Hyundai Tucson Common Faults in the UK
NX4, 2020+ — compact crossover SUV. Updated 2026-08-14.
The NX4 Hyundai Tucson (2020+) is a fixture of the UK's top ten best-sellers and broadly reliable. Concerns: 1.6 T-GDI smart-stream engine had early oil-consumption claims (largely settled), PHEV battery cooling pump issues, and pre-2023 infotainment freezes. Long warranty mitigates most risk. Best-buy: 2023+. Worst: very early 2020 hybrids.
85.3% of Hyundai Tucsons pass the MOT first time — level with cars of the same age nationally. Counted from 17,402 DVSA tests.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). First-time tests only, retests excluded. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.
Quick-stats values are indicative editorial estimates aggregated from owner-forum sentiment, recall portals, and reliability surveys. They are not Autoza-derived medians — we do not publish a UK price index yet, and no figure on this page should be quoted as one. See our research methodology for the sample sizes any future published median will have to meet.
Best and worst years to buy
Post-2023 software updates resolved infotainment freezes, manufacturing maturity reduced PHEV cooling failures.
Initial production PHEVs had higher rates of battery cooling pump failure. Most settled by 2022.
Known faults — Hyundai Tucson NX4, 2020+
Documented from HonestJohn, owner forum sentiment (PistonHeads, Reddit), and the DVSA recall portal. Severity is colour-coded.
1.6 T-GDI smart-stream oil consumption
Moderate — service-level fix- Symptoms
- Oil level drops between services; rough idle; rare warning
- Years affected
- 2020–2022 1.6 T-GDI
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Often goodwill from Hyundai UK under 5-yr warranty; out-of-warranty engine rebuild £3,500+
- What to check before buying
- Dipstick at viewing. Service history: any oil top-ups recorded? Hyundai goodwill claim history.
PHEV battery cooling pump
Major — significant repair cost- Symptoms
- "Hybrid system" warning; battery thermal management warning; reduced EV range
- Years affected
- 2020–2022 PHEV
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Under warranty within 5 years; out of warranty £1,200+
- What to check before buying
- PHEV battery health check at Hyundai dealer (£30–£50). EV-only range observation: should achieve 25+ miles in good conditions.
Infotainment freezes
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Screen unresponsive; CarPlay drops; reboot needed
- Years affected
- 2020–2022
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free under software update at Hyundai dealer
- What to check before buying
- Software version on test drive — should be post-2023 update.
Front suspension bushings (UK roads)
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Knocking on rough surfaces; advisory on MOT
- Years affected
- All NX4 — 50,000+ miles
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £250–£400
- What to check before buying
- Rough-road portion of test drive.
Power liftgate motor (Premium / Executive trims)
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Liftgate slow or stuck
- Years affected
- All NX4 with power tailgate
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £450–£700 motor unit
- What to check before buying
- Open/close power tailgate twice during inspection.
Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere
Family buyers wanting low-stress modern SUV with Hyundai's 5-year unlimited-mileage warranty (within service-record terms).
Buyers needing premium badge feel; very high-mileage motorway commuters (diesel alternatives more efficient).
Alternatives to consider
If the Hyundai Tucson doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:
Looking to buy a Hyundai Tucson in the UK?
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