Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009
1st generation (JM)
NHTSA data through 13 August 2026650 complaints, 497 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 497
- Median of reported failures
- 65,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Airbag system (14.3%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 28,000 and 106,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009 · 497 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 67 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 5 complaints (1.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 4,200
- 25%
- 28,000
- Median
- 65,000
- 75%
- 106,000
- 90%
- 158,700
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 67 | 13.5% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 24 | 4.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 45 | 9.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 35 | 7.0% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 20 | 4.0% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 35 | 7.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 51 | 10.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 18 | 3.6% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 33 | 6.6% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 25 | 5.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 23 | 4.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 14 | 2.8% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 18 | 3.6% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 13 | 2.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 10 | 2.0% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 19 | 3.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 14 | 2.8% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 5 | 1.0% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 16 | 3.2% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 7 | 1.4% |
| 200,000+ | 5 | 1.0% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 650 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson, and 497 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 28,000 and 106,000 miles. The median is 65,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the airbag system (14.3% of complaints, typically around 48,000 miles), the electrical system (9.2% of complaints, typically around 65,000 miles), body structure (7.1% of complaints, typically around 98,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2005–2009 Hyundai Tucson were filed by 65,000 miles and 90% by 159,000 miles — figures drawn from 497 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
5 reports (1%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Tucson reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2005–2009 Tucson: the 3-minute check
Generated from 497 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine management on 2005–2009 cars. Crankshaft position sensor and ignition faults causing intermittent stalling and hard starting.
- Check brakes / ABS on 2005–2009 cars. ABS and ESC module faults producing warning lights and, in some reports, unwanted ABS activation at low speed.
- Check general on 2005–2009 cars. No single dominant systemic defect for this generation; complaint volume is spread across stalling, electrical and airbag occupant-classification faults rather than concentrated in one component.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 28,000 and 106,000 miles, with a median of 65,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 48,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Engine and its cooling system38 reports31,0007,500–62,000Engine and its cooling system: 38 reports, median 31,000 miles, middle half 7,500 to 62,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control34 reports34,00023,000–71,000Throttle and speed control: 34 reports, median 34,000 miles, middle half 23,000 to 71,000 miles.
- Airbag system93 reports48,00025,000–97,000Airbag system: 93 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 97,000 miles.
- Electrical system60 reports65,00018,000–91,000Electrical system: 60 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 18,000 to 91,000 miles.
- Body structure46 reports98,00062,000–150,000Body structure: 46 reports, median 98,000 miles, middle half 62,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Engine41 reports105,00058,000–140,000Engine: 41 reports, median 105,000 miles, middle half 58,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Suspension40 reports128,00072,000–150,000Suspension: 40 reports, median 128,000 miles, middle half 72,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 93 | 14.3% | 48,000 | 25,000–97,000 |
| Electrical system | 60 | 9.2% | 65,000 | 18,000–91,000 |
| Body structure | 46 | 7.1% | 98,000 | 62,000–150,000 |
| Engine | 41 | 6.3% | 105,000 | 58,000–140,000 |
| Suspension | 40 | 6.2% | 128,000 | 72,000–150,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 38 | 5.8% | 31,000 | 7,500–62,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 34 | 5.2% | 34,000 | 23,000–71,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 32 | 4.9% | 61,000 | 26,000–100,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 30 | 4.6% | 125,000 | 65,000–138,000 |
| Steering | 30 | 4.6% | 64,000 | 28,000–106,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Hyundai Tucson 2005–2009 · 497 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 45% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 66% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 78% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.0% of reports (5) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
45% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Airbag system — middle half 25,000–97,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 18,000–91,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 58,000–140,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 7,500–62,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 23,000–71,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Body structure — middle half 62,000–150,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 72,000–150,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
66% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine and its cooling system — median 31,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 34,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Airbag system — middle half 25,000–97,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 18,000–91,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 62,000–150,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 58,000–140,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 72,000–150,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
78% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Airbag system — median 48,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 65,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 31,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 34,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Body structure — middle half 62,000–150,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 58,000–140,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 72,000–150,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 65,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 14.3% of complaints (93 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 97,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.2% of complaints (60 reports, 47 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 18,000 and 91,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 7.1% of complaints (46 reports, 33 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 98,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 62,000 and 150,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 6.3% of complaints (41 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 105,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 140,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 6.2% of complaints (40 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 128,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 72,000 and 150,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 5.8% of complaints (38 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 31,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,500 and 62,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2005 model year drew the most — 273 complaints — while 2009 drew the fewest at 24. The median year sits at 85.
That makes 2005 an outlier: roughly 3.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 650 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 58 (8.9%)
- Fires
- 21
- Injury reports
- 45
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Engine Management 2005–2009
Crankshaft position sensor and ignition faults causing intermittent stalling and hard starting.
Brakes / ABS 2005–2009
ABS and ESC module faults producing warning lights and, in some reports, unwanted ABS activation at low speed.
General 2005–2009
No single dominant systemic defect for this generation; complaint volume is spread across stalling, electrical and airbag occupant-classification faults rather than concentrated in one component.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 273 | 204 |
| 2006 | 202 | 163 |
| 2007 | 85 | 57 |
| 2008 | 66 | 56 |
| 2009 | 24 | 17 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Apr 2013 · 2006–2009 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. 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
What can happen. 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 free 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.
What owners reported
I bought Hyundai Tucson 2005 (SUV, 2.0 Gl, 4 cylinders, shiftronic) on 4/9/05. I took this car back and left it at a dealer on 4/16/05 because 1). The cruise control did not work. ). I drove that car to la. On hwy 5 with the same speed as 80 MPH. As the others. When i drove up to the hills, the speeding was dropped to…
2005 · 20 miles · Engine and its cooling system
I purchased a 2005 Hyundai Tucson on 2/7/07 for which the dealership was not at fault as they were lied to by the previous owner. Within a few weeks after owning the car it would just die anywhere and at anytime. I contacted the dealership numerous times to only get little assistance and a few repair attempts without…
2005 · 45 miles · Electrical system
the contact owns a 2005 Hyundai Tucson. While driving 15 MPH in rainy conditions, the brakes lock up when they are applied and the vehicle skids. The vehicle also skids when driving over a bump in the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that it needed an updated program in its computer system.…
2005 · 100 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
Built from 497 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page