2019 Hyundai Tucson

NHTSA Safety Complaint – 2019 Hyundai Tucson Engine Failure I am reporting a serious engine safety concern involving my 2019 Hyundai Tucson AWD 2.0L (VIN: [XXX]). On XXX, the red engine oil-pressure warning light suddenly illuminated while I was preparing to drive home. Concerned about possible engine failure, I stopped using the vehicle and had it towed to Pohanka Hyundai in [XXX]. On XXX, the dealership provided a diagnostic video indicating that the engine was defective and needed replacement. A written estimate dated XXX quoted $7,823.58 for an engine replacement. Despite this diagnosis, the dealership later declared the vehicle drivable and returned it after adding oil, without providing a satisfactory explanation for reversing its original findings. The engine problems continued, and the vehicle had to be returned to the dealership. This presents a serious potential safety hazard. An unresolved engine or oil-pressure problem could cause sudden engine failure, loss of propulsion, or a breakdown while driving on a highway or in heavy traffic, increasing the risk of a collision and injuries to occupants and other motorists. I am particularly concerned that a vehicle initially diagnosed as needing engine replacement was subsequently declared safe to drive without documented evidence that the underlying problem had been corrected. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this engine failure represents a broader safety defect affecting 2019 Hyundai Tucson vehicles and whether additional safety measures, including a recall investigation, are warranted. Vehicle: 2019 Hyundai Tucson AWD 2.0L VIN: [XXX] Mileage at diagnosis: Approximately 87,656 miles Incident Date: XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving on the highway 65 mph in our 2019 Hyundai Tucson AWD, the vehicle suddenly experienced a severe power loss, loud engine knocking, engine light flashing, and the car in limp mode. This caused a terrifying hazard. We exited to safety, the car was towed and is at a Hyundai dealership. It pulled a diagnostic engine trouble code P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System). The dealership confirmed the code, but is refusing to replace the engine under the Hyundai Engine II Class Action Settlement without an out-of-pocket 'combustion cleaning' fee, which, as seniors, we cannot afford on a fixed income. The dealership service manager told us that he requested Goodwill from Hyundai Corporate for the combustion engine cleaning. And because of a past denial, corporate denied it a 2nd time. So, we contacted our Hyundai Corporate case manager, who said our request for “the engine replacement” was still pending and in review by their team. She saw no denials, except for a loaner, which would be approved, upon repair approval. We added the dealership service manager on this call to discuss confusion about goodwill be denied by Corporate for the “combustion cleaning”. He said this case manager would not see the combustion cleaning requirement, because it was instructed by another department. His then pivoted the topic & said we received an estimate for combustion cleaning. My response “we never received an estimate & have no estimate in my email”. His response “I hate to use this word, but you’re a liar”. My husband then took the call saying “we did not receive an estimate in writing, although we had asked the tech for an estimate but nothing was final.” The service manager cut him off and said “we are done come pick up your car” & hung up. This dealership phone interaction needed to be included in this incident because now we are being put in grave danger as he is expecting us to pick up our un-drivable, unsafe & hazardous car with no concern for safety.

While driving at highway speeds, my 2019 Hyundai Tucson SE suddenly loses acceleration and drops into a 30 mph 'limp mode' while the engine overheats. This creates an immediate highway safety hazard with an imminent risk of a rear-end collision. The vehicle also suffers from excessive oil consumption, requiring manual top-offs twice a week. The servicing dealership diagnosed a fuel system failure, quoting $5,847 to replace the fuel pump, fuel injectors, and oil gasket. Hyundai Corporate (Case #43358088) officially denied warranty coverage on October 12, 2026, falsely claiming wear and tear despite active TXXM 150,000-mile extended warranty framework protections. Furthermore, there is a data discrepancy: the dealership pulled diagnostic trouble code P0172, but corporate claims the vehicle threw code P0173 and is withholding the physical diagnostic printout behind a fee paywall.

The new 2019 Hyundai Tucson equipped with the Nu2.0L GDI engine, I purchased in 1/2020 as the original owner to this day has been diagnosed with a burnt exhaust valve due to heavy oil consumption that has been an uncorrected documented manufacturer’s defect within Hyundai motor corporation. The excessive engine oil consumption has poisoned and destroyed the first catalytic converter, has fouled the combustion chamber which has consequently choked and burnt the exhaust valve with the excess oil ash and carbon buildup. The car was approved for a second catalytic converter install last week which my car currently sits at 125,000 miles and the dealership through the authority of approval with Hyundai motor America has replaced under warranty however subsequently running the excess consumption test, the car now has a burnt exhaust valve which Hyundai motor America is extending a “good faith” proposal which they are willing to replace 60% of the burnt valve and I’m responsible for the 40% even though I have complied fully with the dealership’s recommended preventive maintenance schedule which has been solely performed at the same dealership since the day I bought the car and drove off the lot up until the 100K mile warranty. And now discovering my particular motor has been extended to the 15/150,000 warranty due to the lawsuit settlement. I have continued with my diligence with keeping up with the oil, instead of ignoring the issue that the car burns excessive oil to potentially has the engine fail while driving to be fully covered on the rod bearing failure settlement. Help in my concerns would be greatly appreciated through NHTSA.

I have had 2 catalytic converters the original and a 2nd one. Now I need a 3rd due to excessive oil consumption. Corporate did a good will for a combustion cleaning and that did nothing. The dealership checked my oil and said there was excessive oil consumption and submitted for an engine replacement and it was rejected. Absolutely ridiculous.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the vents, with the battery warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the service center, where it was diagnosed with alternator failure. The contact was informed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the alternator had been replaced three times with aftermarket parts and a fourth time with an OEM part. After inspecting the alternators, the contact noticed that the copper wires inside each alternator were black due to the failure. The contact was concerned that a previous recall associated with the failure did not properly fix the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone, and a case was opened. The contact also requested a buyback of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

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.

I had bought my car in May of 2025 and within 12 hours of owning it. The check engine light came on. They replaced the sensor well. A couple days later, the check engine light came on again, and they had to rebuild my whole engine had the car for a month at this time. When they rebuilt the engine, they had the car for over a month. And ever since I got it back, it's always something the same thing has to get repaired. Well, I took it to the shop. Yesterday because it was misfiring, and I needed to have some spark plugs replaced, and they said that the Ignition coil needed to be replaced, but there was a recall on that not too long ago. And they fixed that on the recall. There's no reason that should have already went a few months later. Well, the problem is when I bought my car, I bought it from tar. Hyundai, it's now rusty, while it's Hyundai. They charged me $200 just to get my car out of their lot. Because I refused service because they were trying to charge me. $2500 to fix my car. Now mind you, I've already put over $4000 extra into this car. After purchasing it for over 21000 now they're not wanting to honor any work that Tara. Hyundai done because they don't be responsible. They don't want to honor the tar. Hyundai warranty or anything I've had it with this Hyundai company. I've been driving this lemon. It is yet again in the shop. Being fixed, although the engine was rebuilt a year ago, there is no reason. This car should keep having engine failure. They don't want to honor it. They don't want to give me a new car, they don't want to, they're acting like they don't care like, 00 well, it's your fault, but I did not buy the car, as is it came with a warranty. When they reserved my engine and had to rebuild it. They extended my warranty 2 hundred and fifty thousand miles

My 2019 Hyundai Tucson repeatedly shuts off while driving , without any warning. It rolls backwards while in park. The car could easily hit me taking things out of the trunk or hit my neighbors walking past my drive. The car has no power. It can’t get up to speed. It shakes and I have to get someone to add oil to it frequently. The first time this happened was in April of 2023. The engine seized up and it was towed to Driver’s Village in Cicero, NY. They replaced the engine block. But not the converter. Now, it is happening again. I have had 2 diagnostic tests done. One by my mechanic and the other by Advanced Auto Parts. Both tests say that the problem is the catalytic converter, but Hyundai refuses to fix the problem and will not honor my extended warranty. I have written and called them numerous times for almost 2 years now, about this and they say they will call me back, but they do not. None of the dealerships will even look at my car. I need someone to look at my vehicle. This vehicle is not safe. Other Tucson owners have the same problems with their cars, that I am complaining about. There is a federal emissions warranty that Hyundai claim they have never heard of, that would fix my car and make it safe to drive. I just want Hyundai to stand behind their warranty and fix my car before it kills someone.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and turned off, the vehicle rolled backwards and occasionally ended up in the street in front of the residence. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic and other vehicles to go around the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and was pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The contact stated that there was ice built up underneath the tires, and an unknown ring was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the vehicle reversed inadvertently while parked and stalled while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer but was not diagnosed; however, the contact was notified that the failure might be associated with the catalytic converter. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

While traveling northbound on [XXX] in Florida traffic came to a stop, and when I stopped, my engine seized, I attempted to restart, but was unable to get a restart. My attempts to restart caused the starter to start burning smoke was coming from under the hood this put me at serious risk being on an interstate highway in the left lane at [XXX]. It was very difficult for me to push the car to the side of the road in this dangerous situation, recalling how Harry Chapin died in New York, because his car failed, and was struck by another vehicle. I was able to get the car onto the shoulder away from the moving traffic. The engine that seized is a 2.0 GDI engine and that engine has been identified to have multiple failures and being replaced after failing . Hyundai sent a letter. I believe this engine should be recalled and replaced before others are put in the same dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

OnXXX my car experienced sudden knocking in the engine. I pulled over to the service station on the [XXX] and had my car towed to Empire Hyundai in [XXX]. I had just changed oil on XXXand upon inspection oil level was fine. Problem is the theta 2 engine and though the car is under extended warranty Hyundai is requesting maintenance records before repairing this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ABS light on dash is illuminated due to no known cause. Mechanic explained that the ABS system will not work when the light is illuminated which, I believe, contributed to a "fender bender" my vehicle was involved in due to the ABS system failure.

When the vehicle in front of me stopped quickly, I braked quickly but did not hit the car. At that time, all the lights on my dashboard went off and were still on when I took the car to dealer for a diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle responded as intended; however, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. The contact became aware that notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V543000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); was previously received; however, the VIN was no longer included in the recall. The contact was unsure if the recall repair was performed. The contact requested a reimbursement from the dealer, but the request was denied. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

I have noticed that the engine oil level in my vehicle drops significantly between regular oil changes. Despite adhering to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule, I frequently have to add a quart of oil after driving only about [800~1,000 마일] miles.I understand that this is a widely reported issue with Hyundai Owners Forum affecting 2019 models. Many experts and fellow owners have identified that this rapid oil loss is often caused by manufacturing defects, such as faulty piston rings, which can eventually lead to catastrophic engine failure.As a Hyundai owner, I am highly concerned about the safety, reliability, and decreased resale value of my vehicle. Running low on oil without warning creates a high risk of sudden engine breakdown while driving on the highway.I kindly request that Hyundai Corporate or my local authorized dealer investigate and resolve this matter. Specifically, I am asking for:An official engine inspection and a proper Oil Consumption Test.Necessary repairs or a full engine replacement under the applicable powertrain warranty at no cost to me.

The 2019 Tucson has 60,413 miles. My daughter drives it very low mileage - a couple of miles a day back and forth to school. Friday she was driving and the car lost engine power and it stopped driving. No warning lights. There was a cloud of smoke and it smelled like burning plastic. She was on a busy road but pulled over and quickly exited the vehicle. I had it towed and the mechanic says the engine oil was empty and the engine has seized. We do regularly scheduled oil changes. No lights or warnings and the car just stopped in traffic.

While driving, the check engine light began flashing and the vehicle shook severely due to engine misfiring. The vehicle has had a recurring cylinder 3 misfire throughout ownership. Spark plugs and ignition coils were first replaced around 40,000 miles and replaced again in December 2025 for the same recurring issue. A Hyundai dealership inspected the vehicle and found codes P0300 random misfire and P0303 cylinder 3 misfire. The dealership technician documented that the piston rings did not look good and confirmed the catalytic converter was damaged as a result of the misfires. The vehicle has had an engine rattle at idle, oil consumption, and blow-by since early in ownership. The engine defect is progressive and predates the current mileage. The flashing check engine light and severe shaking while driving at highway speeds created an unsafe condition with other vehicles on the road. The problem has been confirmed by a Hyundai dealership. Hyundai Motor America was contacted and denied goodwill warranty assistance. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

The vehicle will not get to highway speed causing it to impede traffic and presenting a safety risk for collision.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal sound and the engine seized. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The failure reoccurred. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started and the engine spuddered. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was later informed that the repair was not covered under the recall because of open recalls associated with the contact's VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.