Home › Hyundai › Tucson › 2018

2018 Hyundai Tucson

Gas Compact SUV

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratingsCompare
B
Safety Signal
85 / 100
BSafety Signal · 85 / 100
1Recalls · 1 critical
394Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
27 mpgFuel economy · best combined
⚠️
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Hyundai Tucson is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Tucson FWD, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 394 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Tucson FWDGasFWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300
Tucson FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl233026$2,400
Tucson AWDGasAWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo242825$2,500
Tucson FWDGasFWD2.4L 4-cyl212824$2,600
Tucson AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl212623$2,700
Tucson AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl212522$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2018 Hyundai Tucson is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Data on this page is never influenced by that.

Recalls (1)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

critical
Park outside652,024 vehicles

Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) recalled certain 2019-2021 Tucson vehicles on September 4, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Hyundai expanded the recall population, and added certain 2016-2018 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) could corrode internally and cause an electrical short, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.

Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HECU fuse. For 2019-2021 model years, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software will also be updated. Recall repairs will be performed free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 195.

NHTSA campaign 20V543000 · reported Sep 4, 2020 · Hyundai Motor America

NHTSA investigations

Engine — Loss of Motive Power (closed)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023 · action DP22003

Owner complaints

394 complaints filed

13 involved a crash, 9 a fire, 10 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2018: 13 · 2019: 26 · 2020: 25 · 2021: 73 · 2022: 44 · 2023: 57 · 2024: 55 · 2025: 61 · 2026: 40

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 242
  • Power Train — 100
  • Unknown Or Other — 43
  • Electrical System — 27
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 22
“WE BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2018 HYUNDAI TUCSON IN JUNE 2018. IT HAD 1700+ MILES ON IT IN NOVEMBER 2018. WE HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS, WHICH WE NOTED RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON SOME DARK ROADS. WE CAN'T SEE DOWN THE ROAD WHEN WE ARE DRIVING ON DARK ROADS. WE CAN'T SEE BENDS IN THE ROAD AHEAD OF US. THE HEADLIGH…”Nov 21, 2018 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA owner report
“WHILE DRIVING AND THEN COMING TO A TEMPORARY STOP SUCH AS WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT TO TURN GREEN OR RIGHT ON RED OR MAKING A LEFT TURN; THEN I STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR TO DRIVE, THEN ABOUT 20 YARDS OR SO INTO THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR, THE CAR STOPS MOVING BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING. IT DELAYS FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2 A…”Nov 17, 2018 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“AT TIMES, WHILE DRIVING WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE, THE VEHICLE HESITATES TO ACCELERATE AFTER BEING STOPPED, AS AT A RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR WILL START THE VEHICLE MOVING FORWARD 'VERY' SLOWLY FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THEN IT WILL TAKE OFF WITH FULL POWER UNTIL…”Nov 3, 2018 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Compare the 2018 Tucson with

2018 Toyota RAV42018 Honda CR-V2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Nissan Rogue2018 Kia Sportage2018 Jeep Wrangler

Other Tucson model years

F

2026 Tucson

5 recalls · 82 complaints

F

2025 Tucson

7 recalls · 416 complaints

F

2024 Tucson

4 recalls · 143 complaints

C

2023 Tucson

2 recalls · 174 complaints

C

2022 Tucson

3 recalls · 499 complaints

B

2021 Tucson

1 recalls · 78 complaints

B

2020 Tucson

1 recalls · 176 complaints

B

2019 Tucson

1 recalls · 377 complaints

D

2017 Tucson

3 recalls · 1,084 complaints

F

2016 Tucson

5 recalls · 1,616 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39674, 39675, 39630, 39728, 39631, 39732). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API