Potentially looking to buy 22/23 plate Ultimate Tuscon

[TerryL]

Hello all!

New to the forum here, hope everyone is well!

I’m UK based and looking to buy a Hyundai Approved second hand Tuscon Ultimate or N-Line S.. I’m leaning more towards the Ultimate for some of the features.

I’ve been looking into some issues that could arise and that I should be aware of before purchasing. Predominantly, I’m finding a lot of Panoramic Sunroof issues on here. Glass shattering, seals perishing, excessive rattling and so forth..

I would have loved if they had just done an Ultimate version without a sunroof to be honest.

So just asking any N-Line S or Ultimate owners,
Is the car worth it?
How many issues have you found with the car?
Is the hassle and money worth it if you found a fault with sunroof etc?..

I’ve seen owners on here saying the little glass panel just above the windscreen has shattered and it’s cost onwards of £300 to fix and having the car out of action for over a week etc.. and Insurances not technically covering panoramic sunroofs and Hyundai or dealers being extremely unhelpful in this area..

I plan on keeping the car for a while.. (6-7+ years) not just a short few years. I’ve got a sense that it’s going to come back and bite me if I choose the ultimate or N line S with this Sunroof malarkey and I’m going to run into all these issues and be in serious trouble with the other half haha!

Any help in insights would be most appreciated.

Thanks all!

Terry

*Current owner of a 2017 Hyundai i20 SE*

[alan sh]

I've had mine for over two years. NO issues at all (so far).

[Deleted User 1326]

I’ve been looking into some issues that could arise and that I should be aware of before purchasing. Predominantly, I’m finding a lot of Panoramic Sunroof issues on here. Glass shattering, seals perishing, excessive rattling and so forth..

Any help in insights would be most appreciated.

Welcome to the forum, ‘TerryL’.

First off, stay well clear of ‘Tuscon' models - nothing but trouble!

However, the Tucson model is a decent car if it fits your needs. While you may fear some of the problems that you have read about in these pages and possibly elsewhere, you need to understand that all car forums provide a platform for those with problems to seek assistance from others who may or may not have had similar experiences.

A bit of perspective is required though as the vast majority of owners never have a problem resulting in a need to go online and whinge to everyone about how bad Hyundai is and proclaiming that their previous Merc/Beemer/Audi never gave them any problems. Why they didn’t stick with the brand, given how good their ownership experience was has always mystified me.

My own car is the HEV in Ultimate trim and I rather like it. It isn’t perfect but any criticisms I have are minor and not really worth mentioning. I have only owned mine since purchasing it new 12 months ago, to the day yesterday in fact! I had the car serviced for the first time on the 6th and all was well. There were two outstanding pieces of work requiring attention while the car was in the workshop; each the subject of a TSB from KIA UK, and both jobs were attended to before the car was handed back to me.

Now, I don’t know what your experience of the Korean dealerships, Hyundai in your case, has been but this is my third Korean model since my first acquaintance with Hyundai, an i40 Tourer, in 2012. I kept that car for 4.5 years and the car proved to be very reliable and the customer service was of a high order. I chose to buy the then new KIA Optima Tourer in 2016 and had zero problems in 6.5 years of ownership before part-exchanging it last year for the 2023 Tucson.

I have nothing but praise for the particular dealerships to which I have chosen to entrust my cars for servicing and happily, both KIA and Hyundai have premises not far from where I live. My other half has recently bought into the Hyundai experience after 20 years of Skoda and she has the Bayon model with the 120 BHP engine and DCT. I have to say it’s a lovely little car, built on the same assembly line as the i20, just in a different suit of clothes.

If you do decide to invest your hard-earned in a Tucson model, I would advise you restrict your choice to the HEV or PHEV models as they are the best of the bunch, unaffected largely by the PPF problems that beset many of the MH models and even the regular petrol model. Additionally, I would advise that you purchase from within the Hyundai network, rather than from anywhere else in order to get the benefit of the remaining years of the warranty. Make certain nonetheless that the service record is impeccable; all services completed within either the time or mileage constraints, as applicable.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

[terryp]

I can't enlarge on the advice of Indalo, other than to say I've had my Ultimate over 2 years now and I don't regret buying it. The only "irritation" is the well documented Battery Reset issue which presents itself if doors are left open too long without the ignition being on. But that will apply to any of the Hybrid models.
Mine has just arrived at 10,000 miles and I enjoy driving it as much now as I did at the start. I would just add to avoid the Mild Hybrid as that version seems to experience some engine problems.
Remember that thousands of Tucsons have been purchased and only a small minority are those that are reported with issues, the same as any other make.

[TerryL]

I've had mine for over two years. NO issues at all (so far).

Thank you for replying Alan, it's good to hear everything is going well! let's hope it stays that way.

[TerryL]

I’ve been looking into some issues that could arise and that I should be aware of before purchasing. Predominantly, I’m finding a lot of Panoramic Sunroof issues on here. Glass shattering, seals perishing, excessive rattling and so forth..

Any help in insights would be most appreciated.

Welcome to the forum, ‘TerryL’.

First off, stay well clear of ‘Tuscon' models - nothing but trouble!

A bit of perspective is required though as the vast majority of owners never have a problem resulting in a need to go online and whinge to everyone about how bad Hyundai is and proclaiming that their previous Merc/Beemer/Audi never gave them any problems. Why they didn’t stick with the brand, given how good their ownership experience was has always mystified me.

Now, I don’t know what your experience of the Korean dealerships, Hyundai in your case, has been but this is my third Korean model since my first acquaintance with Hyundai, an i40 Tourer, in 2012. I kept that car for 4.5 years and the car proved to be very reliable and the customer service was of a high order. I chose to buy the then new KIA Optima Tourer in 2016 and had zero problems in 6.5 years of ownership before part-exchanging it last year for the 2023 Tucson.

If you do decide to invest your hard-earned in a Tucson model, I would advise you restrict your choice to the HEV or PHEV models as they are the best of the bunch, unaffected largely by the PPF problems that beset many of the MH models and even the regular petrol model. Additionally, I would advise that you purchase from within the Hyundai network, rather than from anywhere else in order to get the benefit of the remaining years of the warranty. Make certain nonetheless that the service record is impeccable; all services completed within either the time or mileage constraints, as applicable.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Thank you so much Indalo for the comprehensive reply! really appreciate it.

Haha! oh man, just shows I did NOT proof read that. That must be why I read about all those issues, those pesky 'Tuscons'.

Yes, true, I totally get that most people who are enjoying their cars (and any other product for that matter) usually don't go on to forums or leave reviews exclaiming their love for it. It's usually the people who have unfortunately run into problems or have something to whine about. Even I, don't usually join forums but I thought this was worth joining if I were to join the 'Tucson' family

Yes, me and the other half have only really had Hyundais. Before the i20 we had a getz (obviously not the greatest of cars) but we've never had any issues with them. We've had the i20 for over 7 years and not a single major fault. So I guess I'm a bit biased for my favouritism of Hyundai as they haven't let me down ...yet. Obviously, the potential purchase of a Tucson is a big leap forward and just wanted to check with you knowledgeable folk to hear of any useful insights.

Correct, yes. If I was to snap up one it'd definitely be the Ultimate Hybrid. Preferring the benefits compared to the MH models. PPF, that's the filter issues right?

Yes, I've shopped around for prices but if I was to buy, it'd definitely be through Hyundai to receive the remaining years. I'm finding it slightly hard to find a 23 plate though.. either there's none around for me or within budget at the moment. Which brings me on to my next question if you don't mind?

I'm ideally trying to find the latest plate I can (23) just so that I have more remaining years, but if I did have to settle for 22 or 21.. have you heard of any news in there being much difference between the cars at all?

Thanks again for your awesome reply. Much appreciated.

[TerryL]

I can't enlarge on the advice of Indalo, other than to say I've had my Ultimate over 2 years now and I don't regret buying it. The only "irritation" is the well documented Battery Reset issue which presents itself if doors are left open too long without the ignition being on. But that will apply to any of the Hybrid models.
Mine has just arrived at 10,000 miles and I enjoy driving it as much now as I did at the start. I would just add to avoid the Mild Hybrid as that version seems to experience some engine problems.
Remember that thousands of Tucsons have been purchased and only a small minority are those that are reported with issues, the same as any other make.

Thanks for getting back to me, appreciate the reply!
Oh really, I've not come across this problem. Could you expand a little more please? Is there a way to remedy it or anything one has to do after the Battery Reset?

Yes I'm definitely wanting the Ultimate Hybrid

Thanks again

[alan sh]

I have the 22 plate and my wife has the 23 plate. No difference between them as far as I can see (both are Ultimate Hybrids with all th extras.)

Alan

[terryp]

[/quote]

Thanks for getting back to me, appreciate the reply!
Oh really, I've not come across this problem. Could you expand a little more please? Is there a way to remedy it or anything one has to do after the Battery Reset?

Yes I'm definitely wanting the Ultimate Hybrid

Thanks again
[/quote]

if the doors are left open for too long, e.g. cleaning the car, you may find when you next start the car that any accumulated data stored (fuel since refuelling etc.) has been reset to zero and the A/C has gone off.
This is overcome by leaving the ignition on during this time.
This is easily remedied by switching on the A/C and accepting that the data shown on the central dash has to be restarted from zero.
It's an irritation rather than a problem.
In extreme cases, such as leaving the car unstarted for several weeks, there is a button below and to the right of the central dash which allows you to put an additional charge to the battery to start the car.
All this may sound a bit alarmist but I assure you it isn't. Have a look at the various posts under "Battery Reset".
Despite all this I have no regrets with buying my Tucson and I have learned to live with this.

[Deleted User 1326]

Is there a way to remedy it or anything one has to do after the Battery Reset?

While ’terryp’ has rightly drawn attention to the battery reset facility that Hyundai has blessed us with on our HEVs, I agree with his comments on the matter although I think a number of owners are unsure, (1) of the actual purpose of the switch and/or (2) how to use it.

It’s actually a very useful tool although it will be rarely used in the hands of most owners. In our old 20th century cars, right up to fairly recently, if we ever suffered a flat battery, we would organise a jump-start from a friend or family member to get us going. Then, one day, that sort of thing became passé as someone invented a magic, jump-start box of tricks and suddenly every man and his dog rushed out and bought one of these compact jump-start devices that easily fits inside most car glove boxes. No further need for another car and 2-metre cables!

I have two such devices; one good one and one very good! I keep one in my car and charge it regularly while the other is kept indoors for Madam’s car, should it ever be necessary - it was used many times when her underused Skoda refused to start. It’s unlikely to ever be needed in my Tucson, thanks to Hyundai’s clever addition of the reset button which permits some energy to be decanted from the traction battery into the 12V battery, sufficient to allow the car to start if depleted.

So far, I haven’t had need to utilise the facility but if I ever find myself locked out, I know how to gain entry using the ’secret’ key and a press of the reset button avoids the need to use my compact jump-starter.

Well done Hyundai for providing that simple solution!