How many recalls does the 2021 Hyundai Tucson have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson model year. Whether one car had the recall work done depends on that car, so check its VIN with NHTSA.

What is the WhipWorthy verdict on the 2021 Hyundai Tucson?

Maybe. More owner complaints than usual, mostly costly parts. The verdict weighs this year against the other years of the Tucson, from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

2005: 185 owner complaints, Pass

Our take: only with records and an inspection. Owners filed more complaints than usual, mostly about costly parts, and one recall says park it outside until it is fixed.

Year verdict

Maybe

Above a typical year, mostly costly parts

More owner complaints than usual, mostly about costly parts. Buy only with records and an inspection.

Confidence: Medium

Close to the Maybe line, so a few complaints either way could tip it.

Past 100,000 miles

Not judged

Too young to judge at high mileage. Most 2021 cars have not reached 100,000 miles yet, so their problems past it have not shown up.

How the dial was counted

Year verdict: Typical year: 61 complaints, the median of 4 nearby years, leaving out 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, which were high themselves. Each counted over its first 6 years and 10 months from January 2020; this one had 80.

Same car, better year: 2008 or 2009 Tucson (both Worthy)

Odometer check

No one part has enough complaints that give a mileage to mark a problem zone, so there is nothing yet to hold a car's miles against.

WhipWorthy sticker

2021 Hyundai Tucson

Complaints80Filed in all
Loading owner complaints
Recalls11 park outside
Loading recalls
Crash5 out of 5 starsBest of 2 versions
Loading crash ratings
MPG23 to 25Combined, EPA
Loading fuel economy

Complaints are unverified owner reports, not adjusted for how many were sold.

Compare this car Every Tucson year

Car report

Save this car to My Garage and see its recalls at a glance.Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Value signals

We do not price cars.

These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.

Owners report no costly problem zone with enough mileages to map for this year.
Loading costly problem zones ahead
Fuel: $2,550 to $2,800 a year.The EPA’s estimate for 15,000 miles a year, 55% in town, at its fuel prices. Each version
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
Have the VIN? Check it is this car, and see its open recalls at NHTSA.
VIN
On the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the driver’s door sticker.

What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

The full record

Tap to open

What owners complain about

80 complaints; the part named most is the engine

Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Jan 11, 2021 to Oct 10, 2026. 60% name a part that is usually costly to fix.

Owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires and 7 injuries in these complaints.

Engine42 · 53%Usually costly to fix
Brakes12 · 15%

Seller kit

Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points

Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Walk up to the seller ready

Questions to ask the seller of a 2021 Hyundai Tucson, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.

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Write your offer

A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email

Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Send the seller a fair offer

Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.

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When problems show up

Too few owners said their miles

Too few complaints mention a mileage to show a pattern. 22 complaints of 80 gave one, and a part needs at least 15.

SourceMileage from owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson. NHTSA, checked Nov 4, 2026.

Will it outlast the loan?

The month of your loan each problem zone lands in

Not enough owner complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson mention a mileage to lay against a loan. Have a mechanic look it over all the same.

Recalls

1 recall on file, 1 saying do not drive or park outside

Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.

Brakes
Sep 4, 2020 · Recall 20V543000Park outside.NHTSA says: Away from buildings until it is fixed: a fire risk.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) recalled certain 2019-2021 Tucson vehicles on September 4, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Hyundai expanded the recall population, and added certain 2016-2018 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) could corrode internally and cause an electrical short, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
What can happen
An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The fix
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HECU fuse. For 2019-2021 model years, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software will also be updated. Recall repairs will be performed free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 195.

Crash ratings

5 of 5 stars overall, the best of 2 versions tested

NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight.

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
16.2% chance of a rollover in a one car crash, by NHTSA's estimate.
Stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Standard
Lane departure warning
Standard
2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD
Overall
Front
Side

NHTSA investigations: 1

SourceNHTSA crash ratings for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson. NHTSA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Fuel economy

23 to 25 mpg combined, across 4 versions

The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in.

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L
Tucson AWD · All wheel drive · Regular gas
City
22 mpg
Highway
25 mpg
Combined
23 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,800
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L
Tucson AWD · All wheel drive · Regular gas
City
21 mpg
Highway
26 mpg
Combined
23 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,800
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L
Tucson FWD · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
23 mpg
Highway
28 mpg
Combined
25 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,550
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L
Tucson FWD · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
22 mpg
Highway
28 mpg
Combined
25 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,550
This one on fueleconomy.gov

SourceEPA fuel economy data, fueleconomy.gov. EPA, checked Nov 4, 2026.

True cost to own

The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years

Car Hunt Pass or Pro

What it really costs to own

What the 2021 Hyundai Tucson costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.

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Every year of the Tucson

6 Worthy, 7 Maybe, 7 Pass, of 22 years on file

Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.

Best and worst years of the Tucson

SourceNHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Tucson. NHTSA, checked Nov 4, 2026.

Before you buy this one

5 checks, with a close look at the engine

Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.

Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 1 recall on file. One of them says not to drive the car, or to park it outside, until it is fixed. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the engine. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the engine. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.

Going to see it? Take the checklist52 checks with the bad signs to look for, saved on your phone.

Check this exact car

The verdict is about the model year. These checks are about the one in front of you. Most are free or a few dollars.

VIN for these checks

Copy it, then paste it into each check. Nothing is sent until you open one.

Official checks on this VIN

Open recallsFree
NHTSA
Safety recalls on this VIN that are not fixed yet, from the last 15 years.
A recall already fixed does not show.
Check recalls at NHTSAnhtsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Theft and total lossFree
NICB VINCheck
Whether an insurer reported it stolen and not found, or wrote it off as a total loss.
Only insurer records. Five checks a day.
Open NICB VINChecknicb.org (opens in a new tab)
Title brandsA few dollars
NMVTIS, the federal title system
Salvage, flood, junk and rebuilt brands from any state, and the last miles on the title.
No repairs, service or recalls. Sold by approved sellers listed on the site.
See the approved sellersvehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov (opens in a new tab)
Title statusVaries by state
The state motor vehicle office
Whether the title is branded in that state and, where the state offers it, whether a lender still has a lien.
It will not name the owner. Each state asks its own way, and some only by mail. Ask to see the seller’s title too.
Find your state’s officeusa.gov (opens in a new tab)

What a paid report adds

A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:

Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.

It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.

Red flags in a history

Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.

Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD

Fuel economy

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Tucson

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Red flags in a history

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Add WhipWorthy to this device

Send feedback

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD

Model year	Owner complaints	Verdict
2005	185	Pass
2006	135	Maybe
2007	65	Worthy
2008	43	Worthy
2009	18	Worthy
2010	59	Not judged
2011	124	Worthy
2012	255	Maybe
2013	266	Maybe
2014	203	Worthy
2015	229	Worthy
2016	1626	Pass
2017	1096	Pass
2018	398	Pass
2019	385	Pass
2020	179	Maybe
2021	80	Maybe
2022	389	Pass
2023	136	Maybe
2024	99	Maybe
2025	297	Pass
2026	65	Not judged

The verdict on the 2021 Hyundai Tucson

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD

Fuel economy

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Tucson

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L

Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.4 L

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD

2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD