2018 Hyundai Tucson: What to check before buying

Excessive oil consumption leads the reports, with engines burning a quart or more every 1,000 miles despite regular oil changes. The burned oil then ruins catalytic converters, and some owners have replaced them more than once. Many engines go on to knock, stall, or seize, often after the oil light flickers. One report describes a spun bearing at 32,000 miles. Five complaints describe engine fires, several of them after a loud knock and sudden power loss. Second owners report that Hyundai denied engine replacement.

Power loss and stalling make up most of these reports, usually with the check engine light on. Owners describe jerking, a vibrating floorboard, and no response to the gas pedal, sometimes at 65 mph on the highway. Many repairs do not last. Repeated catalytic converter replacements, new fuel injectors, and an engine software update all failed to stop the problem. Oil consumption appears again, with oil running very low between changes. One misfire diagnosis ended with advice to replace the engine.

Sudden engine failure is the main pattern. Owners describe knocking, rod bearing failure, limp mode at highway speed, and stalls in traffic, often with no warning light until after power is gone. Heavy oil consumption shows up alongside these failures. Transmission complaints describe rough or delayed shifts, sputtering, and hesitation from a stop on the dual-clutch gearbox. Two reports involve fires and three involve crashes, including one alleged case of sudden acceleration in a garage. Several owners say dealers refused extended engine coverage because they were not the original owner.

Many of these complaints are about a hydraulic brake recall, not a brake failure. Owners report that the repair part was unavailable and that dealers could not schedule the work for months. When the brakes do act up, the pedal sinks low, hard stops slide farther than expected, or the car fails to stop at low speed. Four reports involve crashes and three involve injuries, including one where the car rolled out of park. Several filings here actually describe engine stalls and engine replacements.

Headlights and taillights burn out again and again, and owners find melted sockets or wiring, sometimes needing a full headlamp assembly. Other reports describe the car shutting off on the highway. One case was traced to a bad ground wire and others to a seized engine. Two crash reports involve deer strikes, one with air bags that failed to deploy. Smaller complaints cover a turn signal that cuts out mid-turn, a dead media screen, a failed seat recliner motor, and a recall left open for 5 months.

Headlights fail intermittently. Owners report bulb-out warnings, bulbs working loose from their sockets, and melted contacts or wiring harnesses. Some say they replace bulbs every 90 days or keep returning to the dealer. A second pattern on new cars involves the headlight beam itself: low beams that reach only about 30 feet, a dark band ahead of the car with the bending-light HID system, and high beams that glare off road signs. Failures appear as early as 16,000 miles. Two filings here actually describe oil consumption and a knock sensor.

The car hesitates or refuses to accelerate, both from a stop and at speed, and sometimes slows on its own as the driver presses harder on the gas. Owners describe pumping the pedal during left turns before the car responds, and losing power on highway hills. Causes cited include oil-clogged catalytic converters, a faulty sensor, and limp mode after the knock sensor recall. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem. One report alleges sudden acceleration with the brake pressed on a nearly new car. Onset ranges from 7,000 to 100,000 miles.

Paint peels, flakes, and bubbles, most often on the hood, roof, side mirrors, and shark-fin antenna. Dealers decline to help once the warranty has expired. Two other problems stand out. In one report, the sunroof glass shattered while the car was being driven. In another, the rear hatch opens by itself both when parked and when moving, and the dealer could not reproduce it.

Bags stay stowed during serious crashes in all three reports. The cases include a rear impact that pushed the car into the vehicle ahead, a rear strike that spun the car into a semi-truck, and a side impact where everything deployed except the driver-side curtain. Drivers hit their heads on the steering wheel. One report also cites a seat belt that did not retract. Four injuries are reported, including broken bones and head trauma.