Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Hyundai Tucson owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while his fiance was driving 40 mph, she started to smell fuel fumes inside of the cab of the vehicle and started to get a headache/nauseous. The driver was able to park at a near gas station and waited for the contact to drive to his location, to verify the fuel cap. The contact stated no failure was found and secured the fuel cap. The contact followed the drive to their residence. The driver was able to continue driving at 20 mph but the vehicle began to jerk and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver stated she saw black smoke exiting from the rear of the vehicle. The driver was able to park on the side of the road and stated the smoke extinguished on its own. The driver was able to continue driving slowly to their near residence. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph they noticed an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact noticed that whenever they attempted to accelerate the noise would progress. The contact then noticed that the vehicle's speed began to decelerate. When pulling over the vehicle, there was a loud boom and the vehicle caught fire on the driver's front side of the vehicle. The fire dissipated on its own, however, there was smoke left. There were no injuries, no medical attention needed, and no police report. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact received notification from the dealer of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (ENGINE) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. While at a complete stop, the contact stated that white smoke began to emit from the engine upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle then began to stall as the check engine light illuminated; eventually, all warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact made multiple attempts to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start up. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where they informed her that there were two recalls on her vehicle; NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V543000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V727000 (Engine). The mechanic recommended that the vehicle be towed to a dealer for service. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. Engine needs to be replaced, case #[redacted]. "
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle was unoccupied and parked at the residence for a couple of days, he received a call from a neighbor informing that there was a fire at his residence. The contact was not home at the time and upon arrival, he observed the vehicle engulfed in flames. The fire then quickly spread from the vehicle to the stand-alone garage and driveway causing damage. The contact and a neighbor attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company to the salvage lot where a forensic specialist was pending an investigation per the manufacturer and was yet to produce any information. The contact mentioned that the vehicle burned leaving only the framing remains. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-55 mph when the vehicle began smoking from the front end of the vehicle and shortly after began decelerating. The contact coasted to the side of the road where the vehicle stalled. The smoke settled as the vehicle decelerated and stalled. There were no warning. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact noticed there was oil leaking all over the roads from underneath the vehicle. There contact was unsure if there was a police report filed. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who had yet to report a diagnosis. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine light illuminated, smoke came from underneath the hood, and a nearby driver signaled and indicated that the vehicle was on fire. The contact stated he immediately drove the vehicle to the shoulder and less than a minute later the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The contact stated that a fire and police report had been filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for investigation. The contact stated that he had made two attempts to get the vehicle serviced for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (Engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a screeching type noise was present coming from the front of the vehicle. While driving approximately 70 mph smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood. After stopping the engine compartment became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. A fire and a police report were taken and the vehicle was towed away. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 87,000.
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that she received recall notifications for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 20V543000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), however, the dealer informed the contact that the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while at the stoplight, she smelled a strong burning odor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the next day, the vehicle was shuddering and she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while her son was driving 65 MPH, he heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle was seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to coast to the right side of the roadway. The contact drove to his location and was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact called multiple local dealers and made them aware of the failure however, the dealers already had too many vehicles with the same failure and declined to service her vehicle. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and associate the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (Engine). The contact stated a week later, she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The contact also stated that the vehicle was leaking oil and was consuming one quart of oil. The vehicle was difficult to start and would make abnormal sounds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a compression test and informed the contact that there was oil on the spark plugs and O2 sensor. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. …
Related recalls
Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Tucson and Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS).
NHTSA investigations
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Tucson years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Hyundai Tucson?
NHTSA has 616 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Hyundai Tucson, 56% of the model year's 1,092 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Hyundai Tucson engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-727 (engine, Sep 17, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Hyundai Tucson engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 21 fires and 6 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.