NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
1,617 reportsMileage unknown · Apr 17, 2022
Latches/locks/linkages
The rear doors on both driver and passenger side will not open. They will not open from the outside or inside. This is a safety concern since I have children in car seats. I am not able to secure my children in their seats. My children are not able to exit my vehicle safely. If I were to be in a collision, first responders would…
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The rear doors on both driver and passenger side will not open. They will not open from the outside or inside. This is a safety concern since I have children in car seats. I am not able to secure my children in their seats. My children are not able to exit my vehicle safely. If I were to be in a collision, first responders would not have access to my children. This is not the first Hyundai Tucson to have this problem as from further research, hundreds or owners have complained of this exact problem. Someone should be held responsible and accountable.
NHTSA ODI #11461043
59,000 miles · Apr 14, 2022
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while coming to a stop at approximately 2 MPH at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled forward, failing to come to a complete stop, and collided with the rear bumper of the vehicle in front. The contact stated that the "four-way braking" warning light and another unknown l…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while coming to a stop at approximately 2 MPH at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled forward, failing to come to a complete stop, and collided with the rear bumper of the vehicle in front. The contact stated that the "four-way braking" warning light and another unknown light were illuminated. The contact stated that there was damage to the rear bumper of the vehicle in front. The police were called but no report was written and there were no injuries. The contact had driven the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an issue with the ABS related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V543000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and needed to be taken to a manufacturer dealer for repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
NHTSA ODI #11460785
92,976 miles · Apr 7, 2022
Engine
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil level warning light was flickering. The contact stopped and checked the oil level and continued to drive. While driving, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the engine seized. The vehicle was towe…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil level warning light was flickering. The contact stopped and checked the oil level and continued to drive. While driving, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 92,976.
NHTSA ODI #11460044
55,000 miles · Apr 7, 2022
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the brake pedal made an abnormally loud grinding sound while depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic the next day. The independent mechanic diagn…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the brake pedal made an abnormally loud grinding sound while depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic the next day. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle rear brakes had failed; and both the rear brakes and rotors were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
NHTSA ODI #11459998
Mileage unknown · Apr 4, 2022
Latches/locks/linkages
Multiple door latches failing all within the past 6 months, UNABLE to open from inside or outside. Rear doors both failed within weeks of each other. Front driver's side door is now beginning to stick, which is how the other failing doors began to initially fail. If you Google this issue, you will see it is a common problem for …
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Multiple door latches failing all within the past 6 months, UNABLE to open from inside or outside. Rear doors both failed within weeks of each other. Front driver's side door is now beginning to stick, which is how the other failing doors began to initially fail. If you Google this issue, you will see it is a common problem for 2016 Hyundai Tucson model. This is a critical issue as all door latch assemblies are failing at the same time on my vehicle, which will make it nearly inoperable, as well as a safety issue if I or my 3 children are unable to enter or exit the vehicle. I took the vehicle to a local ASE certified repair shop and they stated that the cables inside the latch assembly become stretched or compromised. They were able to perform a temporary fix, but they said in order to completely fix the issue, the entire latch assembly needs replaced. The temporary fix did not even last for 3 days and cost me $300. Cost for the assembly part alone for one door is approximately $200. If you add that to labor, I will be spending nearly $1,600 to replace all 4 door latch assemblies. This should not be the consumer's responsibility as it is an ongoing issue for this make and model year. I have submitted a complaint for recall directly to Hyundai US, but this is a critical issue, and something needs to be done immediately!
NHTSA ODI #11459599
85,000 miles · Mar 31, 2022
EnginePower Train
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to merge into traffic, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was t…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to merge into traffic, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
NHTSA ODI #11459129
80,000 miles · Mar 29, 2022
Latches/locks/linkages
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she attempted to open the front passenger's side door using the driver's side power door lock switch however, the door failed to unlock. The contact engaged the front passenger's side door lock switch but the door failed to unlock. The conta…
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The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she attempted to open the front passenger's side door using the driver's side power door lock switch however, the door failed to unlock. The contact engaged the front passenger's side door lock switch but the door failed to unlock. The contact also stated that the door would not unlock from the outside. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to manipulate the door switches until the front passenger's side door unlocked. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA ODI #11458881
Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2022
Structure
Rear passenger door will not open from inside or outside when clearly unlocked. Safety concern if must exit vehicle quickly in case of emergency.
NHTSA ODI #11458794
Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2022
Unknown Or Other
While exiting from interstate the car lights all went out and the car stopped and nothing would work. After a little time the car started and warning lights were on dash. I drove home and then the light would not shut off and I had to manually go turn them off. The new morning the car started and no warning lights were on. Now t…
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While exiting from interstate the car lights all went out and the car stopped and nothing would work. After a little time the car started and warning lights were on dash. I drove home and then the light would not shut off and I had to manually go turn them off. The new morning the car started and no warning lights were on. Now the radio turns off on it on and the cruse control is not setting. Also the drivers side window stops in when going up.
NHTSA ODI #11457606
Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2022
Engine
Traveling with my family my vehicle just completely gave out at high speeds on the highway. I managed to safely navigate to the shoulder and wait in the freezing cold for a tow. Initially I was told the issue was due to lack of maintenance but upon further investigation it was uncovered that this was an unaddressed recall issue.…
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Traveling with my family my vehicle just completely gave out at high speeds on the highway. I managed to safely navigate to the shoulder and wait in the freezing cold for a tow. Initially I was told the issue was due to lack of maintenance but upon further investigation it was uncovered that this was an unaddressed recall issue. The engine threw a rod bearing and caused damage to the rod, engine, battery, and spark plugs causing all to be replaced. There were no indications of what was about to happen prior to it happening. Thank God there weren’t more people on the road or that we weren’t in a different area.
NHTSA ODI #11457215
Official recalls
5Sep 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: 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.
Nov 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Trailer Hitches
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."
Consequence: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Electrical System:wiring
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."
Consequence: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:software
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.
Consequence: Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Consequence: Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
May 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Mar 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure to illuminate the trailer's turn signal lights would prevent the communication of the driver's intent, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.