2015 Hyundai Tucson: engine failure

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Engine · OH

ENGINE and RECALL NOTIFICATION MALFUNCTION: My 2015 Hundai Tuscon exerperienced a catastrophic engine failure/seizure while driving. Hyundai is denying an engine replacement under their extended warranty under the KSDS software update (Campaign 966) because the software update wasn't completed. However, Hyundai failed to notify me of this requirement; I purchased the automobile in Jan 2024. The KSDS recall was sent out in 2021. I recently received an official physical mailer from Hyundai Motor America titled 'IMPORTANT VEHICLE SERVICE REQUIRED' for my VIN. On that official notice, there is a dedicated section explicitly titled 'OTHER RECALLS AND/OR IMPROVEMENT REPAIRS NEEDED (associated with my VIN).' Hyundai corporate left this b ox completely blank, officially misinforming me that no other active campaigns existed for my vehicle. This represents a critical malfunction in Hyundai's automated recall and campaign notification mailing systems, which actively misleads consumers and keeps them in the dark about mandatory preservation updates. Either Hyundai's automated notification systems completely failed to inform me of mandatory nature of Campaign 966 - which is directly proven by my official printed mailer leaving the open campaign box completely blank - or the service was performed during a prior dealership visit and failed to register in the corporate database due to an administrative tracking error. I am requesting an audit of the vehicle's engine control module ROM ID to confirm if the calibration updates is physically present on the vehicle computer

Filed Jul 21, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · IN

While driving on a US highway, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost the ability to start/run normally, requiring the vehicle to be pulled off the road and towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership. Dealer diagnostic testing found the engine failed a bearing/performance test, consistent with connecting rod bearing wear. This failure mode — Check Engine light, DTC P1326, abnormal noise, or a no-crank/no-start condition caused by connecting rod bearing wear — is described in the manufacturer's own internal dealer service bulletin covering an engine warranty extension program for multiple engine families (Theta II MPI and Nu GDI engines) across several model years and vehicle lines. That bulletin acknowledges the failure as a known condition and extends coverage to 15 years/150,000 miles for original and subsequent owners. The failure occurred suddenly and without warning while the vehicle was in active use on a highway, creating a stall/loss-of-power hazard in moving traffic — the vehicle could not be restarted at the roadside. The dealership's own multi-point inspection performed shortly after intake confirmed engine fluid levels and oil grade were within normal range, indicating the failure was not attributable to a lack of lubrication at the time of failure. Despite this, the manufacturer denied warranty coverage for the repair, citing an inability to produce maintenance receipts for a prior period, even though the dealership's own inspection findings do not support a maintenance-related cause. This report is submitted because of the safety hazard posed by unwarned loss of engine power/starting capability while driving, and because this failure pattern appears consistent with a defect the manufacturer has already acknowledged for closely related engine platforms, raising the question of whether additional vehicles with this engine design should be included in that existing warranty/defect campaign.

Filed Jul 9, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · 118,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The engine turned over but failed to restart. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic shop and then to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine seized; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The dealer advised that there was no warranty coverage. The Better Business Bureau was contacted and informed that the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed, but a request for repair coverage was declined due to a failure to have the recall remedy completed; however, both the contact and the previous owner were unaware of the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Filed Apr 2, 2026 · Engine · AL

My 2015 Hyundai Tucson with the 2.4L engine developed a loud engine knocking sound while driving. The knocking became worse and the vehicle became unsafe to drive due to the possibility of sudden engine failure. The vehicle is currently at a Hyundai dealership and has been there for over a month. The dealership denied the warranty claim stating that a different engine component failed instead of the connecting rod bearing. This engine is part of the known Theta II engine defect issue that has caused engine failures in many Hyundai vehicles. A sudden engine failure while driving could result in loss of power, difficulty steering or braking, and could increase the risk of a crash. I am filing this complaint because the engine failure symptoms match the known defect pattern, and the vehicle may be unsafe if the issue is not properly addressed. Hyundai Tucson with 113,000 miles and failing engine. I’ve been told repairs have amounted to $10,000. I was told my car has severe engine failure and must be replaced by Hyundai of the shoals in Tuscumbia, AL. Engine failure is dangerous as a fire may start from a metal piece and also loss of control of vehicle is possible. Hyundai has denied warranty as they say the exact part in theta 2 engine settlement is not failing. I have had to complete recalls on this car since the first payment I made on it. The engine knocking began a month ago and that’s about how long the dealership has had my car.

Filed Jan 20, 2026 · Engine · MA

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.

Filed Nov 12, 2025 · Engine · IA

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.

Filed Sep 25, 2025 · Engine · UT

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.

Filed Jul 25, 2025 · Engine · TX

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.

Filed May 7, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · GA

On [XXX], my husband and I were driving on [XXX] (Highway) in the slow lane, when the engine shutoff without any Service engine light warning. It was frightening because an tractor trailer was directly behind the car as we lost power. There was no sounds of engine parts knocking or pinging when the problem occurred. The only thing was observed was (two) 2 puffs of smoke seen from the tailpipe, witnessed by my son who was following behind in his vehicle. The vehicle was not able to start after shutdown and had to be towed to my home. We purchased a new battery after assuming battery failure--with no resolve. The vehicle was towed to(two) 2 repair shops with the same conclusion: Seized Engine After checking Open Recalls on my vehicle, I contacted Hyundai to check for assistance. The vehicle is now at the Hyundai dealership in McDonough, Georgia for inspection. I am thankful that my husband and I were not injured or laying in a Morgue after this frighten ordeal on the highway when the Engine suddenly shutoff/Seized. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 26, 2024 · Engine · FL

--->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.

Filed Aug 20, 2024 · Engine · CA

- 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)

Filed Jul 9, 2024 · Engine · ID

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.