2005 Hyundai Tucson: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 273 complaints
273
Total Complaints
60,000mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
16
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
27,775
25th Percentile
60,000
Median Mileage
109,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Electrical System
25
Air Bags
22
Engine
18
Engine And Engine Cooling
14
Suspension
13
Unknown Or Other
11
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
10
Structure
9
Exterior Lighting
9
Vehicle Speed Control
9
Severity Assessment
16
Crashes
5
Fires
22
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN THE RAIN/SNOW FROM WASH, DC; NOTICE UNUSUAL LOUD WINDSHIELD WIPERS; SUDDENLY NOTICE THAT LEFT WINDSHIELD WIPER WAS WIPING OFF OF THE WINDOW AS IF WERE GOING TO FLY OFF..IT DISTRACTED ME TO POINT OF ALMOST HAVING A COLLISION; CALLED ALEXANDRIA HYUANDAI FROM MY JOB IN FREDERICK..."
"THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPLACED THE ESP MODULE TWICE. THE BRAKES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS MODULE, WHICH CAUSED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TO COME ON, MAKING THE VEHICLE SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE CAME OUT THREE TIMES AND THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE THAT THEY PROVIDE..."
"THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPLACED THE ESP MODULE TWICE. THE BRAKES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS MODULE, WHICH CAUSED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TO COME ON, MAKING THE VEHICLE SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE CAME OUT THREE TIMES AND THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE THAT THEY PROVIDE..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Electrical System
25 complaints
25th: 49,208 mi
Median: 69,000 mi
75th: 107,202 mi
Air Bags
22 complaints
25th: 49,750 mi
Median: 108,921 mi
75th: 147,000 mi
Engine
18 complaints
25th: 50,000 mi
Median: 81,000 mi
75th: 119,000 mi
Engine And Engine Cooling
14 complaints
25th: 10,625 mi
Median: 35,650 mi
75th: 46,708 mi
Suspension
13 complaints
25th: 118,250 mi
Median: 132,018 mi
75th: 151,861 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
NY: 49
IL: 30
CA: 21
FL: 15
PA: 15
MA: 13
VA: 11
MO: 10
AZ: 10
OH: 9
Who Files Complaints?
21.2%
Original Owners
78.8%
Second+ Owners
Hyundai Tucson — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (8)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Switch
Campaign 09V122000 | 15/04/2009
ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 29, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.
Automatic (Asc)
Campaign 05V177000 | 27/04/2005
BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ESP ACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESP HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 09V280000 | 21/07/2009
ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.
Inflator Module
Campaign 07V197000 | 08/05/2007
THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER UNDER CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE WITH ONE THAT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN INCREASED MARGIN OF COMPLIANCE FOR LOW RISK DEPLOYMENT FOR SMALL STATURE ADULTS WHO ARE NOT PROPERLY WEARING THE SEAT BELTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2007, AND WILL BE PERFORMED IN TWO MAILINGS. OWNERS
Parking Brake
Campaign 05V315000 | 07/07/2005
THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE, OR THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER MAY ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE TO ROLL WHILE IT IS PARKED AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 29, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Automatic (Asc)
Campaign 05V119000 | 25/03/2005
BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ESP ACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESP HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Inflator Module
Campaign 06V445000 | 22/11/2006
THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER UNDER CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 29, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH SIX MAILINGS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Parking Brake
Campaign 05V342000 | 27/07/2005
THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE OR THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER, MAY ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE TO ROLL WHILE IT IS PARKED AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.
Maintain Your Electrical System
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
- Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
- Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
- Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
- Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28