The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
The risk
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2025, 2026 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2025, 2026 |
Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2025 | 135 | 5 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2026 | 37 | 4 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2025 | 291 | 6 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2026 | 63 | 5 |
Other engine and engine cooling recalls in 2025
28 of the 891 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2025 concerned the engine and engine cooling; Hyundai Motor America filed 205 campaigns in all.
| 25V891000 18 Dec 2025 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 25V892000 18 Dec 2025 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 25V825000 1 Dec 2025 | KTM North America, Inc. |
| 25V822000 28 Nov 2025 | Nova Bus (US) Inc. |
| 25V798000 18 Nov 2025 | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. |
| 25V778000 12 Nov 2025 | Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA |
| 25V767000 6 Nov 2025 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 25V720000 23 Oct 2025 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2025