AutoUtility currently tracks 1616 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 516 complaints (31.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 14 filings cite a crash, 24 cite a fire, 6 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 1616 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (516 reports • 31.9% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (396), Body & Structure (382)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 14 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 24 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #16V628000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Engine & Cooling
Body & Structure
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #16V348000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
- Campaign #20V543000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Electrical System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #16V842000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak
Engine Stalling / Sudden Shutdown
Smoke, Burning Odor or Thermal Event
Transmission Slipping, Hesitation or Shudder
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"This problem was observed about 1 month ago: While driving and headlights set on AUTO, during the day, and the light switch NOT on, the dashboard would indicate the lights were ON, for just a second or two, and would go off. At night with the headlights set on AUTO and the headlights ON, while..."
"Door latch issue. Driver's side door has to be pulled multiple times after unlocking to open from the exterior. Passenger side door latch has become completely inoperable and does not open from the interior or exterior now. To have multiple doors fail at the same time seems like a true design..."
"While stopped at a traffic light, the engine began producing a loud metallic clattering and clanking sound, consistent with connecting rod bearing failure (rod knock). There was no prior warning light or indication of this specific failure. When the light changed, the vehicle would not accelerate..."
"All the warning lights in the day lit up. Brake, LDWS, AEB, outside air temperature won’t read and the a/c blows hot. $486 to diagnose at dealer and they state that it’s an electrical issue due to a bad vacuum pump. I can’t get an answer as to whether the vacuum pump safety campaign was completed..."
"The engine is failing at 128,000 miles. The car is burning so much oil that it is impossible to drive more than 500 miles without the oil running dry. The problem has been inspected by the Hyundai dealership nearest me. The vehicle notified me of the oil issue by illuminating the oil light. The..."
Complaint History for Hyundai Tucson
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Hyundai Tucson | 226 | 7 | 1 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Hyundai Tucson Current Page | 1616 | 14 | 5 | Current |
| 2017 Hyundai Tucson | 1083 | 13 | 3 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Hyundai Tucson | 389 | 13 | 1 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Hyundai Tucson | 372 | 14 | 1 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Hyundai Tucson | 176 | 5 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Hyundai Tucson | 77 | 2 | 1 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Hyundai Tucson | 490 | 31 | 3 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Hyundai Tucson | 173 | 15 | 2 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Hyundai Tucson | 136 | 17 | 4 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Hyundai Tucson | 408 | 36 | 7 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson | 0 | 0 | 5 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 139 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 317 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 217 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 178 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 154 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 145 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 52 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,VISIBILITY | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experienc...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.