Home · 2011 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints

What 124 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (124)Crash / fire / injury (8)Engine (40)Brakes (33)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Electrical system (12)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (9)Engine & cooling (5)Suspension (5)Body & structure (4)Speed control (4)Tires (4)

4 of 124 complaints match · Body & structure · clear filters

Apr 7, 2025BrakesSeatsBody & structure

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that upon his daughter attempting to enter the vehicle through the front driver’s side door, the door failed to open. The contact stated that his daughter opened the front passenger’s side door and there was black smoke coming from inside the vehicle. The contact’s daughter discovered that the front driver’s side seat, driver’s side door panel, and headliner was burned. The contact stated that the Fire Department was not called to the scene. There was no one injured. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was notified of the failure and a tow truck was sent to the residence. While the vehicle was in the dealer's possession, the failure was acknowledged, but the dealer stated that the damages would not be covered for free. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle as not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11653195

Nov 6, 2023SuspensionBody & structure

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that there was an unknown abnormal sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent tire center, where the subframe was found to be rotted. The mechanic informed the contact that there was a hairline crack and that the tire could fold up if the vehicle was driven over a bump. The rear tire was sticking out due to the ball joint. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11553804

Jan 31, 2021SuspensionBody & structure

ON OCTOBER 17, 2019, I DROPPED OFF MY 2011 HYUNDAI TUCSON AT KOON'S WOODBRIDGE HYUNDAI TO HAVE THE UNDERBODY CORR. PREVENT. SVC. 17-01-039 ' 945 - FIXED. THE DEALER HAS NOW HAD MY VEHICLE FOR OVER THREE MONTHS AND IS NOW REFUSING TO INSTALL THE REPLACEMENT SUBFRAME (COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) UNLESS I PAY THEM $1500 FOR REPAIRS RELATED TO THE RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11390927

May 23, 2019Body & structureBrakesEngineCrash2 injuries

HIGHWAY, BRIDGE, FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANTLY FAR BACK. CAR STOPS AHEAD AND I BRAKE IN PLENTY OF TIME (MY SON WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND CAN ATTEST TO THAT). CAR BRAKES BUT VERY SLOWLY, NOT IN TIME SO WE HIT THE STATIONARY CAR AND THEN WE WERE HIT MUCH HARDER FROM BEHIND. AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SMOKE WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO THE AIR BAGS BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW ANY BETTER. VERY SCARED, I SCREAMED FOR THE KIDS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. SMOKE WAS GONE BY THE TIME POLICE ARRIVED. WE WERE OK, MY SON AND I HAD SORE RIBS AND WHILE TALKING WITH POLICE MY LEFT HAND WAS BURNING FROM SOMETHING. NOTHING WAS VISIBLE SO I SAW KNOW POINT IN TELLING ANYONE. IT LEFT A RASH AND WITHIN TIME IT PEELED AND NOW IS BACK TO NORMAL. A FEW DAYS LATER, HAD SOME HEADACHES. WENT TO THE ATHLETIC TRAINER AT OUR SCHOOL (I AM A TEACHER) AND WAS PUT ON CONCUSSION PROTOCOL. CAR WAS TOTALED. THE FRONT LOOKED LIKE AN ACCORDION AS WE WERE PUSHED SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT BY THE CAR WHO HIT US FROM BEHIND. I WAS SO RELIEVED THAT EVERYONE WAS OK THAT I REALLY DID NOT THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL RECALL NOTICE CAME FOR THE CAR WHICH OF COURSE WAS ALREADY GONE. ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH "OIL LEAKS AND POSSIBLE SPONTANEOUS FIRES, INCREASING RISK FOR ACCIDENT" IS THE WORDING ON THE RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11209489

Working with the data? Download all 124 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid verdict →