Home · 2018 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell · Complaints

What 383 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

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 (383)Crash / fire / injury (23)Engine (232)Transmission & drivetrain (100)Brakes (40)Electrical system (27)Fuel system (22)Speed control (16)Lights (12)Body & structure (8)Engine & cooling (8)Airbags (5)

Newest first · 383 complaints · page 16 of 16

Oct 21, 2018Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

AROUND 1500 ,ILES THE CAR STARTED TO EITHER STALL COMPLETELY OR "JUMP" FORWARD IN AL DRIVEMODES, TOOK TO DEALERSHIP , THEY SAID IT HAS TO DO WITH TRANSMISSION BEING ESSENTIALLY A STANDARD. THEY TOLD US THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND IT NEEDS THIS OCCASIONALLY. REALLY NEVER HEARD OF THAT. OUR GASMILEAGE IS ALSO CONSTANLTY GOING DOWN. NOT HAPPY WITH THE CONSTANT SUDDEN ACCELERTION ESPECIALLY WHEN MERGING ONTO INTERSTATES. BOUGHT THIS THING BRAND NEW FEB 2018.

NHTSA ODI 11141712

Sep 28, 2018Lights

BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM DEALER THIS PAST MAY. CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLIGHTS WITH DYNAMIC BENDING LIGHT. WE HAVE NOT DONE MUCH NIGHT DRIVING UNTIL RECENTLY WE DROVE ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY WHERE THERE WASN'T MUCH SURROUNDING LIGHT. WHEN TURNING AROUND A CURVE IN THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A BLACK BAND ACROSS THE PAVEMENT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET IN FRONT OF US AND THE EXTENDING WELL PAST THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT. WHEN WE GOT BACK IN TOWN DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, THE SOLID BLACK RECTANGLE APPEARED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FEET IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND APPEARED TO BE TO 2-3 FEET IN HEIGHT. WHEN WE DROVE THROUGH A MORE LIGHTED AREA THERE WAS NO SOLID BLACK RECTANGLE, BUT IT APPEARED SOMEWHAT GRAY WITH 2 INVERTED HALF-MOON SHAPED DARK SPOTS SEEMINGLY IN LINE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. THE HYUNDAI SERVICE MANAGER SHOWED US ANOTHER CAR, AND IT HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND APPARENTLY IS COMING FROM THE ALIGNMENT OF THE DYNAMIC BENDING LIGHT HOUSING. NIGHTTIME VISION IS SEVERELY IMPAIRED ON OUR VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11132166

Sep 16, 2018Speed controlElectronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

ONCE MY BRAND NEW TUCSON HIT 500 MILES ON IT, IT SUDDENLY UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATES WHILE MY FOOT IS ALREADY PRESSING FIRMLY ON THE BREAK PEDAL. THE FIRST TIME, IT HAPPENED AS I WAS APPROACHING THE PEAK OF A HILL. I WAS GOING 25 MPH. MY FOOT WAS ALREADY PRESSING ON THE BREAKS, ANTICIPATING THE DECLINE, WHEN MY CAR JOLTED FORWARD AND TOOK OFF. MY FOOT SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS EVEN HARDER, HOWEVER I WATCHED MY SPEEDOMETER HIT 40 MPH WHILE SIMALTANEOUSLY, MY RPM DECREASED TO 1... (YES, DOWN A HILL.) FOR ABOUT 5-7 SECONDS THE RPM AND SEPPDOMETER WOULD NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE ONCE HITTING 40 MPH AND 1 RPM. I HAD TO LEAN OVER THE WHEEL AND SLAM MY BREAKS TO THE FLOOR BEFORE I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE THIS OCCURRED, THE CAR LAGGED, STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE DRIVE (ALL FLAT ROADS). IT IS NOW DAY 5 OF EXPERIENCING THIS, AND IT NOW OCCURS MULTIPLE TIMES EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHETHER BREAKS ARE BEING APPLIED PRIOR, OR NOT, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF ROAD I AM ON (FLAT, HILL ETC.) I WAS EXITING A PARKING GARAGE THAT HAD A MEDIOCRE RAMP TO EXIT THE GARAGE. MY VEHICLE WAS GOING 12 MPH WHEN I TURNED RIGHT TO PROCEED DOWN THE RAMP. MY FOOT SLOWLY PRESSED THE BREAK PEDAL, AND MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 28 MPH, AND MAINTAINED THAT SPEED FOR 3 SECONDS, BEFORE RESPONDING TO MY BREAKS. YES, MY FOOT HAD THE BREAKS PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, YESTERDAY I WAS ON A FLAT ROAD DRIVING AT 27 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 45 MPH, AND THE RPM DROPPING SUDDENLY FROM 2, TO 1. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF MY FOOT SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS I REGAINED CONTROL AND PULLED THE CAR OVER. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, AND BEGAN DRIVING (3 MINUTES LEFT IN MY DRIVE), THE CAR CONTINUED TO LAG, LUNGE FORWARD, AND COULD NOT REACH SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 30 MPH. THIS CAR IS BRAND NEW.

NHTSA ODI 11129724

Sep 4, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

THIS TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE CAR TO NOT ACCELERATE WHEN IT SHOULD, AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION KICKS IS THE CAR TAKES OFF TO FAST LIKE IT IS OUT OF CONTROL. SOME TIMES THE TRANSMISSION MAKES THE CAR JERK THREE TO FOR TIMES IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THIS IS UNSAFE AND I'M WEIGHTING FOR SOME ONE TO REAR END ME OR ME HITTING SOMEONE ELSE. I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND HALF WAY THRU THE TURN THE CAR TOOK OFF ON ME BUT I GOT IT UNDER CONTROL. I CANT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR AND THAT IS A SHAME BECAUSE WE BOUT IT FOR HER TO DRIVE. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND ALL I GET FROM THE HYUNDAI DEALER IS EXCUSES.IT GOES TO THE SERVICE DEPT.10/6/18 AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11124241

Sep 3, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

VEHICLE SEVERELY HESITATES TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP WHILE IN TRAFFIC (GEAR SHIFT IS IN DRIVE POSITION). FAILS TO ACCELERATE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. PROBLEM PERSISTS REGARDLESS OF DRIVING MODE SELECTION.

NHTSA ODI 11124143

Aug 26, 2018Speed control

THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SEVERE INTERMITTENT FAILURES TO ACCELERATE. FAILURES OCCURR FROM A STOP AND WHILE IN MOTION. ALL GEAR LEVELS APPEAR TO BE AFFECTED. FAILURES WERE FIRST NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 7000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11122439

Jun 4, 2018EngineFuel system

THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT START BACK UP.

NHTSA ODI 11099866

Jun 1, 2018Transmission & drivetrainEngine

DELAYED ACCELERATION FROM STOP. VERY UNSAFE WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AS IT WILL TAKE UP TO 10 SECONDS FOR THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11099178

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Working with the data? Download all 383 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 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 2018 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell verdict →