Tucson (NX4)
Verdict The engines show no clear difference in owner complaints per vehicle built; favor a 2023 or 2024 with its recalls closed. Test the adaptive cruise in stop-and-go traffic.
Data covers 4 NHTSA model names
Reliability Score
Complaints by Engine Code
GDI Theta III
2.5L 4-cylView details
Complaint Breakdown
T-GDI GAMMA II
1.6L 4-cyl Turbo / 177 hpView details
Complaint Breakdown
Hyundai Tucson Unidentified Engine
View details
Complaint Breakdown
Reliability Overview
The current Tucson, Hyundai's NX4 generation launched for 2022, carries 1,257 NHTSA complaints in just four model years, and the largest single cluster is not mechanical. Safety-systems complaints lead at 395, ahead of electrical, engine, and fuel-system issues, and they arrive alongside an unusually high count of 101 crash-associated reports and 100 injuries. The pattern points at the driver-assistance suite rather than the drivetrain. Owners have repeatedly flagged the automatic emergency braking and forward-collision features for unexpected behavior, and the crash-report tally runs high for a vehicle this new.
Under the hood, the NX4 gives buyers a real choice. The base 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four drew 744 complaints. The 1.6-liter turbocharged four, the powertrain in the hybrid and plug-in hybrid, drew 500. The turbo hybrid's complaint density lands lower than the base gas engine's.
The engine bucket at 228 complaints and the fuel-system bucket at 197 are both filed critical, and the generation logs eight fire reports. Hyundai's recall record on the Tucson spans the lineup: a 2022 electrical software campaign (21V938), a 2024 steering circuit recall (24V412), a 2025 engine and cooling recall (25V549), and a trailer-hitch recall on 2022-2024 cars (25V893) that follows the wiring-harness water-intrusion fire mechanism seen elsewhere in the Hyundai range. Transmission complaints round out the top five at 146.
Electrical complaints at 264 are the second-largest group and track with the recall history. Four of the thirteen campaigns address electrical or software faults (21V938, 24V877, 26V047, and 26V400), the kind of issue a feature-dense vehicle like the Tucson tends to accumulate as its infotainment, connectivity, and driver-assistance modules age. None of that is unique to Hyundai, but the volume is worth weighing on a used NX4 that will spend years leaning on that electronics stack.
The NX4 Tucson suits a buyer who wants a well-equipped compact SUV with a hybrid option and will read the safety-systems record with open eyes. The driver-assistance complaints are the defining issue of this generation, more than any single mechanical fault. A test drive that specifically exercises the automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise in real traffic is worth more here than on most rivals.
Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Hybrid (HEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson
That's about 1.8x the typical rate for hybrids in this dataset (median 7.1 per year). Above peer average — but high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints, so check the issue mix below before drawing conclusions.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 52 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Hybrid system warnings, eCVT, motor-generator, hybrid transaxle.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Charge port, cable, mobile connector, or session failures.
Sample complaint excerpts
Hybrid Drivetrain
- [2022] When My wife was driving our car on the highway today to work, the car suddenly threw a "check hybrid system - pullover safely" light when she was at highway speeds. She was able to luckily pull over quickly onto the shoulder before the car completely powered down. This is incredibly dangerous. She had to click on the reset 12 volt hybrid battery button in the car to get it started again but the c
- [2025] In October 2025, the center display screen in my 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid began shutting off repeatedly while the vehicle was in motion. The screen controls essential functions including speed information, navigation, backup camera, safety alerts, and hybrid system data. When it shuts off, all of these features become unavailable without warning. The failure is intermittent and continues to reoc
- [2025] I started the car and put it in gear and it would not move. Then the check hybrid system and transmission warning showed up. This happened two times and I had to have the car towed in. The second time, it was determined that it is related to a recent recall for the Oil pump unit OPU Software. This recall is not listed any where and drivers are not being informed of it. Hyundai is not responding to
Electric Propulsion
- [2022] When My wife was driving our car on the highway today to work, the car suddenly threw a "check hybrid system - pullover safely" light when she was at highway speeds. She was able to luckily pull over quickly onto the shoulder before the car completely powered down. This is incredibly dangerous. She had to click on the reset 12 volt hybrid battery button in the car to get it started again but the c
- [2024] While driving at approximately 70 mph on a highway under normal conditions, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of engine power. A check engine light illuminated at the time of the failure, and the vehicle was unable to maintain normal acceleration or consistent speed. The loss of power created a hazardous situation in active traffic, as the vehicle could not safely maintain speed with surround
- [2022] System/Component Failed & Inspection: The vehicle suffers from recurring failures across the engine, powertrain, electronic throttle control, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) control systems (DTCs P0524, P0642, P2118, P022100). The vehicle is fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: While driving, the vehicle suffered a complete, sudden loss of motive power on an active highwa
High-Voltage Battery
- [2022] On XXX the vehicle lost motive power while my wife was accelerating to merge onto a highway with our two young children aboard. It would not accelerate and she was forced to pull over in an active merge area. Simultaneous warnings illuminated: Electronic Parking Brake, ESC, Forward Collision Avoidance, Blind Spot Detection, and hybrid system, with "Check Hybrid System" displayed. No crash or injur
- [2022] The car shook and then lights and alarms went off indicating something went wrong with the hybrid system. The car stopped accelerating, would shake, and then accelerated no more than 10 mph. It was absolutely crazy! Luckily, the highway that I was traveling on was not a busy one at the time because all I thought was this could have been a major accident if on a fast moving freeway. I managed t
- [2022] While on the highway my car (2022 Tucson Hybrid) lost almost all power while I was driving. I was approaching traffic and started to slow down. The battery light illuminated red and the car was jerking backing forth cutting power and juddering while I was slowing down. Being that I was still in the flow of traffic and my car wasn’t fully dead yet I tried to move out of the road but due to traffic
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2022] On XXX the vehicle lost motive power while my wife was accelerating to merge onto a highway with our two young children aboard. It would not accelerate and she was forced to pull over in an active merge area. Simultaneous warnings illuminated: Electronic Parking Brake, ESC, Forward Collision Avoidance, Blind Spot Detection, and hybrid system, with "Check Hybrid System" displayed. No crash or injur
- [2022] Hyundai has a service bulletin for their 12V battery but isn’t notifying owners. Today my vehicle stopped working and lost all acceleration on a busy 3 lane street that is 55mph. I was able to limp it to a left turn lane where I had to research the issue and found many others had instances like mine. The battery stops working and subsequently stops the vehicle from accelerating and tells you to ‘s
- [2022] 12-volt battery dead after 5 days sitting in garage without starting the car. As a result, the doors could not be opened without removing the cap covering the door keyhole. This cover was very difficult to remove and required roadside assistance. The dealer service department advised on 10/28/24 that the battery required replacement but that no batteries were available. The dealer service departme
Thermal Events
- [2025] The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the rear of the passenger seat caught fire. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The fire was extinguished twice by the Fire Department since the fire reignited after the first time the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed, and a report number was provided. The cau
- [2024] The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, the contact's vehicle rearended the vehicle that was in front of the contact's vehicle. The front sensor was damaged from the first impact which caused the computer to crash. The vehicle rearended the vehicle again. The cont
Charging System
- [2025] The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failed on my 2025 Hyundai Tucson PHEV at approximately 6,600 miles. The failure manifested through multiple concurrent symptoms. First, the vehicle displayed a "car not charging" warning light and completely refused to accept an electrical charge when plugged into a charger. Simultaneously, the Check Engine Light illuminated on the dashboard. While drivi
Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.
Owner Complaints by System
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Hyundai Tucson, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.
Buyer's Guide
The engine decision is worth thinking through on the NX4. The 1.6-liter turbo hybrid carries lower complaint density than the base 2.5-liter gas four, so a hybrid or plug-in hybrid Tucson is the lower-risk powertrain if it fits the budget. On model year, the earliest 2022 cars carry the original software and electrical recalls; a 2023 or 2024 Tucson with those campaigns closed is more settled, though the newest 2025-2026 cars have picked up their own engine-cooling and airbag recalls.
Put the driver-assistance features at the top of the inspection list. On the test drive, engage the adaptive cruise and drive through stop-and-go traffic to feel for any unprompted braking, since the safety-systems bucket is the largest complaint area by a wide margin. Confirm the electrical, steering, and engine-cooling recalls show complete on the VIN through the NHTSA lookup, and check the optional trailer-hitch harness on cars that have one. Have the engine scanned for stored codes and any warning lights.
Hyundai's factory powertrain warranty is long, which softens some engine risk on a used NX4 still inside the coverage window. Confirm the warranty transfers and that no maintenance lapse has voided it, since the powertrain coverage is only as good as the service record behind it.
What to check on a used 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson
On a used 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson, the systems with the most NHTSA owner complaints are the airbags and driver-assist systems (395), the electrical system (264) and the engine (228). Each one has an inspection step below, with counts as of 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.
- Switch the ignition on and watch the airbag light. On the drive, check the backup camera and any collision or lane warning.Safety. NHTSA has 395 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson about the airbags and driver-assist systems.
- Switch on every electrical item in turn: lights, windows, locks, wipers, climate fan, screen and power outlets.Costly repair. NHTSA has 264 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson about the electrical system.
- Start the engine cold and listen for the first 30 seconds, then again at idle once it is warm.Costly repair. NHTSA has 228 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson about the engine, all engines combined.
- Let the engine idle for five minutes, walk around the car and smell for fuel.Safety. NHTSA has 197 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson about the fuel system, all engines combined.
- Accelerate gently through every gear, then once at full throttle. Shift into Reverse and back to Drive.Costly repair. NHTSA has 146 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson about the transmission and drivetrain, all engines combined.
- Drive slowly in a parking lot and note each time the engine starts and stops.Costly repair. NHTSA has 33 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson (hybrid and electric versions only) about the hybrid system.
Recalls (13)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tucson vehicles equipped with an optional Mobis tow hitch wiring harness. The wiring harness may have been installed incorrectly, allowing water into the control module. Moisture accumulation may cause the trailer lighting to fail or an electrical short circuit.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Show 8 older recalls
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The console extension wiring assembly may be routed improperly, allowing the transmission to be shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson vehicles. The glove box air bag warning label may be missing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The circuit board in the motor-driven power steering assembly may short circuit, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Tucson vehicles. The tire and loading information label may incorrectly indicate information about a spare tire. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson vehicles. The software installed in the Integrated Central Control Unit (ICU) may be incompatible with the vehicle, which could result in inoperative headlights and/or taillights.
NHTSA Safety Ratings About NHTSA ratings
All Generations
Alternatives in Compact SUV
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson complaints?
Owners have filed 1,257 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson. The systems they name most often are the safety systems, the electrical system and the engine.
Is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson a good used car?
That depends on the model year, the mileage and the maintenance history of the car in front of you. Owners have filed 1,257 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson have?
NHTSA has 1,257 owner complaints on file for the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson as of the latest data pull. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.
What recalls affect the 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson?
NHTSA lists 13 recalls covering some 2022-2025 Hyundai Tucson vehicles. Which ones apply depends on the VIN: enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see the open campaigns on a specific car.
What should I check before buying a used Hyundai Tucson?
Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the safety systems, the electrical system and the engine, the systems owners complain about most. Ask for maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a vehicle history report for prior accidents and title issues.
What are the NHTSA crash test ratings for the Tucson?
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson received an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: 5 stars. Side crash: 5 stars. Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: Standard. Lane Departure Warning: Standard. These ratings are based on standardized crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 1,257 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-10-12.