YearToAvoid

2017 Hyundai Tucson Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 61 Structure & Body complaints for the 2017 Hyundai Tucson, 6% of its 1,086 total complaints for the year. The median mileage at failure was 49,125 miles, and one crash and one fire were reported in this area. A related trailer hitch wiring recall (16V842000) exists but does not cover the door-latch issue owners describe most.

Structure & Body complaints
61
6% of 1,086
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
49,125 mi
Related recalls
1

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Rear doors, especially the right rear, fail to open or unlock from either the inside or outside handle even though the lock mechanism itself still engages.
  • Some owners report a door that locks itself unexpectedly, leaving no way to override it with a child lock on the affected side.
  • The panoramic sunroof's front panel shattered while driving on a highway at highway speed with no debris or impact involved.
  • A vehicle reportedly caught fire and smoked while driving uphill before coming to a stop, resulting in a total loss.
  • Door latch problems were described as inconsistent, sometimes opening from inside but not outside, or working intermittently after repeated lock/unlock attempts.

When 2017 Hyundai Tucson body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 7, 2017, latest May 28, 2026.

2017 Hyundai Tucson structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month7Oct 2017Apr 2021Oct 2021Jul 2022Mar 2023May 2024Feb 2025
61 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2017 to May 2026; peak Mar 2021 (7).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2017 Hyundai Tucson

  1. NHTSA 16V842000Nov 21, 2016Structure & Body6,172 vehicles

    Trailer hitches

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

    Risk: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected accessory trailer hitch wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 153.

Structure & Body complaints by Tucson model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20104 (7%)
  2. 20116 (5%)
  3. 201210 (4%)
  4. 20139 (3%)
  5. 20144 (2%)
  6. 201511 (5%)
  7. 2016385 (24%)
  8. 201761 (6%)
  9. 201811 (3%)
  10. 201910 (3%)
  11. 20206 (3%)
  12. 20213 (4%)
  13. 20229 (2%)
  14. 20234 (3%)
  15. 20249 (9%)
  16. 20258 (3%)

Frequently asked questions

Is the Structure & Body category a common complaint for the 2017 Tucson?
Yes. NHTSA records 61 Structure & Body complaints for the 2017 Tucson, about 6% of the 1,086 total complaints filed for that model year.
What is the most common Structure & Body issue reported?
Owner complaints cluster around rear doors, particularly the right rear, that will not open or unlock from inside or outside, described as a safety hazard when children are in the back seat.
Did any 2017 Tucson Structure & Body complaints involve fire or crashes?
Yes, NHTSA data for this area lists 1 crash and 1 fire among the 61 complaints, along with 0 reported injuries.
Is there a recall covering these body problems?
There is a related recall, campaign 16V842000, but it addresses trailer hitch wiring harnesses on 2016-2017 Tucson and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles, not the door-latch complaints owners describe.
At what mileage do these body problems typically appear?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 49,125 miles for Structure & Body complaints on the 2017 Tucson.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.