Two of the most popular compact SUVs on the market from Hyundai are the Hyundai Tucson and the Hyundai Santa Fe. While the Santa Fe has good looks, it’s a bit more expensive than the Hyundai Tucson. 

However, CarComplaints.com reports a concerning issue that might make the SUV inadvertently fly, but not in an amazing way. Is it really serious and should it make you avoid the SUV altogether? 

What is the problem with the 2019 Hyundai Tucson?

The concerning issue that appeared on CarComplaints.com deals with the acceleration of the vehicle. All incidents reported happened with 4,000 miles or fewer on the SUV, and each has some of the same underlying components. 

In one case, a driver started experiencing these issues four months after they purchased it. The vehicle would sit at a stoplight, the Tucson would begin stuttering, and the RPMs of the motor would go up and down erratically. When you press on the gas pedal to accelerate and go, the vehicle would suddenly jump forward as if the SUV was unintentionally gathering speed while you sat still. 

In another case, with the cruise control set at 70-75 mph, the Tucson would start accelerating and hit 90 mph all on its own. The driver noted that there was little traffic on the road with them. When they tried to shut off the cruise control, they couldn’t disengage it by using the button. 

One driver was even sitting in a driveway talking to another person with their feet off the pedals when the vehicle began accelerating by itself. It went into the street and was headed toward a mailbox when the driver finally was able to press hard on the brakes and get it to stop. 

How severe is this problem?

Car Complaints gives it an 8.6, which falls in the “Pretty Bad” range. The average mileage on the vehicle when it happens is 3,267 miles. Since this problem could essentially result in a crash, which is evident by the near-miss of a mailbox by one driver, it seems pretty concerning. An impact at a higher speed could possibly be fatal. 

However, currently, there are only three reports on CarComplaints about this problem. Among those reports, there were no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths included with the complaints. 

When checking Consumer Reports, they have the vehicle rated a four out of five for predicted reliability. For the 2019 model, there haven’t been too many trouble spots reported. There were some major transmission issues in previous models, but all in all, the Hyundai Tucson has improved in this area. 

This issue doesn’t seem to be widespread with the 2019 model. However, there appears to be one report on Car Complaints of a 2018 vehicle where acceleration sometimes hesitates before it goes, and sometimes it speeds up without warning after being stopped. It certainly seems to be an issue to keep in mind if you’re thinking of buying the Tucson in one of these models. 

What you get with the 2019 Hyundai Tucson

The 2019 model had the 2.0-liter four-cylinder base engine as well as a 2.4-liter four-cylinder direct injection motor, which replaced the previous 1.6-liter with a six-speed automatic transmission. 

The combination of the base engine and the transmission only allows the Tucson to get 24 mpg overall, which doesn’t make it very competitive. 

Forward collision avoidance and lane-keeping assist both became standard on the 2019 model. There were other available options to consider, though, and those included driver attention warnings, a surround-view monitor, and a smart cruise control feature.

Also, for that model, you had a raised 7-inch display screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard features. As available features, you could choose the Blue-Link Connected Car System, which is one of the best available, and wireless charging. 

While the acceleration problem is one to look out for, just in case, it doesn’t seem to be happening too often for those that purchased a 2019 model of the Hyundai Tucson. Don’t get scared away, because it seems to be a pretty reliable vehicle otherwise.