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.

8.1

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
10,500 miles
Total Complaints:
17 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (17 reports)
2016 Hyundai Tucson transmission problems

transmission problem

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2016 Hyundai Tucson Owner Comments

problem #17

May 142022

Tucson Sport 1.6L 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 103,000 miles

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

Car hesitates, then lurches forward when accelerating.

- Tori E., West Des Moines, US

problem #16

Aug 162018

Tucson LX V1.6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,000 miles

I bought the 2016 Tucson new and experienced acceleration problems almost immediately, but they got worse after 10,000 miles or so. When I step on the accelerator from a complete stop, there is a 'lurch' when the car begins to move (after a hesitation). Several times (about 10) the hesitation is longer than 10 seconds and the engine RPMs fly up to 7000 with no movement of the vehicle at all!! After breaking out in a cold sweat, I thank God that the guy behind me did not rear end me.

My grandchildren and my daughter are yelling at me to return the car as a lemon, because they don't want me to be in an accident. The one recall did not fix the problem. I've mentioned the lurching and hesitation to my dealer several times, but the unpredictability of the issue makes it almost impossible for them to experience it.

My neighbor will not let their 2 year old in this car with me, although they have no problem with me driving her in other cars.

I am 78 years old with a perfect driving record and I am the sole caretaker for my 87 year old friend. I cannot afford to buy a new car just because Hyundai put lemons on the road.

The only suggestion I have is to replace the engine with one that has no issues or give me full credit on a trade-in.. I purchased 2 Huundais within the last 7 years and cannot recommend them to anyone after my very dangerous experiences.

Please help!!

PS - I will report each and every time the vehicle lurches at acceleration and this site will be filled (unfortunately) with my issues.

- Irene N., Fayetteville, PA, US

problem #15

May 202018

Tucson Sport 1.6 T

  • Automatic transmission
  • 11,764 miles

This problem is an unsafe problem. When driving in slow traffic the hesitation and then jumping forward as you start to move forward with the flow of the traffic could cause a rear end accident. Also it has caused spillage of liquids in the car when people are trying to take a sip of their drink in the car due to the sudden jump forward of the car. I feel this condition could cause a bad accident. Also my wife has arthritis and has had three back surgery and complains of pain when it starts the jerking motions. She says she hates the car.

I find it very irritating when you think you are going to move forward smoothly and it goes into this damn jerking and you have to stop and start over again hoping the next one will be smooth and it's not. My wife and I are retired and just bought this car in March. It was a used car with only 10,000 miles on it and I had to dig into my retirement money for it and can't afford to go buy another one. I would just like to have this one fixed so we could get a smooth ride out of it.

What the service manager told me is their fix on it was an upgrade of the software and now the car would have to learn how I drive. When I took It back to him for the 2nd time for the same problem, I told him that the damn car was a slow learner, he didn't laugh.

- robertparry1, Roseville, CA, US

problem #14

Aug 012016

Tucson Limited 1.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles

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

have had several problems since leasing the car in March 2016:

1. Complained about the transmission around August of 2016. Terrible shifting, and when power was applied to go and engage passing gear car almost stalled, transmission sounded like the clutches were worn on a new car. 2. I went to Dealer and they said there was an update to the programming. They told me NOT to use the ECO selection for better gas mileage; because it was the cause of the problem. Programming updated and car worked ok for a while in Standard drive. Sometime in October of 2016 it started while waiting for traffic to move, the car would jump and grind, and making noises that the engine was going to stop. 3.The dealer's service manager said he had numerous complaints but that the factory was not doing its job. He suggested I continue my pursuit. 4. Its 2017 and the car IS GETTING WORSE. Jumping and decelerating, and making metal sounds. I went to the Dealer the tech drove the car and said could NOT find any problems. He said I would most likely have to live with this problem. I am now so desperate to get something done. Next year in March will be my 24 month. I do not think the car will make it. I fear I will be blamed for the factory's neglect. 5. My wife and I leased a similar Tucson with me the same day. She has some of the jumping problems but not as bad as I have it. My main concern is how is this going to play out if the dealer continues to say they cannot reproduce the problems????? I need help from someone...please

- luishernandez, Miami, US

problem #13

Jun 262017

Tucson Limited 1.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25 miles

I have purchased * 8 Hyundais in the past 6 years, had a Tuscon before this one , never had a problem with it. However, this Tuscon is the worst vehicle I have ever owned, the transmission Is not only bad, it is dangerous. It does not shift right, it lunges, it does not move after a stop, its a hazard.

I had it back to Hyundai and was told it was normal, that's because the mechanics don't know what to do about how to fix it.

If my wife or myself ever have an accident because of this transmission problem, you can rest assured the manufacturers of Hyundai will get a very large Lawsuit and so will the dealership, for knowing there is a problem, and not offering to fix it.

- Victor G., Manchester, US

problem #12

Feb 012016

Tucson Limited 1.6t

  • Automatic transmission
  • 500 miles

Tucson has been lurching forward when you come to a stop and touch the accelerator just about most of the time. When I spoke to the service dept. I have been told that is the way the Turbo works.?!? He told me to prevent that I need to keep my foot on the brake and the accelerator at the same time. This is crazy! I won't do that.

The worst problem I am having is I never know when this car will shut off at a stop. The transmission on the 2016 goes into neutral to save gas when you come to a stop and sometimes won't come out so you then have to call a tow truck! The worst! I will now post this on Transmission issues. Dangerous and I am now stressed when I drive my new car. Something you shouldn't have to feel with a car that has under 3000k miles.

- 4donna, Brentwood, TN, US

problem #11

Apr 012016

Tucson Sport 1.6L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10 miles

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

When brake is applied and car slows to a few MPH, the car just about stops then lunges forward again.

- ammani, Oswego, IL, US

problem #10

Dec 072016

Tucson Premium 1.6L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 373 miles

It is pathetic that this vehicle almost stalls from pulling away from a stop. It feels like you're driving a standard transmission & you're in the wrong gear. Frigging annoying. The "fix" was to reprogram the module but that didn't fix it. It's still doing it. A HUGE disappointment.

- Brian P., Amherst, NS, Canada

problem #9

Aug 132016

Tucson Turbo 1.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,290 miles

We are considered elderly over 70 years young and I bought this car for my wife because I thought that it was the safest car of it's size on the market. I never thought that a 2016 model of any kind would have the kind of transmission problems that this car has and I never considered that a transmission should be considered as an unsafe feature but it is dangerous and we will do whatever we can to move to another vehicle.

Today, I was driving it and backing out of my driveway. Since the car was drifting forward and I was focused on looking at the RPM's and the fact that the car was barely moving backward as I depressed the accelerator , I didn't see the car coming down the street. Fortunately, my wife cautioned me and then the warnings went off as they were designed, but it is these kind of additional problems of lurching or not engaging that creates a real dangerous situation when driving this vehicle. You cannot depend on the car to respond to your pressing on the gas pedal.

Sometimes the RPM's go way up and the car doesn't move and then it lurches forward. The transmission overheated and gave a warning. We were told to let the car cool down but after an hour when the tow truck came the engine still smelled badly. The dealership said that their technician checked it out and that everything was fine. We were told not to use the accelerator to hold the car on a hill but to use the brake instead. The problem is that both in forward and reverse the car drifts a lot on a hill and if you take into account the other problems with lurching and not engaging the you have a very serious and dangerous situation not to mention the car potentially breaking down in a very unsafe area.

The sales manager at the dealership said that he was unaware of the problems with the transmission. A technician at the dealership said that he would not keep the car if it were him.

- jdipiero, Pittsburgh, PA, US

problem #8

Oct 292016

Tucson Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 13,500 miles

I bought a 2016 Hyundai Tucson with Eco Boost in April 2016 while working in Las Vegas. I drove from VA to Las Vegas twice and made a few trips back & forth from VA Beach, VA to Philadelphia, PA. In October 2016 the first issue I noticed was that the car would seem to hesitate when at a stop sign or light. I took the car to be serviced and was told the issue was likely related to the transmission recall. The transmission was updated and it worked fine driving home that night, however the next day I felt like I was driving an ATV...very bumpy ride and the car clearly doesn't switch into the right gear. When I stop at a light and accelerate the car lurches forward. Overall the driving is bad & I don't feel safe driving it. In all I've taken the car to the dealer 4 times and they look at me like I'm crazy. I now have a case number with Hyundai tech but don't expect that they'll fix this faulty clutch transmission because they say the car is supposed to drive like this. The car drove fine for 13,000 miles and now it's JUNK!! I've been a loyal Hyundai owner since 2000 however they've proven they don't care about their customers only the bottom line......SALES!!!

- navymom0725, Virginia Beach, VA, US

problem #7

Sep 032016

Tucson Limited 4-cyl Turbo 175hp

  • Automatic transmission
  • 101 miles

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

(This is letter to the Hyundai Technicians): I leased a 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited on September 3, 2016 from Allen Hyundai in Laguna Niguel, California. I started having problems with the accelerator ‘lunging’ and ‘stalling’ from the first week and took it back to the dealer to be one of the first customers to have the initial ‘Recall’ software fix for the ‘dual-clutch’ transmission problem!! It was somewhat improved after the dealer performed the recall repair, but then I started having problems with the engine shutting OFF when stopping after long high-speed freeway driving! The engine started ‘missing’ then just quit all together!! I took it back to the dealer this week and they had a problem replicating the problem (you know this always happens) but call Hyundai to see if there was a ‘case number’ for this problem across the nation! After two days of searching for a way to fix this problem, they finally said Hyundai said to ‘check the ground GC307 and install a star washer and check voltage has 12 volts’ (CASE 9695180). I transport my handicapped daughter in this car and MUST have reliability since she cannot walk. Now, every time I take the car on the road… I just ‘cross my fingers’ that I make it back home OK!!! This is a pathetic situation!! How did this ‘dual-clutch’ transmission ever get past testing… it certainly should have NOT made it to production… for thousands of people like me to suffer the consequences!!! I’m not happy and will continue to keep you informed of future problems… which seem inevitable!!!! Sincerely, Howard Mayrant

- mayrant, Laguna Niguel, CA, US

problem #6

Feb 272016

Tucson Sport 1.6L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10 miles

I have filed prior complaints about this problem as have thousands of other owners. A recall was issues within the past few months regarding this same issue. I brought the car into the dealer and had the transmission "reprogrammed" as outlined in the recall. The issue is still present and poses a very serious safety issue. When the gas pedal is pressed from a stop, the car will hesitate for appr. 1-2 seconds and feel like it will die. The car will then lunge forward as if the gas pedal had been floored. The brake has to be released at least 1-2 seconds prior to accelerating. My family cannot feel safe pulling into traffic as we don't know if the car will actually move when needed to. When coming to a stop, the car will stop then lunge forward again. When coasting at a very low speed as in traffic, the car will "bounce" as if it were a manual transmission and the gas pedal was not pressed. It feels like it will die. When accelerating while moving, there is not a smooth shift between gears as if the clutch plate is not fully engaging.

- ammani, Oswego, IL, US

problem #5

May 012016

Tucson Sport 1.6L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 200 miles

jumpiness from a stop to acceleration

From the first week I got the car I noticed the rough transition from stop to go. Its jumpy rather than a smooth coast. Always annoying, when guest are in the car they think you don't know how to drive. My husband and I were in rolling traffic. (not stopped but not enough to really accelerate) It jumped so much I thought I was getting car sick!

- mkate, White, NY, US

problem #4

Jul 272016

Tucson Limited 1.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,650 miles

This has occurred multiple times. I wondered if it was me and not the car, but apparently others have the issue as well. It means I must be extra careful how close I am to another vehicle or other object--but really should not happen.

- Jenelle V., Temple, TX, US

problem #3

Jun 012016

Tucson Limited 1.6L T

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,236 miles

I was driving to work on the expressway. I exited the expressway and continued up the off ramp. Once I got off the ramp I began to merge into traffic and this is when the vehicle lurched forward. There were other vehicles ahead of me at a stop light. I proceeded and stopped behind the last car. Once the light changed to green, the cars ahead of me proceeded. However when I took my foot off of the brake and applied it to the accelerator, the car would not move. It was the scariest things. First the lurch and then it would not move. I put the hazard lights on because the light had once again changed to red. I kept trying to get the car to move but it would not move. I sat still for yet another light. Eventually the car moved. I immediately got back on the expressway and went directly to the dealership that I purchased the car from. I was told by the service manager that I would not be seen right away because I did not have an appointment and it would take me a very long time to have my car looked at. I did not care because this was too scary and I should not have this kind of thing to happen in any vehicle, and it definitely should not be happening in a brand new car. The end result was that they could find nothing wrong with my car. I then exclaimed that there is something wrong with it because this kind of thing just does not happen to a car that is functioning as it should be. He then stated that I should bring it back if it happens again. I told him that this was very dangerous and let us hope that it will not happen because I not only transport myself in my car, but I also transport my 81 year old Mother and my baby granddaughter. I cannot believe that I am having this kind of problem out of a vehicle that I pay the kind of money that I am paying.

- jarucker, Chicago, IL, US

problem #2

May 102016

Tucson Limited 1.6L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,165 miles

It has happen again, the dam car would not move when in drive from a stop. The transmission was shifted to park, the engine shut off and restarted, then shifted back to drive again before it would move. I made an appointment with my local Hyundai dealer in Mansfield Ohio on May 17th 2016. They ran computer scans and reset things that showed faulty, at least that's what I thought.

I was reading on line that one problem I am having is jack rabbit starts or just no power at take off. I see where Hyundai applied a update for the transmission back in February 2016. That was supposed to solve the problem and now there are complaints of vibrations coming from the transmission at slow speeds and Hyundai doesn't have a fix for that yet.

When the computer scans where run on my Hyundai on 5/17, the dealer must not of have done the update because my car still has the start and stop problem. I haven't had another attack of the transmission going from a stop since the service was done and I hope the hell I never do again.

This is a very dangerous, can you imagine what could happen it that would happen in heavy traffic or in in a rapid response situation? I am going to start posting complaints on Hyundai's website in order to have a record in case of a lemon law claim.

- onetallone, mansfield, OH, US

problem #1

Mar 012016

Tucson Limited 1.6t

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,500 miles

car won't mov from stop position-engine just raves

2016 Tucson with 4,500 miles. Car won't accelerate from stopped position. Engine reves up, but car wont move for 4-5 seconds then suddenly takes off. Very dangerous. Accidents are certain. Tried backing out of garage and it nearly avoided disaster. More recently had near accident in rush-hour stop and go traffic. Car wont move from stopped position, then suddenly takes off - tires squealing and again, near disaster with car infront of me. Watch this video on youtube and you will understand. Crazy - Hyundai needs to recall asap.

- Richard T., Estero, FL, US

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