2019 Hyundai Tucson Problems

What owners report

Owner complaints for this model year concentrate on two things: engine-related symptoms such as excessive oil consumption, loss of power and stalling, and the anti-lock brake control unit recall, where many owners report that the replacement part was unavailable for months. A separate cluster of complaints describes hesitation or delayed acceleration when pulling away or merging, often at low mileage.

1. 1
   Brakes

   ABS recall parts unavailable for months

   • 145 complaints (38%)
   • median 24,500 mi at 2.2 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Many owners say they received notice of the anti-lock brake hydraulic control unit recall but could not get the repair because dealers had no parts, with appointments pushed out or cancelled. Some describe being told to park the vehicle outside until the work could be done, and a few report ABS or brake warning lights coming on in the meantime. A smaller number describe the brake pedal travelling to the floor. Reported at a wide range of mileage, most commonly under about 40,000 miles, shortly after the recall notice was mailed.

   Recall 20V543000

   What to check: Check whether the anti-lock brake control unit recall work has actually been completed on the vehicle, and ask for documentation rather than a verbal assurance.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Hyundai recall 195 possible fire due to corrosion in ABS system was issued over three months ago. I've called 3 different dealers and as of yesterday they still do not have the parts to fix the problem. If this is a truly serious problem and I'm supposed to park my care outside then why aren't the replacement parts available. This is unacceptable to me”

   NHTSA complaint #11390479, filed 2021-01, 4,000 miles

   “Brought car in for service (18k miles) and was told I could not take my car for a recall - ABS, causing spontaneous combustion. No fix available could be months. Cannot park car on lot nor garage. Dealer offered rental until fix. One week later a call from dealer stating I could take my car back, return the rental and not worry about it until the check engine light comes on.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362761, filed 2020-10, 18,500 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption and engine stalling

   • 148 complaints (38%)
   • median 55,500 mi at 4.6 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,400 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the oil level dropping between services, sometimes with the low oil light coming on and grey or white smoke from the engine bay or exhaust. Several report the check engine light flashing followed by loss of motive power, rough idling, shuddering or a seized engine, with dealers performing an oil consumption test and in some cases recommending engine replacement. Some complaints mention sludge in the oil and a failed catalytic converter found at the same time. Mostly reported between roughly 38,000 and 105,000 miles, with a few at lower mileage.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records showing oil changes and whether an oil consumption test was ever run, and check the dipstick level and colour for a fuel or burnt smell. A service bulletin describes an inspection and repair procedure for higher-than-expected oil consumption on these engines.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11444580, filed 2021-12, 86,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11606861, filed 2024-08, 89,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Hesitation and delayed acceleration

   • 25 complaints (6%)
   • median 10,724 mi at 1.7 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle hesitating or feeling like the fuel was briefly cut when accelerating from a stop, turning into traffic or merging onto a highway. Some report the engine revving without the vehicle picking up speed, occasional lunging forward from idle, and rpm surging while slowing. Dealers often said they could not duplicate the condition, and some owners report the problem continuing after repairs. Mostly reported under about 25,000 miles, often during low-speed acceleration or merging.

   What to check: Test drive from a stop and while merging, and ask whether the throttle body or engine control software has been looked at for hesitation complaints.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The transmission isn't shifting out properly. You can hear the car revving up and not changing gears. The acceleration is slow as well. Although I'm pressing on the gas, it takes a while for the car to pick up speed. The driver seat in my brand new tuscan is also peeling. I haven't cleaned the seat with any kind of chemicals, but a small spot is visibly peeling.”

   NHTSA complaint #11325869, filed 2020-05, 5,000 miles

   “My 2019 Tucson has been getting horrible gas mileage and also making some strange noises that I'm unsure of what they are. It's also acting like it has no power installing on a pretty regular basis since the dealership has stated nothing's wrong with it and my vehicle health report continues to state nothing is wrong I decided to get a obd2 adapter to place on it so I could see what was happening. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11395767, filed 2021-02, 11,400 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Loss of power with check engine light (limp mode)

   • 35 complaints (9%)
   • median 56,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Several owners report the check engine light coming on and the vehicle dropping into reduced power, unable to hold highway speed or accelerating only to a limited speed. Some say the vehicle stalled and would not restart, and a few describe knock sensor replacement that did not resolve the problem. Dealers varied between replacing sensors and being unable to reproduce the fault. Spread from low mileage up to about 135,000 miles, with several reports in the 50,000 to 90,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the engine control module has had any software updates or diagnostic trouble codes stored, and have any current check engine codes read before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. A Forward Collision Avoidance message was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The failure mileage was approximately 135,700.”

   NHTSA complaint #11764716, filed 2026-09, 135,700 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was then driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11650908, filed 2025-03, 60,000 miles

Buying note. Check that the anti-lock brake control unit recall was completed and ask for engine service records, particularly any oil consumption test results. A pre-purchase inspection that reads stored engine codes and checks oil level is worth doing on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.