engines are having. He told us that engine replacement was inevitable. It happened two (2) more times. This time, we had it towed to a Hyundai dealer. The first time, they kept the car for two weeks, only to tell us that they could not "replicate the problem". We opened a file with Hyundai USA [Hyundai Case Management #: [XXX]. It happened again. Same message: "Could not replicate the problem." The blogs are full of horror stories about the engines failing during high speed travel. [XXX] The Virginia Lemon Law does not apply until at least three (3) attempts have been made to repair it at a Hyundai authorized service provider. Our only options appear to be suing Hyundai, or continuing to drive it, running the risk of an engine failure/shutdown at high speed, or trying to sell it to CarMax with a known safety issue. The attached documents show when the incidents occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Structure, Mar 7, 2024
Paint peeling and chips easily.
Other or unspecified, Mar 5, 2024
Problem with Engine , not holding OIL. Also, I have had 2 catalytic converters replaced within one year. Dealer is telling me my warranty expires at 80,000 instead of 100,000. Last, tail light electrical issue.
Engine, Feb 14, 2024
I turned on a road that the speed limit is posted 55mph and I accelerated up to about 50 and suddenly my speed dropped back to about 10mph and the car began shaking and the engine light was flashing. There was absolutely no warning at all. I had left my house about 15 minutes prior and everything was fine while I was driving up until then. My engine failed. If I had entered an busy highway I would have most likely caused a Major Accident and been killed and/or killed others. It happened around 5:00 A.M. in the dark which was bad enough as I was alone on my way to work. I had it towed to the Dealership and they replaced the knock sensor and assured me that the car was perfectly safe now. But on Dec. 1,2022 I was driving on a 35 mph road and the car did exactly the same thing and I had to be towed again.This time after much arguing the engine was condemned and replaced.
Engine, Feb 10, 2024
The oil is burning up so fast. Every oil change that is within the mileage limits they tell me my car is bone dry. If the oil in my car runs out my car engine can blow up or it can stop working. The only way it has been reproduced is that every oil change for 2 years now they have told me it’s bone dry. It has not been inspected by manufacturer. They told me it would cost about $400 for them to even just check it out. There are no warning lights at all.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 10, 2024
Jan '22 - Reported check engine light had begun to turn off and back on when gas tank was low. Feb '22 At 19k miles catalytic convertor reported failed for code (P0420), 3 way catalyst, upper and lower gaskets, and manifold all needed to be replaced - took 4 days Aug'23 called to request service for check engine light because it was coming off and on over periods of time. Scheduled for Sep'23 Sep '23 service reports new cat quoted for code P0420, I was not verbally informed by service advisor. 16 Nov '23 driving home and car starts to shake and is slow to accelerate, check engine light started to flash, car enters limp mode, could not drive safely on highway and waited hours for a tow. Codes P0420(cat convertor), P1326 (Knock sensor) 25 Nov '23 picked up car, had catalytic convertor, manifold gasket, knock sensor replaced. Drove 27 miles and car check engine light begins flashing again (P1326) on freeway while merging. Car hesitates, starts to slow, had to merge over to shoulder from far left lane as car had no acceleration. I felt unsafe to exit vehicle being 9 months pregnant. Waited 2 hours for tow back to service dept the same day I picked up vehicle. 8 Feb '24- picked up car from service department. They performed engine combustion chamber cleaning and reported excessive cylinder wall scoring. Service advisor feels confident this fixed the problem. I feel unsafe driving a car that has left me stranded multiple times on busy highways and freeways, especially with children. The manufacturer keeps replacing parts and cannot seem to diagnose issue, they keep repairing problems caused by a major issue that has not been diagnosed.
Air bags, Jan 30, 2024, crash
I was involved in a motor vehicle accident on January 14, 2024. My vehicle was struck head on, left driver side. The airbag did not deploy. I sprain my shoulder, fractured my chest rib, and have a knee contusion. My insurance company deemed my vehicle a total loss. I contacted Hyundai and they advised that because I did not currently have vehicle in my possession, they could not inspect it. I gave Hyundai the contact information to view the vehicle and they refused, stating they do not get involved with insurance company. My vehicle has not been inspected and my insurance claims representative is awaiting a call from Hyundai, to view vehicle at storage location. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms stating that the vehicle had an issue prior to the accident. My vehicle had a successful all points system check in May 2023, at a Hyundai dealership.
Engine, Dec 9, 2023
While driving down the interstate to go back to my college, I noticed a cloud of white smoke coming out of my exhaust. Seconds later, I no longer could accelerate and white smoke was also coming out of the engine. There were no lights on my dash at this point or at any point before this day. I quickly tried to get off of the road when I noticed my car was no longer going. I managed to get to the side of the road where finally my engine and oil light came on. I waited 2.5 hours for a tow truck on the side of the interstate, where I was barely off of the road. It was taken to the dealership where I bought it (since the car only has 32k miles on it) for a "hole in the engine" which is what I was originally told by the service department. Two days later, I received a phone call that there actually was no hole in my motor, and that the drain oil plug disappeared from my engine while driving, causing all of the oil to spill out of my engine that day on the interstate. Despite getting an oil change only 1500 miles ago from this exact dealer, they stated that the plug would have fallen out immediately after their service if it was placed back incorrectly. Hyundai stated this is now an "owner's problem" and that I was to call my insurance company to get an estimate from them because the dealership would not cover it since it was no longer a warranty issue. I called my insurance company who then got pictures from the dealer of the engine and a video. They then called me stating this type of damage is not covered under my policy, and that they would not pay for it. So here I am, stuck with Hyundai refusing to pay for a damaged engine even though the oil drain plug fell out, which inherently caused the damage, and despite having a 10 year/100k mile warranty on the motor. I found out there is an open investigation through the NHTSA about this exact issue and was hoping to receive clarity on what I can do.
Electrical system, Sep 28, 2023
NHTSA should have a non-official recall warning for Hyundai vehicles that have this software based Safety Defect, which is some models don't have a Passive Engine Immobilizer, and the vehicles can be easily stolen by starting the engine with a USB cord. Thankfully Hyundai(recall) offered a free Anti Theft Software Update, and a steering wheel lock. I checked my VIN number with the Hyundai Dealership in Oregon, and they said my car already received the Anti Theft Software Update. The only reason I knew my 2020 Tucson had this issue, is because State Farm cancelled my insurance a month after I started paying for it. State Farm and Progressive currently deny new policies for vehicles without a Passive Engine Immobilizer. Also State Farm still denied my insurance after I got the software update. Affected Hyundai models from 2011 to 2021 that have standard “turn-key-to-start” ignition systems/without a Passive Engine Immobilizer, are the Accent, Elantra, Santa Fe, Sonata, Tucson, Genesis Coupe, Palisade, Kona, Venue.
Air bags, Sep 17, 2023
Since earlier in year, continue to get airbag warning light. Stays on for few minutes then goes out. So today checking NHTSA website to confirm if a recall has been issued. As of this date 9/17/23… no information available. So not sure if there is a problem or why the light continues to come on and then off?
Electrical system, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 8, 2023
Warning lights for Lane keeping, Blind Spot, ABS, Autohold, Foward collision systems came on and will not reset. Reports of this all over hyundai forums and owner fan pages (Facebook, etc). It can fool the driver into believing the car is about to be in an accident prompting panic response in drivers.
Engine, Apr 27, 2023
Traveling on the highway and the engine decelerated, oil pressure light came on briefly and then went off. The engine light went on. Was not able to accelerate past 50 mph. The car was hesitating and shaking. Had to change lanes and drive a distance to get to safe place. Engine starting knocking and got worse the longer it was driven. Was a safety risk as unable to go any faster than 50 miles per hour and hard to steer with car shaking. Car has 79,384 miles on it. Dealership states engine failure and that engine needs to be replaced. Car had burned up almost all the oil that had been replaced two months prior. Hyundai currently has a recall for this exact problem with their 2017 Tucson’s