NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 1,619 owner complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Brakes, park outside (20V-543). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
5Safety recalls
1,619Owner complaints
14Complaints citing a crash
25Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: brakes, electrical system, powertrain, latches, locks and linkages, and 1 more. Most-reported area: powertrain (517 complaints, 32%; median mileage when it happened: 7,500). Includes the Tucson Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
5 safety recalls for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Brakes
Sep 4, 2020
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 certain 2016-2018 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) could corrode internally and cause an electrical short, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HECU fuse. For 2019-2021 model years, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software will also be updated. Recall repairs will be performed free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 195.
The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected accessory trailer hitch wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 153.
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 manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016.
Certain driving conditions and high temperatures may cause the vehicle to not move if the accelerator pedal is pressed and released repeatedly.
Risk: Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the Transmission Control Module software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 149.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 20, 2015 through May 31, 2016 and equipped with a 7-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission.
In the affected vehicles, if the primary hood latch has been released, and the vehicle is driven, the secondary hood latch may not hold adequately secure the hood to prevent it from opening while the vehicle is in motion.
Risk: If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch cannot secure the hood, the hood may unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary hood latch, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 145.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015 to March 14, 2016.
In the affected vehicles, when the vehicle's engine is running and the brake lights are illuminated, if the turn signal is activated, the trailer turn signal lights will either turn off or remain continuously illuminated (not flash). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Failure to illuminate the trailer's turn signal lights would prevent the communication of the driver's intent, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began on May 2, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9640. Hyundai's number for this recall is 142.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured May 26, 2015 to January 15, 2016 and equipped with an accessory trailer hitch harness either included with the accessory trailer hitch or sold as a service part.
NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 142.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 1,619 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Tucson. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Powertrain517 · 32%
Most named: automatic transmission (3) · Median 7,500 miles at failure (380 reports)
Engine423 · 26%
Median 56,000 miles at failure (168 reports)
Body structure227 · 14%
Most named: body (221); body, door (5) · Median 59,500 miles at failure (117 reports)
Electrical system216 · 13%
Median 50,000 miles at failure (103 reports)
Latches, locks and linkages157 · 10%
Most named: doors, latch (126); doors, lock (9) · Median 63,000 miles at failure (57 reports)
Speed control111 · 7%
Median 7,500 miles at failure (74 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system55 · 3%
Median 9,600 miles at failure (29 reports)
Unknown or other261 · 16%
Median 39,300 miles at failure (94 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Tucson recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Tucson drew the most (449).
Owner complaints
2016: 1,619 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Tucson
Model year
Complaints
2016
1,619
2017
1,086
2018
396
2019
379
2020
177
2021
79
2022
500
2023
177
2024
145
2025
425
2026
87
Safety recalls
2016: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Tucson
Model year
Recalls
2016
5
2017
3
2018
1
2019
1
2020
1
2021
1
2022
3
2023
2
2024
4
2025
7
2026
5
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell SUV FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.2%
Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Tucson problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: powertrain (517), engine (423), body structure (227). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Hyundai Tucson safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Hyundai Tucson earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Tucson has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TUCSON.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.