2016 Hyundai Tucson · symptom sheet
Transmission hesitates when accelerating
- 110owner reports
- 14,000median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Jun 12, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
110 of the 213 reports of transmission shudder on the 2016 Tucson describe hesitation when accelerating.
Part of Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard (213 reports) · also: jerking or hard shifts, transmission slipping
Tick what matches of 110 reports
Hesitation when accelerating on other Tucson years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside transmission shudder for a car that pauses before it goes. You press the gas, and for a beat nothing happens, or the engine revs and then the car catches up. What makes it distinct from the wider sheet is timing: the complaint isn't a rough shift at speed but a delay right when you need to move.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (63 reports) and the software (32 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
Certain driving conditions and high temperatures may cause the vehicle to not move if the accelerator pedal is pressed and released repeatedly.
All 5 recalls on the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 5,000 and 30,000 miles, from the 73 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This bulletin provides the procedure to update the TCU for vehicles that may exhibit a hesitation at acceleration particularly from a rolling stop condition. This update optimizes the TCU torque control logic.
This bulletin provides the procedure to update both the ECM (Engine Control Module) and the TCM (Transmission Control Module) on some 2016 and 2017 Hyundai Tucsons equipped with a 7-speed EcoShift® Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).
What owners wrote
“All dash warning lights are on and dash lights have a intermittent bright light surge. Hard to shut off engine and have to disconnect battery for electric power to shut off. Very noticeable hesitation in acceleration starting to drive”
Filed Mar 28, 2026
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 110 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Doors, latches or locks fail 198 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 190 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 166 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 93 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 85 reports
- Loses power when accelerating 56 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 50 reports
- Turbo failure or loss of boost 39 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 37 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 30 reports
- Vehicle fire 25 reports
- Delay or no response when I press the gas 25 reports