Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Tucson: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Tucson is ahead of the Honda CR-V on the federal record, 66/100 against 58/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Honda CR-V
- 15 model years scored
- 10,020 owner complaints on record
- about 122 complaints per year on the road
- 64 recall campaigns, 48 safety-critical
- best year 2012 (88/100) · worst 2019 (26/100)
Hyundai Tucson
- 8 model years scored
- 4,101 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 20 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2021 (89/100) · worst 2016 (37/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: CR-V against Tucson
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Honda CR-V
- Engine — 1,923 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,369 complaints
- Steering — 1,366 complaints
Hyundai Tucson
- Engine — 1,759 complaints
- Power Train — 999 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 536 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Honda CR-V — avoid: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Hyundai Tucson — avoid: 2016, 2017.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Honda CR-V prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900 — the Hyundai Tucson is roughly $8,600 less, and they return 28.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Honda CR-V or the Hyundai Tucson more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Tucson scores 66/100 against the Honda CR-V's 58/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson years should I avoid?
Honda CR-V: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025. Hyundai Tucson: 2016, 2017. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Tucson?
The largest complaint group on the Honda CR-V is Engine (1,923 complaints); on the Hyundai Tucson it is Engine (1,759).
Is the Honda CR-V or the Hyundai Tucson cheaper to own?
A recent used Honda CR-V prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.