Model Years

2011 Hyundai Tucson Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 124 owner complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Tucson.

One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired: Brakes, park outside (23V-651). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected. Every do-not-drive and park-outside recall on 2010 and newer models

Recalled components: brakes, engine and cooling, powertrain, air bags, and 1 more. Most-described problems: stalling or shutting off and engine failure or replacement (12 complaints, 10% each). Most-reported area: engine (40 complaints, 32%; median mileage when it happened: 100,000).

Fewer complaints than a typical Tucson year

The 2011 drew 25 owner complaints in its first three years, against 146 for a typical Tucson year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

Years to avoid: 2016 and 2022. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Tucson year ranked

5Safety recalls
124Owner complaints
5Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

5 safety recalls for the 2011 Hyundai Tucson

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Brakes

Sep 22, 2023

antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · control unit/module

The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles.

NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 251.

Engine and cooling

Feb 5, 2019

engine

The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.

Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Hyundai has notified owners, and dealers will inspect for an oil pan leak, replacing it if necessary, and install an updated oil pressure switch, free of charge. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 181.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Tucson vehicles.

NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 181.

Powertrain

Jan 28, 2016

automatic transmission · cooling unit and lines

The affected vehicles have a transmission fluid cooler hose that may have been improperly manufactured, resulting in a transmission fluid leak.

Risk: If enough transmission fluid leaks out, the transmission may not function properly and the vehicle may stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission fluid cooler hose, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 25, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 139.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured July 22, 2010, to October 31, 2010.

NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 139.

Air bags

May 13, 2014

In the affected vehicles, the air bag assembly installed in the steering wheel may come loose from its mounting.

Risk: An air bag assembly that is not properly mounted may result in an increased risk of injury to the driver in the event of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts that secure the driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 118.

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Hyundai Tucson vehicles manufactured January 3, 2011, through December 23, 2013.

NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 118.

Exterior lighting

Apr 1, 2013

brake lights · switch

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.

The fix and full notice

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 campaign number is 110.

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.

NHTSA listing: TUCSON. Hyundai campaign 110.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 Hyundai Tucson apart from an audit query, which reviews a company's recall and reporting duties rather than the vehicle.

What owners report

Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Tucson. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Hyundai Tucson recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Tucson drew the most (449) and the 2011 drew 25.

Owner complaints

2011: 124 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Tucson
Model yearComplaints
201059
2011124
2012255
2013266
2014202
2015227
20161,620
20171,088
2018397
2019380
2020178
202179
2022502
2023178
2024146
2025428
202689

Safety recalls

2011: 5 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Tucson
Model yearRecalls
20104
20115
20123
20133
20142
20152
20165
20173
20181
20191
20201
20211
20223
20232
20244
20257
20265

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
Hyundai Tucson SUV 4WD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

2011 Tucson MPG

EPA rates the 2011 Hyundai Tucson up to 25 mpg combined.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2011 Tucson problems?

In the 124 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Hyundai Tucson, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (12), engine failure or replacement (12), and the check engine light coming on (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2011 Hyundai Tucson?

No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 Hyundai Tucson apart from an audit query, which reviews a company's recall and reporting duties rather than the vehicle.

How do I check if my Tucson has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: TUCSON.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.