CarTold

2017 vs. 2018 Hyundai Tucson: What Changed

The 2018 Hyundai Tucson has several substantial changes in the specifications and ratings we track compared with 2017.

EPA lists a 2.4-litre four-cylinder for 2018 that does not appear in the 2017 listing.

The hydrogen fuel cell is listed for 2017 but not for 2018.

The single-speed automatic listed for 2017 is not in the 2018 listing.

The best combined rating for the 1.6-litre four-cylinder falls from 28 to 27 mpg.

One campaign covers both years. Two campaigns (electrical system and engine) cover the 2017 and not the 2018.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2017

  • 16V842000 electrical system
  • 21V727000 engine

Only the 2018

No campaign names this year that does not also name the other.

A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2017 2018
Engines listed 1.6L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl 1.6L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.4L 4-cyl
Drive types All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline, Hydrogen Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 23–50 22–27
Recall campaigns 3 1
Complaints on file 1084 393
Investigations 2 1
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2017

Engine 497 (46%)
Drivetrain 285 (26%)
Other 169 (16%)

2018

Engine 186 (47%)
Drivetrain 99 (25%)
Brakes 36 (9%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2017 Tucson full report 2018 Tucson full report Every Tucson year compared

Sources and methodology