If you have been following the series of the mild-restoration of a 2005 Hyundai Tucson, then you know we are near the point when I hand the keys over to a family member. But, there are still a few loose ends on the Tucson that need to be addressed. For example, the tires need changing, the rear liftgate glass does not open properly, and then there’s the outdated radio that is losing buttons.

Replacing the tires

The tires on the 2005 Hyundai Tucson had been wearing evenly. So, I wasn’t too concerned about them until I took a closer look at the depth of the tread. Though the tires weren’t bald, the tread, or lack of it, however, was reaching the area of concern.

Before the thought of giving the Hyundai to a family member even popped up, I had already been thinking about four new tires. The fact that the Tucson was going to be changing hands soon meant that the tire change timeline would have to be sped up a bit. So, the search was on.

After checking prices for the normal tire brands such as Goodyear, Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone, I decided to open up my search for something a bit more affordable. I’ve had a nice set of Yokohama Geolanders on an old Jeep Grand Cherokee I used to have. So, I was leaning that way until I saw a special on Kumho tires. Kumho is a brand I had never heard of before. They had an “A” traction rating. So, I thought I would give them a try. Around $450 later, I had them mounted with new valve stems and then balanced. I threw in the road hazard warranty as well. The Hyundai Tucson has new shoes.

The rear liftgate glass on the Tucson

After the tires, I turned my attention to the rear liftgate glass on the Hyundai Tucson. The glass would unlock, but it would not swing up. So, there wasn’t a problem with the latch. Instead, the shocks that are attached to the glass had lost their ability to compress and extend. That happens with age. Fortunately, that a quick fix. I went to Amazon and found them. But it would take two days. The local Autozone, however, had them in stock as well, and they were less expensive. So, $40 later, I was the owner of the replacement liftgate shocks. It only took 10 minutes to change both sides out.

The Tucson has radio buttons issues

The 2005 Hyundai Tuscon has aged well. However, radio head units and infotainment systems with fancy displays, Bluetooth connections, and navigation have all hit the scene since the little SUV first came into the family 15 years ago. Sadly, the original radio, although still working, has buttons falling off. I really wanted to replace this. But, I realized that a radio is considered a “want” and not a “need”. I was already way beyond my budget in repairs. In the setup to the handover of the vehicle to the next family member, the radio would have to remain the way it was. That’s okay. A radio is a personal choice that the new owner will probably like to make anyway.

Aside from an oil change and wash, I think the 2005 Hyundai Tucson is ready for the handoff. So, stay tuned on Friday for the last installment. I will go over the change of ownership and the surprise I ran into on the trip to do so. Sadly, things didn’t go smoothly.