2005 Hyundai Tucson Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
30/100
#15 most-complained of 21 Tucson years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2005 Hyundai Tucson has 185 owner complaints and 8 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 30 out of 100 — #15 highest of 21 Tucson model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is engine (47 complaints, 25% of the total). Complaints report 12 crashes, 3 fires, and 18 injuries.
- Complaints
- 185
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes / fires
- 12 / 3
- Injuries / deaths
- 18 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 24 hwy
Top 2005 Hyundai Tucson problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine47 (25%)
- Electrical System40 (22%)
- Airbags31 (17%)
- Brakes26 (14%)
- Structure & Body25 (14%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires24 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain16 (9%)
- Other14 (8%)
- Fuel System13 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers9 (5%)
2005 Hyundai Tucson recalls
8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 09V280000Jul 21, 2009Electrical System3,011 vehicles
Exterior lighting
Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and accent vehicles. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A defective stop lamp switch may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission would not be able to be shift out of the "park" position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on september 2, 2009. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.
- NHTSA 09V122000Apr 15, 2009Electrical System532,633 vehicles
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Hyundai is recalling 532,633 my 2006-2007 accent, entourage, sonata, my 2007 azera, elantra and santa fe, my 2005-2007 tucson and my 2007-2008 veracruz vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted out of the park position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 29, 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
- NHTSA 07V197000May 8, 2007Airbags2,967 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
On certain vehicles, static air bag deployment testing conducted by NHTSA using fifth percentile female dummies indicated that a small stature adult driver not wearing a seat belt and involved in a frontal or near frontal crash, the deployment of the driver air bag may not occur.
Risk: This can cause increased risk of injury to the driver under certain crash conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver air bag module with one that is designed to provide an increased margin of compliance for low risk deployment for small stature adults who are not properly wearing the seat belts. The recall began on september 6, 2007, and will be performed in two mailings. Owners may contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.
2005 Hyundai Tucson fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other Tucson years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 Hyundai Tucson a reliable year?
- Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Hyundai Tucson ranks #15 of 21 among Tucson model years (Complaint Index 30/100, verdict: Good). It has 185 complaints and 8 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson?
- The most reported problem areas are engine (47 complaints), electrical system (40 complaints), and airbags (31 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 57,000 miles.
- Does the 2005 Hyundai Tucson have any recalls?
- Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2005 Hyundai Tucson, most recently reported 2009, covering electrical system, airbags, and brakes.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2005 Hyundai Tucson?
- EPA rates the 2005 Hyundai Tucson at 21 MPG combined (19 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.