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2016 Hyundai Tucson

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Tucson years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson are substantially higher than the model-year median of 180.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

832 reports with mileage · 785 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 516 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 423 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 227 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

14 crash reports24 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

1,617 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2021
Latches/locks/linkages

The locks in the doors do not alway unlock and sometimes stick. When in a accident or and emergency I won’t be able to get my kids out of the back seat due to the doors not always wanting to open. The front door does not open till the third pull at times. The back doors take a good 15 hard pulls for the lock to open. It shows un…

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The locks in the doors do not alway unlock and sometimes stick. When in a accident or and emergency I won’t be able to get my kids out of the back seat due to the doors not always wanting to open. The front door does not open till the third pull at times. The back doors take a good 15 hard pulls for the lock to open. It shows unlocked inside while not opening from the outside or inside. You just get lucky to it finally opening sometimes.

NHTSA ODI #11436738

Mileage unknown · Oct 8, 2021
Structure

Our rear driver side door does not open from both inside and outside. I have seen that this is an extremely common issue with other Hyundai owners. I have three small children. This is extremely dangerous if there was ever an emergency situation, to have small children trapped back seats, unable to open the doors. I have read t…

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Our rear driver side door does not open from both inside and outside. I have seen that this is an extremely common issue with other Hyundai owners. I have three small children. This is extremely dangerous if there was ever an emergency situation, to have small children trapped back seats, unable to open the doors. I have read that other doors eventually fail too, which just compounds the extreme danger that this poses if an emergency comes up and one has to evacuate the vehicle. The issue seems to always be the door latch and cable not catching, so there is a consistency in what other people are experiencing. Please consider this an extreme safety issue and issue a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11436074

Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2021
Seat Belts

Since purchasing this car brand new I have had 3 different seat belt pretensioner failures all covered under warranty. Both front seat belt pretensioners and driver side belt anchor pretensioner. This is on a car with approximately 52000 miles and in excellent condition. In each case the airbag light came on. I am seriously won…

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Since purchasing this car brand new I have had 3 different seat belt pretensioner failures all covered under warranty. Both front seat belt pretensioners and driver side belt anchor pretensioner. This is on a car with approximately 52000 miles and in excellent condition. In each case the airbag light came on. I am seriously wondering if there is a serious safety issue with these components.

NHTSA ODI #11435960

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2021
EnginePower Train

Reduced engine power that caused car to suddenly stall. Check engine light and engine oil pressure light both came on. Auto shop is stating a new engine is required. Similar recall have been issued in other Hyundai Tucson

NHTSA ODI #11435229

Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2021
EnginePower Train

Engine Burns excessive oil, We change our oil every 3k miles since owning it sept 2019. I had taken it to the dealer for a repair on a separate issue and asked them to look at the engine and transmission due to noise and intermittent issues taking off. was told there was no issue and i did not need an oil change until I reach 5 …

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Engine Burns excessive oil, We change our oil every 3k miles since owning it sept 2019. I had taken it to the dealer for a repair on a separate issue and asked them to look at the engine and transmission due to noise and intermittent issues taking off. was told there was no issue and i did not need an oil change until I reach 5 k miles ( i was at 3k) and that the transmission has had the update and this is how the car operates noise and all, a week and a half later engine stalled while turning through a light at an intersection and the oil light came onfor a split second then off, no oil lights ever indicated low oil until that moment, I checked the oil and it was dry, I did an oil change, next time I reached 3k miles I took it to a shop, not the dealer and oil was dry at 3k miles, have had to refill the oil at 1500 miles since finding this out and have made multiple complaints to the dealer, they will not inspect it for what is a widely known issue unless i pay the money to do an oil consumption test that i cannot afford i have made numerous calls and have been unable to reach corporate after my first contact and delaer will not assist due to me being out of warranty even though this could have been prevented while i was in warranty and informed them i was having concerns, this company is aware of the issues these cars have and is knowing selling them when they can cause injury or death, as well none of my door handles will open the car upon first try(though this part is now under an extended warranty due to this issue) this company is knownly selling and doing everything not to recall dangerous vehicles

NHTSA ODI #11435178

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

I'm mid may-end of may I took it in to Fort mill Hyundai the first time because it was starting to crank hard, sounded funny and my dashboard lights would come on saying I needed oil and there was an engine issue. When I idled too long the car would just die, I'd have to shift into park actually turn the car off and let it sit 1…

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I'm mid may-end of may I took it in to Fort mill Hyundai the first time because it was starting to crank hard, sounded funny and my dashboard lights would come on saying I needed oil and there was an engine issue. When I idled too long the car would just die, I'd have to shift into park actually turn the car off and let it sit 1-3 mins turn it back on and all the lights would be off and it would drive like it did before it died, loud. They did testing on it and said these repairs (crankshaft sensor, spark plugs and I think an oil change) should fix it. This was less than a month after my previous oil change. Got the car back 3-4 days later and it sounded better but I still felt like it didn't drive and smooth as it should. 2-3 weeks goes by and my oil light again comes on only with sharp turns. The car over the next couple of days would do the loud cranking noise, didn't drive well over 60 and the engine light came on and gauges would go down but would be fine again once the car was turned off for a couple min like 5 . I set up an appt to hVe them look it over again because of the lights coming back on. Not even 2 days later twice going to and from work it completely died out on me (like the first time) but this time it would turn over once it was out in park and turned off correctly. First time I was in the middle of traffic at a red light waited 10 mins multiple times trying to turn the car on to move to the side and it wouldn't. I let it sit for 5 mins without trying to turn it on and it started the gauges didn't work and it was VERY loud stuck in like first gear wouldn't go above 20 mph. Pulled into a neighborhood turned it off to let it cool off again thinking it was over heating. It would crank but again lights still all on and the gear gauge didn't work (down at 0 liek the car was off). I waiting like 20 mins it still had the lights on but the gauges worked, when I tried to drive home it wouldn't go about 45mph or out of 2nd gear.

NHTSA ODI #11435065

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2021
Engine

My Hyundai Tuscon is currently at 104,552 miles with a dead engine. I also have had to bring my car in for oil changes at 2000 miles instead of 3000, because it started eating through oil fast. The morning of my last oil change, 8/17, my engine started making loud clunking noise. After the oil change, on the way home to call …

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My Hyundai Tuscon is currently at 104,552 miles with a dead engine. I also have had to bring my car in for oil changes at 2000 miles instead of 3000, because it started eating through oil fast. The morning of my last oil change, 8/17, my engine started making loud clunking noise. After the oil change, on the way home to call my dealer, Key Hyundai of Milford, my engine shut off while in Drive on a busy street and started smoking. Luckily, I was able to move to the small shoulder and put my hazards on and force the car into park to wait for a tow. If I was not at a safe place to force my car into park the day it died, I could have been seriously injured. No engine lights or any warning lights went on on the dash at all. I had it towed to my auto shop and they said it was leaking oil all over the place, not anywhere an oil changer could access, and could not get it started. They suggested it was a faulty engine and to call Hyundai Corporate, start a case and get it fixed because at just over 100,000 miles it was still considered a young car. I bought this car at 82,000 miles used and was given no warranty on the engine. Hyundai Corporate would only open a case if I had it towed to a Hyundai dealer, and had to fight to get them to tow it themselves to Meriden Hyundai, where it currently sits. This engine failure and the problems leading up to it match exactly that of the large class action suit that is currently going on with Hyundai/Nissan/Kia motors, yet my VIN doesn't match any recalls. Back in March, I had a check engine light that lead to me paying out of pocket for a misfiring cylinder and having to replace the ignition coil and all my spark plugs. I have only had this car since October 2019, and have kept it well maintained. I have been going back and forth with Hyundai Customer Care, and they are sending me in circles and refusing to fix the problem or even attempt to help me solve it.

NHTSA ODI #11435024

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2021
Structure

The rear driver's side door of my door suddenly stopped working. When I was trying to get my baby out of the car, neither my husband nor myself could get to her. We couldn't open her door with the exterior door handle (even after multiple attempts to unlock the car) or the interior door handle. If we find ourselves in an emergen…

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The rear driver's side door of my door suddenly stopped working. When I was trying to get my baby out of the car, neither my husband nor myself could get to her. We couldn't open her door with the exterior door handle (even after multiple attempts to unlock the car) or the interior door handle. If we find ourselves in an emergency situation, we would not be able to safely and efficiently evacuate our child and other passengers. While it has not been inspected, it is available for inspection upon request. There were and still are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Additionally, this seems like a common issue for the Hyundai Tucson as there are many people online talking about this very same issue, with some people unable to open either of their doors.

NHTSA ODI #11434666

68,830 miles · Sep 27, 2021
Latches/locks/linkages

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door failed to open without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,880. The VIN was invalid.

NHTSA ODI #11434518

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2021
Structure

Rear passenger door will not open from inside or outside despite being unlocked. Previously it could be opened after pulling handle several times, now it will not open at all despite being unlocked. I have small children in the back seat in car seats and would not be able to get them out through that door in an emergency. The fr…

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Rear passenger door will not open from inside or outside despite being unlocked. Previously it could be opened after pulling handle several times, now it will not open at all despite being unlocked. I have small children in the back seat in car seats and would not be able to get them out through that door in an emergency. The front driver's door also requires pulling the handle several times in order to open it.

NHTSA ODI #11434498

Official recalls

5

20V543000 · 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.

16V842000 · Electrical System:wiring; Trailer Hitches

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.

16V628000 · Electrical System:software; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

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.

16V348000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch

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.

16V147000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights

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

1

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.

Go deeper into Hyundai Tucson problems