I purchased my Hyundai Tucson new from the dealer.
My first indication of this issue was when I brought it in for a check engine light. This was around 45,000 miles. There was a very long wait to get in for repairs, so by that time the check engine light had disappeared and the dealership was unable to bring any codes up, but they noticed the oil was a quart or so low. We did an oil consumption test, which ended up being "normal" after the test's completion. Later, the check engine light came back on, and this time the dealership diagnosed it as a catalytic converter assembly that needed replacing. That was repaired under warranty and at no cost to me, and I thought that was the end of my troubles.
At around 52,000 (so still under warranty) I noticed strange noises and high RPM on start. Contacted the local dealership to check out the problem, but there was a month wait for an appointment. Ended up taking it in to my local repair shop to see if it was something simple. They discovered that the oil was nearly empty, less than a quart left. I have always had this vehicle serviced regularly, on schedule.
When my appointment at the dealership finally arrived, I told them what the repair shop found. They took it back, then reported to me that they couldn't replicate the problem and the oil levels were "normal." I now suspect Hyundai thinks burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles is normal for a vehicle with that number of miles on it. We have had to add oil between services thrice in the last 9,000 miles to keep it from going empty.
Anyways, after researching this issue a bit, I found that it's rampant through Tucsons with higher miles, most often appearing at 100,000 but now beginning to pop up with alarming frequency in vehicles with 30-50,000 miles. Google "Tucson Oil Consumption" and you'll find plenty of complaints, as well as a class action lawsuit filed by consumers in April 2022. This problem often results in complete engine failure, leaving drivers stranded or forcing them to rent vehicles while their engine gets replaced, hopefully paid for by Hyundai if they can provide service records.
I decided to get rid of it before I had to deal with such problems, as my research indicated once the engine starts consuming oil it's only a matter of time before it fails, even if you're keeping on top of adding oil to it. It also appears you have to hound your dealership to make any headway, and because of the distance to the dealership for me and the long waits to even get in, I felt getting rid of the vehicle was my best option. Hopefully the law suit forces Hyundai to replace the engines in affected models.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I purchased my Hyundai Tucson new from the dealer.
My first indication of this issue was when I brought it in for a check engine light. This was around 45,000 miles. There was a very long wait to get in for repairs, so by that time the check engine light had disappeared and the dealership was unable to bring any codes up, but they noticed the oil was a quart or so low. We did an oil consumption test, which ended up being "normal" after the test's completion. Later, the check engine light came back on, and this time the dealership diagnosed it as a catalytic converter assembly that needed replacing. That was repaired under warranty and at no cost to me, and I thought that was the end of my troubles.
At around 52,000 (so still under warranty) I noticed strange noises and high RPM on start. Contacted the local dealership to check out the problem, but there was a month wait for an appointment. Ended up taking it in to my local repair shop to see if it was something simple. They discovered that the oil was nearly empty, less than a quart left. I have always had this vehicle serviced regularly, on schedule.
When my appointment at the dealership finally arrived, I told them what the repair shop found. They took it back, then reported to me that they couldn't replicate the problem and the oil levels were "normal." I now suspect Hyundai thinks burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles is normal for a vehicle with that number of miles on it. We have had to add oil between services thrice in the last 9,000 miles to keep it from going empty.
Anyways, after researching this issue a bit, I found that it's rampant through Tucsons with higher miles, most often appearing at 100,000 but now beginning to pop up with alarming frequency in vehicles with 30-50,000 miles. Google "Tucson Oil Consumption" and you'll find plenty of complaints, as well as a class action lawsuit filed by consumers in April 2022. This problem often results in complete engine failure, leaving drivers stranded or forcing them to rent vehicles while their engine gets replaced, hopefully paid for by Hyundai if they can provide service records.
I decided to get rid of it before I had to deal with such problems, as my research indicated once the engine starts consuming oil it's only a matter of time before it fails, even if you're keeping on top of adding oil to it. It also appears you have to hound your dealership to make any headway, and because of the distance to the dealership for me and the long waits to even get in, I felt getting rid of the vehicle was my best option. Hopefully the law suit forces Hyundai to replace the engines in affected models.
- Kelsey G., Ayr, ND, US