2025 Hyundai Tucson Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson, nHTSA recall 26V-316 covers certain model-year 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson, Tucson Hybrid and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The front camera software can be overly sensitive to forward-object proximity in certain driving scenarios, causing the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist system to engage earlier than expected and potentially produce sudden braking. Sudden braking can increase the risk of a rear-end crash from a closely following vehicle.

On the 2025 Hyundai Tucson, hyundai recalled certain 2025 Tucson vehicles — along with 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid and 2026 Genesis GV70 — under NHTSA campaign 25V809000 because the side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly at the factory. A curtain air bag that is incorrectly routed, incorrectly fastened, or improperly retained along the roof rail will not deploy in the intended path across the side glass, so it may fail to cover the occupant's head in a side impact or rollover. This is an assembly defect distinct from the separate 2026 Tucson B-pillar sensor recall: 25V809000 concerns the physical installation of the curtain module itself, whereas 26V254000 concerns the sensor that triggers deployment. As with the sensor recall, there is no in-service symptom — the airbag readiness lamp does not detect an improperly installed but electrically intact module. Owner notification letters began going out December 29, 2025 under Hyundai recall numbers 289 and 029G.

On the 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson, the Tucson's Driver Attention Warning system uses a driver-monitoring camera mounted on the steering column to track eye position. Multiple NHTSA complaints on the 2025 Tucson report the camera repeatedly failing to acquire the driver's eyes and issuing false distraction alerts — the coffee-cup 'consider taking a break' icon with repeating chimes — during normal attentive driving. The reported triggers are physical rather than behavioral: wearing sunglasses, wearing prescription glasses, and short driver stature that places the eyes outside the camera's field of view (ODI 11717385, 11661987, 11692787). The safety-relevant consequence is that the false alert cancels Smart Cruise Control. Complaint 11698087 describes cruise shutting off mid-pass on an interstate, requiring the driver to look down and reset the system at exactly the moment attention should be on the road — an inversion of the feature's purpose. Complaint 11692400 confirms the same architecture on the prior 2024 Tucson. Owners report that neither Hyundai nor dealers will disable the sensor.

On the 2025 Hyundai Tucson, hyundai recalled certain 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles under NHTSA campaign 24V877000 because the console extension wiring assembly may be routed improperly. The misrouted harness defeats the brake-transmission shift interlock, allowing the transmission to be shifted out of Park without the brake pedal being applied. A vehicle that can leave Park without brake application can roll away unattended — the classic failure mode is a driver reaching in to move the shifter, or a child or object bumping it, with the vehicle then rolling free. Hyundai's interim guidance to owners was explicit and unusual: use the parking brake every time you park until the repair is done. Notification letters went out December 17, 2024. This is a build/routing defect rather than a software fault, so it cannot be fixed over the air.

On the 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson, the dominant electrical failure on the current Tucson is a software fault that blanks the digital instrument cluster, and on equipped cars the head-up display and center touchscreen along with it. Hyundai has recalled the vehicle for it twice: NHTSA campaign 26V047000 (filed January 2026) covered 2026 Tucson and 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid and Tucson PHEV among a broad list of Hyundai models, and campaign 26V400000 (filed June 2026) recalled roughly 96,000 2025-2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid and Tucson PHEV vehicles for the same symptom from a different cause: 26V047000 traces the cluster reboot to electrical noise in its power-management chip, while 26V400000 traces it to a communication error between the cluster and the head-up display in the cluster software. Both campaigns cite noncompliance with FMVSS 101, 'Controls and Displays,' because the driver loses the speedometer and warning telltales. Fifty-one NHTSA complaints on the 2025 Tucson carry an ELECTRICAL SYSTEM component. Owners describe the cluster showing a black screen with 'NO SIGNAL' for minutes at a time (ODI 11749421), dropping out for three seconds every one to two minutes and taking the side cameras with it (ODI 11729572), a daily and progressively worsening total blackout of cluster and infotainment (ODI 11731497), and one car diagnosed with a rear-view camera display failure behind the blank cluster (ODI 11715488). Several reports pair the blackout with the vehicle stalling or failing to start.

On the 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson 2.5L Smartstream GDI (non-hybrid), hyundai Recall 281 / NHTSA 25V549 concerns a small, VIN-defined group of vehicles whose connecting-rod bolts may have been insufficiently tightened. The Part 573 report lists 22 US-market 2025–2026 Tucson vehicles with the HMMA-built 2.5L Theta 3 engine produced February 18–August 8, 2025; these dates and the engine description do not replace a VIN check. A connecting-rod bearing cap can loosen, potentially causing engine damage and loss of drive power. In limited instances engine damage can release oil and create a fire risk. The remedy is replacement of the affected engine at no charge for eligible vehicles. This does not establish that every conventional 2.5L Tucson is affected or that any particular fault code proves the defect.

On the 2016-2025 Hyundai Tucson, the panoramic sunroof glass on the Tucson can crack or shatter spontaneously without impact. The issue has been reported across multiple model years and has generated significant NHTSA complaints. Thermal stress from temperature differentials and body flex during driving are suspected contributing factors. The large glass panel size makes it more susceptible to stress fractures originating from the bonded edges.