Hyundai bulletin P38
What it saysCertain Tucson (NX4, NX4A), Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV), and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid (NX4 PHEV) vehicles may be eligible for the installation of the latest OEM tow hitch harness on the vehicle. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Hyundai filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 29, 2026, received Oct 30, 2026, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number: 26-01-085H TSB, 26-01-085H DN. It names 3 model years (2022–2024). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Certain Tucson (NX4, NX4A), Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV), and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid (NX4 PHEV) vehicles may be eligible for the installation of the latest OEM tow hitch harness on the vehicle. This bulletin provides the procedure to install the latest OEM tow hitch harness.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26-01-085H TSB | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2026 | 11038807 | PDF, 1,734 KB |
| 26-01-085H DN | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2026 | 11038803 | PDF, 448 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “TOW HITCH HARNESS INSTALLATION”.
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00232-19061 | Silicone | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (14 pages), read Nov 1, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Hyundai’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 843 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 149 of them name Electrical System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2022 Hyundai Tucson, the 13 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 25,800 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Three incidents of shifting from park to drive or reverse and car does not move in the drive or reverse. Turning PHEV car off seems to reset it. Third time car had a high pitch whine and trying to move in reverse caused a strong shudder and check engine light to come on. Diagnostic code for power train P072200.
2022 Hyundai Tucson · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 13, 2023 · ODI 11501658
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to enter the vehicle, the key fob failed to function as intended. The contact was unable to unlock the doors to the vehicle. The contact noticed that the battery was completely drained.
2024 Hyundai Tucson · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 10, 2025 · ODI 11686438
Car is PhEV and it failed 4 times in 3 years due ac compressor failure, main reason identified was due to high voltage it was failing EV and other systems. Car stopped two times in the middle of highway. All 4 times Hyndai kept the car with dealers for major part replacement.
2023 Hyundai Tucson · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 31, 2026 · ODI 11741127
In depth: 2022 Hyundai Tucson electrical problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the electrical system
Source: same model, same component group46 other manufacturer communications filed against the Hyundai Tucson under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Hyundai list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26-GI-003H | Service bulletin | Oct 27, 2026 | This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 2nd Navigation Map and So… |
| 26-EM-014H | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | Some Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine may exhibit a continued DTC P132600 after an ECM logic update has been performed per T… |
| 26-BE-025H | Service bulletin | Aug 21, 2026 | Some Tucson (NX4, NX4A, NX4M), Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV), and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid (NX4 PHEV) vehicles may exhibit a 12-volt battery drain du… |
| 26-EE-007H | Service bulletin | Jun 17, 2026 | Some Palisade (LX2), Tucson (NX4), and Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV) vehicles may experience battery drain due to continuous operation of the cool… |
| 26-GI-002H | Service bulletin | May 27, 2026 | This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and So… |
| LA21 | Warranty extension | May 5, 2026 | Certain Tucson (NX4A) vehicles may experience Over-the-Air (OTA) update failures due to outdated Central Communication Unit (CCU) software.… |
| 9C0 | Service campaign | Apr 8, 2026 | Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasiona… |
| 26-EM-009H | Service bulletin | Mar 24, 2026 | Some Sonata (DN8) and Tucson (NX4/NX4A/NX4M) vehicles equipped with the 2.5L Theta III GDI engine may display a warning lamp and store Diagn… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Hyundai, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Hyundai P38 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the P38 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Hyundai warranty extension on file lists the ones Hyundai has filed.
Which vehicles does P38 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2024 Hyundai Tucson, 2023 Hyundai Tucson, 2022 Hyundai Tucson. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: Tucson (NX4): built 26 Feb 2021 – 30 Apr 2024; Tucson (NX4A): built 25 Feb 2021 – 21 Aug 2024; Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV): built 8 Feb 2021 – 1 Jul 2024 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.