2018 Hyundai Tucson · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 40owner reports
- 15,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Mar 3, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
101 of the 397 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 40 of those describe transmission shudder.
Tick what matches of 40 reports
Transmission shudder 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, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the clutch (9 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 5,500 and 43,000 miles, from the 18 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 7 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.
This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and replace, if necessary, an automatic transmission with Incorrect Ratio DTC (transmission clutch slip in gear above limit) listed on Page 2.
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.
If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with the following symptoms and DTC, follow the Service Procedure on Page 3.
If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with the following symptoms and DTC, follow the Service Procedure on Page 4.
3 more on the 2018 Hyundai Tucson page.
What owners wrote
“Iâve been having an issue with the car âjerking rapidlyâ when in traffic and rolling slowly and when climbing relatively small hills, it began about 2 months ago but have become progressively worse over the last month. I was told by someone with a similar vehicle that it is the âlower arm control. Need help with is or if there is a recall”
Filed Nov 10, 2022
“Powertrain issue. Multiple times the after stopping the engine revs for a few seconds and then the vehicle will lurch forward. It acts like the CVT transmission has a delayed response to the accelerator. The condition comes and goes and sometimes it happens multiple times in the same trip.”
Filed Apr 23, 2022
“Vehicle has judder at slow speeds or hesitation in shifting gears. Has almost stalled while making a left turn at intersection into oncoming traffic or accelerating after stop sign . Dealer updated TCU ECM software, problem got worse. Appears to be a dual clutch transmission defect.”
Filed Sep 10, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 40 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 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
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 80 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 63 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 62 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 42 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 27 reports