Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009 problems by year and mileage
1st generation (JM)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026446 complaints, 345 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2005 Hyundai Tucson
Close- Median failure report
- 57,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 185
- Recalls naming this year
- 8
Most reported on the 2005
- Airbag system31 reports
- Electrical system30 reports
- Engine and its cooling system20 reports
8 recall campaigns name the 2005: Exterior lighting; Exterior lighting — brake lights; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2006 Hyundai Tucson
Close- Median failure report
- 65,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 135
- Recalls naming this year
- 5
Most reported on the 2006
- Airbag system37 reports · median 33,000 mi
- Electrical system16 reports
- Steering13 reports
5 recall campaigns name the 2006: Exterior lighting — brake lights; Exterior lighting; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2007 Hyundai Tucson
Close- Median failure report
- 88,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 65
- Recalls naming this year
- 5
Most reported on the 2007
- Airbag system13 reports
- Body structure8 reports
- Suspension8 reports
5 recall campaigns name the 2007: Exterior lighting — brake lights; Exterior lighting; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2008 Hyundai Tucson
Close- Median failure report
- 45,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 43
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2008
- Electrical system5 reports
- Engine5 reports
- Throttle and speed control5 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2008: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2009 Hyundai Tucson
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 18
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2009
- Airbag system6 reports
- Electrical system2 reports
- Seat belts2 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2009: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2007 reports latest and the 2008 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2007 has had 1 more year on the road to accumulate mileage. 1 of these years carries fewer than 30 reports with an odometer reading and shows no median at all, rather than one computed from a handful.
The short answer
“Is the 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 62,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 158,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 345
- Recalls
- 9
Most reported
- Airbag system20.4% of complaints · median 50,000 mi
- Electrical system12.8% of complaints · median 65,000 mi
- Body structure10.3% of complaints · median 98,000 mi
Documented problems
- Engine Management2005–2009
- Brakes / ABS2005–2009
- General2005–2009
Owners filed 446 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson; the airbag system leads with 20.4% of them, and half of the 345 that record an odometer reading came by 62,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 27,000 and 106,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson, half of the 345 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 62,000 miles and 90% by 158,000 miles.
43 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 3 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Tucson reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009 · 345 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 49 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 3 complaints (0.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 4,200
- 25%
- 27,000
- Median
- 62,000
- 75%
- 106,000
- 90%
- 158,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 49 | 14.2% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 20 | 5.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 32 | 9.3% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 24 | 7.0% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 14 | 4.1% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 24 | 7.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 32 | 9.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 13 | 3.8% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 23 | 6.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 16 | 4.6% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 16 | 4.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 12 | 3.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 13 | 3.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 10 | 2.9% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 4 | 1.2% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 4 | 1.2% |
| 200,000+ | 3 | 0.9% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Tucson problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Engine and its cooling system37 reports32,00014,000–62,000Engine and its cooling system: 37 reports, median 32,000 miles, middle half 14,000 to 62,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control34 reports34,00023,000–71,000Throttle and speed control: 34 reports, median 34,000 miles, middle half 23,000 to 71,000 miles.
- Airbag system91 reports50,00028,000–97,000Airbag system: 91 reports, median 50,000 miles, middle half 28,000 to 97,000 miles.
- Electrical system57 reports65,00022,000–91,000Electrical system: 57 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 91,000 miles.
- Body structure46 reports98,00062,000–150,000Body structure: 46 reports, median 98,000 miles, middle half 62,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Engine41 reports105,00058,000–140,000Engine: 41 reports, median 105,000 miles, middle half 58,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Suspension40 reports128,00072,000–150,000Suspension: 40 reports, median 128,000 miles, middle half 72,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 91 | 20.4% | 50,000 | 28,000–97,000 |
| Electrical system | 57 | 12.8% | 65,000 | 22,000–91,000 |
| Body structure | 46 | 10.3% | 98,000 | 62,000–150,000 |
| Engine | 41 | 9.2% | 105,000 | 58,000–140,000 |
| Suspension | 40 | 9.0% | 128,000 | 72,000–150,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 37 | 8.3% | 32,000 | 14,000–62,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 34 | 7.6% | 34,000 | 23,000–71,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 32 | 7.2% | 61,000 | 26,000–100,000 |
| Steering | 30 | 6.7% | 64,000 | 28,000–106,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 30 | 6.7% | 125,000 | 65,000–138,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 62,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 20.4% of complaints (91 reports, 66 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,000 and 97,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 12.8% of complaints (57 reports, 45 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 91,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 10.3% of complaints (46 reports, 33 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 98,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 62,000 and 150,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 9.2% of complaints (41 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 105,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 140,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 9.0% of complaints (40 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 128,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 72,000 and 150,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 8.3% of complaints (37 reports, 30 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 32,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,000 and 62,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2005–2009 Tucson
Engine Management 2005–2009
Crankshaft position sensor and ignition faults causing intermittent stalling and hard starting.
Brakes / ABS 2005–2009
ABS and ESC module faults producing warning lights and, in some reports, unwanted ABS activation at low speed.
General 2005–2009
No single dominant systemic defect for this generation; complaint volume is spread across stalling, electrical and airbag occupant-classification faults rather than concentrated in one component.
Before you buy a 2005–2009 Tucson: the 3-minute check
Generated from 345 mileage-tagged complaints, 9 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 9 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine management on 2005–2009 cars. Crankshaft position sensor and ignition faults causing intermittent stalling and hard starting.
- Check brakes / ABS on 2005–2009 cars. ABS and ESC module faults producing warning lights and, in some reports, unwanted ABS activation at low speed.
- Check general on 2005–2009 cars. No single dominant systemic defect for this generation; complaint volume is spread across stalling, electrical and airbag occupant-classification faults rather than concentrated in one component.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 27,000 and 106,000 miles, with a median of 62,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Tucson problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi47% below | At 90k mi67% below | At 120k mi79% below | At 150k mi88% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 28,000–97,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 22,000–91,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Body structure | 62,000–150,000 | later | in window | in window | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 58,000–140,000 | in window | in window | in window | earlier | earlier |
| Suspension | 72,000–150,000 | later | in window | in window | earlier | earlier |
| Engine and its cooling system | 14,000–62,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Throttle and speed control | 23,000–71,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009 · 345 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 47% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 67% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 79% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 88% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.9% of reports (3) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson recalls (9)
NHTSA records 9 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the exterior lighting (3), the airbag system (2), the parking brake (2). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Apr 2013 · 2006–2009 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the…
The free fix. 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…
Jul 2009 · 2005–2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The 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…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The free fix. 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.
Apr 2009 · 2005–2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The 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…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The free fix. 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.
May 2007 · 2005–2007 · Air BagsThis can cause increased risk of injury to the driver under certain crash conditions.
The 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…
What can happen. This can cause increased risk of injury to the driver under certain crash conditions.
The free fix. 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…
Nov 2006 · 2005–2007 · Air BagsThis can cause increased risk of injury to the driver under certain crash conditions.
The 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…
What can happen. This can cause increased risk of injury to the driver under certain crash conditions.
The free fix. 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.
Jul 2005 · 2005 · Parking BrakeThe inability to engage or the inadvertent release of the parking brake lever, may allow your vehicle to roll…
The 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…
What can happen. 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.
The free fix. 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.
Jul 2005 · 2005 · Parking BrakeThe inability to engage, or the inadvertent release of, the parking brake lever may allow your vehicle to…
The 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…
What can happen. 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.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the parking brake lever assembly. The recall began on july 29, 2005. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Apr 2005 · 2005 · Electronic Stability ControlBrake application caused by inadvertent esp activation may result in loss of control and a crash.
The 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…
What can happen. Brake application caused by inadvertent esp activation may result in loss of control and a crash.
The free fix. 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.
Mar 2005 · 2005 · Electronic Stability ControlBrake application caused by inadvertent esp activation may result in loss of control and a crash.
The 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…
What can happen. Brake application caused by inadvertent esp activation may result in loss of control and a crash.
The free fix. 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.
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 446 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 42 (9.4%)
- Fires
- 13
- Injury reports
- 33
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Tucson problems by model year
The 2005 drew the most complaints of this generation, 185, most of them about the airbag system, and the 2008 the fewest among the 4 years with at least 20 complaints, 43. A typical year drew about 100.
The first year of the generation, 2005, drew more complaints than a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 185 | 139 | 57,000 | Airbag system (31) | 8 |
| 2006 | 135 | 108 | 65,000 | Airbag system (37) | 5 |
| 2007 | 65 | 47 | 88,000 | Airbag system (13) | 5 |
| 2008 | 43 | 38 | 45,000 | Electrical system (5) | 1 |
| 2009 | 18 | 13 | under 30 reports | Airbag system (6) | 1 |
What Tucson owners reported
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the rear subframe had become inoperable and the contact noticed that the rear subframe was corroded. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not…
2006 · 180,000 miles · Body structure
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the…
2006 · 140,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2005 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front passenger side air bag wiring harness; however, the part was discontinued. The vehicle was not…
2005 · 76,000 miles · Airbag system
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…
2008 · 134,000 miles · Body structure
Built from 345 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Tucson generations
- Tucson 2010–2015 619 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Tucson 2016–2021 1,520 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Tucson 2022–2025 140 reports with mileage, most about forward collision avoidance