10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,765 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Hyundai Tucson drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2018 Hyundai Tucson:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2018 Hyundai Tucson Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #72

Nov 252023

Tucson

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving home from a family get together with my husband and daughter in my car. We smelled something burning, and suddenly smoke was coming out of my center console. I pulled over and flames were coming out of the driver side. As soon as we evacuated the vehicle, it burst into flames. There was no warning, nothing lit up on the dashboard to warn me of this hazard. A witness was driving behind us and called 911 when he noticed flames underneath my vehicle right before I pulled over. A police report was filed and it was reported to my insurance agent, it is currently still under investigation since it just happened 2 days ago during a Holiday weekend. My safety and my family's safety was put at risk due to no warning, how fast the vehicle went up in flames, etc. The car was a total loss.

- Carterville, IL, USA

problem #71

Oct 082023

Tucson

  • miles
The engine has failed in my 2018 Hyundai Tuscon. I was driving the car daily since purchasing in July of 2023. Everything was fine until the first week of October, I had just picked up my son and was getting on the interstate when my check engine light came on and my oil light would flash on and off occasionally not persistently. I had the car checked immediately and there was no oil in the car at all. I added oil to the car, but it was too late the engine had already blown. I drove my son to school the next morning and the car sounded like a lawn mower and was knocking continuously. The dealership has the car now and this is a known problem with this model car. The car could've locked up while I was on the interstate with my child and we or others could have been severely hurt in an accident or car fire if the engine caught fire. The dealership is not offering to remedy the situation even knowing this is a known problem for their cars. There is already a recall for most of these cars but for my engine the cut off stops at year 2017, I think this should be reconsidered and 2018 should also be included in the recall as I have read many testimonials regarding people having the same problem I had, there was no indication anything was wrong with the oil or engine until it was too late.

- Cramerton, NC, USA

problem #70

Oct 092023

Tucson

  • miles
As I was pulling out of a bank driveway onto a busy access road my car just died. Lost all power. NO warning bells, no lights on the dash, no warning at all. This could have potentially caused an accident. I could have been hit by another vehicle as my car was dead. Pushed it out of the way of traffic, checked oil and there was none. Ended up having it towed to the dealership. The dealership told me that my engine had failed and would need to be replaced due to cylinder 3 rod bearing failure due to oil consumption (a known problem from this manufacturer).

- Beaumont, TX, USA

problem #69

Oct 162023

Tucson

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

CVT Transmission failed under 70,000 miles. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk due to no warning light or indication of this failure from Dick Smith Hyundai in Greenville, SC during a routine maintenance check. The problem has been confirmed by Dick Smith Service Center. The vehicle has been inspected by Dick Smith Hyundai. There were no warning lamps prior to failure. The characteristics of the CVT appeared in 2018 however; the jerking accelerated over time. Dick Smith Service Center stated not to worry the transmission was okay. October 16, 2023 with less than 70k miles I-??m being told I need transmission, starter, & fly wheel.

- Mauldin , SC, USA

problem #68

Mar 012023

Tucson

  • miles
When I accelerate from a stop sign or yield it Jerks and hesitates to accelerate. I have to release the gas and push again sometimes doing this multiple times when this happens daily. I've taken it to Hyundi shops and they say it's a normal chararistic if a Tuscan. It also uses an excessive amount of oil. I am told this is because of the engine. If I go change my oil right at every 3k miles my oil level is well below the minimum line so I have been changing it every 1500 miles.

- Conway, AR, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #67

Nov 012022

Tucson

  • miles
Transmission is jerking when driving. Brakes are squeaking.

- Diberville , MS, USA

problem #66

Jul 312023

Tucson

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This very low mileage vehicle recently had the same incident for I believe the fifth time since I've owned the car. In a very dangerous situation the car exibited the car going almost dead after normal acceleration. It regains power after 3-5 seconds and rapidly returning to acceleration. It happened to my wife soon after purchase and she has refused to drive it since. Last week while I attempted to make a left turn at a yellow light it again went dead and traffic was forced to slow while the car behind me almost rea ended me. Recently the engine seems to run rough at times. Never have I seen any engine trouble lights since I've owned it. Three separate Hyundai dealers have looked at and seemed to be aware of what's causing it, but chose their words carefully. My neighbor owns one of the largest new cars dealerships in the Midwest. I spoke with him about this problem and he said his used car manager would NEVER purchase one with this engine/transmission for resale! A Hyundai service manager told me to get rid of it soon. When told I was planning on gifting it to my daughter, he said he wouldn't... The car only has 33,000 miles and looks new. Always garaged, never driven in snow.

- Festus , MO, USA

problem #65

Jul 282023

Tucson

  • miles
Immediately after purchasing the car I stopped for gas. When pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road, the transmission stalled. The car did not move, the rpms jumped to 5-6 and the lurched and jerked forward then stopped and lurched forward again with the rpms jumping high. This had happened numerous times to various deplgrees since purchasing the car 48 hours ago. There were and continue to be no warning lamps or messages on the dash. I have an appointment with the dealer to have it assessed in a week. This is dangerous because it causes the vehicle to not pull into or cross traffic in a smooth, sage and predictable manner, potentially causing a collision.

- Lamar, MO, USA

problem #64

Jul 282023

Tucson

  • miles
Back in January of 2023, car would not go into reverse. While out driving the engine light came on and went into safety mode. I had no power to merge onto highway and make it up hills to get to Hyundai service repair. They said the gear actuator failed. They repaired, but within a week the car was not going into reverse and engine light came back on. They had my car for over a month with no loaner car. They replaced transmission. Car only had 32,000 miles on it. Yesterday, July 28, car started losing power in traffic. Sometimes car would lurch. Engine light on so I pulled into grocery store parking lot. Turned car off and when I turned back on a loud clunking noise. Called Hyundai and drove to service. The entire time the car struggled to merge or go up hills. They ran test and said the gear actuator failed. So this is a trend. It is under warranty but that is not the point, this is dangerous and you can get stranded or the car can lurch or loose power at any time. I complained to Hyundai the first time and they did nothing except repair under warranty guidelines.

- Candler, NC, USA

problem #63

Jul 272023

Tucson

  • miles
The car has acceleration issues and when you try to press down on the gas it sputters and loses power, it is becoming a safety hazard when driving 45 mph or higher. If you try to pass another vehicle it slows down and almost stops, we have had to pull to the side of the road to avoid being in an accident. This is NOT normal for a vehicle to do this and something needs to be done before we end up dead.

- Jesup, GA, USA

problem #62

Jul 112023

Tucson

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Tucson 2.0L hesitation at acceleration particularly from a rolling stop: This intermittent problem was checked initially by Marhofer Hyundai in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio, their findings were negative. We then took it to Great Lakes Hyundai in Streetsboro and they said they were aware of the problem and reset the computer, but it did not resolve the problem. This problem has put my family in harm's way many times, making a turn from a rolling stop the car lags into ongoing traffic. Our last visit to dealership we were told car was out of warranty 19,000 miles but the problem was never fixed. This vehicle was a certified pre-owned and have an extended warranty. I have attached a technical service bulletin.

- Stow, OH, USA

problem #61

Jun 292023

Tucson

  • miles
i received a letter in the mail stating the nock sensor has been replaced i dont know howlong ago but my 2018 tucan is stuck in false sage mode saying the nock senor was bad! if it is a on going issue and there is has been a recall on the part why does it show no recalls for my mode car?

- Spring Hill, FL, USA

problem #60

Jun 122023

Tucson

  • miles
I have only owned the car for 1 month. I had gotten an oil/filter change and a new oil pressure sensor at ~80,100 miles. I had requested the oil sensor be changed because it would flicker on and off when the car was idling/low RPMs once it had heated up fully. This had fixed that issue seemingly. At ~80,700 miles the car had started riding a bit "rough", especially at higher speeds, so I decided to have a look under the hood. I was terrified to see that my dipstick was bone dry. There was never any evidence of any noticeable leak underneath the car on the driveway nor any evidence of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. After some research (Hyundai corporate was telling me over the phone multiple times that there was no known issues with my specific car/engine) I was appalled to see I was essentially lied to. I found multiple official TSBs, NHTSA notices, and hundreds if not thousands of other customers noting the exact same experience. I had tried to take it to Hyundai for the oil consumption tests laid out in multiple TSBs but I was denied "due to the original warranty expiring". To my knowledge this exact issue has caused Hyundai and Kia to extend to 150k miles for all owners. This is my only mode of transportation and I am so worried my car will stall/seize/catch fire on the highway. This is beyond unsafe and unacceptable but I assume I may have to wait until the final litigation hearing in September for official recalls to be issued. If my car makes it that long.

- Hainesport, NJ, USA

problem #59

Feb 142023

Tucson

  • miles
Purchaseing the vehicle two months ago, the engine service light started blinking. Taking the vehicle to several shops including two hyundai dealers, I was informed the vehicle had an off market catalytic converter. I asked the dealership several times if there was any issues with the vehicle and they stated there was not. The engine first came on two weeks after the purchase of the vehicle. It is not safe to drive.The warranty nor the dealership will cover or assist.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #58

Oct 132022

Tucson

  • miles
Acceleration issue, from a stop position on a red light or stop sign, when the gas pedal is pressed the engine revs but does not move immediately, after a couple of seconds it lundges forward, also when trying to merge you must wait for a very big gap to safely merge, the car does not respond and this is very dangerous, Hyundai need to rectify this issue before someone dies.

- Ormond Beach, FL, USA

problem #57

Jan 052023

Tucson

  • miles
When driving at night and low-beams are on, there is a black void (looks like a black bar horizontally across the headlight projected area on roadway). Black void is eye level with driver-€™s view of the roadway. With the black void present, driver is unable to see the roadway clearly at night, which inhibits the drivers visibility and ability to see road hazards or animals crossing the road. Low-beam and high-beam bulbs have been replaced and checked for any burn spots or malfunction in the bulb itself; with brand new bulbs installed professionally, the black void is still present. Hyundai repair stated it is a known issue that has yet to be addressed by Hyundai Manufacturers. Issue has been present for 2-months now. While driving on interstate, went to pass a vehicle and while accelerating the vehicle would not increase in speed. The RPM needle jumped to 5-6 and a -€œwhiny-€ noise was coming from engine area. Pressed harder on the accelerator so the car would speed up and with the pedal to the floor, the vehicle speed increased 1 mph in 5-sec intervals. Exited the interstate and was traveling on road with 60mph speed limit. Tried to accelerate again, and the vehicle would make the whiny noise and would not increase speed or shift. Let off of the accelerator and the RPM drops instantly to 2-3. RPM-€™s need does not smoothly increase or decrease, but instead jumps or drops instantly. When accelerator is pressed or when trying to increase speed, the whiny noise comes from engine. The vehicle sounds and acts like it is not shifting. Took to dealership and they said there are no recalls on transmission, but will not fix my transmission. 10-year/100000 mile warranty is still active, as it is a 2018 w/ 89500 miles. Safety concern as the vehicle will not accelerate or shift when needed and could cause serious accident if in a situation where evasive action is required.

- Columbia, MO, USA

problem #56

Nov 262022

Tucson

  • miles
Leaving a parking lot, vehicle was hard-shifting at 10mph, 20mph, 30mph and was not gaining typical acceleration. Every slow down or stop sign/stop light this behavior continued with automatic hard shifting between gears and lethargic acceleration to the point where I felt this may cause an accident or cause another vehicle to have an accident due to lag response of my vehicle. Upon home arrival, I attempted to back vehicle into my parking spot but after shifting into Reverse, the R indicator on console was flashing but vehicle would not move. I drove back around the complex parking circle and again attempted to back vehicle in to a different parking space but experienced the same issue where R indicator was flashing but vehicle would not back up. My daughter and 2 grandsons then had to push my vehicle back in to the parking spot. I turned vehicle off, waited approximately 90 seconds and restarted the engine. When I shifted into Reverse gear, the car abruptly and harshly shut down. At that point, I put the vehicle back into Park gear and turned off ignition. Had the vehicle towed to closest dealership on Nov 28th - they have not been able to replicate issue nor find any fault codes when running diagnostics. No dashboard errors appeared, only the flashing Reverse indicator light on shift console. No prior issues earlier in the day when using vehicle, nor has this issue occurred in the 4 years I have owned it. It was severe enough I wasn't sure the vehicle would clear intersections in a timely manner, and worried it may leave myself and my daughter and grandsons stranded on the 20 minute ride to home.

- Mahomet, IL, USA

problem #55

Nov 252022

Tucson

  • miles
Vehicle stalls when accelerating at low speeds. It appears to be a delay when the car transitions from 1st to 2nd gear. This creates a safety concern, especially when taking turns into traffic due to delays/stalls when turning.

- Vernon Hills, IL, USA

problem #54

Oct 122022

Tucson

  • miles
I-€™ve been having an issue with the car -€œjerking rapidly-€ when in traffic and rolling slowly and when climbing relatively small hills, it began about 2 months ago but have become progressively worse over the last month. I was told by someone with a similar vehicle that it is the -€œlower arm control. Need help with is or if there is a recall

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #53

Oct 212022

Tucson

  • miles
While driving my car normally 9 dashboard lights came on suddenly including the check engine, ABS, brakes while at the same time the dials on the dashboard including the rpms, speedometer, oil temperature and more all stopped working. This happened suddenly while the car was in drive and also caused issues with the transmission as the car stopped shifting gears properly and was driving very rough. With this sudden onset of many different issues out of nowhere driving the vehicle was very dangerous when trying to get to a safe location. After parking this electrical issue would not allow me to take the car out of park or use a OBD reader do to the electrical issue. After researching this problem I found several reports online describing nearly identical symptoms all of the sudden resulting in the car being undrivable and in a dangerous state. These owners said they took the cars to the dealer who tried replacing several components without fixing the issue with hours of diagnosis charges. Eventually after having the vehicles for several days they replaced the reverse camera which it turns out was shorting a significant amount of other critical car electrical components. With no prior damage to the camera or these electrical components the abrupt and random onset of this issue pose a significant safety risk to Hyundai Tucson drivers (at least in 2016 -2018 models). My experience with the Hyundai Dealership was very similar to them even after I had diagnosed the issue to the camera the dealer said they had contacted the manufacturing engineers who took several days to determine what was causing these electrical issues. This is not an isolated issue as multiple hyundai tucson owners have reported this to Hyundai and their dealerships yet they fail to recognize the risks associated with the faulty cameras they install in their factories. They need to recall their vehicles prone to having this issue. This has cost me $1000 to fix and put me at risk on the road

- Newport News, VA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?