The Lemon Index

All cars · Hyundai Tucson · 2005

2005 Hyundai Tucson. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index136100 = average car
Complaints64NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold68,122U.S. model year
Per 100K sold94complaints
Year rank#12 of 15#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 5

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
2.0L 4-cylAuto 4-spdFWD19 / 25 / 22Regular$2,850
2.0L 4-cylManual 5-spdFWD20 / 25 / 22Regular$2,850
2.0L 4-cylManual 5-spd4Wheel or AWD19 / 24 / 21Regular$2,950
2.7L 6-cylAuto 4-spdFWD18 / 24 / 20Regular$3,100
2.7L 6-cylAuto 4-spd4Wheel or AWD17 / 23 / 19Regular$3,300

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 22,000 and 110,900 miles. Median 57,000, from 139 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Airbags64,40011,100–129,50022
Electrical61,00030,000–99,70022
Engine31,3002,900–47,90015
Body structure80,00053,000–150,00015
Engine81,00049,600–121,00017

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Engine20%
Airbags19%
Brakes11%
Electrical11%
Speed control9%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
1851231102

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 8

  • 09V280000 Jul 2009 Exterior Lighting

    Defect. HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFT OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DE

    Risk. ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.

  • 09V122000 Apr 2009 Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch

    Defect. HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 532,633 MY 2006-2007 ACCENT, ENTOURAGE, SONATA, MY 2007 AZERA, ELANTRA AND SANTA FE, MY 2005-2007 TUCSON AND MY 2007-2008 VERACRUZ VEHICLES. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A STOP LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTION MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFTED OU

    Risk. ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 29, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.

  • 07V197000 May 2007 Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module

    Defect. ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, STATIC AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTING CONDUCTED BY NHTSA USING FIFTH PERCENTILE FEMALE DUMMIES INDICATED THAT A SMALL STATURE ADULT DRIVER NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OR NEAR FRONTAL CRASH, THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AIR BAG MAY NOT OCCUR.

    Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER UNDER CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE WITH ONE THAT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN INCREASED MARGIN OF COMPLIANCE FOR LOW RISK DEPLOYMENT FOR SMALL STATURE ADULTS WHO ARE NOT PROPERLY WEARING THE SEAT BELTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2007, AND WILL BE PERFORMED IN TWO MAILINGS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.

  • 06V445000 Nov 2006 Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module

    Defect. ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DURING STATIC AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTING CONDUCTED BY NHTSA USING FIFTH PERCENTILE FEMALE DUMMIES INDICATED IF A SMALL STATURED ADULT DRIVER, NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT, IS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OR NEAR FRONTAL CRASH, DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AIR BAG MAY RESULT IN AN INSUFFICIENT MARGIN OF COMPLIANCE AS MEASURED BY THE TEST DUMMY USED IN THE NHTSA TEST.

    Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER UNDER CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 29, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH SIX MAILINGS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

  • 05V342000 Jul 2005 Parking Brake

    Defect. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PARKING LEVER RATCHET PAWL WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND MAY DAMAGE THE TEETH OF THE PARKING LEVER RATCHET. DAMAGED PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET TEETH MAY PREVENT THE PARKING BRAKE FROM ENGAGING OR MAY ALLOW THE PARKING BRAKE TO RELEASE AFTER IT HAS BEEN ENGAGED.

    Risk. THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE OR THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER, MAY ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE TO ROLL WHILE IT IS PARKED AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.

  • 05V315000 Jul 2005 Parking Brake

    Defect. ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET PAWL WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND MY DAMAGE THE TEETH OF THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET. DAMAGED PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET TEETH MAY PREVENT THE PARKING BRAKE FROM ENGAGING OR MAY ALLOW THE PARKING BRAKE TO RELEASE AFTER IT HAS BEEN ENGAGED.

    Risk. THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE, OR THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER MAY ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE TO ROLL WHILE IT IS PARKED AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 29, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

  • 05V177000 Apr 2005 Electronic Stability Control / Automatic (Asc)

    Defect. ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP), THE YAW RATE SENSOR MAY BECOME TOO SENSITIVE AND MAY RECALIBRATE INACCURATELY. WHILE DRIVING THE ESP PROGRAM MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO REDUCE POWER AND MAY CAUSE A BRAKE AT ONE OF THE WHEELS TO BE INAPPROPRIATELY.

    Risk. BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ESP ACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESP HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI DE PUERTO RICO AT 1-800-981-0188.

  • 05V119000 Mar 2005 Electronic Stability Control / Automatic (Asc)

    Defect. ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP), THE YAW RATE SENSOR MAY BECOME TOO SENSITIVE AND MAY RECALIBRATE INACCURATELY. WHILE DRIVING THE ESP PROGRAM MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO REDUCE POWER AND MAY CAUSE A BRAKE AT ONE OF THE WHEELS TO BE INAPPROPRIATELY.

    Risk. BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ESP ACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESP HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
ClosedStop lamp switch failure20092009

Manufacturer communications 70

Hyundai filed 70 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Automatic transaxle oil leak between transaxle and transfer case
  • Higher-than-expected engine oil

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoNo

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
20051366468,122Engine
2006793152,067Airbags
2007–1341,476Airbags

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

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