Tucson NX4 inspection checklist

Look for: Hyundai recalled tens of thousands of Tucsons (spanning into early NX4-era build) over an ABS/HECU module that can short-circuit when exposed to moisture and start an engine-bay fire, with owners advised to park outside until rectified. Confirm any related ABS fuse/repair kit recall has been completed on the VIN.

Look for: An NX4-specific recall covered the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist system braking unexpectedly (phantom braking) for no reason, a safety and rear-end-crash risk addressed by a software update.

Look for: The wet 7-speed DCT is the NX4's signature complaint: shudder or judder pulling away, hesitation then a sudden lurch in stop-go traffic, double-bumping and delayed engagement, sometimes with a metallic clunk between 1st and 2nd. Some dealers dismiss it as 'characteristic'; in worse cases the clutch pack or mechatronic unit fails.

Look for: The dual-clutch can overheat and judder during prolonged crawling, towing or hot-weather stop-start, accelerating clutch wear and sometimes triggering a transmission warning/limp.

Look for: Short urban trips stop the diesel particulate filter completing regeneration, leading to blockages, forced regens, EGR and intake soot, warning lights and eventually limp/derate. A classic small-diesel-in-an-SUV problem when the car only does town runs.

Look for: Common-rail injectors can develop leaks or fouling and the variable-geometry turbo can suffer actuator/vane problems, causing rough running, smoke, boost faults and power loss at higher km.

Look for: Like most modern diesels, interrupted DPF regens can wash fuel into the sump, raising and thinning the oil and accelerating wear if ignored.

Look for: Hyundai's GDi/SmartStream petrols have a broader reputation for using oil between services; check the level and watch for low-oil or service warnings. Less acute than the older Theta II but worth monitoring.

Look for: As with any full hybrid, the high-voltage drive battery and power electronics can degrade or fault with age and high km; the NX4 hybrid is too new in Australia for a firm failure rate, but battery/inverter repairs are costly once out of warranty.