2018 Hyundai Tucson: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
389 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
389 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 48.62
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The engine has been consuming oil, where we were adding at least a quart of oil between oil changes. We noticed the vehicle would shake like it was going to die while idling at a stop light or in a drive through. Recently my husband was driving home from work on a busy highway and the vehicles check engine light started blinking on and off. He pulled over and had the vehicle towed. The oil consumption made the vehic…
-Very high oil consumption. Going through a little over a quart very 900-1000 miles. Has a GDI turbo engine. -Transmission issues. Has a dual clutch transmission that slips.
January 9, 2026, driver was on I25, when driver heard a loud thud and the RPMs kept rising but the vehicle would not accelerate. Was very dangerous and barely avoided a collision with other drivers on the road. Barely got it home and shut it off. Tried to drive again but would not get out of reverse. Car was towed to Hyundai dealership for inspection. EGO4 Check Engine Light Diagnostic. 120883. Transmission and re…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 20V543000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Tract | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) recalled certain 2019-2021 Tucson vehicles on September 4, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Hyundai expanded the… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (237 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 34/100, computed from 389 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Hyundai Tucson, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/09/2020. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.