2018 Hyundai Tucson · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 80owner reports
- 65,000median miles
- $1,000median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 26, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
318 of the 397 complaints on this car are about the engine. 80 of those describe stalling. Only engine failure is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 80 reports
Stalling 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: 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the engine (6 reports) and the battery (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Tucson
Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
What owners paid
11 of the 80 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $700 to $5,300.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 15,000 and 99,000 miles, from the 34 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 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.
A class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America (âHMAâ) alleges that certain Hyundai vehicles (âClass Vehiclesâ) were manufactured, marketed, sold, and/or leased with an engine defect that can result in sudden engine seizure, stalling, engine ...
If you are servicing a vehicle with a transmission slipping concern, follow the Service Procedure shown below and perform a stall test. This TSB provides a procedure to test each clutch in the transmission.
What owners wrote
“The engine on this vehicle burns oil quickly which is a known defect. I took the vehicle to the dealership and both times I was told everything was working fine. On 12/5/2025 the vehicle just lost power while driving. After getting the vehicle towed to a mechanic they said I needed a new engine.”
Filed Dec 8, 2025
“My 2018 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Turbo (VIN [XXX] , 113,000 miles) burns oil excessively and was deemed to need full engine and turbo replacement ($15,382.95). Hyundai refuses responsibility (case #XXX). This is a widespread defect that causes potential loss of power while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Oct 22, 2025 · 113,000 miles
“There is a known issue with this particular engine burning oil. Iâve had to replace three catalytic converters, among other parts in the exhaust. I am 3000 miles away from an oil change and my engine is flashing lights and stalling while running. Something needs to be done as it can cause the engine to fully fail”
Filed Mar 13, 2024 · 3,000 miles
“Vehicle is experiencing engine failure. Hyundai has been no help in the situation. Vehicle has loss of power and speed but no illuminating check engine light has ever came on.”
Filed Feb 28, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 80 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 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 Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 116 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 63 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 62 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 42 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 40 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 27 reports