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Hyundai Tucson

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Comments

  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    It was probably me and, no, I don't apologize. Since I too have had and heard (second hand from current owners) nothing but positive comments there is nothing to apologize about. I am, however, known to have tirades from time to time...I shouldn't read these forums it raises my blood pressure!!! I think you will find that if you read the original post flytedhy doesn't really have a stated problem except for 18.something MPG fuel economy in city driving and thinks this poor. Mainly it is a diatribe about poor quality.. low resale value..and an invitation for others to check out Honda and Toyota and how much better off they will be if they spend the extra couple of thousand $$$ for one of those.
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    I shouldn't read these forums it raises my blood pressure!!!

    I know what you mean! I read these forums and am amazed at what some people will say about any vehicle without specifics, verifiable claims, etc, to back up their rants. Many try to take the tack that if they have a problem, all must. Unfortunately, trying to extrapolate from a singular event to the whole does not work, although going from general to specific is a whole different situation and may have validity. When I post, I always try to preface that my comments are based on my own experience or from people I know and trust and YMMV, or at least provide verifiable data, articles, links, etc, so I can't be accused of blowing smoke. Prime example, the CR ratings mentioned that rate the Tucson worse than average when all the metrics that supposedly go into that rating are at worst average and many are very good or excellent. That is directly from the CR Auto issue. How can the "whole" be less than the "sum" of all the parts? That is the question posed by many to CR which as yet has gone unanswered. :confuse:
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    My History, Previous to the New 2005 Tucson, I bought a New 2002 Crystal Blue Santa Fe LX V6 4WD auto, That gave me 20-24mpg around town, & 24-30mpg Hiway, running the stock air filter, & synthetic blend oil, plus regular oil changes, & maintenance, it was traded in after 3 1/2 yrs, & 87K miles of trouble free service, with the "still good" original equipment BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A tires on it, for the New Tucson. Ever since then it has been my quest to get the same or better gas milage on my similarly equipped Tucson, with disappointing results! After all, it is lighter, and more aerodynamic! Now, It is a bit early to tell, but at 13K miles, I just replaced the original equipment (O.E.) BFGoodrich Traction T/A "Spec" tires on my 2005 Tucson that prematurely wore out, down to the treadwear indicators! That I could not keep from turning brown, & dryed out looking, from right out of the showroom? With New (better) BFGoodrich Traction T/A, H-rated (non-Spec)tires, and noticed an immediate improvement in coasting?!, handling, ride comfort, & gas milage! Hey, they even look better, if I didn't know better, I'd say they look like a bigger, wider size tire? Brawny, with a nice aggressive A/W directional tread. I was getting 19-20mpg around town LX V6 4WD Auto. and a poor 20-21 hiway?,,, now, early testing appears to be, 22+ around town, & haven't tried hiway yet, but soon in the near future, I'll report back then. After 7 months of trying various gas milage fixes, even unorthodox personal ones, I think this is it! By the way, I also run 10-30W Quaker state synthetic blend oil in all my vehicles, changing at 3k miles on a regular basis. I Imagine this could be even better with a K&N air filter. This would be quite a Boon, & tool, for defense of all us Tucson, & Sportage owners being slammed, & flamed, by other major brand competitors over poor gas milage claims.
  • jmomjmom Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2006 Tucson limited on Feb 14th after messing around with the dealer for 4 weeks to get the color and options I wanted. We took it on a road trip with the family and was disappointed with the gas milage. Last week a 18yr old kid ran a red light and hit me and rolled me. After spinning on my roof and hood, two guy got me out. The car is a total loss, not one thing on the outside of the car did not get damaged. I have a couple of bruises, but that is all! My side air bags went off, there is a lot to be said for a 5* crash rating. Now I am torn between getting another Tucson or looking at the Rav4 again. I so like not having the tire on the back and having the lift instead of a swinging back hatch. After coming out of a full-sized minivan this was a fun car to drive and great in the little snow we got this year. Any helpful advice would be welcome. I hope we get a full replacement.
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    Go For It! Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but glad to hear you are Ok, after that horrific accident. I would also check out the new Kia Sportage, as it is the same vehicle, but slightly different styling. I couldn't get the color, & features I wanted at the time Sept/05 so I opted for the Tucson LX, either one is a great vehicle, but be wary of the O.E. (original equipment) tires, if they are the BFGoodrich Traction T/A "Spec" tires, they are one cause of the poor mpg, and will probably wear out to the minimum tread depth within 15K miles! Aside from this, these are a Dynamite SUV!,,, The Best "Bang for the Buck" out there presently, I don't think I even have to sell you, if you've already owned one.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Omigosh! How awful - I'm glad you're okay!

    tidester, host
  • sikhkuri5sikhkuri5 Member Posts: 1
    Was just wondering if anyone knows if the 2005 Tuscon has an auxiliary or mp3 player jack that is easily accessible or not too hard to get to. I tried connecting my mp3 player to the car through a Belkin FM transmitter but the FM transmitter died on me, I replaced with another one, and it did the same thing. I'm not sure if I should try another FM transmitter from a different manufacturer, but am hoping there is an auxiliary jack I can get to.
    Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, It's official now, I DID get BETTER gas milage with the new tires! picked up 2mpg around town already! went from 19-20mpg around town to 22mpg, can't wait to test the milage on a long distance highway road trip. This must be the key to better milage for the Tucson. It is now in the same mpg category as my previous Santa Fe, it is somewhat of a relief, as there appears nothing wrong with the Tucson mechanically causing poor mpg, just the crappy O.E. tires.

    I can recommend the new BFGoodrich Traction T/A H-rated tires I got, because the car handles, & rides, better then ever! It's like the difference between night, and day, especially when driving hard, it's more sporty, but from the reviews I read, that's to be expected with these. All in all, after much tire comparison, I think these are the Best tires for this vehicle, & terrain.

    Either way, if you're looking for tires, I suggest an A/W tire like these, not a winter tire, unless you live in the frozen north, because tire noise will be excessive. Try looking for a high wear rate tire (abit harder tire, for less rolling resistance=better mpg!) like a highly rated in all weather Good Year Assurance Triplethread, or Good Year Comfortthread, preferred by my local tire guy, he also likes the Michelin Hydroedge, but feels these lose some of their traction in the slop, once they wear in a bit. A Michelin Harmony would be a good choice also, but these are only an S-rated tire.
    --2005 Tucson LX V6 AWD Nautical Blue ww Sunroof--
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Well, if you feel it was worth surviving a T-bone then a rollover in trade for a couple of miles per gallon by all means get another Tucson. Be advised rollovers are common with tall SUV's so a RAV-4 isn't necessarily going to change that much. If all the safety equipment and engineering saved me in a crash I probably would very strongly consider buying the same model (different color maybe) as a replacement.
  • winston8winston8 Member Posts: 2
    My diesel experience:

    I have a 2002 new beetle diesel. It has plenty of power for day to day driving but on the highway, its a bit sluggish for passing. Not a big deal for me. I can fit a child, and 2 golden retrievers in the car. Safety is impressive for front seat passengers. The back seat is okay for short drives, but not long.

    I get around 40 mpg in mixed driving, 45 all highway. The diesel smell does not bother me any more than pumping gasoline, yuk on both accounts! It cost around $500 extra for the diesel which paid for itself quickly with lower fuel costs and higher mpg. Oil changes are around $50 and have to be done at the dealer, but only every 5K miles.
    We have had the typical VW problems all covered under warranty. All in all I can't complain.

    We are considering a Tucson Limited an expect it will be about even with the Gran Prix on mpg. But we'd get a lot more space, visibility. We decided life would be good with one bigger vehicle and one little great mileage car. A Tucson diesel would be great.

    We did the mileage estimates at fueleconomy.com and found it is not worth the extra cost of a hybrid or a Rav-4 for us it would take 3 years to make up the extra cost with money saved on gas. So we will probably buy the Tucson.
  • winston8winston8 Member Posts: 2
    I'd like opinions on the Fwd. I live near Chicago, we get slush and ice and an occasional (1-2 per year) snow storm with 4-5 inches. Our streets our generally well-plowed. Does the Fwd handle this okay? Is the MPG better with the v-6 fwd over the 4wd?
    Is the 4wd worth the $2k my dealer wants for it?
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I have found that AWD/4WD is great and it will get you out and about during the winter....but unless you have to be somewhere 24/7 (maybe a doctor, emergency worker of some type) if you encounter snow, or ice,especially ice,so bad that 4WD is necessary you might as well stay home until the roads get cleared. Have you noticed how many 4WD SUV's litter the median along interstates during the winter?? this comes from the overconfidence in the traction and stability of 4WD, but they do not steer or stop any better. Having had both front and all wheel drive I have found that with lighter powder snow the front wheel drive car with all season tires will plow through more than a foot of fresh snow. It is mostly limited by ground clearance. Heavy wet snow is a different story but FWD will still get through 8 or 9 inches of that, maybe more, if you know how to drive in snow. If you add dedicated snow tires and change over to them every winter FWD would be entirely adequate for most if not all winter driving. I do admit to liking the extra security AWD seems to give though but if you can get past your macho feelings FWD is OK. Now, to answer your specific Tucson questions...yes FWD will do fine under normal Chicago winter conditions. Yes, a FWD SHOULD get marginally better fuel economy than the AWD version by nature of its lighter weight and simpler driveline with less friction loss. Both have more ground clearance than a normal car
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    Tenpin288- No apology necessary as you can post in a reasonable manner without going into a tirade every time about how bad Honda and Toyota are as an excuse for problems at Hyundai. I could list all the problems with the car here, but that doesn't fix the quality issues and neither did the dealer. Some are just poor designs and cheap parts. I replied to someone asking about the 4-cyl for purchase, I own one, and gave my opinion and I don't need to defend my experiences with the vehicle. I think you can respect that but at least one here can't. Thanks for the common courtesy of an apology even though it wasn't you.
  • alpine1alpine1 Member Posts: 51
    >

    What make vehicle hit you and how did that vehicle fare in the accident?
  • dripgossdripgoss Member Posts: 7
    Dude, you need to get over yourself already. You've made your point so why don't you move on and sprinkle your obviously inflamatory commentary elsewhere. So, back on topic...

    After much research and numerous test drives, my wife and I just drove off with a decent deal on a new 05 6cyl LX FWD Tucson with leather, moonroof, 6CD, power goodies that was overstock from another area. I have to say that after testing a Mazda 3 hatch, CRV, RAV4, Element and even a Santa Fe, I really liked the feel, drive and features for the money of the Tucson. $17.5k +tax/title @ 50 miles on the Odo. The runner up was the CRV which just felt cheap (folding center "tray", 4cyl, hub capped wheels and cloth seats for 25k?!?! NOPE) and the drive felt way to harsh and truck-y for me. I loved the Mazda 3, but couldn't justify the price to get leather, 6CD, but without the room, engine, warranty or vantage point of the Tucson for $4k more. I know they're apples and oranges, but I was open to many makes and models. So far I feel good about the purchase and will update regularly as I break 'er in...
  • guyfguyf Member Posts: 456
    You don't need 4WD. Just spent a winter in Quebec City with a FWD Tucson and it did just fine (with Gislaved winter tires however..) We had record level of snow this year BTW, over 10 feet!

    The traction and stability control works great. ;)
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Yep...its me!! and you haven't seen tirade yet. No apology extended because I own a Honda too and I will once again tell you, and anybody else who cares to listen, that it isn't everything I had been conditioned to expect. It is merely OK. Nope you don't need to defend anything to me I owned more than one Hyundai.... still do and I am more than pleased. If you are not, you entitled to trade it in for something better, go for it friend it is the American way!!
  • quikglikquikglik Member Posts: 2
    I have a question about tire pressure (a little change of pace from what everybody has been fuming about here :)). The recommended tire pressure is 30 psi for all tires. It seems to me to be a little low. It's the same pressure my previous small car recommended. Does anybody have it at higher psi? I mean possibly in the mid-30s or so. Also, since the front end is heavier than the back, does anybody put more air in the front tires? Would drivability and gas mileage be improved by higher psi? Additionally, I just figured how to remove the cargo area cover beam. What a dodo. My combined mixed driving gas mileage (based on the trip computer reading) has been climbing from the initial 17.5 mpg to the current 19.7 mpg (mine is a 2006 GLS AWD with only about 1,300 miles on it so far). I like the car a lot so far. A couple of suggestions for future improvements would be less tint for the back windows and a little higher rise for the back part of the seat cushion. And as to AWD vs. FWD, I do agree that with traction control/stability control/ABS, AWD may not be necessary even for Chicago-type climate. You save $1,500 and do get a little better gas mileage (probably 2-4 mpg). As was suggested by someone before, a set of snow tires would provide even more security in the winter, if needed. A few of our Canadian friends I've met in the past did not have AWD vehicles.
  • jmomjmom Member Posts: 2
    I was hit by a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. The front and the hood were smashed, both front air bags went off. The report said about $3k damage to his and $10k to mine, but the insurance is giving full replacement plus tag, title and taxes since I had the car for less than 2 months. The police said I would have just spun, but the wheel hit the curb and that was what caused me to flip over. We think the dealer has finally found me another Tucson, this time with the correct interior color.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    dipgoss- Sounds like you overpaid for your vehicle, you should have shopped around a little more. Maybe thats why you're so upset and commenting on issues that didn't involve you. This is a forum and not a "good news only about Tucson club" even though the most frequent poster(s) here would like that. When you own a Tucson over a year then you might think different.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    The 30psi from the door jam is what Hyundai recommends and it only considers the overall ride of the vehicle and it is low. If ride is your only concern, 30 psi is the absolute minimum, if thats what the door jam says and its the OEM tires. The max pressure on the sidewall is only for when the tire is at maximum weight or when used at high speeds, normally 100+mph at which point the tire can't do both the speed and max weight, unlikely a Tucson would be in this scenario. So the trick is to find a pressure in between that meets all your needs. If you tow, carry heavy loads, or drive 100+, you need to be closer to the sidewall limit. Most fit in between and while the ride is a little rougher as the pressure goes up, it also decreases the rolling resistance some. 37 psi on my Hankooks works good. Once you replace the OEM tires, the 30 psi door jam #'s no longer apply as its a different tire and you have to figure it out again as the max pressure on the new tire would likely be different, but the same rules apply. 37 psi would also likely give you a cooler running tire due to less sidewall flexing.
  • fk322fk322 Member Posts: 15
    I thought I would post my evaluation of my 05 Tucson GLS/4wd V6 as I am nearing the 1 year ownership level Mr. Flytedhy described above. Gas mileage has averaged about 22MPG in mixed driving. I am a bit disappointed with this but I realize the Tucson is an SUV and I did not buy it with MPG as a major factor.
    As far as the interior, I wish I had another inch of leg room up front but overall its not bad. Backseat is great. My kids love the reclining back seats and privacy glass. I wish the seats had a bit more cushioning but overall not bad. The stereo is TERRIBLE. The sound quality is very poor. There are lots of cavernous mapholders, cup holders, and a large glove box.
    The ride has been very good. Very smooth for a SUV. Theres a bit too much wind noise that I'm going to have checked next time it is in for service. AWD/4WD works flawlessly. This has been a HUGE plus since I live in a snowy part of the country.
    I had one sevice related issue with the engine that was resolved after the 2nd time I brought it in. Service Dept was apologetic they didnt get it right the first time and were very eager to keep me satisfied as I spoke directly with the mechanic who ultimately fixed the problem. No other mechanical problems since.
    Overall, I am pleased with the Tucson. Considering the entire package (safety features, numerous standard features) the Tucson has been a lot of vehicle for the money.
    I used Edmunds and looked at this forum when I considered purchasing the Tucson so hopefully this will be of some help to anyone considering one.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    Hi!

    Reading some opinions in this forum it confirms my report at:

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef2296f/1129

    about this car.

    I don't think that any of your Tucsons has undergone the hard work that my Tucson has endured.

    I hope the new version of the future Tucson may address some of my findings, e.g. poor insulation between the engine's compartment and the driver's compartment after two hours continued driving.

    B
  • lulu17lulu17 Member Posts: 1
    Right now I have 14k miles on my Tucson. I am currently getting 15.89 mi/g in city-only driving and 20.3 mi/g on highway-only driving. I was hoping that it would get better after the 10K break-in period, but I have not seen anything besides a slight less than 0.5 mi/g gain when I hit 6k. Anyone else having this issue? By the way I drive only slightly faster than a grandma. I was getting within 1 mi/g of the EPA estimates on my "cr-ppy" former company car a 2001 Grand AM .

    Also, my rear seatbelts (on both sides) lock up during driving when I brake. I know during sudden brakes it's supposed to do this in case of an accident. The problem seems to be with the rear belts only. They never release even after 10 minutes. The seat belt has to be taken off, retracted back up, then put back on. It doesn't seem to matter who the driver is or the size or age of the passenger in the back. I myself have experienced it sitting in the back. Also, I have had complaints from nearly everyone of my passengers who have sat in the back over 16+ different people. The dealer can't duplicate the problem and did nothing to fix it. Anyone else have this issue?

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Leslie
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I think that if you are realistic with your expectations the fuel economy you are getting is about (within +/- 1 MPG) what this vehicle gets...period. Some may get up to about 21-22 MPG strictly highway but again this depends on many factors including driving style..weather..terrain..state of tune/how well maintained...tire pressure....headwinds...vehicle load...etc, etc. There are terrible inconsistancies with the EPA estimates and the real world, mostly "real world" is a LOT lower but every now and then a specific model car surprises me with close readings, not often though. With regard to your rear seatbelt lock-up I think I would first drive another one off the lot to see if this was normal and if not walk right into the service dept and state your case..again. Seems, they should be able to duplicate the problem since it is common everytime you drive. You drive as you normally do with the service manager in the back and let him experience the problem first hand.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    The hood would hit the fender of the car when it was opened. Just started doing it. Took it to the dealer and even though I only have 5k on the car, it was 1 month outside the 1 year "adjustment" period, they would not cover it under warranty. The vehicle had not been in any accident or fender bender and I'm the only driver so something was out of adjustment. The charge was to be $99 for a diagnosis then whatever additional labor to fix the problem. 3 service reps and 1 mechanic looked at it and agreed thats what had to be done. I called the Hyundai 800# customer service and was told I would have to pay the $99 diagnostic fee to the dealer but that Hyundai may help share the cost of the actual adjustment. The solution: I took the car to a body shop and they made the adjustment in the parking lot and lubricated the hinge in less than 10 minutes and charged me nothing, something the dealer where I bought the car and Hyundai were unwilling to do for less than $99. What a joke "america's best warranty" is and a hood that goes out of alignment after 5k miles is just another indication of a poor build.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    OK...I had to rent a vehicle this past week-end and it acted in a similar fashion. Several times when braking (briskly but not a panic stop) the front drivers side seatbelt would lock up. I had to scrunch back into the seatback to take the pressure off the belt and it would then release otherwise it would stay locked. It will never automatically unlock, you must take the pressure off by leaning back into the seat cushion but it isn't necessary to release and reinstall them. I suspect this was an overly sensitive lock-up mechanism but it was generally acting as it was designed.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Yeah sure...I've been driving since 1963 and have owned dozens of cars since. Even the cheapest $100 rust bucket winter beater (a 1963 Ford SW rusted through and through)never had the hood randomly come loose and become out of adjustment to the point where it would hit the fender edge. There are several bolts on each hinge X's two (2) hinges so for the hood to get loose enough laterally to be that far out of alignment ALL these bolts would have to be loose...not very likely. All your supposed dealer interaction also sounds suspicious. If this senario actually happened any Hyundai dealer I have dealt with would simply notify the paint and body shop and either make an appointment or re-align the hood on the spot. But, in my experience, a hood will never simply "go" out of alignment unless you hit something. Funny how things keep happening to "your?" Hyundai that conveniently illustrate how "cheap" the build quality is and how "poor" the warranty is.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    targetuning- You have zero facts and no direct knowledge of the issues with my vehicle, therefore you speak from a point of no credibility. Given the many posts on this forum in which you attack anyone who has a different experience than yours, further proves my point. Facts replace fiction: Your 63 rust bucket was not built to the close tolerances all cars are today so I believe there was so much play that it probably never did go out of alignment. Cars of that "era" never really were in alignment in the first place, not compared to today. ALL bolts didn't have to come loose, the body shop guy loosened them on 1 side, did a little tweaking, lubricated both sides and it works perfectly. 3 service reps and a mechanic at the dealer opened the hood themselves and seen it catch the side fender. Are they suspicious too? My dealer doesn't have a body shop, its contracted out and not at the same location, so your assumptions were wrong there also. According to my receipts from the dealer that several sensors in the past were "out-of-limits" and were replaced means that the dealer is now not telling the truth also? These things do happen to "others" as they do me, but there is no reason for anyone to post here when you are allowed to attack others. Posts like yours add nothing to the intent of sharing experiences on this forum and are simply attacks on anyone who doesn't always post what you want them to say about Hyundai quality or lack of it.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    If this senario actually happened ...

    You and I weren't there so I don't think it's appropriate to jump to conclusions.

    any Hyundai dealer I have dealt with would simply ...

    All dealers are not created equal.

    in my experience

    My experience is that my experiences don't always cover all contingencies.

    Let's all stick to issues and avoid innuendo.

    tidester, host
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Call it defending my "experiences" then and my experience with more than a dozen cars of all brands most newer than 1963 up to and including a 2005 Tucson and a 2006 Honda with very close build tolerance is that a hood has never "gone" out of adjustment..period!! Do you think that only negative posts are allowed here with no rebuttal, you relentlessly poke Hyundai and since I fail to believe much of the "stuff" posted here I feel I am allowed to follow through with MY thoughts on those..I guess (see HOST comments). By the way my credibility is every bit as good as yours. Once again I say, if you think Hyundai sucks trade the damn thing in. Please don't torture yourself further.
  • nakeydognakeydog Member Posts: 30
    Oh I beleive you as I have brought my LX to the dealer 5 times because the rear window on the hatch leaks water, they can't figure it out and have told me to bring it to the dealer I bought it from! I called customer service and they told me that any dealer can fix that and I should have never been told to go back to where you bought it from. They are investigating this dealership, and I was promised to get this problem fixed and the smell I am getting from the wetness will be corrected. :lemon:
  • nakeydognakeydog Member Posts: 30
    I thought it was to low so I put 35 psi in the tires and do get a little bit better mileage. ;)
  • nakeydognakeydog Member Posts: 30
    The stereo and speakers ARE TERRIBLE for sure! I replaced them in 1 month, I couldn't stand it.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    The solution to the leak is to keep going back until they fix it. Selling it is an absurd idea. You paid for "America's best warranty", make them fix it. Once you find a good tech, if your dealer has one, most problems can easily be resolved unless its an outright design flaw. 35 psi should work good for you, but if you start to tow or carry heavy loads or start driving at high speeds, you are going to have to bump that up. There are plenty of Hyundai dealership horror stories and of repeated failures on these Tucsons. Some is to be expected on a first year model, but most is just poor design and Hyundai being cheap. The complaint of the stereo is quite common and I believe has to do with the long coax run back to the antenna, of course Hyundai has no fix. The speakers on mine are reasonable considering the price, but am/fm reception is worse than any I've ever heard due to the static. I may try installing an ant amplifier to clear up the noise. The CD sounds fine at low volume for a basic radio.
  • delta4delta4 Member Posts: 138
    Since I have been frequenting this site I have been reading a lot 'complaints' about the Tucson. The majority seem to be about fuel economy and others are about minor interior trim issues, others are annoying problems with the OEM radio reception,speakers and some mechanical issues with the 4x4.

    I am starting to wonder whether fuel economy in particular is the reason for overall decline in sales of this model? I did notice that the year-over-year sales of the Tucson was down by more than 538 units as opposed to last year. For example here are the numbers for the Tucson from 2005 thru 2006:
    May 2006 May 2005
    TUCSON 4,657 5,195

    This is significant because Hyundai is in the process of building their brand presence and market space and any slippage of unit sales is huge. The fact that unit sales are off by 538 for Tucson is enough for Hyundai to pay attention and realize that they have some real issues that have to be resolved before the upcoming launch of the 2007 model.

    Changes likely to improve fuel economy include an upgrade from the current 2.0 engine to the new and improved more fuel efficient 2.4 Gema powerplant. Also the addition of a 5 spd auto would be a plus.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    While the 2.0L has many new engine technologies built in and makes a good amount of hp for its size, there is certainly a MAJOR mismatch between the 2.0L engine and the 4-speed auto transmission. I chose the 2.0L just for the better mpg and would have paid extra for a 5-speed auto if they had it available as there are only benefits to having more gears. The gearing Hyundai chose creates a very high revving engine which has to hurt mpg and it shifts more like a truck than a SUV. Either a 5-speed auto with 5th being overdrive or the larger 2.4L would result in much lower rpms, better fuel economy and nicer driveability. That would be a win, win, win scenario for what, $1,000 or less.
  • moleman88moleman88 Member Posts: 3
    :sick:
    After a few days of rain and not driving my car, I went outside to get into my car and noticed a good 1/2 inch puddle of water on the right front floor of my Tucson. does anybody know how the water could have come in, or can someone let me know if this has happened to you. It looks like the water is dripping from the point where the floor meets the bottom of the dash. Help!!!
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    I recall seeing a TSB on water entering the air vents, but don't recall the details, I can look it up if you need me to. This is something that needs to get fixed quick as its very bad news to have water entering the car. It can cause all kinds of problems.
  • fk322fk322 Member Posts: 15
    I'm going to replace the stereo for sure. I can't decide if I should replace the speakers too. I haven't had any reception issues with the factory stereo or anything of that nature. Sound quality is just awfull. Wish they would have put the 06 Sonata stereo in the Tucson. I'm plenty happy with it.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    With the steady increase in fuel prices I would suspect that SUV's in general are showing a decline in sales. The "Hyundai" sales people I have talked to have told me that in spite of the cost of fuel both the Santa Fe and Tucson seem to be selling reasonably well. Why? well a certain number of people still want SUV's and are trading down from larger models and brands. 538 units may be within the realm of "normal" from one year to the next. Check to see the trend for sales of Hummer's...Explorers...Suburbans..etc. G.M. and Ford probably can only wish for a decline of only 500+ units. Additionally since the 2007 Santa Fe is due for release later this year there are generous rebates on these to clear out the old style.
    Take note..I am defending Hyundai again. OEM speakers are poor on most makes and models, same for radios unless you own a Lexus or something else that sells for over $40K. I hope nobody expects a Bose sound system in a low $20K car. Since I am not that particular about concert hall sound OEM systems are OK for me. And yeah there are those who automatically upgrade their audio systems before the first 100 miles passes on their new car.
    Yes, absolutely, there are problems on some Tucson's..and some Honda's too. Although annoying you must trust (hope) you particular dealer will help you rather than hinder repair, or worse, do nothing.
    Finally, how high are your expectations for fuel economy?? By "you" I mean all posters here. If you expect...no, demand, EPA numbers you will be forever disappointed. In most cases is is a dream number..I maintain that if you achieve 21 or 22 MPG in mostly or all highway driving (at reasonable speeds) it is normal. If you get 17-18 MPG in light city driving it is normal. Notice I said light, I do not mean San Francisco or L.A. or NYC or Chicago grid lock. If you get 14-15 under those situations it is normal.
    Can things be steadily improved with the Tucson? You bet!!! Give Hyundai time to do it.
  • moleman88moleman88 Member Posts: 3
    If you wouldn't mind looking itup, I would much appreciate it. Not to savey on researching this kind of stuff...what is a TSB?
  • smileon3smileon3 Member Posts: 1
    I've been doing some research on Hyundai and their paint since my 2005 Tucson has approximately 10 spots that look like the paint is bubbling from underneath. I took the car into the dealer 6 months ago for inspection because I only had the car for 6 months at that time. They said they needed to have it inspected by a regional Hyundai rep. He finally showed up 6 months after my intial visit to the dealer about this. They told me these spots were from bird poop or tree sap (this seems to be the typical response from what I've read). They didn't offer to do anything, just told me I must've parked under a tree. The problem is, I don't park near trees so I don't know how to stop the issue with the paint and it is getting worse. My other concern was that there was rust on the front end. They told me it was a stone chip and that's what will happen so they just put touch up paint on it. I had a 2001 Mustang that I traded in to get the Tucson and it had plenty of stone chips and not a spot of rust so I have a hard time believing every stone chip is going to rust that fast. Has anyone else had these problems? I just can't believe I've had this car 13 months and it already has rust on it. I take very good car of my car but I'm afraid that isn't enough.
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    TSB is Technical Service Bulletin that covers known problems with a vehicle and usually include a solution if one is known. The TSB I found had to do with water entering the air vents when its raining only while the blower is is on High. Your situation was the car was just sitting for a couple days, right? The fix is to add another weather strip, but don't think that will fix your problem Is it still under warranty? Also was the vehicle parked in a nose up tilt?
  • flytedhyflytedhy Member Posts: 63
    I was on some off-road trails and thought I might have rubbed the bottom on some rocks so I inspected the underside and noticed that the Cat Converter skid plate had the F and R markings reversed. Might not have been a big deal but there are 6-8 air vents to remove heat from the Cat and depending on which way they are facing can make a big difference is heat removal. I looked at a few other cars, called the dealership and finally went down to the dealer to look at other Tucsons to see how they were installed. Sure enough, my skid plate was installed backwards at the factory. Since there is plenty of room around the Cat for airflow and since I do mostly light driving, I thinks its unlikely any damage was done, but to me its just yet another example of how Hyundai is still a long way away from being a quality build.
  • guyfguyf Member Posts: 456
    If the paint is bubbling from underneath it cannot be bird droppings or tree sap. Most likely it is caused by poor surface preparation before the paint. Have the paint inspected by an independent, reputable paint shop. If you can have them put their conclusion in writing you could use it to fight your case with Hyundai.

    Good luck!
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Again I say..trade the damn thing in for what you would consider a "quality built" vehicle. You can then nit pick that make and model. I am quite sure you will find something wrong. My, oh my, but you have the worst built Hyundai ever.
  • acronisacronis Member Posts: 29
    I don't think it's a matter of nit picking. It seems that more and more people have a higher expectation of what they think Hyundai represents. Higher or comparable quality? I think the Tucson is a fine vehicle and has good build quality. I actually prefer it over the current CRV.

    The powertrain could use an improvement and the availability of a 5 sp tranny will be a definite plus. The sound system in my opinion is very good for this price point. Remember Hyundai's 'value' ranking in the mind of the consumer is not that they are better brand than either Honda or Toyota but that they are comparable in quality. The durability aspect is yet to be proven however.

    Time will tell. (perhaps 2 to 3 more years?)
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Durable? sure they are durable. Our 2000 Elantra has about 140,000 miles and I have only had issue with replacing wear items i.e. rotors, brake pads, and rear brake shoes oh yeah and tires. We have an aquaintance who is a bank courier and drove a 1999 Accent to over 300,000 miles when it was replaced with a 2003 Accent. A co-worker has a 2001 4 cylinder Santa Fe that has something over 100,000 miles and nothing major repaired or replaced...the original "Long Trail" tires lasted 95,000 miles. Another has a 2003 Santa Fe with about 75,000 miles and no unusual repairs. Does this represent all Hyundai products...nope, but my immediate experiences and those of Hyundai owners around me have been great. To those whose experiences haven't been quite so great, don't dispair, most dealerships work hard to correct problems and as far as I know (as of yesterday) Honda and Toyota dealers haven't closed their service and repair departments yet either due to a lack of business. By the way I am blindly defending Hyundai again...oops!!!
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    Finally, although Tucson sales may be down, I haven't independently confirmed this, it is most likely due to a trend that all SUV manufacturers are experiencing..high fuel prices..lower SUV sales... this is as plain as the, well, LCD readout on the gas pump..

    I would tend to agree with that thought. The sales figures for the Tucson, while down, were not disastrously so. The difference from last April to this April was only 538 units. That is a difference of less than one less Tucson sold by each US Hyundai dealer for the month. Not a real big difference. And until this April, the Tucson was up 129 units over last model year. ;)
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