9.5

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$5,000
Average Mileage:
95,800 miles
Total Complaints:
20 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace engine (14 reports)
  2. not sure (6 reports)
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problem #20

Feb 112023

Tucson

  • Automatic transmission
  • 178,449 miles

Bought this car from Moser Motors on January 23,2023 and was driving it down the road on February 11,2023 broke down would not start, so Moser took it to their shop and said it has engine failure, since it was brought their, all they are willing to do is give 2,000 dollars toward a new motor and that is it, they found metal shavings in the oil, but never told us there was a problem with it, so now I have a 2014 Hyundai Tucson with a blown engine and no money to get it fixed, I paid 10,000 cash, and it needs a new engine . So I am screwed now . So now what to do with something you can't afford to pay 7,800 for Moser's to fix it, since I already paid them 10,000 cash and now won't run at all.

Update from Feb 18, 2023 IT'S GONING TO COST OVER 4,000 TO FIX AND there isn't a recall and as I seen everyone is complaining about it. So why doesn't Hyundai Tucson recall engine since they know there is a problem. People are not rich this is a malfunction why not recall and replace it.

- Dariean P., Geneva, US

problem #19

Jun 042021

Tucson GLS 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 103,526 miles

2014 Hyundai Tuscon GLS AWH 4.0 ENGINE

In 2019

Hyundai DEALERSHIP was told about the oil burn and said that was normal for the engine. I was going through oil every 3 days.

In 2020

Finally the Engine self destructed itself and refused to work. I told Hyundai that this issues was happening and they said it would cost $(9,000) dollars. Hyundai did nothing until a RECALL was issued! in 2021. THE ONLY WAY I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT WAS ONLINE THROUGH THE RECALL LINK https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/campaignhome

I WAS PISSED THAT I WASN'T TOLD ABOUT IT THROUGH EMAIL OR MAIL!! THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IF I HAD PROOF THAT IT WAS BURNING OIL IT WOULD GET A NEW ENGINE!! (FUNNY STORY) THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECORD... Thankfully I took to it to ROAD RUNNER- (an oil change place) and have documents that states it was... They replaced the engine and a starter.

- abbydaylol, Milwaukee, US

problem #18

Jul 122022

Tucson Limited

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,000 miles

My car was absolutely fine (issues in the past, but as of last Tuesday, it was OK)... when it suddenly seemed to make a weird "over-revving" sound/feeling. I turned radio down/air down so it was quiet and nothing unusual. Arrived at work, worked all day, got back in car, and check engine light was on. I stopped at an O'Reilly's to get them to plug in the engine computer thingy. They told me "it could be one of a lotta things... dirty oil... yo' vvt (?).. ccvt(?)... gonna be expensive if it's those... but.... it's hard to say..."

I didn't know what to do. I tried to peek at the computer screen but there were a lot of things and numbers on it. It was about 110 degrees out, and I was 45 minutes from home. I asked if it was OK to drive home? This poor young country boy said, "I reckon, if yo' careful?" So I drove carefully another 10 minutes, before the car started to hiccup, stutter. The engine cut off, and then she COMPLETELY died... not a breath. No lights, no noises... crickets. I was on the Colonial Parkway, a very weird, 2 way but really 3 total lanes (one middle for passing), small, scenic road but lots of rush hour cars driving too fast. With no hazard lights available to warn the other cars I wasn't moving, I did what anyone would do... I hyperventilated, sobbed, and had a total panic attack. I was sweating so much, I thought I was going to die.

About 4 police cars with flashing lights stopped to help, (would have been funny if I wasn't crying like I had lost a family member)... long story short; car was towed to a mechanic, who thought it was the starter. He got a new one in, replaced it, and it was still f'ed. Informed us last night it was "catastrophic engine failure", and to look up 2014 Hyundai Tucson's engine problems online. WTF. My dad bought this car for my Mom, but gave it to me shortly before he passed away this past September.

Thanks Hyundai. Now your f**g incompetence and crappy SUV will always be associated with the trauma of my father's death, and this subsequent bullt. I now have to figure out what Dad did about the warranty, and if I even have a car any longer after he so kindly gave me this piece of crap, thinking he was hooking me up with a safe, reliable car for a long time to come, in the event of his passing.

- Emma F., Williamsburg, VA, US

problem #17

Feb 072022

Tucson 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 117,000 miles

I was on a road trip from Kansas to Arizona and the engine just died. No noise, no knocking... it just died. I pulled over to try and restart but no luck. Stuck on the side of the road for 3 hours before a tow truck could pick me up. A local mechanic in Liberal, Kansas replaced the starter for $400 but that did not fix the problem. My family came up from Tucson and hauled the car to (ironically) Tucson and took this pos to a mechanic. After going over the engine, the mechanic said the engine is shot, and must be replaced.

I'm sorry I bought a Hyundai. I'll never buy a pos Korean car ever again. Nobody should. There's a reason they are cheap - they are poorly made, and Hyundai refuses to make things right.

- Lou A., Tucson, AZ, US

problem #16

Sep 132019

Tucson GLS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles

Purchased this vehicle with 70,000 miles from a Hyundai Dealer as a second owner in January of 2018. Vehicle had been serviced and checked by Hyundai technicians. While driving, experienced loud noises coming from the engine and difficulty shifting. Vehicle was towed to Hyundai dealership where we were told it had experienced "total engine failure" due to metal shavings throughout the engine. I had the vehicle approximately 20 months and had put on only 23,000 miles-total mileage 93,000.

There are numerous complaints about this engine ,totally failing - it is the same engine that has been recalled in the Sonata, Santa Fe and some Kia models but not the Tucson. Search the internet and you will come up with sites such as the NHTSA, ARFC and others concerning these Hyundai engine failures. There is even a Facebook "Support Group" page called "Hyundai Tucson Theta Engine II Failure". Hyundai offered to pay half the cost which could rise to $10,000. Hyundai should do the right thing and recall the Tucson engines like they did for the Sonatas and stand behind their product.

- Louis R., Milford, NJ, US

problem #15

Dec 062019

Tucson 9P 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,000 miles

I was driving down the highway with an elderly woman and my 6 year old in the back seat and, as I was almost to the light where I was going to turn, my vehicle jerked and completely shut off on me. The oil light and battery light came on (no lights came on prior to this happening). My car engine was knocking. Luckily, I was able to pull into the community where I was headed. It slowly came to stop just enough for me to get around the corner and off to a safe spot. I put the car in park and turned it off. It would not start back up again without a jump.

The engine was knocking extremely badly. Thankfully everyone was not hurt in a car accident. This could have caused a huge wreck. The worst part is I am financing this vehicle and I have no warranty. This will cost me almost 4,500 for a new motor, which I cannot afford, and it only had around 56,000 miles. The same motor as the Sonata and Santa Fe which are both on recall from 2011-2014 and in millions of Kias, but because it is built by a different manufacturer the Tucson is not on recall. I am so upset by this as I cannot afford to fix my vehicle and will still owe on a car I can't even drive.

- Samantha A., Vero Beach, FL, US

problem #14

Oct 102021

Tucson V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

Engine on Tucson died on my daughter on the way home. Engine started making a grinding noise like a belt or fan blade had broken off. Then check engine light started flashing. I had the car towed 80 miles to dealer. Diagnosed as a bad engine from Hyundai but covered under the extra warranty for this known issue. It will take 4-6 weeks to receive and install new engine, but it is covered.

- Kevin W., Grayson, GA, US

problem #13

Aug 032021

Tucson

  • Automatic transmission
  • 109,000 miles

I'm driving home from a friend's house at 1:30am. I got on Interstate 81, put my foot on the gas and the car engine light started flashing and would not accelerate over 20 miles per hour. I pulled off to the side of the road and called triple A for a tow and was notified that there was no one working at that hour, because no one wants to work!!!

I called my dad and he had to come pick me up on the side of the highway, and I had no choice but to leave the car there.

The next day the car was towed. It cost me $175.00, after just the week before spending $800.00 on inspection, 4 new tires and alignment. I had the car towed to a friends garage, only to be told he was too busy to look at it that day. He said he would try to look at the car the next day, so I was without a vehicle for 2 days, and then I find out a rod went though the engine. There was a hole in the engine that you could put your fist into.

Now I have no vehicle, I'm out $975.00 and I need to buy a new car. Then I find out that my dad purchased extended warranty but it's only good for 10 years or 100,000 miles and I've exceeded that by 9,000 miles. I have very little savings and I've got to purchase another car. Well, good luck to that. I looked at preowned certified vehicles they want anywhere from $19,000 - 24,000. I don't know what I'm going to do!

- Alexander G., Scranton, US

problem #12

Jul 252021

Tucson ES 2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

So this is our fourth Hyundai and we have always had great luck with them, major miles etc on the motor. But the Tuscon had no lights come on, oil was good, all fluids good, and it decided to just die!! Not impressed.

I was a long way from home, at least I was close to a friends place where it was towed and now sits until we can get it home and evaluate what to do next. She was treated very well, had all the maintenance it was supposed to, but without any warning what so ever, she decided to give up and leave me stranded. I am hopeful that when we get it home my husband will be able to figure out what happened and we won't need a new motor or vehicle!

- Lauren M., Maple Falls, US

problem #11

Feb 262020

Tucson ES 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,865 miles

It was a small ticking sound, while accelerating, that I noticed on February 24th 2020. One could not hear the sound if one was playing music or had the fan on high. I like to drive in peace which allowed me to hear the new sound coming from the engine. I thought maybe it was nothing. I checked the oil level and it was fine, told me to call my mechanic to make an appointment for a check up.

I called Downtown Auto in Nelson BC on February 26th and made an appointment for the following Monday, March 2. Later that day, February 26th, the engine light came on. I immediately called my mechanic and asked if I should bring my car in sooner. Since the car was having no other symptoms and was driving fine they said not to worry, they would inspect it on Monday March 2nd.

Monday came and I drove my car to Downtown Auto to have the car inspected. The inspection ($103.41) showed that it was indeed engine failure . On March 2nd I had the car towed ($153.36) to the nearest Hyundai dealership in Castlegar BC. I chose not to drive the car as I did not want to cause any further damage.

Castlegar Hyundai confirmed the engine failure prognosis. My car needs a new engine. This will be covered under extended warranty. Engine is on back order until mid April. I have been without a vehicle for a month now. Still paying my car payments although I don’t have a car to drive. I feel like Hyundai should be making my payments until my car is repaired.

- Jessica H., Nelson, BC, Canada

problem #10

Jan 142021

Tucson

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,004 miles

My mom was driving to work this morning and out of nowhere, her car makes a loud sound, she couldn't accelerate and the car completely stops in the middle of the road. Absolutely NO warning or indication of anything wrong. The car gets towed, and the auto repair guy says the engine is completely done.

The car was purchased brand new 7 years ago, there has never been an issue with the engine, the car has less than 90,000 kilometers on it. Will not rest until I get to the bottom of this with Hyundai. Save your money - NEVER buy a Hyundai.

- sekhonon, Mississauga, ON, Canada

problem #9

Apr 102020

Tucson

  • Automatic transmission
  • 106,000 miles

On friday 24 April I was going to Auto Zone and as I pulled into the parking lot the engine just died the only light that came on was the battery light and oil indicator other then that no other lights or indication of something wrong.I could not get it started so I had it towed to the shop that does my service and today they told me the engine was gone and they can’t fix it. Now I’m going to Hyundai on Monday and complain to them and have the car towed to them. I had no warning or indication something was wrong.

- Robert M., Albuquerque, US

problem #8

Aug 032018

Tucson GL 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 71,458 miles

My wife was driving on the hwy to the lake for vacation. As she passed a slow traveling car on the hwy her car started to lose power and shut down, she finally got it to the shoulder of the road and it died. No lights came on prior to this happening. she tried to start it again and it wouldn't start. I was traveling on the same hwy a few km ahead of her. She had to call me to come and get her and our grandchild. I had to call a tow truck to tow it to the lake as I was only 20 minutes away. When my vacation was over I had to have it towed home. I started researching this and found there are lots of Tuscon's in the same predicament. Apparently an ongoing KNOWN issue to Hyundai. What I need to know is what is Hyundai doing about it? Is my car going to be fixed? or is it to remain a heap of useless car in my driveway with no value? This issue typically happens "around" the 100,000 km mark. Ours happened just over. It is NOT reasonable that a car that is only 4 years old to have total engine failure. Most people still owe the bank on a car that old. And now it no longer has any value. Hyundai needs to step up and fix these cars ...get them back on the road...show what a reputable company they are and stand by their product

- Tom W., Morinville, AB, Canada

problem #7

Mar 242019

Tucson 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 112,000 miles

Took car to dealership for scheduled campaign 953 update on 3/22/19. Was advised that they would not do campaign update as the car was included in muffler update as well. They would NOT parcel out recalls/updates. They insisted that both be done at the same time. Ordered muffler on 3/22/19, would be at dealership the following Wed at earliest. Engine fails on Sun 3/24/19 at 112k mi. Dealer notified, will be towed to dealership today so they can replace engine under theta 2 engine failure, campaign 953 and muffler at once.

- Julie C., Mission Viejo, CA, US

problem #6

Jan 062019

Tucson Limited 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 114,000 miles

We have had 3 Hyundai vehicles . Each vehicle's maintenance was always done by the car dealership , then later on by myself. I told many dealers about the ticking noise happening in the 2014 Tucson engine. Yes they said to me the same thing that you have on record , them saying there is nothing wrong with the engine. It would get up to temp then smooth out. Well guess what you as#hole, the engine at a 100000 miles threw a rod and seize the engine. If you new there was a problem with this, man up and except it. Make a call back and fix the problem. We bought this vehicle NEW. Why would I ever think I would have this kind of a problem at 100000 miles. WHY SHOULD I PUT UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT. I know YOU WOULD' NT.

FIX THIS FOR GODSAKE

- thd901, Chesnee, US

problem #5

Oct 192018

Tucson

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,722 miles

My husband has been having an issue with his Tucson for about a year. This was before 100,000 miles. His car started having issues where engine oil will dry up. He was told by the mechanic to get engine oil changed every month with most expensive oil. My husband was also told to check his engine oil every couple days to make sure there is oil in the engine. So he has been carrying engine oil in his car for about a year.

Today he was driving on the highway at 65miles per hour when his car started to slow down. He almost got into an accident because he was in the middle lane in the height of morning traffic. By the grace of God, he was able to pull over and was towed to a garage. He could have died on that road today and I don't think Hyundai has recalled this car even though they had the same issues with other cars from Hyundai. I don't know what to do HELP!!

- Julia Y., Sayreville, NJ, US

problem #4

Aug 082018

Tucson GLS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

Engine is having the same problems that were part of the recalls. For some reason the Tucson isn't included in the recalls despite having the same 2.4l engine. The car lost power, and shut off on my wife as she was driving. After having it looked at by a mechanic there is a catastrophic engine failure. The engine is suffering from the same metal shavings problems as the 2.4L engine that was part of the recall in the Sonata. There's a really loud knocking sound coming from the engine. Mechanic did a compression test on each cylinder and there is a problem with each one.

- Sergio S., Homestead, FL, US

problem #3

May 232018

Tucson 2.0L Dohc Gdi

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,000 miles

click to see larger images

engine failure

My car is only 4 years old, 108,000 and has not been recalled. My wife has a 2014 Hyundai Sonata and unfortunately her car was recalled, After we researched we found out that her and I have the same engine, so I'm unsure why only the Sonata and Santa Fe's were recalled, however my engine failed at such a young age. If I was given the extra 20,000 miles on my powertrain then my engine would be fully covered.

The dealership told me today that since I'm no longer under warranty that the total cost of engine replacement is $8474.46. Hyundai corporate has agreed to pay $3718.46 in parts only. By the way, we still owe $3000.00 to the bank on this heap of garbage.

Corporate is basically saying that they will pay for parts on a car that is out the warranty and are also saying they will not pay for labor because it is out of warranty. My car has the same engine as the Santa Fe and Sonata--both recalled because of the exact same engine... so why does mine not have a recall?

If a company is willing to pay for parts it seems like they are kind of admitting something is wrong here. One service tech was puzzled why the Tuscon was not included in the recall as " ...they have the same engine." Corporate says the recall was for vehicles made in Georgia and mine was not included because it was made in Korea. The engine fail is exactly like what is described in the other car models.

In fact, my wife owns a Sonata, purchased one month after my Tuscon (currently with almost the same mileage) and she is now getting similar sounds from the engine as well as burning oil at an increased rate.

There is even a Facebook page for this engine called "Theta 2 Engine Failure"--and alot of Tuscon's are on this because we are the bastard step-children that Hyundai won't take care of. Avoid Tuscon's avoid Hyundai!

Update from Jun 28, 2018: In May 2018, my car's engine failed due to having no oil present. Please understand, I've kept up with oil changes and I also was under the 3000 mile oil change deadline. my Tuscon is only 4 years old with 108,000 miles on it and has not been recalled. My wife has a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. After some research, we found out that her and I have the same engine (along with the Santa Fe) so I'm unsure why only the Sonata and Santa Fe's were recalled---my engine was not recalled. It failed at such a young age. If I was given the extra 20,000 miles on my powertrain, then my engine would be fully covered.

The dealership told me today that since I'm no longer under warranty that the total cost of engine replacement is $8474.46. Hyundai corporate has agreed to pay $3718.46 in parts only. By the way, we still owe $3000.00 to the bank on this heap of garbage.

Corporate is basically saying that they will pay for PARTS on a car that is out the warranty but are also saying they will NOT pay for labor because it is out of warranty. My car has the same engine as the Santa Fe and Sonata--both recalled because of the exact same engine... so why does mine not have a recall?

If a company is willing to pay for parts it seems like they are kind of admitting something is wrong here. One service tech was puzzled why the Tuscon was not included in the recall as " ...they have the same engine." Corporate says the recall was for vehicles made in Georgia and mine was not included because it was made in Korea. The engine fail is exactly like what is described in the other car models.

In fact, my wife owns a Sonata, purchased one month after my Tuscon (currently with almost the same mileage) and she is now getting similar sounds from the engine as well as burning oil at an increased rate.

There is even a Facebook page for this engine called "Theta 2 Engine Failure"--and a lot of Tuscon's are on this because we are the bastard step-children that Hyundai won't take care of. Avoid Tuscon's avoid Hyundai!

- Dave D., Budd Lake, NJ, US

problem #2

May 232018

Tucson GLS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,600 miles

Driving on the freeway at 65 MPH when I realized I had lost all acceleration but no warning lights or anything came on. Fortunately, I was able to get over to shoulder without issue on the remaining momentum. Had car towed to mechanic. Engine has seized up without warning and will cost probably $4K to $6K to replace engine.

- Jeffrey S., San Juan Capistrano, CA, US

problem #1

Sep 222017

Tucson GL 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,069 miles

Engine starts sounding weird, then does not accelerate, and then it just stops, and the engine failed.

- Nicholas R., Toronto, Ontario, Canada