What 216 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

Knock sensor repeatedly puts the car in limp mode. Loss of acceleration is dangerous. Dealer resets sensor and claims can't find anything wrong. This issue is widely reported.

NHTSA ODI 11444663

My engine ceased while driving, leaving me stranded on the road. I had it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer that was supposed to do any warranty repairs. Prior to this, I was needing to replace the oil, about 1 quart per week. I did my routine service maintenance and they tried replacing a seal or gasket but that did not stop the problem from reoccurring. When the car was brought to the dealer, the oil was low but there still was some oil in the engine. My engine light never came on to warn me about any issues. The car was sluggish and sputter which was when I would check the oil and put more oil in. I know there was a lawsuit which was settled with engine problems for the same make, year and model as mine but I have not received any recall notice for engine problems for my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11442269

There are a lot of reports stating that Hyundai doors stop opening and a recall should be done to fix the problem. I had my rear passenger door stop opening from the inside and outside of the vehicle. It is a safety issue in case of an accident and I’m am not able to get into that door to get to my children in the back seat especially if the other door is damaged in the accident or if there is a car fire. Please check into this it is a safety issue and my vehicle only has 67000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11436503

Rear passenger door handle stopped working. Door locks and unlocks but the door won't open. This is a serious safety issue that could lead to entrapment of a passenger. Problem is NOT intermittent and a local mechanic confirmed it. Vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer or anyone else other than my mechanic.

NHTSA ODI 11436293

On date of incident, I had accelerated to enter onto the Major Deegan Expressway in Bronx,NY and made my way into the left lane when I felt the vehicle hesitate a second and downshifted in speed with some of the dashboard lights turning on. I was able to safely get to the emergency shoulder where the vehicle stopped and would not start again thought it had power. I was towed off the highway some hours later. The vehicle was towed to Central Avenue Hyundai in Hartsdale,NY for service on September 7, 2021 under my Hyundai warranty plan. A few days later I was advised by Ryan of the service area that the engine was the problem and needed to be replaced. Currently awaiting approval from warranty for that work to take place.

NHTSA ODI 11435255

Twice in the last nine months (roughly December 14, 2020 at 67,000 miles & 9/7/21 at 84,300 miles) I have been left stranded on the side of the highway due to what two different Hyundai dealerships call "complete engine failure", which requires the replacement of the entire engine. Ultimately, when I asked what a "complete engine failure" entailed, the dealerships both told me there were metal flakes throughout my engine and that the engine had to be replaced. Both times the symptoms were as follows: loss of acceleration and a horrible ticking noise. The gas pedal is pushed to the floor and the car will not move forward. "Pop" or "Knock" and the engine starts smoking. No check engine light. No check oil pressure light. This is all within about 2 minutes. Moving from 65mph to 0 in a matter of 90 seconds without braking, when you have a semi truck behind you is terrifying. You put your hazards on immediately, pull over as soon as possible, and pray that nobody hits you. You try to stop and your brakes don't seem to be doing their job but you are finally able to stop. Once you've pulled over and the car stops smoking, you pop the hood. Immediately you notice the dipstick for the oil is about halfway out of the engine and oil has exploded everywhere under the hood. I purchased the car 14 months ago and so far, four of those months it has been undriveable due to complete engine failure, requiring replacement and fighting with Hyundai to do the right thing and repair it, which they refuse to do. Even when there is an active campaign (Campaign 966) to update the software to trigger a warning light. The campaign was issued 3/30/21 & I just received notification via first class presorted mail to have the software updated on 9/11/21. They say they won't make the repairs because it is out of warranty. I call lies. This is a direct result of failing to notify me in a timely manner to get the software update that would have at least supposedly triggered a warning light.

NHTSA ODI 11434166

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. A few days later the contact was driving to take the vehicle to an independent mechanic when the vehicle loss motive power and stalled. The contact was able to get the vehicle to restart and get the vehicle slowly into a neighborhood where the vehicle stalled again. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11434245

My car Tucson is 2015 model. Since early 2018, RPM has risen while driving, cars have been shaken, and engine check lights have continued to come in. When I went to the car repair shop and checked, my car said it was an engine piston defect. And engine oil also disappears 500 to 1,000 miles after replenishment. So I have to make up for it regularly. I'm very nervous about the car, so I have to turn on the engine before departure and leave after 5 minutes, and I have a lot of inconvenience due to this and that problems. I want to know more about what my car is like and I desperately need your help.

NHTSA ODI 11433124

On April 16, 2021 my husband was driving our 2015 Hyundai Tucson home from work at 10:30pm. Upon entering Interstate 77 S the Tucson suddenly came to a complete stop. He was able to get it off the side of the interstate. There were no dash lights that came on or noises to give warning this was about to happen. We had not had any issues with the vehicle till then. We had the Tucson towed to the car lot where we had purchased it on 12.26.2020. This could have caused accidents that could have harmed not only my husband but others traveling that interstate that night. Other than the mechanics that replaced the engine and an individual from Warranty Solutions no one else inspected the blown engine. We spent $6948.55 for a rebuilt engine and labor. We were without our vehicle from 04.16.2021 until 08.28.2021. Hyundai had a recall on engine components but for some reason ours was NOT included. I strongly feel it should have been. Not only did this failure put my husband in danger but also anyone traveling that interstate that night.

NHTSA ODI 11430917

At 40,000 miles with no warning engine stalled while driving Upon inspection by dealership Bore Scope Scarring on all cyl walls predominate on 1 and 2 rf suspects lower engine issue Oil change records were provided

NHTSA ODI 11427953

Driving down the road and suddenly the check engine light came one and the engine started producing a knocking sound. I called several dealerships and had a couple of them run the VIN, which they said there are no recalls. However one dealer had mentioned that Hyundai vehicles, including Tucsons are starting to come in at astonishing rates with the same problem I have. I called Hyundai USA and they said there have been some known issues with engine failure describing the same problems mine has along with some known to have increased oil consumption, but they do not know why. They even said that sometimes the owners would not know of the increase in oil consumption and it could in turn cause engine fires. Any dealership I have contacted said due to the increase of vehicles brought in with the same problem, they are unable to even look at my vehicle for a month and to repair is possibly several months out.

NHTSA ODI 11426072

I purchased this vehicle after it had been leased. I purchased it with 48K miles in December 2018. I have maintained the vehicle, per the manufacturer's guidelines. In July 2021,at 69K miles, a high-pitched whirring sound came from engine when gas was applied. The noise did not occur when vehicle is in idle. The noise came suddenly when I was accelerating getting on a highway (on ramp). I took to my trusted mechanic immediately and they haven't been able to diagnose the issue at this time. However, they found busted metal pieces in the pan and have ruled out more common issues, like serpentine belt, timing belts, and exhaust. My mechanic was so far into the engine trying to find the clearly broken part (or parts), that it will be more cost effective to just replace the engine. I contacted my local Hyundai dealership, and they ignored my emails (until this point). A safety concern is that the car could still be driven, even though there was clearly something wrong with the engine. There were no warning lights of any kind in the dash, before or after the engine sound came on. Also, a qualified mechanic could not find/replace the broken part, and Hyundai is ignoring my engine issue requests. I also contacted Hyundai USA and am waiting for a response. The vehicle's engine, if defective, is out of warranty because I am second owner. The second owner warranty only lasts to 60K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11425633

Engine failure. I changed car oil and filter every 3,000 miles. A strong noise came from the engine and Pep Boys mechanic say I needs oil. I changed oil ,drove one mile and the car stop.

NHTSA ODI 11425640

I was driving and there was a knocking noise from the engine and loss of power. I opened the hood and noticed a pulley on the belt that looked loose and had the car towed to the dealership. According to them they know this particular engine Theta model has been an issue for fires and engine failure with components breaking internally but no recalls have been addressed for my VIN number even though there are hundreds of thousands of customers with the same issues and only some recalls have been made. Ultimately leaving the customer with the bill. This is a very dangerous situation and reading hundreds of comments on various sites and these incidents happening in other countries as well with this engine, there should be a huge investigation and something being done about this.

NHTSA ODI 11423547

Engine seized, yes available for inspection, no prior warning lamps, messages or symptoms, car just stopped. Fortunately this happened on a backroad and not on interstate 95 between home and school. Manufacture said they would not help, seized engine determined by mechanic, no oil. Car maintained as recommended by manufacturer. I'm now finding out this is a common problem with this make and model, it burns oil and engines seize. Who allows cars to be on the road that seize up!!!

NHTSA ODI 11422294

Vehicle was being driven and was alerted that smoke was emerging from the engine and then a pop was heard, car was pulled to the side and shut off. Opened hood and engine was on fire and wouldnt stop. Bystanders tried helping but fire couldnt be contained and the entire Tucson engulfed in flames. Hyundai claimed no recalls for that model and couldnt help in any way. Vehicle was completly factory with 0 aftermarket modifications. 2015 Hyundai Tucson.

NHTSA ODI 11419653

The vehicle suddenly reduced power on 05/27/2021 while my 82-year old mother was driving home. When I checked the car, the check engine light was blinking. I Immediately took to a service center and noticed the same low power 'limping' performance and a knocking sound (previously unheard). On Friday, 05/28/2021, the service manager provided an update: that they found Diagnostic trouble code p1326 related to engine inspection. Performed oil change. Cleared the diagnostic code. Ran the engine. Could hear an internal knock at higher RPMs. Will need engine replaced or rebuilt. No parts are available to replace or rebuild at this time. They contacted Hyundai with the VIN who said the vehicle was out of warranty (110,000 miles). Drove the vehicle home (two blocks) at low RPMs with no issue. There was no previous indication there was any potential issue with the engine. Maintenance and oil changes have been completed on a regular basis. There were 600+ miles before the next 5,000-mile oil change was due. Drove the car the next morning, Saturday, 05/29/2021, to see about trading the car in at the local Hyundai dealer (5.1 miles away) before the situation got worse and purchase a new vehicle. I was expecting the car would be drivable - at least at lower RPMs. The car immediately began to lose power, the check engine light began blinking and stalled three times in traffic before crawling onto the dealer's lot. They had a mechanic look at the vehicle, said the engine was shot and offered $250 as all they could do was junk it since engine parts were scarce and it would not be cost-effective to replace the engine even though the body was in good shape. I felt I had no choice but to accept as it was now clear the vehicle was unsafe to drive. For the engine to die within about 15 miles of the initial onset without warning and the sudden loss of power, is a dangerous situation is this is waiting to happen to other vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11419039

I was driving down the road when suddenly the car started rattling. The oil light blinked on then off. The engine then made a squealing noise, the battery light came on, and then the engine froze. The accelerator pedal and the steering wheel were stuck. I turned the car off, but it wouldn’t restart. Thankfully, I was on a quiet neighborhood street and not in the middle of a busy highway when this happened. I had it towed to the dealer, who inspected it and stated that I needed to have the entire engine replaced. I then had it towed to another dealer for a second opinion, but they also said the engine needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, since I am not the original owner, Hyundai claims the 100,000 mile powertrain warranty does not apply, even though the car only has 85k miles.

NHTSA ODI 11417871

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, SHE BECAME AWARE THAT THE DRIVER’S SIDE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA ODI 11417514

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM'S REVVED UP HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PERFORM AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 90,200.

NHTSA ODI 11415852

THE VEHICLE LOSSES POWER WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. IT WILL ALSO NOT SHIFT IN GEAR WHEN SUPPOSE TO. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. OUT OF NOWHERE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHEN TRAVELING HOME FROM A TRIP. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT EVEN MAKE IT UP A HILL BECAUSE THE POWER WAS COMPLETELY LOST.

NHTSA ODI 11412997

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH DURING 5:15 RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THERE WAS NO COMBUSTION, BUT THE BATTERY WAS STILL WORKING. WHEN I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THE ENGINE HAD LOST COMPRESSION AND COMBUSTION AND NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THE CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11405861

I HAVE A 2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON, THE OIL BURNS REALLY FAST. I HAVE TO GET AN OIL CHANGE EVERY MONTH OR THE CAR WILL START MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I ONLY HAVE 69000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP AT THIS POINT DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO

NHTSA ODI 11405417

ACCORDING TO AN ATTORNEY MU ENGINE IS A NU ENGINE. AS FAR AS I KNOW NO RECALLS OR LAWSUITS ARE PENDING. CAR WAS DRIVING FINE, LOST ALL POWER TO A VERY SLOW CREEP, MAKING A VERY STRANGE SOUND IN ENGINE, FRIED STARTER AND NOW WON'T WORK AT ALL. EVERYTHING PEOPLE SAY THE THETA II ENGINE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN WE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH THIS CAR...BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. WE HAVE NOTICED EXTRA OIL CONSUMPTION BUT FIGURED DUE TO HIGH MILEAGE. WE HAD A MECHANIC COME OUT AND HE SAID THE THINKS THE ENGINE IS FRIED OR THERE IS SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. THIS ALL DURING COVID, MY HUSBAND IS HIGH RISK WE HAD TO GO BUY ANOTHER CAR AS WE DO NOT HAVE MONEY TO FIX. I NOW HAVE 2 HEFTY CAR PAYMENTS WITH 1 VEHICLE WORKING. I NEED HELP TO KNOW IF THIS ENGINE DISPLAYING ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS WILL TOO BE RECALLED .

NHTSA ODI 11403387

MY CAR IS CONSUMING OIL - APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART PER EVERY 300 - 500 MILES. A REPAIR SHOP SAID THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I HAVE PAID OVER $500 SO FAR (REPLACED GUAGES, SPARK PLUGS, AND MORE) - I HAVE COMPLETED THREE OIL CONSUMPTION REPORTS (THE DEALERSHIP IS CHECKING THE OIL)- AND THE DEALER KEEPS SAYING THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT CARS AND ENGINES, BUT FEEL I AM GETTING CHEATED. ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ODI 11397576