Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 133 safety complaints
about the 2023 Hyundai Tucson with the US government. Of those, 12 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the trailer hitch and the power train.
The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance,
named in 28 complaints, 21% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 17,121 miles,
the median across the 18
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers November 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
133 complaints on file
133
Complaints
12
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
5
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 32 · 24%
32 24%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 28 · 21%
28 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 26 · 20%
26 20%
ENGINE 23 · 17%
23 17%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 · 13%
17 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 17 · 13%
17 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 16 · 12%
16 12%
POWER TRAIN 14 · 11%
14 11%
STEERING 6 · 5%
6 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 · 4%
5 4%
AIR BAGS 4 · 3%
4 3%
LANE DEPARTURE 4 · 3%
4 3%
01531
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 133.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2026 at 35.
40 30 20 10
222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Hyundai TUCSON, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
SUV AWD
SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
17.4%
15.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tucson vehicles equipped with an optional Mobis tow hitch wiring harness. The wiring harness may have been installed incorrectly, allowing water into the control module. Moisture accumulation may cause the trailer lighting to fail or an electrical short circuit.
The risk
Nonfunctioning trailer lights can increase the risk of a crash. A short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will remove the trailer wiring harness and install a dust cap over the wiring receptacle, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 290. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 20, 2025.
Hyundai Motor America · up to 51,587 vehicles across all model years covered
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.
The risk
An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting September 7, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 246.
Hyundai Motor America · up to 52,109 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
POWER TRAIN
2 injured · crash · towed · 10,000 miles
The contact owned a 2023 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from an unknown location of the vehicle, after which the vehicle began to accelerate on its own. The driver attempted to stop the vehicle, but the brake pedal pulsated and failed to slow the vehicle, resulting in the driver briefly losing control of the vehicle and only coming to a complete stop after colliding with a utility pole. Both the driver and passenger side air bags deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was …
NHTSA complaint 11598593, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
I was driving straight when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction made a left turn without yielding, crossing into my lane. As a result, my vehicle collided with the other car at full speed. However, the airbag in my steering wheel did not deploy upon impact, as it should have. My injuries have been significantly more severe than they would have been had the airbag functioned properly. I reported this issue to the vehicle manufacturer, and they opened a case and conducted an inspection. During their inspection, they found that the airbag had since deployed. However, my vehicle was transported off a steep hill and moved to multiple lots before the inspection, any of which could have …
NHTSA complaint 11643749, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
My client lost her right eye and suffered a brain injury when an aftermarket rhinestone emblem decal from her steering wheel shot into her face during a low-impact crash with a deer. The crash left minimal damage to the front end of the vehicle, but caused the airbags to deploy, shooting the decal into my client’s head. She purchased this dangerous decoration on Amazon, and despite NHTSA notices in 2023 and 2024 telling consumers to “avoid purchasing these steering wheel decals for all vehicle makes and models” and to “remove any such decals that they have already applied to their steering wheels,” this warning was not passed on to my client, even though records are kept of individual …
NHTSA complaint 11754571, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
1 injured
On [XXX], while driving a 2023 Hyundai TUCSON SEL, the steering wheel suddenly and completely detached from the steering column and ended up in the driver's lap. This sudden and absolute loss of steering control is a catastrophic failure of a primary safety system that placed the driver's life and potentially the lives of others in immediate and extreme peril. It was only due to sheer luck that the vehicle was brought to a stop without an accident or injury. Following the incident, due to fear and anxiety, the driver is now in treatment and has been unable to work. The vehicle was transported to Ron Marhofer Hyundai on the same day. The following day, the driver was met with a profound lack …
NHTSA complaint 11685540, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TRAILER HITCHES
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11765018. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car was working perfectly fine I drive it for work all the time and one day it started shaking weirdly. A couple days later the check engine light turned on. It was throwing the code that was pointing to "misfiring in the 3rd cylinder" We changed all the spark plugs, 3rd cylinder coil pack, and switch the coil pack to see if it would say a misfiring in a different cylinder. We then took it to a mechanic saying that it is the high pressure fuel injectors and that he has seen this problem with other Hyundai Tucson around the same year as us and that there was a bulletin on it.
NHTSA complaint 11762951. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SUSPENSION
The right rear shock absorber failed and was replaced under warranty at approximately 22,000 miles. The car was making noise, the shock was leaking, and not working properly. The dealer admitted to problems with rear shock absorbers failing at low mileage on Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUVs 2022 through 2025 Tucson Hybrids. The left and right rear shock absorbers are the same part number so we now expect the left side to fail but the dealer will not replace the left until it fails.
NHTSA complaint 11760100. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
While backing out of driveway, with parked vehicle along side and one moving vehicle in the road, I was applying the break and the Emergency Stop feature activated. My speed was 2-3 MPH and slowing.
NHTSA complaint 11755478. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Emergency Brake applied while driving. Had been driving with vehicle in front, on each side and one at rear with issues and all of sudden the emergency brake was applied causing the vehicle in back to get very close to my car. This is has happened multiple times and reported to dealership multiple times. This was the second occurence on this day.
NHTSA complaint 11755482. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Under Hyundai Recall 290, the dealership permanently removed the functional trailer light wiring harness and replaced it with a nonfunctional rubber dust cap. A Hyundai case manager informed me that a replacement harness is "in development," but official NHTSA remedy filings show the cap is the final remedy, resulting in the permanent loss of a factory feature I paid for. The removal of towing functionality without a clear timeline for a safe replacement parts remedy constitutes a failure to properly correct the vehicle defect.
NHTSA complaint 11755583. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed December 19, 2025.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst