The check engine light became flashing and the vehicle went into limp mode while occupied by two adults and one minor child as they were merging to access the freeway
2020 Hyundai Tucson
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Tucson do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 180.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tucson years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 31 of 176 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
71 reportsI went to Thompson Automotive to finance a vehicle and within a month and half my engine blew. There were no engine lights, no lost of oil, no warning, no signs of any error, before this series of malfunctions took affect. I was on my way to the dealership and my car being slowing down to a complete stop as I was getting off t…
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I went to Thompson Automotive to finance a vehicle and within a month and half my engine blew. There were no engine lights, no lost of oil, no warning, no signs of any error, before this series of malfunctions took affect. I was on my way to the dealership and my car being slowing down to a complete stop as I was getting off the highway ramp. I was traveling at the speed of 25mph, when the car started to make loud noises that I never heard before that day, and completely shut down in front of a huge tractor trailer in traffic. The dealership has had my car since 6/7/24. Now the car has about 85,000 miles on it. I have to pay another $3,000 for my portion to get a new engine. Which is outrageous considering I just agreed to pay $19,990. I am highly disappointed that I lost my job and everything behind this horrific situation that actually feels like a set from the beginning. Now that I’m reading all the comments and unfortunate but very similar situation everyone is suffering from with the particular car. I can’t fathom why it’s still on the market to be purchase for consumers with these major and potentially deadly problems.
I was driving 45mph on a major road when, the vehicle with out warning lost power, I heard rattling, lost power. I turned it back on by the power button, drove into gas station where the check engine light flashed, oil light flickered and didn't turn back on. Car was rattling, turned it off. Got out, checked engine under hood…
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I was driving 45mph on a major road when, the vehicle with out warning lost power, I heard rattling, lost power. I turned it back on by the power button, drove into gas station where the check engine light flashed, oil light flickered and didn't turn back on. Car was rattling, turned it off. Got out, checked engine under hood and components. Dip stick had oil. Car had no signs of anything else. Vehicle would not start, called tow. Waited 5 hours for tow. Did not hear back from Hyundai dealership in a month. Submitted all articles of maintenance. Going on two months and was told to resubmit. Three months prior, engine over heated due to original hose component coupler piece melting.
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.
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 bet…
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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.
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 …
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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.
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 d…
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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.
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…
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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)
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…
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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.
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 g…
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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.
Official recalls
120V543000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
Sep 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.
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
1AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires
Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.
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