2005 Hyundai Tucson Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2005 Hyundai Tucson has a complaint index of 30 and ranks 15th worst among 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict capped due to 8 recall campaigns. Top problem areas are Engine (25%) and Electrical System (22%), with 185 total complaints and 8 recalls.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 30/100
- #15 of 21 Tucson years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 185
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 8
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 12
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 18
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 18 / 0
Top 2005 Hyundai Tucson problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Engine revs up or lurches forward unexpectedly while parking or driving at low speed.
- Vehicle stalls suddenly while driving, cutting power steering and power brakes at the same time.
- Side and curtain airbags fail to deploy during moderate-speed side-impact or frontal collisions.
- Rear axle or rear subframe corrodes and breaks apart, sometimes discovered only after a collision or loss of control.
- Dashboard detaches or falls during a crash, and headlight lenses discolor and dim over time.
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 reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2005 Tucson a complaint index of 30, ranking 15th worst out of 21 model years, with a Caution verdict. The verdict is capped at Caution because the vehicle is subject to 8 recall campaigns despite a moderate complaint index.
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson?
- Engine issues make up 25% of complaints (47 total), followed by electrical system problems at 22% (40 complaints) and airbag issues at 17% (31 complaints), including reports of airbags not deploying in crashes.
- Does the 2005 Hyundai Tucson have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2005 Tucson, covering brakes (parking brake lever and stability control), airbags (driver module replacement), and electrical system (stop lamp switch).
- How does the 2005 Tucson compare to other model years?
- The 2005 Tucson's complaint index of 30 is worse than 2006-2009 (all rated Good, index 25 or lower) but better than later years like 2016 (index 95, Avoid) and 2025 (index 100, Avoid).
- Is the airbag recall on the 2005 Tucson serious?
- NHTSA opened recalls 07V197000 and 06V445000 because a driver airbag module may not meet compliance standards for small-stature occupants, and airbags account for 17% of owner complaints, including several non-deployments in crashes.