What 31 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Hev

While driving, I am repeatedly receiving a sudden “trunk open” warning on the dashboard. This warning is often accompanied by a loud noise, which can be startling and distracting while the vehicle is in motion. The abruptness and unexpected nature of the alert are alarming, especially on highways or in high-traffic situations, where any distraction could pose a serious safety hazard. This issue has occurred multiple times, and I am concerned that it could potentially cause an accident, either by drawing my attention away from the road or by causing confusion to other drivers who may see the trunk appearing to open or triggering the warning lights. The recurrence of this problem suggests that it may be due to a malfunction in the trunk sensor, latch system, or electronic control unit. This is not only inconvenient but potentially dangerous for the person operating the vehicle. I urge that this be investigated thoroughly as it may affect more vehicles and pose a broader safety risk if not addressed.

NHTSA ODI 11683133

VIN: [XXX] Component Failed: Panoramic Sunroof Type of Failure: Spontaneous Explosion/Rupture from the Inside Occurred: Saturday [XXX] at [XXX] Road Conditions: Smooth Road, Clear Day (No Rain or Hail), Temperature mid 80’s degrees Fahrenheit, No Other Cars on Road. Milage on Car: 19640 Initial Event: Driving on the road when passengers hear what sounded like a gunshot (no firearms present in the vehicle). Pulled over to the side of the road to check tires. Tires were okay but noticed the sunroof had spontaneously shattered. Initial Event Photo Indicates Rupture occurred from the inside of the vehicle and not an external force, but there was no access from the inside of the vehicle as the additional fabric roof prevented shrapnel from entering the vehicle. The glass continued to crumble as the driver returned the vehicle to the house for safety concerns. Patterson Hyundai dealer in Tyler, Texas, tried to submit warranty claim and subsequent appeal, but Manufacturer refuses to own manufacture defect. Drivers contacted glass repair companies in the area, and companies explained they had seen this occur several times before. Evidence: Initial Event Photo Indicates Rupture occurred from the inside of the vehicle and not an external force. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11674085

1. Sometimes vehicle does not start. Only starts if battery reset button pushed. 2. Sometimes vehicle while moving has delayed braking after juddering. Only stops when car stopped and restarted. 3. Sometimes vehicle while moving suddenly revs, RPMs spike until car stopped and restarted. Engine revs but does not shoot forward. 4. Spookiest of all, while moving car suddenly stops accelerating. Pedal on the floor and it is coasting to a stop. When car stopped, and turned off, then it will work. Had we been on the interstate we would have died, These incidents were sporadic and occurred on and off during the month of April and May. Each of the above occurred numerous times to different drivers. Service at two locations were unable to ID. We sold the moving death trap to one of the Hyundai dealers who could find no mechanical problems with the vehicle. The vehicle was terrifying to drive. There are other reports on this vehicle of these issues ... which appear to be electronic. Hyundai has good engineers. They know what is causing this and simply do not want to replace a very expensive but obviously failing electronic control module.

NHTSA ODI 11670164

Horn does not work. On going issue with this model per Hyundai Tucson forum.

NHTSA ODI 11669393

On June 3, 2025, I experienced a terrifying and dangerous incident while driving my 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid on a three-lane road at approximately 50 mph. Without any warning, the gas pedal became completely unresponsive, and the car abruptly decelerated from 50 to 20 mph. This sudden loss of acceleration was incredibly frightening, especially with vehicles close behind me that nearly collided with mine. There were no warning lights or check engine alerts. Fortunately, I was able to safely cross all lanes and pull over before having the vehicle towed to a local Hyundai dealership. I shudder to think what might have happened if this had occurred on a highway at higher speeds. This is not the first time I’ve experienced serious issues with this vehicle. In February 2024, at about 17,000 miles, I received an urgent alert recommending a system check. At that time, the car was revving while idle and would occasionally lurch at low speeds. The dealership had difficulty diagnosing and resolving the issue, and my vehicle remained in the shop for over a month before they ultimately replaced the oxygen sensor. Since then, the car has continued to lurch intermittently — for example, when backing out of a parking space or in stop-and-go traffic. In fact, approximately 10 minutes before the June 3 incident, the vehicle lurched several times while moving slowly in traffic. When the car began to lose speed during the most recent incident, I pressed the gas pedal all the way down, but it failed to respond at all. I believe the current issue may be related to the unresolved problems from last year and represents a significant and recurring safety concern. I’ve also read in Tucson owner forums that other drivers have experienced similar issues, suggesting this may be part of a broader, systemic defect. At this point, I do not feel safe driving this vehicle. I truly believe this car is a lemon. This vehicle is still at the dealership, but they have not given me any updates yet.

NHTSA ODI 11665014

The windshield had a minuscule chip at the edge and it developed into a big crack. It seems like product defect and maybe dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11665144

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was a loud explosion coming from the roof of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and discovered that the rear of the sunroof had exploded, and there was glass inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The Insurance Company was contacted and referred the contact to Paul Island Glass and the sunroof was covered with tape. The glass was scheduled to be replaced, but the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657741

As I was (very slowly) pulling into a parking place at a park near my home and I was braking to come to a full stop, the car suddenly lurched forward, jumped the parking place barrier, and hit a tree. The front end of the car was badly damaged and the airbag opened. I sustained injuries to my left hand and my chest, though nothing was broken. The car was towed to a body shop, where it has been declared not reparable. Photos of the car at the scene are attached. This accident seems to be consistent with reports/recalls of the Hyundai Elantra of unintended acceleration when releasing the brake. We did talk to police shortly after the accident but we are unsure if they filed a report.

NHTSA ODI 11630568

While traveling out of town, our 2023 Tuscon HEV with 31,000k started chugging/hesitating during acceleration. This chugging continued to worsen, so we took it to a Hyundai dealership to diagnose. We were told that fuel injector #3 was misfiring, and, as they did not have the parts in stock, that it would be safe to make the 5 hour drive back home to service the vehicle. During the first 4 hours of the drive the chugging/hesitating worsened, several times suddenly losing power and speed dropping from 70 or so mpg, to 40 mpg and lower, creating extremely harrowing and dangerous conditions from the higher speed drivers behind and around us on the highway. During the last hour of the drive, the vehicle started making a screeching sound, and emitting a burning smell, and chugging so convulsively that we made an emergency detour to drop it at the closest Hyundai dealership. The second dealership said that they could not use the 1st dealerships diagnosis, and that they would need to do their own assessment. Almost 2 weeks later, we were informed that the vehicle was fixed and that issue was a cracked tensioner belt and that likely is what set off the other code(s), including the fuel injector code. Upon picking up the vehicle we discovered that the same chugging issue was still occurring and returned it to dealership #2. They ran another diagnostic and determined that fuel injector #3 needed to be replaced-the issue that dealership #1 originally diagnosed. We were also told that, the problem is with the outsourced company that makes the fuel injectors, and that this is a recurring issue with the other injectors. Unfortunately, Hyundai has yet to take responsibility and save its customers a lot of inconvenience and safety concerns, by allowing dealerships to go ahead and replace all of the fuel injectors at once when the 1st one goes bad.

NHTSA ODI 11622083

Automatic transmission started malfunctioning at about 23,600 miles. Seemed unable to shift into higher gears and made strange noise. No warning lamps, signs, or malfunction codes appeared. Dealer confirmed bearing noise from transmission and said new transmission needed. New transmission installed 10/11/24 under warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11620349

Our 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid developed an issue with the forward radar. At speed, the car produces a warning ding and then a warning message is displayed stating, "Critical Forward Safety functions are limited. Radar blocked." If the adaptive cruise control is engaged at the time of the warning, it immediately disengages, forcing the driver to quickly respond. If there is a vehicle in the adjacent lane to the right, the automatic braking may at times activate. It happens rain or shine, in good or inclement weather. We have cleaned the areas of the sensors without effect. One dealership has evaluated the vehicle twice and a second dealership once but we have been informed that there was no defect identified. I believe this issue to be a serious safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11616748

I was seated in the front passenger seat while the car was parked. I swatted a mosquito on the top of the windshield, just right of the rearview mirror/camera area. I did not use much force. The windshield cracked from the impact. The car is not available for inspection. The crack became considerably larger as we drove the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet, but will be taken for repair to an auto glass shop recommended by our insurer. There was no warning before the incident, and the windshield seemed to be in perfect condition. I called Hyundai to see if this was covered by the warranty, but they said no. I was shocked that such a small impact cracked the windshield - this seems like a defect to me

NHTSA ODI 11593224

The ABS, ! Brake and Auto Hold lights activated. I took in into the Hyundai Joplin, MO dealership on May 2, 2024. They could not find any thrown codes and suggested it was most likely the "IEB Module" which they replaced and after doing so, the warning lights remained activated. As of May 22, 2024, they are ordering a new IEB Module to install (backordered into June). This seems oddly similar to previous ABS and brake problems of earlier models and makes me feel uneasy with the safety of this vehicle should they ever get it remedied.

NHTSA ODI 11590164

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the panoramic sunroof exploded without impact. The contact stated that the cloth liner was in place and kept the glass from entering the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that there was a class action lawsuit related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,027.

NHTSA ODI 11589607

Oil was leaking when we bought the car. By the time of the first service at the dealer (~7,500 miles), I had noticed the plastic underbody cover has some smeared oil that was making it past the plastic cover and fasteners. I had assumed they would catch any problems, but after the service they did not mention seeing anything, so I kept a closer eye on it. Brought it back about 1 to 2 months later (fall 2023) after dripping started occurring (oil was leaking faster, and making it past plastic underbody cover). They sent me home after wiping it up and telling me that there was no leak (there was clearly a leak, and I even showed them photos I had taken). I watched it for 2 more weeks, then brought it back in after taking more photos and showing them again that there was definitely a leak. They confirmed leak (after seeing the car for the 3rd time). Said it was the oil pan gasket, so they put a new gasket in. Earlier in 2024, started noticing oil leak again. Brought it back to the dealer's service department, and they said it's the same problem. They are planning to replace the oil pan this time to fix the issue, but have to wait on part. At this point, vehicle has been at the dealership's service department 4 separate times for the same issue that has not yet been resolved. Brand new car leaking oil that they are struggling to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11583472

I was driving on the freeway and suddenly the auto emergency breaking auto system activated. However there were no cars ahead of me, the road was completely clear. I was driving within the speed limit. Thankfully there were no cars behind me; otherwise this could've ended very badly. I pressed on the accelerator multiple times and the emergency breaking disengaged. Since I was driving I did not want to get distracted by figuring out how to disable auto assist. But the next time I got into my car I am went into the dashboard system to turn off auto emergency braking and set it only to provide warning notifications. it was not that easy to do. I had to Google it and look at multiple user forums to figure out how to turn off auto emergency breaking in the dashboard.

NHTSA ODI 11563727

The car was purchased in June 2023. The left turn signal malfunctioned a minimum two times while operating the car. The last occurrence was in Nov 2023.There was no symptom of the problem prior to its first appearance. The instrument panel confirmed a message that it should be checked. The car was taken in and inspected, December 2023. The service center did not find the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11559219

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds and attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated before the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. The following day while driving away from a stop light, the vehicle briefly shuddered and was unable to exceed 20 MPH, prompting the contact to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 11555047

While driving the vehicle, the acceleration stopped and the car came to a halt right in the middle of the road. It acted like the battery drained and the gas did not kick in. The only fix was to shut it off and turn it back on. Took it to dealership they said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it so we picked up the car and as soon as we drove off, it happened again. This could result in a fatality if it happens on a busy highway since there is no warning and it just stops working. Took it back and the dealer says they can’t find anything wrong. Although the receptionist said they are aware of this because they call it a “limp” problem because the car goes limp. The second time it happened we took a picture of the dash.

NHTSA ODI 11550615

2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Blue Issue: no power /accelerator response from slow speed. Since 4/23- 9 instances involving this issue none resulted in crashes but did result in near misses and 2 cases coasting off the edge of the road to avoid being hit. 6 of the instances happened when attempting a left turn in traffic at an intersection. 3 of the instances involved when trying to enter a traffic circle(turning right). In all of the instances the vehicle was in Eco mode. Description of Intersection Instances: Left turn with a blinking yellow arrow traffic light signal. I approached the intersection in the left turn lane slowed and was coasting forward. The vehicle had shift to EV mode. There was a gap in oncoming traffic and I hit the accelerator to cross. No response I pressed the accelerator to the floor and still no response. I lifted my foot off the accelerator and jammed it back down and had power but now the oncoming traffic was on me. Fortunately, only one car that did hit their brakes and honk. This same scenario happened two more times at the same intersection as well as three other times in city traffic. No power when entering a traffic circle: I approached the traffic circle slowed and coasted forward waiting for the cars in the traffic circle to clear. There was a gap and I hit the gas and not power. Pedal to the floor and no power. Traffic was on me and I turned the steering wheel hard to the right and drove off the edge of the road to not get hit. I had three passengers with me at the time. The same scenario happened two more times- where I hit the gas no response but these times I let up off the accelerator all the way and then pressed it down and had full power. This resulted in about a 3-4 second delay from when I first realized I did not have power to having power. I did check 4 a recall and none found. However, I did notice another complaint citing the same issue w-Hybrid on NHTSB site. but in error listed under reg Tucson.

NHTSA ODI 11550145

On four occasions in the last five weeks, I have been driving at relatively low speed (20-30 MPH), and when I attempt to accelerate, the vehicle will not accelerate when I press the gas pedal. The tachometer shows the RPMs are maxed out, but the vehicle does not accelerate no matter how hard I press the gas pedal. I have to pull off the road, turn off the vehicle, and restart to fix it. I am certain I have not accidentally hit any buttons or switches each time. I have tried changing drive modes (eco/normal/sport) and using the paddle shifters and that has no effect. Cruise control is off, and no other speed limiting system is activated. There are no warning lights or indicators when this occurs. This is incredibly dangerous, as I am unable to get up to speed on a main road. A few instances led me to be unable to successfully merge onto a main road, which has led to me almost being rear-ended on one occasion, and the most recent instance I was in the left lane of a main road and attempting to pass a large truck and could not maintain speed. I was fortunate to come upon a slight downhill slope and was able to coast across the right lane and get off the road, but it was a near-accident. The dealer service center was unable to diagnose the issue, and therefore could not repair it.

NHTSA ODI 11549579

When vehicle is just slightly moving and the accelerator is depressed, the vehicle does not respond, zero acceleration. This issue is repeatable and poses a hazard when cross traffic is coming. Wether in Eco, Smart or Sport mode, it has this non-accelerating issue.

NHTSA ODI 11540465

My suv is a hybrid. I slowed down before making a right turn to check if it was clear before continuing with the turn. I see one car and its pretty far away. My gas engine switch off to go into EV. I step on the gas and my suv goes no where for about 5 seconds. Now the car down the street is approaching me fast. Finally the gas engine kicks on my suv started moving. The other car honk and went around me.

NHTSA ODI 11531586

Oil pan leak. A lot of owners aren’t aware their oil pan is leaking cause the dealer offer a 3 years complimentary service. I only notice mine is leaking cause I changed my own oil now. Dealers won’t fix anything under warranty unless customer tell them. Hyundai mechanic on YouTube say it’s a common problem.

NHTSA ODI 11531594

AC system is not functioning properly. Having the car on for 20 minutes, Ac system does not kick in allowing the car to cool properly. This happens when Temps are above 95 degrees. This is an issue as it could lead to someone passing out as someone is driving a car. As the Temps of outside and inside of the car compound as the cabin can't cool down. Serious issue as a car should cool down with 5 to 10 minutes. Car rarely blows cold air and ahould not be operated in hot environments.

NHTSA ODI 11530030