2019 Hyundai Tucson

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

The 2019 Hyundai Tucson has 384 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, and the engine is the part cited most, with 200 of them. Its EPA combined fuel economy is 23 to 26 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,490 to $14,120 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. Its NHTSA record shows 1 recall campaign covering brakes, which may apply to this car.

Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.

Fuel economy
23–26 mpgcombined; city 21–23, highway 25–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$14,120U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$12,620 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
384filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2019 Tucson. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 384 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Tucson. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine200280
Service brakes, hydraulic62000
Service brakes53532
Electrical system47130
Power train42210
Fuel/propulsion system28140
Unknown or other26210
Vehicle speed control17102
Forward collision avoidance13000
Structure7000
Exterior lighting6000
Lane departure5000
12 more parts
Engine and engine cooling4000
Air bags3304
Electronic stability control (ESC)3000
Seats3102
Service brakes, air3101
Steering3000
Visibility3000
Seat belts2000
Suspension2100
Visibility/wiper2000
Rollover1001
Wheels1010

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2006135
  2. 200765
  3. 200843
  4. 200918
  5. 201059
  6. 2011124
  7. 2012255
  8. 2013266
  9. 2014202
  10. 2015229
  11. 20161,624
  12. 20171,092
  13. 2018399
  14. 2019384
  15. 2020178
  16. 202180
  17. 2022506
  18. 2023180
  19. 2024149
  20. 2025437
  21. 202693

Every Tucson year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2019 Tucson over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

NHTSA campaign 20V543000 · reported Sep 4, 2020 · 652,024 vehicles potentially affected

Park outside

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.

Remedy: 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's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 145 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 Tucson, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (52), engine and engine cooling (37), engine (33), equipment (31), equipment adaptive/mobility (14).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Audit query AQ23002
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires · covers 3 makes
Service brakes, hydraulicNov 17, 2023Open
NHTSA's summary names recall 20V520000, 20V543000, 21V161000, 21V160000, 21V303000, 22V056000, 22V810000, 23V651000, 16V815000, 20V518000, 20V519000, 21V137000, 21V331000, 22V051000, 22V800000, 23V652000
NHTSA's record and documents
Defect petition DP22003
Loss of Motive Power · covers 3 makes
EngineSep 12, 2022Closed Dec 12, 2023
Petition denied
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 Tucson.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2019 Hyundai Tucsons for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Tucson
Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline23 / 30 / 26
Tucson
Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline22 / 28 / 25
Tucson
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline22 / 25 / 23
Tucson
All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline21 / 26 / 23

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data