2017 Hyundai Tucson: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
79%
840 of 1,084 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
79% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Hyundai Tucson are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 97% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM05/22/20192 INJURED
JULY 2018 CAR BEGAN MAKING NOISE WHEN TURNING ON AND BACKING UP. THE NOISE WENT AWAY WHEN I BEGAN TO DRIVE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE AND THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM BEGAN GETTING WORSE, MENTIONED IT AT NEXT OIL CHANGE. NOW MIND YOU, I DRIVE A LOT!! CAR IS 2 YEARS OLD AND HAS 83K. BETWEEN JULY …
ENGINE07/07/2025FIRE1 INJURED
On [July 4, 2025], while driving, my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power followed by smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire required emergency response and caused significant damage to the vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the incident posed a serious risk to my safety and other…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE03/03/2024FIRE1 INJURED
Car had smoke engine overheating this is the 3rd engine I got sick from the smoke I don’t feel safe in that car
Three of 840 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manu…
ENGINE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Tucson and Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which ca…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) recalled certain 2019-2021 Tucson vehicles on September 4, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Hyundai expanded the recall population, and added …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Hyundai Tucson
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
