While idling at a standstill (in a drive-thru queue), my 2018 Hyundai Tucson suddenly experienced a severe engine overheat, causing the vehicle's air conditioning system to immediately blow hot air and shut down. The vehicle was brought directly to an authorized Hyundai dealership (Chapman Hyundai on [XXX]) for an emergency inspection.The dealership's certified technicians confirmed that the electric Engine Cooling Fan Assembly completely failed and subsequently caused the main Front Wiring Harness and Fuse Box to physically melt. The dealership documented this catastrophic electrical and thermal meltdown under Repair Order #XXX.This is a critical safety defect. A melted engine wiring harness poses an immediate and severe risk of an electrical short circuit, sudden vehicle stalling in live traffic, or a catastrophic under-hood engine fire. Because this component controls the primary cooling of the powertrain, its failure creates an extreme hazard to the vehicle occupants and surrounding traffic. Hyundai must investigate this component failure before it results in a thermal fire incident or an accident due to sudden power loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2018 Hyundai Tucson: engine overheating
5 of the 399 complaints about the 2018 Hyundai Tucson describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
My 2018 Hyundai Tucson experienced complete engine failure at around 118,000 miles. The motor suddenly blew without warning. This vehicle uses an engine type known for widespread engine defects, including bearing wear and internal failure. I bought the vehicle used in 2023, maintained it regularly, and there were no warning lights or overheating before the failure. I had to put oil in my vehicle every week. I had to use 5qts of oil. It smelled like fumes coming through the vents. It then stalled on the highway while we had our son in the vehicle and shaked profusely. Mind you we had our son in the vehicle. How unsafe is that. I then did my research and found out Hyundai engines of this generation have a history of stalling, seizing, and internal damage. I am filing this complaint because this appears to be part of a known safety defect that can cause sudden loss of power while driving. We took it to shop and confirmed the motor blew. It was faulty. Also, sometimes the electrical components would turn off in vehicle such as radio and would go black. Also the turn signal would be on and then turn off. It would also shake while driving. This needs to be taken care of ASAP as it almost caused danger to my family and also caused financial strain on my family too as I now had to roll over my vehicle loan into a new safe vehicle. I would like to be contacted in regards to this. Thank you.
1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine is failing/malfunctioning. Yes it is available upon request 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? No oil can cause an engine to overheat and/or catch fire. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the issue was confirmed by Hyundai of Medford. Oil consumption test was completed. Preauth was submitted for a new engine and was denied. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, inspected by manufacturer (Hyundai of Medford). No leaks or other issues that could cause this were found. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, no warning lamps or messages were shown or sent. Even when low on oil. Consuming oil extremely quickly. Oil change was completed and I was only able to drive 700 miles before I was low on oil. I have history of oil changes and top offs every 1000 miles for about a year. It has only gotten progressively worse. Hyundai of Medford Confirmed the issue and confirmed there were no oil leaks or other issues that could cause this. They recommended I request a new engine for Hyundai. I submitted the Pre-Authorization and it was denied. After more research I have found that thousands of people have had the same exact issue with the same year, make and model of my care. There is even an entire Facebook group dedicated to this issue. The manufacture needs to be held accountable for these faulty engines. Thousands of cars should not need a new engine before they reach 100k miles. I am writing hoping to shine some light on this issue that is effecting thousands of Hyundai owners.
We had previously been to Allen Samuels Hyundai in Jackson, TN for an oil consumption test. We received a call the following week telling us that the mileage was too high for warranty or to continue the consumption test. I was adding a quart of oil once a week. I never had any lights appear for any problems due to low oil or overheating. On a Sunday evening we were returning home on [XXX]. We had the cruise set at 70 mph. We started to lose power and the engine started to shake. The car quit and would not restart. We called for a wrecker to tow us to the nearest shop. We were informed the following Friday that we had low compression and needed to replace the engine. Something should be done due to numerous engine failures. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle purchased Jan 2023. Vehicle began making suspect noises in June 2023 and was taken to Ford dealership where the car and extended warranty were purchased in January. We were told that the noise was believed to be due to low oil. Oil was changed as part of maintenance covered under the extended warranty. About 5000 miles had been driven since last known oil change that was done prior to our purchase of the car in January. On Jul 19, 2023, vehicle began to make loud noises again and had difficulty accelerating. The same day, engine stopped while exiting highway. Car was found to have little to no oil in it even though it had been serviced 6 weeks prior and had only been driven ~3000 miles. Engine was knocking badly but did not seem to be overheating. Three quarts of oil were added, but the car cut off when put into drive. Vehicle was towed to Ford dealership where it and extended warranty were purchased. Ford dealership declined to work on the car and stated it should go to Hyundai because the engine needed to be replaced. Due to long wait for Hyundai appointment, the vehicle is currently being assessed by a certified mechanic. I am looking to Hyundai or Class action lawsuits to see if this vehicle and situation will be covered by the manufacturer. We do not know the exact cause of the failure yet and if it will be covered. My mechanic is working with Easy Care warranty company. There were no warning lights, no check engine light, no gauges indicating it was overheating or low on oil.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s...
- This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s...
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Continued DTC P132600 after an ECM logic update has been performed per TSB 24-01-068H, Engine Monitoring...
- Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may...
- Elevated engine-out emissions
- Hyundai Motor America is currently investigating an ongoing issue with software GDS event #1383 related to...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2018 Hyundai Tucson overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2018 Hyundai Tucson?
5 of 399 owner complaints about the 2018 Hyundai Tucson (1%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Hyundai Tucson?
There are 0 recalls and 66 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2018 Hyundai Tucson
Check engine light 75Engine failure 75Oil consumption 65Knocking 63Stalling 52Loss of power 36Hesitation 31Jerking 30Fire or smoke 17Won't shift 14Headlights 12Transmission failure 10ABS 9Won't start 6Grinding brakes 5Misfire 5
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