2016 Hyundai Tucson Problems

What owners report

Owners most often report rear and side doors that will not open from the inside or outside, often linked to a failed door latch or lock actuator. Engine failures, usually at higher mileage, and hesitation or jerking from a stop are the other main groups, and several engine complaints mention oil burning, knocking or a knock sensor warning before failure.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Doors that will not open from inside or outside

   • 512 complaints (31%)
   • median 61,100 mi at 5.1 yrs old (224 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $950 (median of 40 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe a rear or front passenger door that stops opening from the handle inside or outside, sometimes while the lock still works. Many say the dealer found a failed door latch or actuator, and some were told the car was out of warranty or that the repair was not covered. Several complaints mention parents or caregivers unable to get children out of the car, and some say the door only opened after the handle was pulled several times. Reports range from about 16,000 to 160,000 miles, with a median near 57,000, and several are under 40,000 miles.

   What to check: Test every door from inside and outside, including the rear doors and the child locks, before buying. Ask whether the door latch or lock actuator has been replaced and whether any repair was done under a service campaign.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My door latches are acting up my drivers side and passengers side front need to be pulled multiple times from the outside to open and my passenger side rear completely failed it would not open from the inside or outside resulting in a costly repair but since it's were my daughter sits it is a major safety concern for me not being able to get her out of the car would not have been good.”

   NHTSA complaint #11394986, filed 2021-02, 38,000 miles

   “My 2016 Hyundai Tucson front passenger door will not open from the outside. I have to open it from the inside. My back right passenger door was not able to open from either inside or outside and I had to have it replaced at the dealership. This is a major safety issue, and it appears that this happens a lot with this make and model. Nhtsa should really look into this and issue a recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399630, filed 2021-03, 76,800 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine failure, knocking, or sudden loss of power

   • 552 complaints (34%)
   • median 16,758 mi at 2.2 yrs old (272 state mileage)
   • 24 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,800 (median of 31 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe engines that knock or tick before failing, oil burning or low oil with metal in it, or a sudden loss of power that leaves the car stopped on the road. Warnings include check engine lights, limp mode and knock sensor faults, and several owners were told an engine replacement was needed. Some report no repair coverage, and several vehicles were not repaired at the time of the report. Reported between about 55,000 and 147,000 miles, with a median near 109,000.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for records of any oil consumption or engine bearing inspection, since service bulletins cover inspection for higher than expected oil use and for engine bearing noise. Ask whether the knock sensor software update has been applied, and check the oil level and condition before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I do oil change regularly but, november of 2020, while driving in the city to work, engine light came on, so I took it to my mechanic, he diagnosed that it was cylinder that failed, so I called the Hyundai dealer to make appointment for service, but, after checking my vehicle, I was told that my vehicle would not be covered under manufacturers warranty. It had 77,000 miles on it and I was told that manufacturers warranty only covers up to 60,000 miles. I wonder if that's true.”

   NHTSA complaint #11376772, filed 2020-11, 77,000 miles

   “While driving on october 31st our car starting making a loud knocking sound but the engine light did not come on so we thought maybe something got stuck on the bottom but nothing was there. On nov 1st the oil light came on so we went to get the oil changed. On the way the check engine light came on and shortly after the knocking sound got worse. When the sound got worse the car would no longer accelerate no matter how hard I pressed the peddle. We assumed it was the battery and got a replacement but the issue didn't go away. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11372731, filed 2020-11, 101,123 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation, jerking, or slow acceleration from a stop

   Mentioned in 8 of 80 sampled complaints

   Owners describe hesitation when pressing the accelerator from a stop, shuddering on hills, jerking when the car starts to move, and in some cases the car not moving at low speed. Some say a software update was performed without fixing the problem, and one describes the transmission slipping under acceleration. Reported between about 1,200 and 108,000 miles, with a median near 63,500.

   Recall 16V6280001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether recall 16V628000, which covers the dual clutch transmission on certain 2016 models, has been completed for this VIN. Test acceleration from a stop and watch for hesitation or jerking before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle is exhibiting issues with power. My car has stop on the hwy and has clanking noise when it gets close to 4000rpm. It's slow to speed up and sometimes stays at 50mph no matter how long my foot is on the accelerator. I've taken it in to get looked and even had a tune up and it's the same issue. In reverse it's fine but going forward that's when you can feel and hear the problems. This is a safety hazard and I don't have $5000 for a new transmission. My mechanic says it's internal issue with the power train. It needs to be recalled!”

   NHTSA complaint #11360013, filed 2020-09, 94,000 miles

   “Coming from a stop or very low speeds, I press on the gas pedal and the car doesn't move. Sometimes it actually slows down. When it does engage, the car will lurch forward at a higher speed. This has happened multiple times. Other 2016 tucsons are under recall for this issue. They need to expand the recall. This has happened on multiple dates and times, so the issue is ongoing.”

   NHTSA complaint #11317179, filed 2020-03, 47,000 miles

Buying note. Check every door from both sides and ask for records of any latch or actuator repair. Ask about oil use and engine history on higher mileage cars, and test the transmission from a stop before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.