Selling a junk Hyundai Tucson
Any Tucson sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Hyundai Tucson
NHTSA has 7,771 owner complaints on file for the Hyundai Tucson, model years 2005 to 2022, the 64th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (2,324, 30%), transmission and drivetrain (1,183, 15%), other (774, 10%). 269 complaints involved a crash, 224 a fire, and 398 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 49,143 miles. The 2016 model year has the most complaints (2,176). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Hyundai Tucson by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 273 | Air bags | 16 | 5 | 8 | 66,000 |
| 2006 | 202 | Air bags | 21 | 6 | 5 | 71,000 |
| 2007 | 85 | Air bags | 10 | 2 | 5 | 96,160 |
| 2008 | 66 | Other | 7 | 8 | 1 | 44,951 |
| 2009 | 24 | Air bags | 4 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 80 | Transmission and drivetrain | 4 | 4 | 4 | 60,500 |
| 2011 | 174 | Engine | 7 | 6 | 5 | 66,000 |
| 2012 | 316 | Engine | 18 | 20 | 3 | 86,050 |
| 2013 | 319 | Engine | 20 | 27 | 3 | 78,750 |
| 2014 | 240 | Engine | 4 | 5 | 2 | 78,410 |
| 2015 | 311 | Engine | 14 | 13 | 1 | 69,000 |
| 2016 | 2,176 | Transmission and drivetrain | 23 | 43 | 5 | 35,000 |
| 2017 | 1,469 | Engine | 23 | 38 | 3 | 30,000 |
| 2018 | 546 | Engine | 22 | 14 | 1 | 36,607 |
| 2019 | 537 | Engine | 20 | 21 | 1 | 23,000 |
| 2020 | 237 | Engine | 6 | 3 | 1 | 30,000 |
| 2021 | 111 | Engine | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 2022 | 605 | Fuel system | 47 | 6 | 3 | 30,000 |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Hyundai Tucson recalls
NHTSA lists 25 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for lights (5), air bags (4), brakes (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2022 model year, trailer hitch (campaign 25V893000, Dec 2025): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tucson vehicles equipped with an optional Mobis tow hitch wiring harness. The wiring harness may have been installed incorrectly, allowing water into the con…
- 2010 model year, brakes (campaign 23V651000, Sep 2023): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 T…
- 2022 model year, body and structure (campaign 23V038000, Jan 2023): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
- 2014 model year, brakes (campaign 22V056000, Feb 2022): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an e…
- 2022 model year, electrical system (campaign 21V938000, Dec 2021): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson vehicles. The software installed in the Integrated Central Control Unit (ICU) may be incompatible with the vehicle, which could result in inoperative headl…
What a Hyundai Tucson is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Tucson on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a blown engine 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Hyundai models
- Hyundai Sonata 21,920
- Hyundai Elantra 11,650
- Hyundai Santa Fe 9,714
- Hyundai Accent 2,769
- Hyundai Veloster 1,784
- Hyundai Genesis 1,729
- Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 1,593
- Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 1,130
All Hyundai models · All makes · Cash for junk cars by state
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Hyundai Tucson worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Tucson gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Hyundai Tucson that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Hyundai Tucson?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Hyundai Tucson numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.