Hyundai Tucson brake failure problems

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · NJ · crash

We were driving 10-15 mph on a local road approaching a red light. The brakes stopped working so we couldn't stop at the red. When we pressed the brakes more, we had unintended acceleration and had to go on the sidewalk to avoid cars. Then had to swerve and zigzag to avoid cars coming out of an intersection and oncoming traffic. We were going around 60 mph while pressing the brake. It was horribly dangerous for us and others. We hit signs and poles for avoid cars and sustained significant damage to the car. The manufacturer states the recorder does not show anything prior to the sudden acceleration. It only confirms that the brake was being used and not the gas, as we had already known. Contrary to what they report, the emergency braking system is not what helped us as it did not work as intended. Driver ended up putting the car in neutral when we got away from traffic, and that is how we were finally able to stop. Since we don't have a dependable assessment from the investigation, we are guessing this was a computer/electrical malfunction.

Filed Sep 10, 2026 · Driver assistance · 7,000 miles · PA

The contact's daughter owns a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that his daughter had experienced sudden, unintended braking on three separate occasions while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure occurred after slightly depressing the brake pedal, and the brake pedal went to the floorboard, and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle resumed normal operation shortly afterwards. The driver manually deactivated the Forward Collision Avoidance system at each startup, but the failure persisted. The contact's daughter then received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V316000 (Forward Collision Avoidance), and the software update was performed at the dealer. The failure reoccurred after the software update was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer. The vehicle remained with the dealer for an extended period. The technicians at the dealer failed to reproduce the issue and deemed the vehicle safe to drive. The contact stated that his daughter refused to take possession of the vehicle and felt that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

Filed Aug 24, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · MA · crash

My wife was driving my SUV while I was a passenger. We were in the left lane, and put the left turn signal on while traveling south bound approaching an intersection to take a left turn (traveling approximately 3-5 Miles Per Hour and slowing) at the traffic light (traffic light was green). There was a car in front of us that had stopped waiting for oncoming traffic to clear and make the same left turn onto the same road as us. While traveling in this lane we hit a deep pot hole (not very visible while driving), just as we were approaching the vehicle stopped in front of us. When hitting the pot hole, our SUV seemed to leap forward a bit and when the brakes were applied to slow and stop, the braking system failed (appeared to freeze) and the brakes did not work, and because the braking didn’t work, our vehicle hit the car in front of us. Prior to and after hitting the pothole, no audible warning sounds or visible alerts appeared and no emergency braking was activated. The airbags in our vehicle never deployed. Our safety (my wife and I) as well as the safety of the 2 passengers in the other vehicle were at risk as we all could have been injured in the accident. As we needed the vehicle for transportation, we immediately began filing all the necessary police and insurance reports and brought our vehicle into an Auto Body Repair Shop to be repaired the next day. During the repair work, some of the responsible components may or may not have been replaced and the Auto Body Repair Shop also had all the car sensors recalibrated by a 3rd party, which is why we did not bring the car to a dealership to evaluate. To the best of our knowledge, the manufacturer, the police and the insurance company did not inspect the vehicle. We are not experts, but hitting a pothole might be considered an edge case, so I’m not sure that a dealership would have tried or been able to replicate the issue.

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Brakes · FL

On XXX, while approaching a stop sign, the vehicle did not engage the brakes as expected. I had to press the brake pedal multiple times, and the vehicle jerked several times before it came to a stop. Given that a brake failure of this kind poses an immediate risk to my safety and the safety of others on the road, I had the vehicle towed in for service right away. I took the vehicle to Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa (3810 W Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33614) on Monday, XXX (Repair Order #XXX). Service Advisor Dominick DeLeva documented the complaint and had the vehicle test driven. The dealership's notes state that the issue could not be duplicated, no fault codes were present, and the brake fluid level was correct. A multi-point inspection was also completed. The vehicle was returned to me on July 14, 2026, with no repairs made and no explanation for the braking irregularity I experienced. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Brakes · NY

I was intending to make a left hand turn out of a dinner parking lot. As I approached the exit, I saw that a car was about to drive past me preventing me from making that turn, so I put my foot on the brake pedal to stop my car and let the vehicle safely pass in front of me. But the brake did not work. It did not stop my car. The pedal felt limp not firm I turned sharply to the left to avoid striking the other vehicle. Fortunately no other cars were coming in either direction. I put the car in neutral and then in park. Only by the grace of God a collision was averted. I then restarted the car, the brake pedal was now firm again and I drove home. I returned home and left the car in my driveway until Monday, July 13 when I had a tow truck take the vehicle to the dealer. This is not the first time my brakes became soft and limp and failed to stop my car. There have been at least two or three previous incidents over the the past months while backing out of a parking space, the brake pedal became limp. In those instances I was able to stop the vehicle by putting it in park. When I restarted the vehicle, the brake returned to being firm. These incidents are intermittent. I don't know when and where they will occur. To date, the dealer claims not to have found anything wrong with my brakes. Apparently, unless they can replicate my experience directly themselves, they intend to send me on my merry way. I don't consider the vehicle is safe to drive. The intermittent problems I have had with the brakes all occurred in exiting parking lots and not on the highway at 55 MPH - fortunately. These incidents occurred. The brakes have failed

Filed Jun 22, 2026 · Brakes · PA

While driving on a highway shortly after taking delivery of this vehicle as a Certified Pre-Owned purchase from an authorized Hyundai dealership, I experienced sudden and total brake failure. The Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) warning light illuminated and an audible warning chime sounded. The brake pedal did not respond normally. I was unable to slow the vehicle with the brakes and was forced to make an emergency maneuver to exit the highway and come to a safe stop. Upon inspecting the vehicle after stopping, I discovered that the rear left brake caliper had completely detached from its mounting bracket. The caliper was on the ground beneath the rear of the vehicle. Brake fluid had leaked onto the road surface. The vehicle had been in my possession for less than one full drive since purchase. As part of the CPO certification, the selling dealer performed a multi-point inspection and documented installation of new brake pads and certified the brake system as in good working order. The detachment of the caliper is consistent with mounting bolts that were either not reinstalled or not properly torqued following the dealer's brake service during CPO preparation. I have photographic evidence of the detached caliper and brake fluid loss. INJURIES: None, but significant risk to myself and other highway drivers. FIRES: No. MEDICAL ATTENTION: Not required. CONTACT WITH DEALER/MANUFACTURER: Yes — Hyundai corporate complaint filed. I am requesting this complaint be investigated as a potential safety defect related to brake service practices during Hyundai CPO vehicle preparation.

Filed Mar 20, 2026 · Brakes · PA

I am reporting a repeated brake system issue on my 2024 Hyundai Tucson involving premature rotor warping and brake failure at very low mileage. On April 30, 2025 (11,007 miles), I first noticed significant vibration and shaking when braking. On May 29, 2025, Colonial Hyundai diagnosed the issue and resurfaced the brakes under warranty (Hyundai case #40826529). The issue persisted immediately after repair, and on June 13, 2025, I was informed that both front and rear brakes and rotors needed replacement. On June 19, 2025, all brakes and rotors were replaced under warranty, resolving the issue temporarily. Less than 8 months later, on February 12, 2026 (under 10,000 additional miles), the same braking vibration returned. The original dealer attributed the issue to driving behavior. At Hyundai’s direction, I sought a second opinion on February 26, 2026 at Piazza Hyundai of West Chester. They confirmed that the brakes and rotors again required replacement and indicated this was unusual for such low mileage. On March 16, 2026, despite the dealer’s findings, Hyundai Corporate declined to cover the repair under warranty. This vehicle has now required three brake-related repairs within a short period and low mileage, including resurfacing and full rotor replacement, followed by another failure. This pattern suggests a potential defect in the braking system, materials, or related components, rather than normal wear. Component/System Failed: The failure involves the braking system, specifically repeated warping/failure of front and rear brake rotors and premature brake wear. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. When braking, the vehicle experiences significant vibration and shaking in the steering wheel and chassis, which affects braking smoothness and control. This condition can reduce driver confidence, increase stopping distance, and may lead to loss of control during braking, particularly at highway speeds or in emergency stop.

Filed Mar 18, 2025 · Brakes, Engine · MS · crash · 1 injury

Master cylinder for the brakes went out

Filed Feb 25, 2025 · Brakes, Fuel system · VA · fire

on [XXX], we received the Tucson back from dealer from a complete engine replacement due to recall. On [XXX], our college son was returning to school from visiting a friend. He said he thought the car sounded a little different. There were no engine light warnings, so he didn't think much of it. About an hour into the trip, he started to smell gas, a few minutes later he started to smell smoke and saw smoke coming into the vehicle through the consoles. He looked behind him and saw a trail of fire and smoke. He decided to pull over but the brakes FAILED. He went into the median, applied the emergency brake and waited until the car slowed down. He was able to grab his phone that had fallen beneath his seat from driving onto the median. Once he was out of the vehicle, he could definitely see the car was on fire. It was entirely engulfed in flames within seconds. He called 911 and they were able to put out the fire within 30 minutes, but they commented that it was a difficult fire to extinguish. The car was completely destroyed front to back. We do not know if this problem started with engine, fuel tank or brakes. It is one thing when your car is on fire and you can pull over and get out. It is entirely another when you need to get out of your car but the brakes fail. You have to delay getting out of the car to ensure you don't hurt others on the road and save yourself before it explodes. We are lucky he is alive but are worried for others with this car. We thought we were done with car prolems after the engine replacement but we just moved onto another problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jan 27, 2025 · Brakes · NJ

Happened to be driving our car (11/23/25) to drop off our other car for brake pad replacement. On the way to our mechanic the brake light came on in the dash cluster. After having spoken to our mechanic we prepared to leave the car we planned to drop off. Got in our Hyundai Tucson and the brake light was still on, odd. Proceed to back up and he brake pedal almost went to the floor. Got out looked underneath the car and there was a puddle of brake fluid. The Hyundai was unsafe to drive as it had no brakes and we left it at our mechanic. He called Friday to say Hyundai longer makes the brake lines and he was searching for the front brake lines that corroded away and failed. He said the rear lines we coated to protect them from corrosion and the front lines were not. Learned over the weekend that the Canadian government recalled almost 300K Hyundai vehicles for corroded or failed brake lines. Why hasn't the US addressed this serious safety issue? My image is too large to be accepted by your system. Is there another way to submit it? We were incredibly fortunate as we were going home on a highway at rush. If the brakes failed I'm certain we and others would have been injured.