2021 HYUNDAI TUCSON

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 19 unsafe

    20
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine blew. No warning lights were illuminated. There was white smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however,…"~7,800 mi, complaint #2234416
    • "The contact called on behalf of his girlfriend who owned a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in the driveway, there was steam coming out from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle. The…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1914683
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was d…"~44,807 mi, complaint #2224523
    • "The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from under the hood. No warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact managed to pull over to the shoulder of the road, where…"~65,000 mi, complaint #2173704
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. There was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate whi…"~124,500 mi, complaint #2092448
  2. #2

    engine stall or no start

    1 stranded, 8 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle becomes unresponsive to the gas pedal after idling at a red light, acceleration is delayed for about 5 seconds. After the cars check engine light turns on and the vehicle begins to idle rough. Vehicle shakes randomly when coasting above 30mph and does…"complaint #1784281
    • "I was merging onto interstate traffic when the vehicle suddenly stuttered and decelerated. I managed to merge, then cross over several lanes of traffic and pulled over. Thought maybe a fuel problem (I had just filled the tank), or overheating. It only has 2…"complaint #1908486
    • "I was contacted by Hyundai last year about a possible recall on my engine so I brought it in October 2023 to have it checked out. I was told that everything with the car was fine. Fast forward to last week 02-21-2024 and my engine starts shutting off while dri…"complaint #1971358
    • "Vehicle has 36,300 miles. Engine stalled twice when shifting into reverse, MID displayed "BCW On, Check System." Continued driving home, vehicle experiences power loss (rpms drop to ~500) and electrical system sputters and sparking noises can be heard in the…"complaint #2067984
    • "When sitting at a stop and then accelerating to leave the stop position, the car will go and then all of a sudden it will stall out and I'm pressing the gas pedal, pressing the gas pedal quite a few times before the car even decides to move. This happens when…"complaint #2090610
  3. #3

    abs module

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE THAT THE POSSIBILITY EXIST THAT A BATTERY COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD HAPPEN. RECALL NOTICE ALSO STATED THAT VEHICLE SHOULD 'NOT BE PARKED INDOORS.' THE RECALL NOTICE ALSO STATED 'AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE ABS MODULE COULD INCREASE THE RISK…"~1,100 mi, complaint #1743593
  4. #4

    engine oil consumption

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Oil light comes on between changes at about 1500 miles before needing one, oil does not show on dipstick and have to repeatedly put on in engine. Chance of engine seizing or jumping time. "complaint #2159919
    • "I am the original owner of this car and in June 2025 I brought my car to Hyundai from noises and they told me it had no oil despite me being up to date with oil changes on the vehicle. They told me they were going to do an oil consumption test and once they di…"complaint #2164847
    • "I have been adding oil to this engine excessively for more than 3 years..I have had appointments with the dealer where they flat out told me bring it back when the engine fails.i finally got N appointment and was told the engine needed to be replaced.that was…"complaint #2169025
    • "I just got an oil change and the oil was completely gone although there was no leak found. Not even a week later my oil is low again. There is smoke coming from the back pipes and the gas is burning out quickly. I just purchased the car last year"complaint #2193344
    • "My car is burning oil. I have returned multiple times to have it serviced and checked for leaks, but no leaks have been found. Before reaching the recommended 3,000-mile oil change interval, the oil level drops below the minimum mark on the dipstick. In additi…"complaint #2214464
  5. #5

    adas collision warning

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle on several occasions, the message "Check the Forward Collison System" was displayed, and a collision warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where i…"~69,493 mi, complaint #2215000
  6. #6

    other

    3 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WE GOT THE RECALL NOTICE ON BLUE LINK CALLED FLETCHER WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GET TO US SOMETIME THAT THE PART WAS BACKORDERED HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM SINCE WHEN I CALLED GOT THE SAME SPEECH ASK ABOUT FIRES AND THEY SAID THERE'S NOTHING TO W…"~8,500 mi, complaint #1733689
  7. #7

    airbag system

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "AIR BAG ON DRIVERS SIDE DID NOT OPEN SAME THING WITH MY 2019 ELANTRA 3 YEARS AGO"complaint #1949833
    • "On [XXX], the vehicle was involved in a complex multi-impact accident. It was struck by a vehicle on the passenger (right) side and, simultaneously, by another vehicle on the driver's (left) side. (Police Report). During this sequence of collisions, and despit…"complaint #2112763
  8. #8

    brake hydraulics

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS WON'T PERFORM RECALL ON DANGEROUS ABS ISSUE THAT CAUSES ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES. THEY SAY TO PARK OUTSIDE AND AWAY FROM STRUCTURES, BUT DEALERSHIPS SAY THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO PERFORM 7 RECALLS A DAY BECAUSE THEY TAKE "4 HOURS" BUT THE RE…"complaint #1733400
    • "It appears after breaking, the brakes stick and the car won’t accelerate when pressed on the gas pedal."complaint #1778415
  9. #9

    glass and windshield

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded when driving on highway. No warning. Sounded like a gunshot. Had to pull over on the highway and clean off as much glass as I could so it did not cause injury or damage to other motorists. Looks like many other Tucson…"complaint #1970203
    • "My back windshield shattered unexpectedly "complaint #2216920
  10. #10

    hv system fault reduced power

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving on a major highway, my car went into limp mode topping out at 60 mph then decreasing before going back to 60. My check engine light was also blinking, not solid. "complaint #2130093
    • "While driving on the freeway, my 2021 Hyundai Tucson SE (72,021 miles) suddenly and without warning lost power and entered limp mode. I was able to safely maneuver to the shoulder and exit the freeway. The check engine light came on and is currently flashing.…"complaint #2186138
  11. #11

    trunk or liftgate

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The back trunk latch is failing to unlock. The button can be heard and sometimes it sounds as if the motor is whining. After attempting to unlock the trunk by removing the cover on the safety wire and pulling it, this action was unsuccessful. "complaint #1945193
    • "I left my house this am in below zero temperatures. I drove to my daughter's apartment complex 41 miles away. I pulled into her underground parking garage and then heard a loud pop, followed by the rear hatch window imploding into thousands of pieces. "complaint #2167817
  12. #12

    wiring harness

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was trying to defrost my windows and my air was on so I clicked the air off so the heat could come on and I started smelling a matalicky smell. I drove to a stop light and when I stopped the back windshield popped and then shattered. I then went to drive aga…"complaint #2136240
    • "In October 2025, while the vehicle was still under Hyundai’s 5-year warranty, an authorized Hyundai dealership diagnosed a significant electrical failure affecting the ABS/ESC system on my 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The vehicle was experiencing multiple dashboard wa…"complaint #2201645
  13. #13

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The AC system on my vehicle stopped working with less than 55,000 miles on it. When replacing the compressor, condenser, all AC switches, and lines (the entire AC system besides the ECM), the AC is still not working. The compressor is not kicking on. I have an…"complaint #2085477
  14. #14

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. CAR DOES NOT MOVE, REQUIRES SVERAL ATTEMPTS TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN ENTERING AN ON RAMP, MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY, OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS HAS BEEN…"complaint #1730238
  15. #15

    backup camera

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The rear view camera is nonexistent at night, and I can't see a thing when parking. "complaint #2044483
  16. #16

    brake booster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Purchase new Tucson from Hyundai of Saint Augustine FL in April 2021, the vehicle worked fine. Then in July 2021 the vacuum assist brakes would not hold a vacuum after the engine was shut down, so when you went to start the vehicle it required excessive pressu…"complaint #1795061
  17. #17

    catalytic converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The vehicle experienced a catalytic converter efficiency failure that was confirmed by an authorized dealership in January 2025. The dealer indicated the catalytic converter required replacement; however, the replacement was not performed, and the vehicle was…"complaint #2175018
  18. #18

    emissions aftertreatment

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that immediately after purchasing the certified vehicle, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode while her grandson was driving approximately 65 MPH, and the vehicle decelerated to 7 MPH. The vehicle was tow…"~28,944 mi, complaint #2168829
  19. #19

    power steering hydraulic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I've had numerous issues with my vehicle, including power steering, brakes, loss of power, and more. On a few occasions, I started my vehicle and put it into drive, only to find that the power steering hadn't disengaged. This led to near collisions, such as al…"complaint #1903052
  20. #20

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that her right-hand thumb was jammed between the front driver's side door. The contact had to insert the fob key into the door's keyhole in order to open the door since the unlock button on the key fob…"~4,844 mi, complaint #1770653
  21. #21

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The driver side and center seat belts in the back seat don’t secure. The buckle just slides back out. They’ve apparently been like that since I bought the car in 2020 and just recently had a passenger in one of those seats. "complaint #2005421
  22. #22

    software or update

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Vehicle was running exceptionally well until a software update was applied at the dealership. Hyundai has no recalls / safety campaigns on file for my vehicle ma…"complaint #1759200
  23. #23

    steering column

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Steering column. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Steering column would not disengage and remained locked up after the vehicle was starte…"complaint #1986868
  24. #24

    sunroof

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving on the freeway my sunroof suddenly imploded sending glass everywhere. No warning whatsoever it was like a bomb went off out of nowhere. Nothing hit the car and temps were not high and it just imploded This is a serious matter and extremely danger…"complaint #2121385
  25. #25

    transmission automatic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle only responded while turning. The contact st…"~9,000 mi, complaint #1804439

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for HYUNDAI TUCSON directly.