2020 Hyundai Tucson Owner Complaints

Dealer completed update 9C2 Theta 2 emissions update. After update, the car sputters slightly and increased noise is heard from the tailpipe. Customer returned to dealer after driving the car in different temps and noted the above complaint. Dealer verified the complaint but continues to take no responsibility for the fault on the repair receipt by writing condition is “normal” and recommending “customer to allow vehicle to properly warm up for one to three minutes prior to driving.” The last line of the service record indicates “no problem found at this time.” A template letter from Hyundai was attached to the repair record. Hyundai may be instructing dealers to not document problems in the service records assumably so they will not be liable for future litigation. It should be noted that owner was previously denied payment on their 2017 Hyundai Tucson due to lack of documentation by the dealer to prove the case with prior class action lawsuit despite years of verbal complaints to the service staff. Dealer may be intentionally not documenting or taking responsibility for systematic failures in the Tucson in service records. This may be on the direction of Hyundai corporate. 2020 Hyundai Tucson continues to sputter periodically during normal driving conditions. Car is parked in an attached garage making a 1 to 3 minute warm-up time-consuming and possibly unsafe. This required warm up should not be considered normal as indicated on the repair record. Hyundai should take responsibility for their shortcomings and allow proper documentation on service records rather than pushing the fault on the owners. As with previous Tucson complaints, the dealer continues to indicate the problems are the result of owner actions not internal failures.

NHTSA ID

11755723

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

The engine lost power while driving, and the vehicle entered a reduced-power mode. The check engine light began flashing, and the engine made a loud knocking noise during acceleration. A diagnostic scan showed code P1326 (Knock Sensor Signal Range/Performance). The knock sensor was replaced, and the engine oil was refilled after discovering an oil leak. The vehicle operated normally for a short time, but the same symptoms returned. The vehicle is available for inspection. The vehicle suddenly lost power while traveling approximately 70 mph on the highway, making it difficult to maintain speed and safely keep up with traffic. This created a risk of being struck by other vehicles or causing an accident. The problem has since recurred during normal driving. The problem has been reproduced multiple times. A diagnostic scanner consistently identified code P1326. The knock sensor was replaced and the engine oil was replenished, but the same symptoms returned after several trips. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a Hyundai dealership. The vehicle has been inspected by the owner and a family mechanic who replaced the knock sensor and identified an engine oil leak. It has not yet been inspected by Hyundai, law enforcement, or an insurance representative. There were no warning lights or messages indicating low engine oil or an oil leak before the failure occurred. I had the engine oil changed approximately one month before the incident. While driving on the highway at approximately 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the check engine light began flashing, and the engine started making a loud knocking noise. After inspecting the vehicle, we discovered it had an engine oil leak and the oil level was low. Before the loss of power, there were no warning signs that the engine was losing oil or that there was an oil leak.

NHTSA ID

11753365

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

High excessive oil consumption and premature piston ring failure leading to excessive oil consumption

NHTSA ID

11752334

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

Tried passing someone on the thruway, as I was about to the car jerked a bit then started decelerating. The check engine light started flashing and so did the oil light. Read the code as cylinder 3 misfire and a knock sensor. Changed the spark plugs and coil packs then checked the oil and saw there was no oil in the engine. Was told by my mechanic it’s a common problem with these Hyundai engines, it seems the rings are getting fried in the engine and that’s why it consumes oil so quickly.

NHTSA ID

11751269

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

While driving on the highway with adaptive cruise control on, car began decelerating without any vehicle in front. Started to get off highway, check engine light began flashing and came to a full stop. Car died. Tried restarting and car died. Check engine, oil and battery lights then on. Total engine failure and no warning lights prior.

NHTSA ID

11750442

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

Was in a side impact car accident last year. And have been speaking with Hyundai off and on since the accident and have basically been brushed off in my concerns about the fact my airbags never deployed when my rear passenger door was essentially ripped off during the car accident. Progressive moved quickly with my claim and Hyundai pretty much told me not their problem since progressive moved the vehicle so fast and they said they can’t locate it even though I gave them exactly who to get in contact with and they never bothered and basically told me my issue was unfounded due to the fact they couldn’t locate said vehicle

NHTSA ID

11749066

Incident

Mar 27, 2025

Vehicle is a 2020 Hyundai Tucson with a 2.4 liter engine: Theta II GDI. Vehicle was purchased new and maintained properly. Excessive oil consumption began at about 50,000 miles. Vehicle was purchased in early 2020 and therefore has an engine manufactured in 2019. Tucson vehicles with this engine from 2011 through 2019 were recalled for engine problems including excessive oil consumption and rod bearing failure possibly resulting in engine fires. If engines were not replaced an extended warranty was given for 150,000 miles or 15 years. Hyundai will not remedy our excess oil consumption problem locally or nationally. An oil consumption test was done at the Hyundai dealer. Conclusion: by dealer and national level office: it's not bad enough to remedy. There were no engine warning lights activated because we check the oil regularly and add as needed. This post-2019 2.4 liter engine continues to be a hazard as some owners from previous year's models had engine seizures in traffic which is dangerous. Some owners reported engine fires. We have not experienced those tragedies but possibly post-2019 Tucson owners should be alerted to potential dangers.

NHTSA ID

11747239

Incident

Dec 18, 2025

While driving on the expressway my car hit a bump and all the power from the vehicle was lost. I’ve been having issues with my car and have taking it to Hyundai dealership. Everytime I take it they are saying my car is fixed. But it’s not. Now they are saying they didn’t fix it because I didn’t explain the problem to them. I lost control driving high speeds. Thankfully the power returned. When I tell hyuandai in Naperville what happened they said it’s not their responsibility because I didn’t say it was electrical. I told them I didn’t know I had a an electrical problem. I thought that if I take my car in they would tell me the problem.

NHTSA ID

11747145

Incident

Jun 27, 2026

My driver's seat broke and started wobbling while driving. The whole. Bottom plate is broken and the bolt will not hold it steady. It will not stay in one place. It slides back and forth and bounces up and down

NHTSA ID

11744712

Incident

Jun 17, 2026

I am reporting a serious safety issue involving diagnostic code P1326. My vehicle developed engine knocking and little to no acceleration and appeared to enter a reduced-power or limp-mode condition while driving. This made it difficult to merge, maintain speed, and travel safely in traffic, creating a risk of collision or becoming stranded in an unsafe location. Based on publicly available Hyundai materials, code P1326 is associated with the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) and may indicate abnormal engine vibration, possible bearing-related engine damage, and reduced-power operation. Those materials also indicate that certain vehicles were eligible for software updates, inspection, and possible engine repair or replacement. I request that this issue be documented as a safety complaint and that the dealership perform a full diagnostic inspection, determine whether my vehicle qualifies for any applicable campaign or warranty extension, and provide appropriate repairs.

NHTSA ID

11744527

Incident

Jun 14, 2026

The engine consumes oil which is a known problem at Hyundai with the Tucson for the year 2020. The car has ~51,000 miles on it. When we took the car to the dealer at which we bought the car they diagnosed that the engine was burning oil. We were told that the engine is covered by standard warranty (10 yr. 100,000 miles). there is a process Hyundai has established for engines suspected of having this issue - first we had to have them check the oil and engine and then we had to drive the car 1000 miles and bring it back to them. when we brought it back they confirmed the the engine was consuming oil. They asked us to provide our maintenance records on the car (oil changes). We were able to find evidence of 5 oil changes but we know the we changed the oil on the car every 3-5k miles as we always do. The next step in the process is a combustion chamber cleaning which costs $1400 which would normally be covered by warranty but since we did not have all records of oil changes they will not cover it so we are being told we have to pay the $1400 out of pocket and also the the cleaning is not assured to fix the issue with the engine. If it fails to fix the issue the car will need a new engine which Hyundai is telling us they will not do under the warranty and it will be our financial obligation ($10-15K additional paid by us). It is clear that Hyundai is trying to shirk their warranty obligation to us. So we are stuck - we have to pay out of pocket for a service that may not resolve the issue and if it does not the car needs a new engine. If we sell the car back to the dealership they will only pay us $6000 when the car with a good engine is worth $15K. We take our obligation of regular maintenance seriously and have been loyal buyers at this dealership for >20 years never having an issue with proper maintenance. We think it unconscionable that Hyundai is leaving us holding the bag for a problem they know exists with theses engines

NHTSA ID

11742588

Incident

Apr 27, 2026

I recently purchased a 2020 Hyundai Tucson with a Nu 2.0 GDI engine. Shortly after purchase the engine completely failed and requires full replacement. When taken to a Hyundai dealership, they pulled an internal STUI report showing A95 branding, meaning Hyundai had previously denied warranty coverage blaming the prior owner for outside influence. This A95 designation does not appear on any consumer vehicle history report including Carfax or AutoCheck. I paid $13,500 for this vehicle with no knowledge of this engine history. The Nu 2.0 GDI engine in this vehicle is specifically named in Hyundai’s class action settlement. Hyundai is using internal branding to avoid responsibility for a known manufacturing defect while allowing these vehicles to re-enter the used car market with clean vehicle history reports, leaving consumers completely unprotected.

NHTSA ID

11742153

Incident

Jan 29, 2026

While driving, the engine began making a loud knocking/rattling noise and the check engine light began flashing. The vehicle experienced a loss of power and was unsafe to continue operating normally. The vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealership for diagnosis. The engine requires replacement. Hyundai denied coverage, claiming excessive oil consumption and/or maintenance concerns. However, upon inspection, the dealership removed the valve cover and advised that the engine was internally clean and showed no significant sludge buildup consistent with severe neglect. I am concerned that this engine failure may be related to known Hyundai engine issues involving the 2.4L GDI engine. The failure occurred well before the expected service life of the engine and created a potential safety hazard due to the loss of power while driving. I am requesting that NHTSA review this failure and determine whether similar failures are occurring in 2020 Hyundai Tucson vehicles equipped with the 2.4L GDI engine.

NHTSA ID

11741423

Incident

May 14, 2026

I have had the car in twice to the mechanic within the last 6 months for check engine light. He said I keep loosing oil, but there is no leak and it's something with the Engine. Hyundai will not recall the engine, but I see so many people are having the same issue. On a 2020 vehicle, you should not have engine issues. At what point do they have a recall on this issue, as so many are reporting the same thing.

NHTSA ID

11739459

Incident

May 20, 2026

In August/September 2025 my mother's Tucson would randomly shut down on her (completely stall while driving) and she would not be able to turn it back on. If she waited a little while, then she would be able to turn the car back on but it was unknown when the issue would happen again. We took it to the dealer several times after each shutdown and the dealer stated it was not throwing a code and they could not diagnose the problem. The last time we took it to the dealer, the vehicle shut down while they were test driving it and they discovered it was a rear wheel sensor which is part of the ABS system. When the car would stall, lights on the dashboard would start flashing and the car would shudder to a stall. Since repairing that rear wheel sensor, the car has not exhibited the issue until 3 days ago when it again shut down randomly while she was in traffic. This, of course was terribly frightening for her as cars were honking at her and whipping around her vehicle. She was not able to get the car started. A police officer came and parked behind her car, calmed her down, and got her to try the car one more time and it did start up and she was able to proceed to the closest parking lot. After that we followed her home and have an appt. set to go back to the dealership. We are expecting the same run around at the dealer who charges excessive fees to diagnose and then repair the car. My Mom is [XXX] so this is a dangerous vehicle for her to be driving (really for anyone) as I am reading on line others reporting this same condition. I am expecting that they will find that a different rear wheel sensor has failed for which they will want another $800.00 to repair or maybe more now. Obviously we must get rid of this vehicle. It has less than 25,000 miles on it because she only drives to the grocery store and back. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11738618

Incident

May 15, 2026

The paint is peeling off the car prematurely. Hyundai is only acknowledging their responsibility for white vehicles but it is affecting others as well.

NHTSA ID

11733170

Incident

Apr 22, 2026

ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO, SOON AFTER AN OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALERSHIP, I CHECKED THE DIPSTICK. IT SHOWED LOW OIL AND I ADDED SOME. IT MADE ME THINK THAT THE DEALER HAD SHORTED THE OIL. NEXT OIL CHANGE, I HAD THEM SHOW ME THE OIL WAS FULL. IT SHOWED LOW FULL. I'VE BEEN CAREFULLY CHECKING THE OIL EVER SINCE AND HAVE CONTINUED ADDING OIL IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. 8 OR SO MONTHS AGO, I HAD THE OIL AND FILTER CHANGED. I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID HE WAS AWARE HYUNDAI'S LOSE OIL. SINCE THEN, I HAVE CONTINUED TO ADD A HALF QUART AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I PARK ON CONCRETE AND THERE IS NO SIGN OF LEAKING OIL. I STARTED RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE AND FIND IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH 2020 TUCSONS. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH ENGINE DETERIORATION, SAFETY AND OIL LOSS.

NHTSA ID

11724454

Incident

Feb 6, 2025

My car has been burning through about 2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles. Hyundai will NOT replace the engine. If this continues My engine could malfunction while driving. This is a serious safety concern and there's plenty of information on it. They refuse to recall it.

NHTSA ID

11723433

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Complete engine failure. Car was burning oil, wasn't aware. Since I am an on the road salesman I travel alot and get oil changes consistently. Then recently the engine oil light keeps coming on when rounding bends or stopping on a hill. I checked the dip stick and see oil is Half gone in between oil changes. The car stalled as I was approaching a dangerous intersection. Thankfully I was able to stop the car.

NHTSA ID

11721101

Incident

May 3, 2025

burning oil at a rate of 2 qts per 1000 miles driven. Known issue in these models of tucsons. Not covered by the class action lawsuit as this VIN was not identified. It is burning oil at a catastrophic rate. The problem has burned through multiple catalytic converters that were covered under the warranty but did not solve the underlying problem. Has been burning oil since owning the car a year ago.

NHTSA ID

11720931

Incident

Jan 8, 2026

I have a 2020 Tucson Sport with 82k miles. Since new, it consumes 1US qt. of oil every 6 month, although I religiously do the tune-up on its recommended intervals using only Mobil 5w-20 synthetic oil. What can I do?

NHTSA ID

11718503

Incident

Dec 5, 2020

Component: Engine / Electrical System / Fuel System Incident Date: February 9th, 2026 Vehicle Speed: 45-50 MPH Description: While traveling at highway speeds on a major roadway, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic and sudden engine stall without any prior warning or dashboard indicators. The engine shut off completely while in motion, resulting in an immediate and total loss of power steering and power-assisted braking. I was forced to perform a high-effort emergency maneuver in heavy traffic to reach the shoulder and avoid a collision. This vehicle is used to transport myself, my coworker and my family whose lives was placed in immediate danger by this failure. Since the start of the financing agreement, this vehicle has a documented history of recurring sensor issues and failed repair attempts at the dealership (Route 1 Hyundai). The dealership has previously attempted to address electrical/sensor malfunctions, but the root cause remains unresolved, leading to this life-threatening stall. I believe this is a significant safety defect in the vehicle’s electrical or fuel management system that poses an unreasonable risk of accidents and injury.

NHTSA ID

11716919

Incident

Feb 9, 2026

This engine has 70,000 miles on it and has burned a quart of oil every 2500 to 3000 miles, two full quarts between oil changes. In talking to others Hyundai owners, they have similar issues. I have owned multiple other brands of vehicles with well over 150K miles and they did not burn any oil. Fords, BMWs, Volvos, and Subarus.

NHTSA ID

11715563

Incident

Feb 4, 2026

2020 HYUNDAI Tucson Engine blown @ 89,307 miles and 1,265 miles after oil change due to missing oil plug. Daughter drives about 5 miles per day for college and groceries. The day before Thanksgiving 2025, her 2020 HYUNDAI Tucson died about 48 miles down the Highway without warning, no prior warning lights or sounds before shutting down. I had the car towed to the local HYUNDAI dealer in the town where her college is, where they told us the engine was totaled due to a lack of oil and a missing oil plug. I discussed with the HYUNDAI service advisor about having an extended warranty; however, they would not work with me or the company I had the extended warranty with, mentioning they would not cover the engine failure due to the oil plug being missing. I asked the service advisor in a separate conversation whether an oil pan drain plug that was not properly torqued during an oil change could remain in place for some time—particularly during short, low-speed driving—and then gradually work loose over additional miles. The service advisor mentioned that in situations like my daughter’s, where only about 1,265 miles were driven after the oil change (mostly short trips), it would be within reason for an improperly installed drain plug to stay in place until a longer highway drive with higher RPMs, at which point it could back out completely and result in a sudden oil loss and engine shutdown. The service advisor also mentioned that this is something they had seen before and is not unheard of on these vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11713262

Incident

Nov 26, 2025

The car has been burning oil for about two years . Noticed when my oil was changed by my mechanic , he told me oil level was about a quart low . Since that time I have had to add oil every 1000 miles . Approximately 4 quarts between oil changes , which I have done every 5 to 6 thousand miles . I have read that many other people have had same problem. This is a 2020 Tucson, Unlimited Model . Which at the time of purchase was the top model Tucson on the lot . Hopefully this is enough information to help get the consumer some Help in this situation ! Thanks

NHTSA ID

11711727

Incident

Jul 1, 2024