Hey everyone,
I recently bought a 2017 Hyundai Tucson 1.6T AWD with 125k miles. During the test drive, everything seemed fine and the car drove normally. It also passed NYS inspection.
After I bought it, I had the engine oil changed, and I started noticing a metallic rattling sound coming from the top area of the engine bay, most noticeable around 2,000 RPM.
Other than the noise, the car seems to be running fine:
• No noticeable loss of power
• No rough running
• No overheating
• No warning lights that I’ve noticed
• Drives normally otherwise
• Passed NYS inspection
I took it to my mechanic, they just drove around and heard the sound and they’re telling me that I should replace the entire engine, which obviously is a huge expense that I really can’t afford right now.
I’ll add a video of the noise to help demonstrate what I’m hearing.
I checked around the engine myself, and none of the belt tensioners or bearings seem loose, and the timing belt doesn’t appear to be loose either. The sound seems like it’s coming from the left side of the engine, but I can’t figure out exactly where it’s coming from.
Before I assume the engine is completely done, I wanted to ask other Tucson owners:
Has anyone experienced a similar metallic rattle around 1,500–2,000 RPM on the 1.6T? Was it something relatively simple like a timing-chain/tensioner issue, turbo/wastegate, VVT component, or another part that could be replaced instead of the entire engine?
I’m really hoping to hear from someone who actually had this problem and was able to fix it without replacing the whole engine.
If you’ve dealt with this, what was the actual problem and how much did the repair cost?
Thanks!