2016–2018 Hyundai Tucson: Dual-Clutch Hesitation and Repair Records
In the three Tucson model years that offered the 7-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission, 17.8–24.2% of all owner complaints describe the car hesitating, jerking or refusing to accelerate. The comparison below covers 41 model years we track across 7 other compact SUVs and crossovers. In the later Tucson years without that transmission, the figure is 6.8–9%.
Hyundai recalled certain 2016 DCT Tucsons and issued a separate control-module update for certain 2017 models through Service Campaign T1C. Ask a Hyundai dealer to check both recall and service-campaign history for the VIN; NHTSA's recall lookup excludes non-safety service campaigns.
What owners describe
Hyundai's 2016 recall report describes delayed clutch engagement when accelerating from a stop under certain conditions. It also describes a loss of acceleration when the pedal is repeatedly cycled. The broader complaint search below includes hesitation, jerking and failure to accelerate, which can have other causes. Read Hyundai's recall report.
The counts below are a text search of free-text complaint summaries for
hesitat, not accelerat, failed to accelerat, would not move, lurch, jerk.
That is a search for words, not a diagnosis: some matches will describe something else, and some reports of
this fault will use none of these words. The same list is applied to every vehicle compared on this page,
so the numbers are measured the same way throughout.
The pattern, by model year
Shown as a share of each year's own complaints rather than as a count. A count would be misleading here: complaints keep arriving for a decade, so a 2016 has had far longer to accumulate them than a 2021 — we measured that separately. A share shows the mix of reports within a model year. It does not remove all effects of age, mileage or differences in who files a complaint.
| Year | Engines and transmissions listed by EPA | Complaints | Describing the symptom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.6L Automatic (AM7); 2.0L Automatic (S6) | 1,617 | 333 | 20.6% 7-speed DCT |
| 2017 | 1.6L Automatic (AM7); 2.0L Automatic (S6) | 1,084 | 262 | 24.2% 7-speed DCT |
| 2018 | 1.6L Automatic (AM7); 2.0L Automatic (S6); 2.4L Automatic (S6) | 393 | 70 | 17.8% 7-speed DCT |
| 2019 | 2.0L Automatic (S6); 2.4L Automatic (S6) | 378 | 28 | 7.4% |
| 2020 | 2.0L Automatic (S6); 2.4L Automatic (S6) | 176 | 12 | 6.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0L Automatic (S6); 2.4L Automatic (S6) | 78 | 7 | 9% |
The transmission lineup changed in 2019
EPA lists the 1.6-liter Tucson with an "Automatic (AM7)" — an automated manual, which is how EPA records a dual-clutch transmission — for 2016, 2017 and 2018. From 2019 it is gone: only the 2.0 and 2.4-liter engines with a conventional 6-speed automatic remain. The share of complaints matching the search falls from 17.8% to 9% or below in the same year.
The lower complaint share coincides with the DCT leaving the lineup. That is useful context when comparing Tucsons, but it does not show that the transmission caused every matching complaint.
How the same search compares with other models
The same keyword search run across 41 model years of 7 other compact SUVs and crossovers gives a median of 5.5%. The highest of any of them is the 2016 Nissan Rogue at 13.4% — still below every one of the Tucson's three DCT years. The later Tucson years fall within the range in this comparison. These are selected models, not a benchmark for all SUVs.
The recall — and where it stops
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 20, 2015 through May 31, 2016 and equipped with a 7-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission. Certain driving conditions and high temperatures may cause the vehicle to not move if the accelerator pedal is pressed and released repeatedly.
Consequence: Inability to move the vehicle while in traffic may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the Transmission Control Module software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 149.
That campaign covers the 2016 model year only. The 2017 Tucson kept the same transmission, and Hyundai issued Service Campaign T1C for certain 2017 1.6L turbo DCT Tucsons. Its bulletin specifies a transmission-control-module update to improve low-speed response. That is a separate campaign with its own applicability, not proof that every 2017 Tucson needed the 2016 recall repair.
What Hyundai told its dealers
14 bulletins filed with NHTSA for the Tucson name the dual-clutch transmission. The selected communications below include repair guidance and campaign instructions. Check each document's scope rather than assuming all describe the same condition or coverage.
| Bulletin | Date | Model years | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10082445 | 2016-09-07 | 2016 | ECO, SPORT, AND LIMITED TRIM 2016 HYUNDAI TUCSONS ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 7-SPEED ECOSHIFT® DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT). IN SPECIFIC OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH APPLICATION LOGIC CAN RESULT IN A DELAYED ENGAGEMENT WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS STEADILY DEPRESSED FOR APPROX… |
| 10119084 | 2016-11-14 | 2017 | Hyundai Motor America is conducting a Service Campaign to update the TCM (Transmission Control Module) on certain 2017 Model Year Tucson equipped with DCT. Service Campaign T1C provides a procedure to update the TCM. |
| 10119088 | 2016-11-14 | 2017 | This bulletin provides the procedure to update the TCM (Transmission Control Module) on some 2017 Hyundai Tucsons equipped with a 7-speed EcoShift® Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). The update will address: ? A slight hesitation at low speeds that can be experienced in certain driving conditions. This update improves th… |
| 10119093 | 2016-11-14 | 2016 | Hyundai Motor America conducted Recall 149 to update the DCT Control Logic on certain 2016 Model Year Tucson 1.6L vehicles. Recall 149 (16-01-038-01) provides an updated procedure to update the TCU and ECM software. Hyundai Motor America is conducting a revision to Recall to update both the TCU and ECM. |
| 10176183 | 2020-05-07 | 2016,2017 | An informational brochure about the Dual Clutch Transmission was sent to Class Members of 2015-2017 model year Sonata Eco vehicles, 2016-2017 model year Tucson vehicles, and 2016-2017 model year Veloster vehicles equipped with a Dual Clutch Transmission. |
| 10201469 | 2021-08-19 | 2016,2017,2018 | Certain vehicles (listed below) equipped with 7-speed Double Clutch Transmissions (DCT) may exhibit abnormal vibration at low speeds. This bulletin outlines the procedures for diagnosing clutch judder, updating the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) with revised logic, and/or replacing the Double Clutch. |
| 10213721 | 2022-05-19 | 2016,2017,2018 | Certain vehicles (listed below) equipped with 7-speed Double Clutch Transmissions (DCT) may exhibit abnormal vibration at low speeds. This bulletin outlines the procedures for diagnosing clutch judder, updating the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) with revised logic, and/or replacing the Double Clutch. |
The sequence includes later guidance from 2021 and 2022 as well as the original campaigns. For a specific car, ask which procedures were carried out and keep copies of the repair orders.
What we cannot tell you
- Whether a particular Tucson has a transmission fault. Arrange an independent inspection to assess the car. For its software-update history, ask Hyundai or a dealer to check the VIN and repair records; NHTSA's recall lookup excludes non-safety service campaigns such as T1C.
- How many of these cars were affected. NHTSA publishes complaints, not exposure, so no rate can be computed from these numbers — why complaint counts are not failure rates.
- Whether the update fixed it. Complaints on the 2016 continued to arrive after the recall began, but complaints arrive from cars that were never repaired as well as from cars that were, and the public record does not separate the two.
- CarTold's latest imported records contain no recall matching our transmission search for the 2017 or 2018 model year. Check NHTSA and Hyundai for newer information.
If you are looking at one of these
- Establish which transmission it has. Hyundai's own bulletin says the 7-speed dual-clutch was fitted to the Eco, Sport and Limited trims, and EPA lists it only against the 1.6-liter engine; the 2.0-liter has a conventional 6-speed automatic. NHTSA complaints do not consistently identify trim, so we cannot tell you what share of the reports came from DCT cars. The higher matching share belongs to model years that offered the transmission, not a verified group of DCT-equipped cars.
- Ask an independent mechanic to assess low-speed engagement and shifting. If hesitation or loss of acceleration is already apparent, have it assessed before proceeding with a test drive.
- Ask the dealer for the service history and specifically whether Recall 149 (2016) or Service Campaign T1C (2017) was performed. For a 2017 this will not be in a VIN recall check.
- Use our recall tool to find other model-year campaigns, then check the VIN with NHTSA or Hyundai to establish which repairs remain open for this car.
Sources
- Complaints, recall 16V628000 and manufacturer communications: NHTSA, as held in CarTold's latest import.
- Hyundai TSB 16-01-058: Service Campaign T1C.
- Engines and transmissions by model year: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA/DOE).
- Full records for each year: every Hyundai Tucson model year.