What 266 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

I was on the freeway about 2 minutes and the car flashed a red warning then slammed on the brakes and I flew forward. No cruise control and no buttons hit or anything automatic. Another time,  I was merging to freeway on ramp (with 2 lanes merging and going to freeway). I was on the left right lane towards the on ramp and another car came speeding next to me on other the on ramp right lane. All of a sudden, my Tucson says emergency braking for about 1 to 3 seconds. slamps the brakes. I am not sure if the other speeding car made a sensor think I was going to merge into him,or him into me, or the sensors didn't detect the lane markings. It's my daily route to this ramp and it has not occurred in the past. These emergency braking incident has happened several times (4-5 times in a month) to me, usually during a highway drive similar to those above. I have to turn off the forward collsion to stop this happening and it comes back on everytime when the car starts from a off.

NHTSA ODI 11734802

On at least three occasions, the forward collision system incorrectly determined there was an imminent collision when a car or truck was simply coming over into my lane. The Tucscon locked the brakes, bringing the car to a full stop in the middle of high-traffic roads even while the car in front was pulling away. I was unable to give the car gas to continue driving forward. On two occasions this was on an interstate, going from almost 70 mph to stop when there was no car or obstacle in front of the car. It created a very dangerous risk of being rear-ended. The car did display the message "Collision Warning" on the instrument panel, emit an audible alarm, and shook the steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11734841

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced intermittent phantom braking; the vehicle violently and suddenly slammed on the brakes with no obstructions present, causing the contact to sustain shoulder and back pain on several occasions. The contact did not seek medical assistance. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened. Additionally, the contact stated that the standard Smart Cruise Control (SCC) disengaged while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been intermittent, requiring the driver to manually re-engage the cruise control mode. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA ODI 11734043

Phantom Braking due to Forward collision detection has caused one front end collision in snow and one rear end collision in a construction zone while I was slowing down. In one instance it was snowing and in one instance it was in a dusty construction zone slowing for steel plates.

NHTSA ODI 11734151

I forgot to mention that with my two accidents while slowing down for traffic or a turn, that phantom braking happens almost every day now (it happened about 7 times in 4 minutes while I was on the highway, that's not exageration) Curves on the highway with a car diagonal to you in the center lane while you're passing, weird light reflection, falling snow, dust in a construction zone, anything. I can't drive with it on as it alerts to nothing. It's very scary to drive with it on, so now I have a useless safety feature that is really more like a death trap in the right circumstances, which will come.... Someone will be doing 70 on the highway, and their Hyundai Tucson will slam it's brakes on full tilt and it will cause injury and/or death. It's only a matter of time.

NHTSA ODI 11734171

This incident occured in The Woodlands, Texas, about a 45 min drive north of my home. I was headed south on [XXX] . I had pulled into a left turn lane at the intersection of [XXX] . After the oncoming traffic had cleared, I proceeded to make a left turn onto [XXX] . My Hyundai Tucson slammed on the brakes just as I entered the oncoming lane. The FCA was OFF. I was able to hit the gas and start moving forward again before any oncoming traffic got to this intersetion. There was no warning before the brakes were applied. Note, the FCA safety function was absolutely positively turned off. We have gotten into the habit of turning it off to avoid these unintended, unexpected sudden complete stops. Now I'm concerned the FCA system has more problems than just being overly senstive or malfunctioning causing numerous sudden braking issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11733881

I was stopped behind another car in a through-lane in the parking lot at Marshall's. I was fully stopped about 1 car length behind another stopped car. I decided to make a left turn (from my stopped position) into a perpendicular through-lane in the same parking lot. Just after I drove my entire car to the left of the parked car, my Hyundai Tucson slammed on the breaks. There were no cars coming toward me in the oncoming through-lane. There were no cars in front of me or coming toward me in the perpendicular through-lane. The FCA was OFF. Again, I don't understand why the car is appying the brakes while I'm going forward if the FCA is off.

NHTSA ODI 11733883

The Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning systems activated while making a left turn after stopping for a red traffic light and locked the brakes of the vehicle in the middle of the intersection with no other car in front of me. Dash alerted that a collision was going to occur. This was the second time. The first time it happened the dealer said it can happen if there is a bug or dirt on the sensor in the bumper or dirty windshield by the camera, they even said it can happen with glare from the sun or light glare.

NHTSA ODI 11733723

I was turning right from [XXX] onto [XXX] . It was raining lightly, the car initiated emergency braking and no one was in front of me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11733738

On two occasions, the automatic emergency braking system engaged potentially causing an accident. The first occurred at an intersection where I was attempting to turn left from a stop. The system would not allow me to proceed until the bus attempting an opposite left turn left the intersection. The weather was clear and sunny. The second occurred while on a freeway onramp. There were no vehicles in front or to my side. The AEB detected a phantom threat and immediately braked to a stop. The car behind me was barely able to avoid rear ending my vehicle. My passenger was a witness to this jarring event. The weather was clear and sunny. Both incidents occurred with an odometer reading of <3500 miles. My local Hyundai dealer has attempted to recreate the phantom breaking, but were not able to recreate the circumstances and therefore not know what system required repair/replacement. The case #42211163 was assigned. Given the uncertainty of when the system will inadvertently break and the inability to permanently turn off AEB on this vehicle, I am very concerned about driving the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11733611

Subject: 2025 Hyundai Tucson - Persistent Phantom Braking Issue I am reporting a severe safety defect regarding the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system on my 2025 Hyundai Tucson. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have experienced five separate "Phantom Braking" incidents where the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) engaged abruptly without any obstacles in the path. In the most recent incident, the vehicle suddenly braked from 30 mph to 20 mph] while driving on a highway. There were no cars or objects in front of me. This unpredictable behavior is extremely dangerous as it almost caused a rear-end collision with trailing vehicles. I believe this is a systemic software or sensor defect that misinterprets shadows or road signs as hazards. I request a formal investigation into this safety risk.

NHTSA ODI 11733442

My wife was driving our Hyundai Tucson on the city street at about 35 mph. She signaled left to get into a turning lane. The turning lane has two lanes and is very long. She got into the turning lane and the traffic in front of her stopped. The car's collision avoidance system activated and slammed on the brakes even though the vehicle was not very close to the cars in front of her. As a result, a vehicle behind her rear ended her causing over $9,000 in damage. This car has done this before on the highway and city street. The collision sensitivity setting was on normal and had been since we got the car and until the accident. I had also been driving the car when the collision avoidance activated. The problem with this car is that it only knows to slam on the brakes and results in getting rear ended. It does not gradually apply the brakes even when the car in front is not very close and locking up the brakes is not necessary and is actually unsafe as shown when my wife was in a rear collision accident. This is a major safety problem and needs to be looked into.

NHTSA ODI 11733047

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, while attempting to accelerate, the brakes engaged unexpectedly. On another occasion, while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brakes unexpectedly engaged without driver input and failed to properly respond for approximately 5 to 10 seconds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle resumed normal operation afterwards. The Forward Collision Avoidance early detection sensor indicator was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,946.

NHTSA ODI 11732677

On at least three occasions, the emergency braking system has engaged when there was no risk of a collision. The vehicle ahead was moving forward and was a safe distance ahead. This has occurred even when the forward collision system is set to "Late." When the emergency braking system engaged, it stopped the vehicle with such force that it threw items in the back seat forward into the foot well and was very jarring for me, the driver. This has made me anxious when driving the vehicle and is very frustrating.

NHTSA ODI 11732316

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system had failed to detect the driver's eyes while wearing sunglasses, causing the cruise control to disengage unintendedly. Several messages advising the driver to pay attention to the road were displayed. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while wearing prescription glasses and while the driver was not wearing glasses. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the system could not be disabled because the manufacturer considered it a safety feature. The dealer informed the contact that a software update was previously performed over-the-air to correct the issue; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 800.

NHTSA ODI 11732500

I was driving on the highway in heavy traffic going about 65 mph. An unusual symbol appeared on the dash in red that I don't know what It was or what it meant but I thought it must be something serious. Then a warning came up saying for me to take a break. Then a different warning came up saying that I should take control of the car immediately, it was about to brake. The car immediately began to brake. Fortunately I was in the right hand lane of the three-lane highway and I was able to pull into the breakdown lane. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I was in the middle or far left lane. I was not unobservant and both of my hands were on the steering wheel when this happened. Once the vehicle stopped, the symbol on the dash disappeared and the brakes released. I was able to resume driving. Although there was no accident, injury or fire, and no police report needed, this does not discount the seriousness of this event. This could have been life-threatening if I had been in a different lane or had panicked, causing a multi car pileup in the heavy traffic. Serious enough that I feel the need to get rid of this car.

NHTSA ODI 11732257

Sometimes in heavy rain, using the washer fluid or bright sunlight I get an alert that the Foward Collision Avoidance sensor disabled. Usually doesn’t last long unless there is heavy rain. This system shouldn’t be triggered by things that happen frequently. This isn’t an issue in my Santa Fe. The only time that sensor is inoperable is in very heavy snow that has covered the front of the vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11732049

Over the past four days, my vehicle has repeatedly applied braking unexpectedly without a valid obstacle or need to brake. This has occurred multiple times under normal driving conditions, including: Twice on the freeway in stop-and-go traffic with vehicles at a safe distance ahead Multiple times on regular city streets with vehicles ahead at approximately 15–20 feet Once while turning into my driveway as my garage door was opening In one instance on the freeway, a vehicle behind me nearly collided due to the sudden unexpected braking. The Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (Automatic Emergency Braking) system is set to “Late,” yet the vehicle still applies braking unnecessarily. This behavior did not occur previously and has started happening repeatedly within the past four days. This creates a significant safety risk, particularly in traffic where unexpected braking can cause rear-end collisions. The vehicle has approximately 1050 miles and has not been modified. The issue is currently being evaluated by a Hyundai dealership and has been reported to Hyundai Motor America under an open case.

NHTSA ODI 11730409

Hello, In my 2025 Tuscan Hybrid, the vehicle all of a sudden came to a near complete stop driving down the highway at lower speeds due to vehicles in front of me slowing down before a tunnel. While it was apparent I had to slow down, there was no immediate danger to me potentially crashing into the car in front of me which is why I am concerned the car is over reacting to my environment whilst driving.

NHTSA ODI 11729357

See attached in Uploaded Files.

NHTSA ODI 11729483

Subject: Safety Concern – Excessive Automatic Braking (2025 Hyundai Tucson) I am reporting a safety concern regarding the automatic braking system (Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist) in my 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The vehicle frequently applies sudden and aggressive braking in situations where there is no immediate collision risk. This occurs during normal driving and low-speed parking scenarios, including when passing nearby objects, backing out of parking spaces, or maneuvering in tight areas. The braking is abrupt enough to create a potential safety hazard, including: - Risk of being rear-ended due to unexpected deceleration - Disruption of normal traffic flow - Reduced driver confidence and control This behavior appears overly sensitive and does not align with actual collision risk in many cases. I have attempted to adjust the system settings (including warning timing), but the issue persists. Additionally, the system resets upon restarting the vehicle, preventing a consistent mitigation of the problem. I am requesting: - A review of this system behavior as a potential safety defect - A software update or calibration option to reduce braking aggressiveness - The ability to permanently adjust or disable this feature Please advise on next steps and whether this issue is known or under review. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11727084

When driving in daylight at about 5 pm in light traffic at speeds of about 20 mph the car suddenly had a dead stop. My grandsons, ages [XXX] and [XXX] were in the back seat with seat belts but their and my drinks went flying. There was no potential collision that precipitated this and luckily the car behind was not close enough for a rear end collision. This has happened 2 or 3 times previously and I think this "safety feature" which cannot be turned off is a safety hazard. I also had a disturbing experience when I left a lane briefly to give a bicycle rider more space. The car suddenly tried to pull me back into the lane and I had to fight the wheel to keep it where I wanted the car to be. I was able to disable this feature. The car has only 7K miles and is almost a year old. I am a good driver and am concerned that I will get into an accident due to unwanted safety features! Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11726568

The Forward Collision Assist system applies hard braking when there is no danger. This happened twice today at low speeds (1-2mph) Once in a drive through and once in traffic in a parking lot. Luckily, the truck behind me did not rear end me. My concern is what if it starts doing this at higher speeds? I feel it is dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11726101

On March 16, 2026, my wife was driving our 2025 Hyundai Tucson westbound on Immokalee Rd in Naples, FL. She was traveling at a speed of 35mph, with no vehicles in front of her, but the Emergency Braking system engaged without warning and caused our car to come to a screeching stop. Several cars behind my wife's car had to avoid slamming into to our car. There are no bridges, overhanging tree limbs or other structures over the roadway. The weather was clear skies and sunny, and the time of day was noon. After this incident, we contacted the dealership from which we bought the car (11/15/25) here in Naples. We brough the car in for diagnosis but have not heard back from them. While there, my wife was approached by a dealership salesperson who overheard our story, and she implored my wife to "please report this incident...this phantom braking issue is a big deal..." Our salesperson did not admit to having heard of such issues, but he offered to buy the car back from us. We will wait to see what their formal evaluation produces and make a decision at that time. This could have been a deadly accident if the cars behind my wife had not avoided running into her.

NHTSA ODI 11725467

Automatic braking engages when there is no actual hazard present and brings vehicle to a full stop. This causes a serious whiplash hazard to me and my passengers as our heads are thrown forward unnecessarily. It also significantly increases the risk of being rear ended by the vehicle behind me. This has happened on several occasions. Today it occurred because the car hit a small bump in the road while doing less than 10 mph. Google Search confirms that this is a widespread and well-known defect and that Hyundai has not been willing to release a software upgrade that allows owners to turn-off they automatic braking feature from the dashboard control panel. Immediate action by NHTSA is required before somebody gets seriously injured or killed by this defect.

NHTSA ODI 11725269