Hyundai Tucson vs Ford Bronco Sport: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Tucson is ahead of the Ford Bronco Sport on the federal record, 66/100 against 61/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
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)
Ford Bronco Sport
- 5 model years scored
- 1,281 owner complaints on record
- about 65 complaints per year on the road
- 51 recall campaigns, 28 safety-critical
- best year 2025 (78/100) · worst 2021 (33/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Tucson against Bronco Sport
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
Hyundai Tucson
- Engine — 1,759 complaints
- Power Train — 999 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 536 complaints
Ford Bronco Sport
- Electrical System — 341 complaints
- Power Train — 277 complaints
- Engine — 273 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Tucson's complaints concentrate in Engine, the Bronco Sport's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Hyundai Tucson — avoid: 2016, 2017.
Ford Bronco Sport — avoid: 2021.
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 Hyundai Tucson prices at about $21,900 and a Ford Bronco Sport at about $30,500 — the Hyundai Tucson is roughly $8,600 less, and they return 23.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Hyundai Tucson or the Ford Bronco Sport more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Tucson scores 66/100 against the Ford Bronco Sport's 61/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Hyundai Tucson and Ford Bronco Sport years should I avoid?
Hyundai Tucson: 2016, 2017. Ford Bronco Sport: 2021. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Tucson and the Ford Bronco Sport?
The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Tucson is Engine (1,759 complaints); on the Ford Bronco Sport it is Electrical System (341).
Is the Hyundai Tucson or the Ford Bronco Sport cheaper to own?
A recent used Hyundai Tucson prices at about $21,900 and a Ford Bronco Sport at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.