What 1,612 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Hev

My car was having issues with the engine making a rattling sound and having difficulty accelerating. About a week after the symptoms came up, my car died on the side of the road. I am so lucky I was in a neighborhood and not on the freeway. No lights came on at all until 10-20 seconds before it died. I was able to get my car to the dealership and was told I'd need a new engine. Although I bought it used, I've only had this car for four months. I'm hoping Hyundai places the 2016 Tucson under recall as many others seems to have similar issues.

NHTSA ODI 11528112

My engine has 98,000 miles and is burning two quarts of oil every 1000 miles. I have no visible oil leaks.

NHTSA ODI 11528198

THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. HAVE RECEIPTS FOR MOST ALL SERVICES. AT AROUND 90,000 MILES, THE CAR STARTED "BURNING OIL" AND NEEDED FREQUENT TOP OFFS. AT 108,000 MILES, I HAVE CAR SERVICED AND STARTED A ROAD TRIP. IN LESS THAN 40 MILES, IT STARTED TO SHUDDER AND MISS FIRE ON THE INTERSTATE. CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY OFF INTERSTATE 40. I DID NOT DRIVE FURTHER AND HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO TOWN. AT DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD "ENGINE FAILURE" DUE TO 2ND CYLINDER LOSS OF COMPRESSION, AND NEW ENGINE IS ONLY OPTION. I WAS DENIED ANY SERVICE UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO BEING OVER 100,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT WORK WITH ME ON VARIANCE OR GOODWILL GESTURE. I HAVE SEEN IN ONLINE FORUMS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND NEVER GAVE ANY HINT OF THE PENDING FAILURE. I AM FILING THIS AS FORMAL COMPLAINT AND SAFETY HAZARD WITH THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11527909

I have 3 issues. #1. The transmission fails to shift only at certain times resulting in high RPM's on level road. #2. Engine has knocking noise at idle after having the engine knock sensor installed. #3 right, rear passenger door will not open from inside, or outside in spite of inside latch being manually opened or attempting to open with key fob activation.

NHTSA ODI 11527581

The engine is consuming more than 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. This began around 100000 miles at 1 quart per thousand miles and has since progressed to 1 quart every 500--800 miles. I found this problem when my oil pressure light came on as I was going around a curve. I checked my oil level and it was not visible on the stick. My engine was 3 quarts low 3000 miles since the last oil change. This has been going on since April of 2021. My steering column makes a significant rattling noise and jiggles up and down when going over bumps. This has been going on since about the 80000 mile mark which was around April 2020. My local shop confirmed there was something likely worn out and needing replacement, perhaps the entire steering column.

NHTSA ODI 11527308

My car has been consuming oil at a higher than normal rate. The engine light came on and they told me it was a PCV valve. My oil smells. I put in 2-4 quarts in-between a 3,000 mile oil change. Even though the recommended oil change for my engine is 4500 miles. So with a standard 5 quart oil change plus 3-5 more quarts, my car is consuming 7-10 quarts every 3,000 miles. This is not normal. I have started the Oil Consumption Test with Hyundai in NW Arkansas at Crain Hyundai and was told my powertrain warranty is now up to 120,000 mile warranty. I did not know this Hyindai Corp. never informed me. Also, I have paid out of pocket for every new oil change I've needed for the last 20,000 miles and oil in-between. Yesterday, while I saw the dipstick was under the L the tech told me it was within normal range. How is this possible? My car has gone into Limp Mode a few times because of the oil problem.

NHTSA ODI 11527031

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to excessive oil leaking. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with an engine failure and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired under warranty however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed after the recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526525

I have a 2016 Hyundai Tucson and under warrantee they replaced the transmission. But it has never been right. Hyundai has had a multitude of problems with this transmission and it should have been recalled, but was not! Now it has problems again and I've asked Hyundai corporate for help but all they say is its up to the goodwill (translation generosity) of the Hyundai dealer in Charlotte. So I am screwed. I need help contacting the government agency that can do something to help me.

NHTSA ODI 11523798

The vehicle is burning oil quickly. I have always gotten the oil changed on time. I just reached 89,000 miles and the vehicle has begun shaking when I accelerate and the check engine light has been flashing. I checked the oil and it is at the half way line between Full and Low - even though I just had it changed 3 weeks and less than 1,000 miles ago. I took it to the dealership, they said they do not recognize a problem with oil consumption. I told them my check engine light was flashing and it felt like it was going to stall when accelerating. The dealership said they used to do diagnostic testing, but don't anymore. They said they would look into, but I would have to pay $135 for the diagnostic testing.

NHTSA ODI 11523527

I have a 2016 Hyundai Tuscon that is consuming a lot of oil. My oil is changed when it is supposed to on a regular basis, as is all other car maintenance. All of a sudden, my car needs an additional 2-3quarts of oil in between oil changes. Someone told me there are a lot of Hyundai vehicles that are having oil consumption issues. I would like to know more before I go sink the $2000 the dealership is going to charge me to find and fix the issue, please.

NHTSA ODI 11523261

All windows broke even though they hardly rolled down. 3 out of 4 broke within a year and the spark plugs keep burning out even though been changed and mechanic can't figure out why.

NHTSA ODI 11522896

I've reported last year that I have an oil consumption problem.The car is not leaking to the ground.It's leaking within the car.I have replaced 2 catalyc converters in the past 2 years! The dealership ignores my requests and seems real shady.They rather I pay every year.I already feel it not working correctly,Its only been since October 2022,since i replaced the converter.I have contacted the corporation at Hyundai and nothing.They were a waste of time.I contacted the BAR and they were not much help either.I am spending constantly on this car with the same issue.What a lemon.Hyundai Corporation has to be held accountable for the mistakes.Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11522081

Noticed excessive oil consumption (no visible leaks) ~ 1 qt (or more) per 1000 miles. Right before the oil change at 83656 mi (~4000 mi after the last oil change, I decided to check the oil level and the dipstick was completely dry, with no low oil lights no check engine lights, no leaks, nothing. When I went to the dealership for the oil change and mention that - the engineer said that "1 quart of oil consumption per 1,000 is a norm for Hyundai". BTW the Hyundai Tucson 2016 manual states that the oil change interval is 5000 mi, so if the 1qt/ 1000mi is normal for Hyundai so I have to drive to the oil change on a dry engine! When I requested to perform a consumption test they can only order a consumption test if Hyundai grants it. They made a claim for me, but there’s no guarantee that they will even respond.

NHTSA ODI 11519385

i HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUE WITH THE CAR STALLING OR TURNING OFF WHEN IM WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN

NHTSA ODI 11518842

Engine is burning oil, car dealership has confirmed the engine is in fact burning oil and that I do need a new engine. Oil consumption test has been completed, and I was told to check my oil daily and to add oil. Hyundai will not approve an engine replacement. There are no lights or warnings at all.

NHTSA ODI 11518849

Unable to move the car while in traffic. The car slows down in traffic creating the possibility of accidents/crashes. The car will not go forward and only moves in reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11518363

Back in december, 2022 my car was doing a shocking change of speed all of a sudden, for example I would be driving and accelerating, but the car would not speed above 40mph, and while I was still pressing on the accelerator, it would do like a shocking movement and accelerate all of sudden. At that time, the car had just stopped accelerating above 20mph which almost got me into an accident on the highway. I took the car to the Hyundai and they said that the engine was fine and had passed all tests, that only the sensor needed to be changed. I paid for the repair, but since I got my car back this is still happening, and I almost got into an accident again in the highway. I was just entering into the highway and when I pressed the gas pedal to change lane the car just blocked it did am abrupt movement trying to change speed, it didnt increase the speed, the car behind me was coming fast and beeping because it seemed like my car was coming to a full stop instead of speeding, but all of a sudden the car again did an abrupt change of speed and started increasing up to 60mph, but in order for this to happen, I had to release and press again. It is not the first time, I have tried contacting the service center to inform them that the car is acting the same way, the only difference is that now it doesn't stay at 20mph, this time it does speed after a few tries, but very abruptly

NHTSA ODI 11517256

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle almost stalled. The contact heard an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the vehicle began to lose motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then smelled an abnormal burning odor. The contact stated that when she attempted to depress the brake pedal, the pedal became very stiff. The contact stated that the check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull off the roadway and the vehicle stalled. The contact had difficulty shifting the vehicle into park(P) and was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11514680

We never missed a service on the vehicle and with 1,000 miles until the next oil change the engine light came on. The oil had dried out with nothing leaking. The engine seemed to just be burning through oil far quicker then the recommended time to get your oil changed.

NHTSA ODI 11512271

On Sunday, February 26, 2023, as I was en route to my home in Liberty Hill, Texas, I heard a noise from what seemed to be under the hood. The noise sounded somewhat like a card in bike spokes. No warning lights were lit. When I arrived home, I had a neighbor listen to the noise. His opinion was that it sounded like the rods & to take it to a mechanic. I had a friend take me to the nearest garage/mechanic on Monday to make an appointment. I took my car to Cross Tech Automotive at 8 am on February 28. The 5 miles to Cross Tech was the only time I drove the car after the initial noise on Sunday 2/26/2023. The technician remarked that it was crazy that no warning lights were on, given the noise made by my car. After the car was examined, I was told that my car had no oil in it. I had routine oil changes done throughout the time I owned the car since late 2015. In fact, I’d asked the mechanics to do an oil change while the car was in their facility. There were never any oil on my driveway to alert me to a problem. There had been no sign of any problem until the noise I heard 2 days prior. And never a warning light of any kind. I was given an estimate of $12,000.00 to replace the motor, including labor. Because it didn’t make sense to spend $12,000 on a vehicle that was likely worth $15,000 prior to this problem, it was necessary to buy a different car. After doing an internet search, I discovered that excess oil consumption appears to be a problem with 2016 Hyundai Tucsons, among other Hyundais and Kias. I was never made aware of any issues by Hyundai Motor Company. The technician who diagnosed the problem wrote a brief description of what he found. I can provide this description. The invoice was for the diagnosis not repairs of any kind.

NHTSA ODI 11511352

Engine light came on Feb 26th car started shaking got it towed to the dealership morning of Feb 27th Was told: Foiled oil returning ring caused oil consumption, burning oil overheated valves and caused cylinder wall damage and 4 valves to burn holes in them leading to low engine compression and loss of power. Engine needs to be replaced to fully correct the issue. Hyundai is refusing to cover the cost because I am 2nd owner, even though my car has under 100,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11511135

The vehicle engine stopped working while on the interstate. The oil, battery and engine lights all came on with no warning. I was able to safely pull aside in order to avoid an accident. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where it was diagnosed to be an engine block failure. After doing my research I learned that Hyundai had a Theta Engine Settlement from 2021 however my 2016 Hyundai Tucson was not listed in the settlement. The years that were affected skipped 2016 and 2017. Online I have found many 2016 owners with the same issue. The vehicles built in 2016 and 2017 also needed to be reviewed for faulty engine blocks. This is a safety hazard. My vehicle has been in the dealership awaiting a new engine for over 7 weeks. Hyundai says that part is on backorder. There has been so many vehicles in need of a new engine due to the faulty block that the manufacturer can't keep up. And we are stuck paying car rental fees.

NHTSA ODI 11510942

My car is currently around 126,000 miles. I got a tune up last year. About a week ago the car started to jumping and driving very slowly while I was on the highway. The check engine light started flashing so I pulled over. After a few minutes I attempted to drive up and the car made it. I spoke with my mechanic and scheduled to bring it into him after getting the check engine light code read. The codes were related to a misfire on spark plug 2 and 4. I then had those replaced. When picking up the car, my mechanic let me know that the engine was producing metal shaving and they were getting on the spark plugs which was causing the issues to keep according. He let me know I would probably need a new motor. After doing some research I found Hyundai Tucson around my same year have a similar issue with the motor going out very early in the cars life. I’m not sure why they weren’t already included but I believe the 2016 Hyundai Tucson need to be investigated for the issues as well. The car is only worth $7,000 with a working motor so it doesn’t make sense to buy a new engine but I still own payment on this vehicle and it’s completely unfair for Hyundai to vehicles like this and not take accountability. I’m planning to get the code read on the car again and actually write down the number so I can reference it here for you information.

NHTSA ODI 11510865

I am referring to two notices; see attached. Inability to accelerate from a Stop and Rough idle in drive. The dealership, DeMontrond Hyundai Service Center will not repair as a recall. Please advise. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX]. Due to this problem, the car is hesitant to accelerate which causes problems INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11510126

The Hyundai engine is defective and consumes oil at a rate of 5 quarts every 3,000 miles. It ran completely out of oil and left me stranded on the highway in rush hour traffic 3 hours from home. Several people were put at risk! No warning lights; no check engine and no oil light until the car stalled completely. I was able to add oil and get the car in limp mode to the dealership where they ran oil consumption tests, and it failed due to being 106k miles. The car was returned to me and I was told to watch the oil. Weeks later the car broke down again in the middle of the road. The spark plug tips were burnt completely off and there was a dime sized hole in a valve. Multiple mechanics outside of Hyundai agree that both the plugs and the valve damage are a direct result of the defective engine. Again, Hyundai has denied all claims and refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing on their part, despite the amount of claims, lawsuits and upset customers stacked against them.

NHTSA ODI 11509384