There are 4 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Tucsonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
While driving on a public road, the vehicle experienced multiple simultaneous, dangerous malfunctions: Dashboard Warnings: All lights illuminated, including engine (flashing), ABS, traction control, airbag, TPMS, and parking brake, which stayed on though disengaged. Engine & Transmission: Tachometer fluctuated wildly in park; engine revved without accelerator input. Shifting to drive/reverse caused unexpected “kicks.” Vehicle sometimes failed to move when pressing gas, requiring engine restart. Driving Issues: Speedometer read 0 or jumped inconsistently. RPM continued erratically while maintaining speed without accelerator. Steering became extremely difficult. I immediately determined the vehicle was unsafe to drive and returned home with it, which was only a couple miles away. Follow-Up: Hyundai advised dealership diagnosis; they suggested a backup camera module will resolve the issues I experienced in entirety, but also in the same email stated that they could not guarantee it would resolve all of the issues I experienced. This is the second major engine/powertrain failure: first approximately ~70,000 miles (full engine replacement), current approximately ~95,000 miles (approximately ~25,000 miles post-replacement). Recurrence indicates a serious, unresolved safety defect. I am deeply concerned for passenger safety, including children. Other owners report similar issues; the attorney general’s office advised reporting to NHTSA. Summary of Safety Risks: sudden loss of control/power, erratic acceleration, dashboard failures, steering resistance, unpredictable handling, recurrence of major defect. I am submitting this report to NHTSA to request investigation of these recurring defects. I do have video documentation of all of this, as well as ALL written communication with Hyundai National Consumer Affairs and the dealership. I am having a hard time uploading them because of the file limits. Please let me know if any of this will be helpful to you.
56310-D3050 Steering Column Assembly 56400-D3000 Steering Joint Assembly Steering wheel would jerk hard enough to lose grasp of it. Hyundai dealer confirmed Steering Column Assembly was "Faulty". "Faulty" Steering Column Assembly was replaced by Hyundai dealership. No warning lights.
My vehicle had been in the shop for 30 day due to engine shutdown in the middle of the road, I barely was able to get vehicle off the road and avoid oncoming traffic. I got my vehicle back and driven it a total of 40 minutes within a 3 day time period. During my drive to work my vehicle shut off in the middle of the highway and would not turn on again. My concerns are not being taken seriously with Hyundai and it is a disaster waiting to happen. I have a one year old daughter and I can not risk her safety as well as the other on-coming people on the road when it quits and oncoming traffic has to swerve to not T-bone me. Hyundai will not take any action to correct this other than giving it a temporary fix of a 45 minute drive before they allow me to get back on the road and put myself and others at risk of injury.
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that if the steering wheel was not exactly positioned at 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock, the vehicle would fail to start. The steering wheel would lock-up and the vehicle would lose power. The contact stated that when turning off the vehicle, the steering wheel had to be positioned at the 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock position or the vehicle would not start-up. The contact would tow the vehicle whenever the failure would occur. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 92,622.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026