Hyundai Tucson Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2016 draws 19.34 complaints per run and the 2020 3.02, a 6.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 48.6% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 2,335 complaints, typically at 5.4 years.

Hyundai Tucson years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Hyundai Tucson — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.24	52	42	too new
2025	2.39	284	119	too new
2024	1.5	96	64	too new
2023	1.8	133	74	too new
2022	2.68	381	142	too new
2021	1.73	78	45	too new
2020	3.02	175	58	yes
2019	5.7	376	66	yes
2018	5.19	389	75	yes
2017	15.2	1064	70	yes
2016	19.34	1586	82	yes
2015	4.51	221	49	yes
2014	4.33	195	45	yes
2013	7.76	256	33	yes
2012	7.87	244	31	yes
2011	3.41	116	34	yes
2010	2.25	54	24	yes
2009	1.4	14	10	yes
2008	1.63	39	24	yes
2007	1.66	58	35	yes
2006	3.08	120	39	yes
2005	4.18	159	38	yes

ROWS 22·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2016 Tucson asks a median $9,995, against $10,600 for a 2017, the next model year: about 6% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 8 Hyundai Tucson years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2016, 2017, 2019; the three worth hunting are 2020, 2006, 2014.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Hyundai Tucson — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	877	14.7%	covered
1 year	658	25.6%	covered
2 years	439	33%	covered
3 years	480	41%	covered
4 years	625	51.4%	covered
5 years	701	63.2%	you pay
6 years	631	73.7%	you pay
7 years	591	83.6%	you pay
8 years	434	90.8%	you pay
9 years	186	93.9%	you pay
10 years	113	95.8%	you pay
11 years	93	97.4%	you pay
12 years	65	98.5%	you pay
13 years	52	99.3%	you pay
14 years	24	99.7%	you pay
15 years	16	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 51.4% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 48.6% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 58% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Hyundai Tucson, the early trouble is Power Train and Electrical System — reported at around 2.8 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine at 5.4 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Hyundai Tucson — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Engine	2335	5.4 yrs	20	88
Power Train	1173	2.8 yrs	30	9
Unknown Or Other	799	4.5 yrs	23	29
Service Brakes	710	4.6 yrs	46	23
Electrical System	699	4 yrs	21	34
Fuel/propulsion System	377	3.7 yrs	7	11
Structure	367	5.2 yrs	14	6
Vehicle Speed Control	337	3 yrs	30	2

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Tucson's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 5.13 for the Tucson. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Hyundai Tucson — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Tucson	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota RAV4	9,332	168	1996–2026
Jeep Wrangler	16,434	285	1986–2026
Honda CR-V	15,948	207	1997–2026
Tesla Model Y	388	100	2020–2026
Mazda CX-5	2,211	33	2013–2026
Nissan Rogue	7,253	94	2008–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Hyundai Tucson

Recalls89 campaigns Fuel economy50 mpg best Common problems6,231 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space23 cu ft Used prices2,710 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2005–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hyundai Tucson reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 5.13 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Tucson years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2016, 2017, 2019. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2020, 2006, 2014. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Tucson problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 5.4 years, followed by Power Train.

Will the warranty cover Tucson problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 51.4% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 58% of the complaints here.

Is the Tucson more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?

No: 5.13 complaints per production run for the Tucson against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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