A third generation Hyundai Tucson from 2015 on is the pick, but only with proof of regular oil changes, since its engines carry serious known faults; skip the 1.7 CRDi with the 7-speed DCT.
4 known faults, 2 rated high severity in our database; owners report 39.0 mpg, 76% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Hyundai Tucson advert (free) →The 2015 to 2020 third generation is the Tucson to go for, but only when the seller can prove the oil's been changed on time. Every engine the known faults name for these cars carries a serious one, and two of them, the diesel turbo failures and the 1.6 GDi chain tensioner, are tied to oil changes that were stretched. A stamped book with oil at every service is what separates a sound car from an expensive one.
Don't buy the 1.7 CRDi with the 7-speed DCT automatic. It's got a known fault for judder and clutch pack failure on 2015 to 2018 cars, and that sits on top of the turbo fault the diesel already carries. Several owners of 2015 and 2016 manual 1.7 CRDi cars also reported clutch judder, and two other manual Tucsons of those years had the clutch burn out at low mileage, so a manual isn't a free pass either.
Don't assume a 2019, 2020 or 2021 car has escaped any of this. The known faults are listed up to 2018, but there's nothing showing the later cars were changed, and owners of 2018 1.6 GDi cars have reported stalling and hesitation. Judge every Tucson from this era on its own history rather than its plate.
The original 2004 to 2009 Tucson has no known faults listed, and its diesel manual drives better than you'd expect. It's an old car now, though, so the brakes and subframes decide whether one's worth having. Rear callipers could bind, the pad wear warning doesn't always sound, and owners have reported a rusted rear subframe on one car and a broken front subframe on another.
Every Tucson engine the known faults name for 2015 to 2018 has a High-rated problem, so the lesser risk is a 1.6 GDi petrol or a CRDi diesel with oil changes proven on paper. Both faults, the GDi's chain tensioner and the diesel turbo, are tied to oil that wasn't changed often enough, which is why a car with gaps in its service record isn't worth the gamble.
The 1.6 GDi petrol has a chain rather than a belt, with no scheduled replacement, but its tensioner can fail between 60,000 and 100,000 miles and let the chain jump teeth, which damages the engine. Tensioner failure is tied to oil that isn't changed often enough. A rattle on a cold start, a warning light or misfires mean you shouldn't buy it.
The 1.6 and 1.7 CRDi diesels have a known turbo fault between 70,000 and 120,000 miles, when carbon from infrequent oil changes blocks the oil feed. They're chain driven too, with no scheduled replacement. The 7-speed DCT has a known juddering and clutch pack fault between 40,000 and 80,000 miles, so the 1.7 is safer as a manual, but owners of 2015 and 2016 manuals have reported clutch judder and early clutch failures, so check that clutch hard.
On the 2004 to 2009 car, the diesel manual is the one to have. One owner said the 6-speed manual's transmission oil is due for a change at 60,000 miles and that skipping it slowly damages the gearbox, so ask to see that it's been done. Diesel economy complaints on early cars were addressed by a late 2005 update that reprogrammed the engine and recalibrated the trip computer.
Hear the engine start from cold before anything else, because the worst faults are audible. A rattle on a 1.6 GDi points to the chain tensioner. On a diesel, a loud whine or siren from the turbo, blue smoke or a lack of pull means the turbo's on its way out.
On a DCT automatic, pull away in first several times and creep up to a junction: judder, hesitation or limp mode are the known symptoms. With a manual 1.7 CRDi, test the clutch from cold, since one owner found the judder faded once the engine warmed up. One DCT owner's car refused to accelerate when overtaking, and a 1.6 GDi manual owner reported a flat spot when lifting off and pressing the throttle again.
Ask for the full service record and check the oil was changed at every service, since that's what keeps the turbo and the chain tensioner healthy. On a 1.7 CRDi, look for receipts showing any clutch and flywheel work. Try the powered tailgate a few times, as owners have reported one that wouldn't open electrically and another that opened by itself. One owner's steering still wandered after a new rack, so make sure it tracks straight.
On a 2004 to 2009 car, get it on a ramp and look at both subframes for rust, as one owner's 2008 car failed its MoT on a rotten rear subframe. Look at the pads through the wheels because the wear warning doesn't always work, check the rear brakes aren't binding, and ask for proof the late 2005 diesel economy update was carried out.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
Yes, as long as it's a 1.6 GDi or a manual diesel with a documented history of oil changes, and not the 1.7 CRDi with the DCT gearbox. Both engines still carry serious known faults, the GDi's chain tensioner and the diesel turbo, and manual 1.7 CRDi owners have reported clutch trouble, so the records and the clutch matter. It's a relaxed family car rather than a sharp one, and the ride gets choppy on broken roads.
The faults that matter show up with mileage. The DCT's judder and clutch pack trouble arrives between 40,000 and 80,000 miles, the 1.6 GDi chain tensioner between 60,000 and 100,000, and the diesel turbo failures between 70,000 and 120,000. A GDi or diesel heading into those ranges without oil change records is one to leave, however tidy it looks.
Clutch trouble on manual cars came up in several owners' reports on 2015 and 2016 cars, mostly the 1.7 CRDi. One 2016 1.7 had its clutch and flywheel replaced at 4,000 miles and the judder came back. Another owner's clutch burnt out at 3,500 miles while reversing a caravan, and one owner said a fix for the judder is now available. A 2015 car's gear selector stuck at 33,000 miles, and a 2018 1.6 GDi automatic stalled as it came to a stop.
If you're looking at a 1.6 T-GDI Sport, it's worth knowing that insurers don't list it under that name. Give them GDI 174 Sport instead, because that's the name they recognise for it. It's a quirk of how insurers record the car rather than anything wrong with it, and it doesn't mean the car can't be covered once you quote it the right way.
Real-world economy on this generation: Hyundai Tucson 39.5 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Hyundai Tucson advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 39.0 mpg across the Hyundai Tucson engines with data, about 76% of the official figure, from 969 submissions.
Hyundai Tucson Real MPG by engine →It's comfortable and refined, which is what makes the third generation easy to live with day to day, and the cabin has plenty of room for a family. There's a real sense of space inside, and it's a quiet, settled place to sit, whether you're doing the school run or a longer trip at the weekend.
The boot's huge, which goes a long way to explaining why it suits families so well, and running it doesn't hurt either. On the older 2004 to 2009 car, the diesel manual's a nicer drive than you'd expect from an SUV of that age, and it's the version of the first generation that stands out.
A third generation Hyundai Tucson from 2015 on is the pick, but only with proof of regular oil changes, since its engines carry serious known faults; skip the 1.7 CRDi with the 7-speed DCT. Our database holds 4 known Hyundai Tucson faults, 2 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
Hear the engine start from cold before anything else, because the worst faults are audible. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Hyundai Tucson fault before you travel.
Owners report 39.0 mpg on average, about 76% of the official figure, from 969 submissions. Chain (1.6 GDI, 1.6 CRDI, 1.7 CRDI, D4FB, D4FD, G4FD): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Hyundai Tucson Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Hyundai Tucson buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 39 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Hyundai Tucson is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
Looking at a Hyundai Tucson right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.