Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2008 Hyundai Tucson — assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its 17-character VIN to decode that exact car — its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment — alongside these records. Free, no account.
Run a VIN →Recalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Hyundai Tucson year.
No EPA fuel-economy match for this model (naming may differ or it predates EPA records).
The parts named most often across 43 owner complaintsfiled with NHTSA for this make, model and year — the closest free answer to “what is likely to go wrong?”
2 fires
1 fire
1 crash
1 crash · 1 injured
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so treat this as where to look, not a defect rate.
#1. The airbag light comes on saying the passenger airbag is not connected (something like that). #2. Braking lights did stop working and stayed on while the car was turned off. I never received any recall notice of this and we fixed it ourselves. #3. And most important and dangerous! The back driver's side wheel froze up and started to catch on fire. We had the Caliper, and several other surrounding parts changed and the master cylinder when it almost caught fire again. A mechanic could not figure it out. I did a lot of research and discovered the problems with the ABS, which I strongly believe this is the problem. I cannot drive it at all. The emergency brake is like mush and does not work at all. I have now read of these cars catching fire from the ABS and people have died! My car is a 2008 and not the year of the car that has been recalled. But my 2008 is doing the same thing. My special needs son and I could have been killed! Flaming red inside the tire area. We threw bottles of water on it so it wouldn't catch on fire and catch all the other cars and buildings on fire. Please help! Also, the ECS light comes on for no reason. I'm afraid of this car and I'm afraid to sell it to someone who may be killed by it. We thought we fixed this problem in 2020 but it started catching on fire again in 2022 and had not been driven since Aug. 2022 since the last fire flames and stinky smoke that comes out from the back tire area.
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.
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.
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.
In October of 2020 I was pulling into a parking space and my car accelerated and crashed into a light pole resulting in injury to both my husband and myself. He is 91 years old and shattered his upper arm. We had the vehicle fixed and checked out and was told all was fine. About June of 2021 I took the car in for a recall on the brake lights to the Hyundai dealership and told them of the first incident and asked them to check and was told that all was fine. On December 23rd 2021, the same thing happened when I was pulling into my parking space at home. When it accelerated, I had both feet on the brake and ended up hitting a wall damaging the car again. Fortunately, this time injuries were minor. There were no warning lights, messages or symptoms before these two incidents happened. I am concerned that others will be put at risk if this happens again or to anyone else with one of these vehicles. I might add that with these accidents, the airbags did not deploy. The first was a significant crash which should have deployed the airbags.
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.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY ALERTED HER TO AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE THAT THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AT THE TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEN NOTICED ORANGE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER NECK BECAME HOT FROM THE INTENSE FLAMES HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INJURY SUSTAINED. THE CONTACT QUICKLY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND RAN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE HOWEVER, THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVING AT THE SCENE. A STATE TROOPER ARRIVED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED BUT WAS TRADED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI TUCSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH, THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED ON THE FLATBED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE AND FROM THERE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FUCCILLO HYUNDAI OF SYRACUSE, 2601 ERIE BLVD E, SYRACUSE, NY, 315-445-7900, AND WAS TOLD TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO ONE CALLED HER BACK, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS TOLD THAT SOME ONE WOULD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
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!
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.
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.
Showing 12 of 43 complaints.
NHTSA lists 1 recall for this make/model/year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car — check with a dealer using the VIN.
Issue: 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.
Risk: 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 transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 13V113000

NHTSA frontal crash test
Rated configuration: 2008 Hyundai Tucson 4-DR w/SAB