2015 Hyundai Tucson Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
At the time of engine failure, my husband was on the offramp between 140N and 24N at approximately 8:30pm. This ramp is under construction and narrow, but state troopers stopped and were able to push the car to the side of the road. As it was nighttime, my husband and /or other motor vehicle drivers/passengers could've been seriously injured. The car did not display any warning lights or signals. The car was then towed home and then to Empire Hyundai in Fall River, where it was assessed. It was determined that there were 5 outstanding recalls on the vehicle. Hyundai fixed all, with the exception of Recall #966, which was issued and not repaired PRIOR to my purchasing the vehicle. Hyundai Corporate was contacted by Aaron at Empire Hyundai. They (Corporate) refuses to replace the engine. According to Corporate, this should've been fixed by the independent dealer or owner PRIOR to being sold to me.
Driving on interstate for approx 30min and the car stopped accelerating. We safely merged off to the side and the car completely shut off. The car would not start. We put oil in and it started up by engine light was on. We got vehicle towed 1hr back into town. We are lucky no cars were behind us to cause an accident. We are also lucky engine did not catch on fire. This happened completely out of the blue. I get my vehicle serviced regularly and serviced at Hyundai dealerships for major repairs. The engine failed us and is available for inspection. Our claim was denied by Hyundai due to my mileage being 10k over the warranty. However they installed the faulty engine so regardless of mileage this needs to be resolved.
The engine failed two years ago at 86000 miles. Hyundai replaced the engine for it to start knocking and stop working a year later. I completed all of the first oil changes, slow driving, ect. Seems like an engine problem with Hyundai itself.
I started having oil issues 3 years after purchasing my hyundai Tuscan 2015. I took my vehicle to hyundai several time all of which I was told by service guy and I quote “Hey its Hyundai, just following up so right now we have a consumption issue. It is currently 2.5 quarts low. The tech recommends re doing the oil change and returning in 1000miles and recheck. When you return and we see that the oil level is more than a quote low then we would have you reduce the service interval from 5000miles to 3000miles, let me know if you have any questions. I had many questions and also wanted to know why it was my responsibility to do all these things if they know the engine is faulty. Had another diagnostic and the code P1326 populated. That means indicates an issue with the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), often pointing to actual engine knocking caused by worn connecting rod bearings, but also potentially to a faulty knock sensor, wiring problems, outdated ECM. The Theta II engines are documented to have clogged oil galleys, preventing proper lubrication and causing premature wear. They do everything the can NOT to fix the issue even with a lifetime warranty on that engine.
Without any notice, the crankshaft seized while driving 55 mph on the highway. We were on a highway with one lane in each direction and a shoulder. No warning lights appeared until after the engine failed. We were barely able to coast to the shoulder at the time. The incident blew a baseball size hole in the engine. The vehicle was towed to over 60 miles to Noller Hyundai of Lawrence, Kansas. The repair was paid for under the Hyundai warranty without me providing any maintenance records. The engine is not in our possession for you to inspect, but I'm sure you could reach out to the dealership where it was replaced.
engine is burning oil. have to replenish oil level once a month, started about a yr ago
--->While I was driving my hyundai tucson engine seized (-engine model (lm) 2.4l theta ii--> 63,664 miles). Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. ---> As I said before I was driving in a express way when the incident happened. My car just stopped working out of a sudden and I had to take the side road by applying a much force effort from myself not to get hit by several vehicles behind. When I finally managed to step aside, I sensed some sort of smoke smell. And also all warning lights from car dashboard came up with no prior lamp alerts before this incident. ---> I took the vehicle to the nearest repair shop called Sam's certified auto repair. And there it was diagnosed that the vehicle engine was seized. So i inmediately called the dealer and the asked me to tow my SUV. There they diagnosed the vehicle with a seized engine too. From there on I found out that these vehicle i bought have a recall and that the this engine model has a major malfunctioning manufacture issues. Then I tried to get an authorization approval for a new engine but it was denied because they stated that I have a savage title.
Our 2015 Hyundai Tucson check engine light started flashing and went into "limp mode" while driving on the freeway. Limp mode means the car loses power to accelerate, struggles going up hills, and limits speed. Thankfully I was not pulling out. The vehicle was towed that day to a mechanic who found traces of metal in the oil (see documentation). The vehicle was then towed to the Hyundai dealer. The dealer explained there is a common problem with Hyundai engines failing due to rod bearing issues and PistonSlap. I later learned the dealership covers the rod bearing issues due to a court settlement from being sued for so many engine issues. The dealership said if they found it was an engine bearing rod issue (ring connecting to the piston) they would replace the engine since it was a safety issue. They claimed if it was a piston slap it would not be covered (even though the bearing rod is connected to the piston and could potentially cause PistonSlap). After checking that the car had been taken care of extremely well with oil changes around every 3 months and all safety procedures had been taken they performed a bearing clearance test. The test passed without error detection so they changed the existing knock sensor. We were directed to drive the car and if the sensor turned on again to bring the 2015 Tucson back. We did and a week later, the new Knock Sensor reported there was something wrong with the engine again. I also noticed when checking the oil that smoke came from the dipstick tube. We took the car to the Hyundai dealer again. They did the bearing clearance test again. It passed again but this time they detected a rattling noise coming from the engine block. According to the records the noise was loudest to cylinder 4. The dealer claimed we needed a new engine that would cost about $9,500. Clearly, this is a piston-manufactured defect. With metal floating in the oil and a limited piston warranty it encourages the owner to drive the car until it brakes.
- My engine seized while driving North on [XXX] from San Diego to CA. After having it towed to a shop I was informed it was completely out of oil which caused the engine to seize and would need to be replaced. My last oil change had taken place within about 6k miles and should not have been out of oil. Additionally no oil light, engine light, or any light on the dashboard was on to notify me something was wrong. - I was on a major CA highway in the far left lane when the engine seized and would no longer accelerate. I was incredibly lucky to make it across 4 lanes and that there was an off-ramp right there so I could get off the highway. This could have caused a massive pile-up accident. - The first shop it was towed to confirmed no oil and engine seizure. Hyundai has only acknowledged I need a new engine but won't confirm it was due to lack of oil, likely because they know there are massive oil consumption problems with this Theta II engine. - Hyundai has now had my vehicle for 2 months and is denying warranty coverage as I cannot produce 2 out of 9 years of oil change records. I have provided the other 7, which include records of the last 4 years of consistent oil changes. - There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before failure. There was no way I could have known anything was wrong or that this was going to happen. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ticking sound (loud noise ) from the engine and the check engine light is flashing. The mileage on the car is 142600km.
Vehicle code P1326 Flashing engine light Knocking noises while accelerating Indicates of low oil level When accelerating in doesn’t want to accelerate and it feels like it wants to stall out and shut off
I went to get my car looked at a couple months ago and was told the oil pan was leaking . So the day I get it changed the car shuts off while I’m driving ; I began to loose acceleration, the oil light starts to flash , the engine light is flickering while the car is shaking making a knocking noise .
The engine completely shut off while I was driving 70 mph on the highway. I lost braking and steering power. I had NO warning, no lights came on at all. I bought it used on 11/20/2023 and I have only driven it 6,011 miles.
I have a 15 Hyundai Tucson that has been shutting off on me while driving on a highway going between 55 mph to 70 mph. Engine went into limp mode, CEL is on and flashing. Knocking noise heard from engine and consuming oil. Diagnosed with P1326 code. Brought to local Hyundai dealership. Even though road test stated normal operation, technician notes that vehicle DID stall, shut off, on return to the shop. No codes. Was told Hyundai would not pay for man hours to look into further. So allowed me to drive off their lot. Upon re-search I found, with NO help from local Hyundai or the dealership I purchased vehicle from, that my VIN number is associated with the E2 class action settlement that just went live May 2023, that my engine is indeed infected, like a cough before the cold, and has the potential of starting on fire/failure. Now I purchase this vehicle in 08/2023 with no disclosure of this very concerning problem. I am told by Hyundai USA that there is a paper trail that every affected VIN in the settlement has been notified, by law, to owners of affected VIN’s, and still not disclosed. I reached out to Hyundai USA at the national level, was given a case manager, who sent my case to the buyback/legal department. My case manager reached out and stated that my case has been denied due to age and mileage of vehicle (even though automatically extended to 15yr/150,000 miles) I asked what my next steps should be as my vehicle is still shutting off on me while driving and was told to have a different Hyundai dealership diagnose vehicle, but to not tell them all of the information of it already going to one Hyundai dealership. I was told if I hear a noise from the engine that I should pull off to the side of the road and call for a tow truck. I said so Hyundai USA feels good allowing this vehicle to be operated on highways knowing the symptoms I am experiencing. They obviously do not care for my safety let alone passenger safety, nor other motorist on roads.
I was drive home one night and the car cut off while I was driving I costed into a gas station good thing there was no other cars on the road. I call for a tow truck. The mechanic said it was a bad starter at first. A new starter was place in the car it started for 15 minutes and shut of they checked the starter it was working and that when I told me it was the engine. A very bad internal.engine problem
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while driving uphill. Additionally, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The engine had been replaced. The vehicle continued to hesitate while driving uphill. The check engine warning light was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed again and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was able to be restarted after waiting for a while. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received three unknown recall notifications that she related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the solenoid was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the knock sensor was replaced. In addition, the vehicle lost motive power, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed as needing the knock sensor replaced. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,500.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that 2-quarts of engine oil was added every other week. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming 8-quarts every month without evidence of an oil leak. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that after reaching 100,000 miles, the vehicle started consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Upon observing oil consumption, the contact stated that he had to add 1-quart of engine oil every 700 miles. The contact stated that previously the vehicle was receiving an oil change every 5,000 miles. The low oil warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The mechanic suggested that oil be added every two weeks due to the excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Oil burns it uses alot of oil like if it was leaking oil consumption
2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS DENIED DUE TO MAINTENANCE NEGLECT BASED ON FAILING TO PERFORM OIL CHANGES.
Our 2015 Tucson has the G4NC DOHC GDI engine, which unfortunately isn’t listed in any current engine settlement as of the writing of this complaint. Our engine started to rev at considerably high rpms while driving up hill, followed by a subsequent loss of power and speed. We managed to make it to the top of the hill and pull over, traversing over multiple lanes in front of on-coming semi trucks and other fast moving traffic with our hazards on. Upon pulling over, our engine died. There were no red or amber warning/caution lights on the dash, nor did the check engine light illuminate during the incident. After a few attempts at restarting the engine, we finally got it started and drove it home and brought it to the dealer the next day. They diagnosed it as a “clogged catalytic converter.” Although seemingly a secondary issue, and no further information as to what actually caused the clog in the vehicle inspection report, we reluctantly dished out the $3,200 for the repair of the vehicle we so desperately needed for work. They also installed a “knock-sensor” update. A couple months later… When driving the vehicle to work, the check engine light illuminates and flashes on and off continually. After pulling the vehicle over to a stop and consulting a Hyundai mechanic, I had the vehicle towed to a Hyundai dealership for diagnostics. Turns out the knock sensor update is what caused the engine light to illuminate to “prevent severe engine damage,” and I’m left with a large bill for engine repairs. Will the G4NC engine be investigated by the NHTSA? Will Hyundai honor my drive train warranty? Will Hyundai Corporate ever call me back? Tune in next week…
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the engine was seized. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and the mechanic retrieved fault codes: P0014, P0300, P0301, and P0441. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,051.
While driving down an interstate I accelerated to pass a semi truck. Immediately after passing the truck I took an exit and about halfway off the ramp my car lost all power...no noises or notifications. Had to coast to side of road. Once car was off thr road the engine light oil light and battery light were all lit. I bought a new battery and it did not fix my car. I had a mechanic look at my car and they believe the engine siezed up. The dealership said there is 3 recalls now on my car but engine is not one of them though is probably should be. Was told it would take 3-4 months to get my car in due so many needing repaired. I do not understand how this hasn't been recalled yet. I had my 1 yr old and 2 yr old in the car with me. If my car had quit just 10 seconds earlier we would have likely died. This is not ok for them to keep selling these cars with engine problems. Someone needs to open a lawsuit against hyundai.
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The 2015 Hyundai Tucson has 76 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.