Hyundai Tucson Problems

Fuel consumption is a difficult subject because there are a number of things that affect it that relate to you and the sort of driving you do, but the official fuel consumption figures come down on the side of the Mazda, 7.4 L/100 km compared to 7.7 L/100 km average for similar vehicles. Either one would be a good choice, but if fuel consumption is your determining feature then go for the CX-5.

This is another of those "get the vehicle scanned" situations. There are about a thousand things that can cause an engine to stop in its tracks the way you’ve described, and only by scanning the computer to see what fault codes have been logged can you even begin to make a diagnosis. You cold be looking at anything from a crank-angle sensor, to a blocked fuel-tank breather, or a faulty throttle-position sensor to damaged coil-pack. Or anything in between. Modern engines are complicated beasts and the days of checking for spark, fuel and compression as a simple roadside diagnosis are long gone.

By the way, you haven’t told me whether you have the four-cylinder or V6 versions of the Tuscon. Without that information, I’m flying even blinder.

This has cropped up before in relatively new Hyundais and seems to be a software – rather than a hardware – problem. The solution is to take the car to a Hyundai dealer who will be able to reload the unit’s software and all should be well.

I’ve also heard of the odd case where the entire head unit was replaced by Hyundai, but reloading the software (which should take only a few minutes) seems to be the most common fix.

Is it happening in the same location every time, or does it happen anywhere? It could be being set off by some external source where it’s parked. Have a dealer check it for you.

As the car is still under warranty you should certainly contact the dealer and express your dissatisfaction and ask them what they are going to do to fix your car. If that doesn’t get a positive response then contact head office.

The AWD versions have 7-speed dual-clutch transmissions, the FWD ones have 6-speed automatics, and there is a manual gearbox option. I don’t see any reason for the dual-clutch transmission to have issues in traffic; it won’t have any adverse impact on inner city driving.

While the vehicle’s VIN will identify the make and model, it won’t necessarily spell out the trim level. That information is usually incorporated on to a build plate attached to the firewall or inner fender.

From June 2019, Hyundai changed the name of its entry-level `Go’ model to `Active’ so effectively, you’ve bought the base-model car anyway. If you have been sold anything other than an Active model, you’ve received a higher specification model, so I wouldn’t be complaining back at the dealership.

I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Yash. Oil seals often weep a bit of oil and it’s good to see that the dealership has noticed it and wants to change the seal, rather than ignore it and make it your problem once the car is out of warranty. Speaking of warranty, your car came with six years of factory cover, so even if the seal leaks again in that time, it won’t cost you anything to have it fixed.

As for your other concerns; an oil seal is not a big problem and won’t cause any other damage (unless the oil is pouring out and leaving the engine without sufficient oil (which it isn’t in your case). Changing the seal will have no effect on the rest of the car, the problem will probably never occur again (not in the 10 years you plan to own it, anyway), the seal can be changed simply without opening the engine, and the cause is probably something as simple as a seal with a small manufacturing defect or one that was accidentally `pinched’ during assembly at the Hyundai factory.

Modern cars are incredibly complex machines consisting of thousands of parts. Even the best models from the best makes can have small defects like this one. Don’t sweat it.

Boy, the world is your oyster, Elizabeth. There are literally dozens of options when it comes to a compact SUV. If you’re otherwise happy with the Hyundai, then maybe look at the Hyundai Kona. It’s available as a turbo all-wheel-drive or as a non-turbo front-drive car (not to mention the Kona Electric, an all-electric version) and will come with Hyundai’s great factory warranty and reliability that you’ve already experienced with the Tucson. The other option would the equivalent from Hyundai’s sister company, Kia. The Kia Sportage an also be had as a turbo-diesel, although for normal suburban driving, a petrol is probably your best bet.

Then, you have all the various offerings from the Japanese makers as well as left-field entrants from MG, Fiat, Mini and more. But you need to be careful, because there isn’t always a whole lot of difference between the width of a compact SUV and a mid-sizer. Sure, there’s generally more space inside the bigger car, but it’s often the result of extra length and height rather than width. For instance, your Tucson (assuming it’s the current model) has a width of 1850mm while the Kona is just 50mm (about two inches) narrower. That may not be enough of a difference and you may need to go down two sizes to, say, a Hyundai Venue which is smaller and narrower again with a width of 1770mm.

Both the petrol and diesel engines available in the current-generation Tucson have enviable records and reputations for reliability and longevity. Perhaps the factor that will ultimately sway your decision will be the driveline layout, because the all-wheel-drive version of the Tucson is available only with the turbo-diesel or turbo-petrol engine; the normally aspirated engine is available only in front-wheel-drive. To be honest, both the turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol and the turbo-diesel are the natural choices, and the non-turbocharged two-litre petrol engine is very much an also-ran in this model line-up.

That covers the Hyundai Tucson petrol vs diesel debate on a driveability basis, but in other aspects, the question is harder to answer. The petrol turbo is known to be a reliable unit but, in reality, the turbo-diesel probably suits this style of vehicle better with its relaxed feel and effortless nature. That said, if you’re only going to do suburban miles, then rule the diesel out as modern, common-rail diesels with their DPFs really don’t like that type of use. Unless you’re going to drive a decent distance at highway speeds every couple of weeks, the diesel can wind up costing a lot more to maintain.

Even used properly, a diesel engine can be costlier to own and service in the long run and, in the case of the Tucson’s unit, there have been reports of black sludge forming in the intake system, caused by a combination of soot and oil mist which are by-products of the engine’s emissions control. In extreme cases, this black ooze needs to be manually cleaned and that’s a big and expensive job.

But, to confuse things even further, the only transmission available with the turbocharged petrol Tucson is a seven-speed double-clutch unit. Hyundai’s seems better than a lot of such transmissions out there, but many feel this technology is less than perfect and some owners avoid these transmissions at all costs. The turbo-diesel Tucson, in contrast, uses a conventional automatic.