CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2016 Tucson comes with a dual-clutch, 7-speed transmission. But Hyundai forgot to tell you about one key phrase – zero-move. That's right, an alarming number of owners have said their SUV wouldn't accelerate after a stop.

Turns out that's because the transmission's application logic has been stumbling all over itself. Hyundai recalled the issue in September 2016, but it's difficult to say if owners are out-of-the-woods, or if this is just a sign of things to come.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 14
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,925 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.

2016 Hyundai Tucson engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Hyundai Tucson Owner Comments (Page 1 of 17)

problem #332

Jun 282024

Tucson

  • miles

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

Oil consumption is excessive it has caused the engine to have a knocking noise even though routine oil changes have been up to date. Yes available for inspection. This may cause the engine to seize at any given point while in motion. No, I have not been able to take the vehicle to a dealership yet. No, vehicle has not been inspected. No, no check engine/warning light has turned on. Knocking noise began June 28th 2024.

- El Cajon, CA, USA

problem #331

Apr 292024

Tucson

  • miles
The car started making noises. There were no warning lights and we drove to the Hyundai dealership in South Charleston, WV, where we were told it needs a new engine. The car is under warranty and Hyundai has denied the claim. Luckily we made it to the dealership before the car stopped. We had no indication there was a problem. We were traveling from out of state when this happened. An engine should not suddenly die with no warning. We have all the maintenance records.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #330

May 142024

Tucson

  • miles
Passenger door lock-right rear door will not unlock from outside or inside

- Pryor, OK, USA

problem #329

Mar 182023

Tucson

  • miles

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

Ever since I bought my vehicle off the lot, my oil has been burning and/or leaking from the engine. I have been having to put oil in every 2-3 weeks. Also as a result of the oil problem, the oil gets on the spark plugs and coils and erodes them causing them to burn out every 6 months. The first instance I had with this problem was on a road trip to Texas from Tennessee alone. All four spark plugs began faltering on the highway where the speed limit was 75mph, easily a dangerous situation for a malfunctioning engine. I had to pay to repair my vehicle the next day and it totaled to a little under $600. I have been checking for recalls on my specific vehicle for months but have seen none, despite there being similar recalls on other Hyundai vehicles. The electrical problem I-??ve been experiencing is the windows start falling in to the doors or don-??t roll down at all. Currently I have three windows with this problem, one of which I have had repaired.

- Mason, TN, USA

problem #328

Mar 012024

Tucson

  • miles
Internal engine failure; no compression cylinder. My vehicle was affected by the Tucson Dual Clutch Transmission Reprogramming recall. In higher ambient temperatures and specific operating conditions, the transmission clutch application logic can result in a delayed engagement when accelerating from a stop, and the vehicle would not accelerate. Inability to move the vehicle in traffic. The car is well maintained and in excellent shape. They estimated the cost to replace the engine at $14,000! and Hyundai Dealer Larry Miller denied any help with the repair cost.

- West Valley City, UT, USA

problem #327

May 162024

Tucson

  • miles
Engine is being replaced due to excessive oil consumption. First sign was engine knocking in November 2022, which resolved with oil change. July 2023, engine knocking was heard again, Hyundai dealer said car came in with no oil. Had oil changed / filled, was advised to bring car back in 1000 miles. December 2023, brought car back to dealer after ~1000 miles, no knocking but oil was 2 quarts below spec. Ladder frame was resealed and ladder frame o-ring replaced. Oil was refilled, oil pan and oil dip stick both sealed for oil consumption test. Feb 2024, car brought back to dealer after ~1000 miles, no knocking but oil was 1.8 quarts low. Combustion chamber cleaning was performed and oil refilled. Oil pan and oil dip stick both sealed for another oil consumption test. Early May 2024, car brought back to dealer after ~1000 miles, oil still apparently quite low (no details provided by dealer). Engine replacement approved by Hyundai corporate in mid-May 2024.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #326

May 072024

Tucson

  • miles

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

I was driving to work Tuesday and noticed that my car wasn't accelerating and losing speed, pulled over and as soon as I came to a stop, it dies. I got it towed to my mechanic, they said I was out of oil and throwing a p1326 code for the ksds. I'm not sure how that is possible, cause I changed the oil a month prior on April 6, this happened May 7. Mechanic put more oil in and I was taking it home. I noticed a funny noise and took it back to my mechanic; got there and it started knocking and cut off as soon as I stopped again. Mechanic did another diagnostic and it threw the code again. Got it towed to the dealership and I'm now waiting on them. Apparently it's the engine, they have been having lots of issues with them.

- Calera, AL, USA

problem #325

Jan 132024

Tucson

  • miles
My 2016 Hyundai Tucson has been experiencing sudden engine failures for about 10 months now. Driving at 70 mph on a freeway and experiencing a loss of torque is terrifying. Glad I was able to pull off safely. Engine lights came on for a few seconds and then turned off. Visit to the dealer showed... nothing. The engine is under warranty, but Hyundai dealers continue to dismiss the issue. Also, this engine has been excessively burning oil during the very same timeframe. There are no leaks - confirmed by Hyundai dealers. I have to put in about a quarter every other 2-3 weeks. Hadn't I done this, my vehicle would not make it to the next oil change. Really frustrating! Reading thru complaints to NTHSA, there a lot of us facing the same issues, with faulty engines and excessive oil consumption. This must be investigated, and a recall notice settled. Hyundai must be held accountable.

- Mauldin, SC, USA

problem #324

Mar 262024

Tucson

  • miles
My 2016 Hyundai Tucson has had power and acceleration issues since I purchased it brand new in 2016 from the dealership. When trying to accelerate onto the freeway, or trying to turn onto busy traffic the engine would rev but not pick up speed causing a dangerous situation when traffic is present. I have had all the updates to my vehicle, but the issue did not improve. At first I thought it had something to do with the transmission, but recently I have discovered that it was probably something wrong with the engine all this time. I currently have 111,070 miles on my vehicle, and I have kept up with routine maintenance. I had noticed in the last couple of years that my engine oil was burning at an extremely high rate, and I had to keep replenishing it between oil changes. I never saw any oil leaking on the ground though. About a month ago while I was entering a freeway, my check engine light started flashing and I could not accelerate. The vehicle-??s engine started misfiring and the vehicle was having a hard time switching gears. Fortunately it was early in the morning before rush hour traffic otherwise I would have been hit by oncoming traffic. I had the codes read and they came back as P0300, P0302, and P0304. I had already had the spark plugs replaced less than 10,000 miles prior to this, so we tried changing the ignition coils. That did not help, so we changed the spark plugs too. This still did not solve the problem. A mechanic ran a compression test and determined there is a problem with the engine. I have read numerous other complaints online now about similar issues with the 2016 Hyundai Tucson engine failure with less than 150,000 miles that put people in harms way while driving down the road. The engine failure is occurring even with regular maintenance.

- Austin , TX, USA

problem #323

Apr 012024

Tucson

  • miles
My car randomly will not reverse; it's happened a few times, I was alone or with my 5 year old the first time, and next couple of times I've had witnesses (husband and a friend) and this last time I was alone but I took a video. Sometimes my car feels like it has no power or like it's in the first gear struggling to make it past that (it's an automatic but that's the best way I can describe it). Three out of my four doors stick and I have to pull multiple times to get the door opened, even though it's unlocked. I find these issues, while not outright dangerous, can be a hassle especially when I'm in a parking lot trying to reverse into a spot or out of a spot. It's hard for my 8 year old to get in or out of the car cause her door sticks. I feel like when my car is driving sluggish, that I am going to get hit by another car.

- Mount Laurel Township, NJ, USA

problem #322

Feb 142024

Tucson

  • miles

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

I was driving home from work and heard knocking sound come from engine. No sensors came on to alert me of any problem. I pulled over and checked oil. There was no oil and it was not due for oil change for another 1,000 miles. Oil is always changed between 3-5K miles. Took it to Gettel Hyundai dealership where it was purchased. They are unable to explain what or why this happened. Took claim out with Hyundai as there is only 60K miles. Hyundai and dealership offered no help because warranty had ended. Just told me it needed a new engine for $8K. Hyundai corporate denied claim also citing lack of service. That is not a valid reason and makes no sense. We provided every paper receipt showing diligent oil changes and required mile maintenance. They never bothered to do an engine oil burning test. After researching this online there is a well-known problem with these engines burning oil. There was no oil leaking. Why did NO sensor alert me there was no oil? This seems like a major safety concern. Hyundai is refusing to take responsibility for this problem and needs to address this properly. This car engine should be recalled.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #321

Jan 032024

Tucson

  • miles
Loss of power while driving thru heavy traffic causing car to go into a low speed. No warning lights until after turning off and back on. Hyundai dealership confirms no compression cyl 3, metal shaving in engine block, oil full. Engine in car 1.6L GDI turbo, not under hyundai recall. Hyundai denying claim to replace because vin not included in recall but does admit engine is same as in other recalled engines for same issue. Losing power in heavy traffic with no warning was safety issue. Only light to come on was engine light after the fact.

- New Milford , CT, USA

problem #320

May 012023

Tucson

  • miles
I have joined the millions of disappointed Hyundai customers who have faulty engines in their cars. Hyundai is refusing to replace my engine or provide any assistance because there is no formal recall for my vehicle. In May of 2023, my engine failed after starting to have oil consumption issues and Hyundai diagnosed it as failure due to maintenance neglect. When I opened a case with Hyundai, I gave all maintenance records, including a January full-point inspection done by Hyundai, showing no engine issues or anything engine-related to be addressed. In follow up after providing the records, Hyundai determined it was actually not due to neglect of maintenance, but a dirty valve train, and therefore there was nothing they could do since I was out of my warranty period. However, when I asked how I was to know my valve train was dirty if all my inspections came back with no issues, I was told that it just happens and there is no way to prevent. I asked them to re-open my case and they again asked for maintenance records, the ones I already provided, to try and say again that it was maintenance related. I kept getting different stories from the case manager, the service manager at Cool Springs Hyundai, and the GM at Cool Springs Hyundai. I have since joined a group on Facebook with thousands of others encountering this same issue - random engine failure and case managers requesting maintenance records in the hopes Hyundai can find a way to blame it on the consumer. It-??s no secret that Hyundai makes vehicles with faulty engines as seen by the multiple recalls over the past few years, including the recent one regarding engine fires affecting 3+ million customers. Hyundai needs to be held accountable. In research of my engine, the 1.6L GDI, I see that this engine is under recall for the Hyundai Veloster for the same exact issue that I have had, but for some reason that same engine in my vehicle has yet to be recalled. I plead for your assistance and resolving.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #319

Feb 082024

Tucson

  • miles
When both driving and idling, the car will either stall or feel like it is about to stall, when all of a sudden the vehicle -??pauses-?? for a second and then all of the dashboard lights come on. This has now happened at least 4 times in the past month. It will reset after turning the car off, but on more than one occasion after turning the car off, the engine doesn-??t restart right away. Thankfully, the car has restarted and it resets the dashboard lights. My safety is a concern if my car stalls while driving at any speed! I have yet to take it to the dealer, as there-??s a VERY long wait for an appointment - another recurring issue. No one has inspected this for me, and it is very concerning. There is plenty of evidence that this is happening to others in both online forums and Hyundai owners sites online.

- Silver Spring , MD, USA

problem #318

Dec 152023

Tucson

  • miles
Engine was burning more oil between oil changes. Auto shop diagnosed engine as blown engine after scoping each valve. 126,000 miles

- Ridgefield, WA, USA

problem #317

Feb 192024

Tucson

  • miles
The engine in this vehicle is faulty like same engine in 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The recall that covers the engine in the Veloster shows identical engine failure to that seen in our vehicle. We noticed that the engine oil light came on within 3k miles of the last oil change and when we checked we had lost over 3 quarts of oil with no signs of external leaking. We put in more oil and within a week it started knocking and the engine failed. We took it to the shop and they said they had replaced multiple Hyundai engines under warranty for same exact problem. Reference Hyundai Campaign 22-01-023H. Hyundai is stating they are not going to fix this issue on the Hyundai Tucson because it doesn't fall under the recall yet though they know it has same issue. Our car has less than 90k miles with full synthetic used the entire time. This engine fails, they know why it fails, and ours did while my wife was taking kids to school.

- Haslet, TX, USA

problem #316

Feb 132024

Tucson

  • miles
While driving my car started to have trouble accelerating and then the engine started to make a knocking noise. While driving the noise started to get louder and worse and then the check engine light came on. I have checked for recalls with my vin # and there are none. The issue I am having with my vehicle is exactly like recalls I have seen listed for other years and or version of my 2016 Hyundai Tucson Turbo. I can not drive my car and I need help.

- Lyndhurst, NJ, USA

problem #315

Dec 052023

Tucson

  • 84,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to cease driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who determined that there were metal fragments in the oil, resulting in damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #314

Jan 302024

Tucson

  • miles
All 4 Windows will not roll up/ down. Using multiple quarts of oil a week. The heat doesn-??t work. Back doors will not open.

- Tuscumbia, AL, USA

problem #313

Jan 272024

Tucson

  • miles
I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic when I was driving out of town and the check engine light came on. I pulled over and was able to get off the freeway and safely park. I called for a tow tuck. At the time the check engine light came on it started to stutter and act like it was out of gas or oil. I just had my oil changed few weeks ago and had plenty of gas. I could tell something wasn't right. When I found a safe place to pull over and park while I waited for the tow truck. I tried to start the engine and it would crank but quickly start shaking. I tried starting it up to see if I could make it to a church that was several yards away and when I tempted to it quickly started to shake and out of fear of getting stuck or hit I just let it stay put until the tow truck came. Once the tow truck arrived they were having a hard time getting it to start to get on the truck. I had it towed to a local mechanic and it stated that it failed the compression test and needs a engine repair. Since it needs a new engine I had it towed to the Hyundai dealership and after they performed there tests it came to the same conclusion. New engine. At this point, the dealership says it's not covered. The car has 89k miles. At this point I'm at the mercy of the dealership and honestly I just want out of this car and in a safe and reliable vehicle. I owe more than what's its worth. I feel like the moment I purchased this vehicle it was a lemon and had alot of issues arise that shouldn't

- Pineville, NC, USA

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