2021 Hyundai Tucson: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
63%
47 of 75 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
63% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2021 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 83% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 3 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 60%).
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
ENGINE07/31/2023FIRE2 INJURED
The contact called on behalf of his girlfriend who owned a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in the driveway, there was steam coming out from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle. The contact stated that as he opened the hood, flames came out. …
ENGINE08/29/2026
Engine knock sensor went off and now the engine needs replacement due to faulty cylinder rod.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN08/20/2026
See attached document for complaint.
Three of 47 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 (1)
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 2021 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.
1 recall campaign 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.