2008 Hyundai Tucson: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 43 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electronic stability control (esc) (10% of complaints); the 2009 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2013
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I took the car to my mechanic to get brake pads because car was pulling to the left upon braking and he informed me the ABS module was bad and was not distributing brake fluid to the right front wheel. I called Customer Care Center for Hyundai and they informed me Tuscan models are not included in the ABS module recall event. Yet the information printed on all hyundai ABS recalls threaten a possible fire safety concern. I want to file a complaint because the ABS brake systems are all the same on all hyundai models. Please address my safety issue asap.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2023
“The driver side door will not unlock. It will not unlock with the key fob. It will not unlock with the key. It will not unlock manually. The locking piece that should flip back and forth (from lock to unlock) is stuck in the locked position. This should be safety issue as you cannot operate the driver side door. You cannot enter or exit the vehicle from the driver side.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2023
“The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that a section of the rear sub frame was extremely corroded. The contact believed that a welding failure might have caused the severe corrosion on the subframe. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he was informed that he had approximately a year before the suspension would fail and the render the vehicle undrivable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.”Owner report · Structure · Jan 2023
Show 7 more owner reports
“My elderly mother inlaw purchased a car at a buy here pay here place. Her grandson immediately noticed it was skipping when it got over 40. His grandmother took it back they said it was fine then his grandmother and others noticed the skipping. She called the dealer and they sent it to a transmission shop we are unable to get in touch with. It has been thee days and they will not tell her anything nor provide a rental car for her use. They seem to be set up to take advantage of this elderly sick lady with mental health issues.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hyundai tucson. The contact stated while driving at the various speeds, the passenger's side rear wheel was wobbling causing the vehicle to not drive in a straight line. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the rear cross member was extremely rusted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Jan 2021
“I received a letter in the mail that my staten island hyundai said they completed all the recall notices on my car in the mail.I never brought my car there!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2019
“The driver side rear door handle broke off. This has happened to my son's hyundai sonota also on 3 different door's. Hyundai refused to pay for repairs.I seen many complaints about this problem and hyundai will not put this on a recall. This can be a safety problem as if there is a accident and cannot open door then what.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2019
“Steering wheel locked while driving, unable to turn wheel. Brake light and emergency break ligth went on - on dashboard. Happened 3 times in 3 days. At 5 mph, 10mph and 25mph. Luckily these were on city side streets and 1x while parking. Typically when attempting a turn while beginning or post brake.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2017
“On 18 october 2017 brakes failed on a hill in traffic with red light ahead. 43903 miles on the car. My life was in danger as the pedal went to the floor. Somehow I controlled the vehicle and got it to stop. Diagnosed as brake line rupture. Both rear brake lines ruptured. All 5 brake lines had to be replaced. Cause was corrosion. Steering gear also had to be replaced.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Oct 2017
“When car is off and still in drive you can take the key out and leave the car, still in drive. I did that and it backed up and hit a truck in a parking lot. It has done it ever since I've had the car. No big deal until now. Why does it let me take my key out while it is still in drive?”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2017
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
How other years compare
Check your exact Tucson by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Hyundai Tucson reliable?
NHTSA has 43 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2008 Hyundai Tucson. The most complained-about area is electronic stability control (esc) (10% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Hyundai Tucson problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 50,000 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Hyundai Tucson have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:brake lights:switch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.