IllustrationDriving vehicle, engine started knocking, noises got louder, engine stalled, caused 360 in the highway, was able to come to a stop on side of road. Inspected by mechanic, noted as engine failure, if vehicle would not have been stopped, would have caused fire in engine.
2013 Hyundai Tucson
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2013 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
180–25K
1825–50K
3550–75K
4075–100K
37100–150K
11150K+
159 reports with mileage · 107 unknown
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 156 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports18 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
266 reportsDriving on the highway at approximately 65 mph. Suddenly heard a knocking sound from the engine. Accelerator lost any power and could not drive. Check engine light, oil light came on. Had to pull off the side of major interstate without any forward power.
I was driving on I-15 in a 80 MPH road in holiday traffic, when suddenly my engine just shut off. I was lucky to squeeze through 2 diesels and onto the shoulder. I only had about 1 foot between my vehicle and passing vehicles. I had my daughter in the car and we were lucky to not have been in a major accident. I tried to restar…
Read full complaint
I was driving on I-15 in a 80 MPH road in holiday traffic, when suddenly my engine just shut off. I was lucky to squeeze through 2 diesels and onto the shoulder. I only had about 1 foot between my vehicle and passing vehicles. I had my daughter in the car and we were lucky to not have been in a major accident. I tried to restart the Tuscon and it shook and made a horrible banging / pounding sound but didnt turn over. It was towed to Goodyear in Cedar City. They stated it was an engine failure. I contacted Hyundai and they told me I had to get it to a Hyundai dealership. It was towed to Findlay Hyundai in St. George Utah where they confirmed the engine had failed. It only has 106K miles. There was no warning, no indication of issues. I had kept up on maintenance and never had any issues with the vehicle during my time owning it. I am not being compensated in any way. I had someone else pick us up and continued home. I do not have any documentation from the dealership or Goodyear since I was on my way home from vacation.
Recall 181 - failure to complete repairs (defective oil pan seal/switch) as requested by owners, that resulted in a catastrophic, high speed stall, loss of control and engine failure. On Mon May 17, 2021 at 4pm EST our 23 year old daughter and 3 of her college graduate girlfriends were driving from Atlanta to Charleston, SC (65…
Read full complaint
Recall 181 - failure to complete repairs (defective oil pan seal/switch) as requested by owners, that resulted in a catastrophic, high speed stall, loss of control and engine failure. On Mon May 17, 2021 at 4pm EST our 23 year old daughter and 3 of her college graduate girlfriends were driving from Atlanta to Charleston, SC (65-70 mph) on Hwy I-26 when suddenly & without warning her 2013 Hyundai Tucson engine started knocking, smoking and ultimately exploded throwing a piston through the engine block creating a huge hole and completely seizing up. She couldn't see due to the intense smoke, lost control of the car but thankfully was able to steer it to the roadside. As the girls struggled to get out they saw fire underneath the car and highway shoulder. They called 911. By the time the fire dept arrived, the fire had diminished but not before terrifying the 4 girls that the gas tank might explode. Our daughter & friends were completely frantic stranded on the side of a major hwy. After approx 1 1/2 hours, a County Sheriff drove by and stopped to assist. He took them to the next exit to wait for the tow truck. The vehicle was towed to Hyundai of North Charleston and inspected discovering a large gaping hole in the engine block. We had to pay $599 to have the car shipped back to Atlanta on Mon May 25th. On Thurs May 27, 2021, we went to Rick Case Hyundai in Roswell, GA and met with the GM. It was his service center involved in our attempts on Jan 6, 2021 to get the car repaired as per Hyundai Recall 181 instructions. We were told their was a national shortage of parts, received only an oil change and left driving a totally unsafe car which ultimately could have resulted in serious injuries or even loss of life to 4 young women. The dealership should not have allowed the car to be driven and a loaner car provided until repairs completed. The 2013 Tucson is available for inspection upon request as it is a nonrunning, engine completely totaled, vehicle.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM DINNER ON MAY 1, 2021 ON US HIGHWAY 75 TRAVELING NORTH MY CHECK OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN MOMENTS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON , ALL LIGHTS WERE FLASHING IN MY DASHBOARD I PULLED OVER AND WITHIN SECONDS MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I ESCAPED WITH MY LIFE!
BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE AT TIME. CALIPER WAS LEAKING AND CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. REAR DRIVER'S SIDE CALIPER REPLACED. BRAKES STILL HAVING PRESSURING ISSUE WITH THE PEDAL. TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WERE IT IS DEEMED THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDS REPLACED. SUV HAS 65,000 MILES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE BY AAA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. TH…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE BY AAA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED AN UNKNOWN RECALL AS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,563.
I WAS DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED OF 55 MPH AND EXPERIENCED A HIGH-SPEED STALL ON MY 2013 HYUNDAI TUSCON. I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND AND THEN ALL MY LIGHTS CAME ON (OIL,ENGINE,ETC.). I WAS SO SCARED AND MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER SAFELY. THANK GOD. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT IT WOULDN'T START. I ALSO, SAW SMOKE SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS…
Read full complaint
I WAS DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED OF 55 MPH AND EXPERIENCED A HIGH-SPEED STALL ON MY 2013 HYUNDAI TUSCON. I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND AND THEN ALL MY LIGHTS CAME ON (OIL,ENGINE,ETC.). I WAS SO SCARED AND MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER SAFELY. THANK GOD. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT IT WOULDN'T START. I ALSO, SAW SMOKE SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SO I WAS STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND THEY TOWED ME TO THE MECHANICS SHOP IN MY TOWN. THE MECHANIC STATED TO ME THAT THERE IS OIL LEAKING UNDERNEATH AND THAT MY ENGINE IS SHOT! I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN VERY CARE OF MY VEHICLE, I STILL HAVE TWO YEARS OF CAR PAYMENTS ON IT! HE SAID IT LOOKS LIKE A ROD BROKE AND THERE IS A HOLE IN MY ENGINE! ALSO, SOME KIND OF METAL DEBRIS IN MY OIL. SO GLAD I AM SAFE AND MY 9 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS SAFE. I AM SO UPSET. VERY SCARY SITUATION. STAY SAFE WITH THESE VEHICLES EVERYONE. NOT GOOD...
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE. ONLY OPENS FROM INSIDE
ENGINE STARTED MAKING LOTS OF BLUE SMOKE AND STRANGE NOISE. NO WARNING LIGHT. TOOK TO MECHANIC SHOP WHO SAID THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO HYUNDAI RECALL. TOOK TO DEALER ON FRI 3/12/2021 WHO BOOKED IT IN. GOING FOR SHORT TRIP TO SHOPS ON SAT 3/13 LOTS OF BLUE SMOKE, ENGINE SHUDDER AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - TOOK VEHICLE STRAIGHT HOM…
Read full complaint
ENGINE STARTED MAKING LOTS OF BLUE SMOKE AND STRANGE NOISE. NO WARNING LIGHT. TOOK TO MECHANIC SHOP WHO SAID THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO HYUNDAI RECALL. TOOK TO DEALER ON FRI 3/12/2021 WHO BOOKED IT IN. GOING FOR SHORT TRIP TO SHOPS ON SAT 3/13 LOTS OF BLUE SMOKE, ENGINE SHUDDER AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - TOOK VEHICLE STRAIGHT HOME.
Official recalls
323V651000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
Sep 22, 2023
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
19V063000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Feb 5, 2019
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Tucson vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai has notified owners, and dealers will inspect for an oil pan leak, replacing it if necessary, and install an updated oil pressure switch, free of charge. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 181.
14V245000 · Air Bags
May 13, 2014
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured January 3, 2011, through December 23, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the air bag assembly installed in the steering wheel may come loose from its mounting.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag assembly that is not properly mounted may result in an increased risk of injury to the driver in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts that secure the driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 118.
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
2AQ23002 · 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.
DP22003 · 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.