“My car has basically been living at the mechanic shop these past few months,” Kat begins. The single mom and hair stylist based in Los Angeles fills her followers in on her 2016 Hyundai Tucson. This spring, the check engine light had come on, and it wasn’t running right.

Little did she know the symptoms would trigger thousands in repair expenses that seemingly wouldn’t end.

The resolution wouldn’t happen until July 24. Yep…just yesterday.

A 49,000-mile 2016 Hyundai Tucson with a P0299 fault code

First, let’s just dive right into the check engine light code in question. I worked at a local shop here in the Midwest for 10-plus years, and looked up her code.

P0299 means the engine isn’t getting enough boost pressure from the turbocharger. It’s a common issue in turbocharged engines, like her Hyundai, and usually points to a problem somewhere in the air or exhaust systems.

The most common cause is a boost leak. This happens when a hose connected to the turbo or intercooler cracks or comes loose. That leak lets air escape before it reaches the engine. The result is a loss of power and poor acceleration. Mechanics can usually find these leaks by checking for loose clamps or oil around the piping.

Another possible cause is a faulty turbo wastegate. This part controls how much boost the turbo produces. If it gets stuck open, the turbo can’t build enough pressure. This can happen if the actuator fails or if there’s carbon buildup holding the gate open.

A bad boost sensor can also cause this code. If the sensor misreads the pressure, the car’s computer will think something is wrong, even if the turbo is working properly. Mechanics can test this using a scan tool that reads live boost data while the engine runs.

In more serious cases, the turbo itself could be failing. That’s less common on a Tucson with under 50,000 miles, but it does happen, especially if the oil wasn’t changed regularly. Symptoms of a failing turbo include whining noises, oil leaks, and smoke from the exhaust.

Other possible causes include a clogged intercooler or a leak in the exhaust system before the turbo. These are less common but can still trigger the P0299 code.

If you have the same symptoms Kat describes, avoid pushing the engine hard until a mechanic inspects it. Driving with a boost problem can damage the turbo or other components.

Catching this early could mean a simple fix like replacing a hose or tightening a clamp. Waiting too long could lead to much more expensive repairs…which is what Kat’s first shop proposed after several attempts at a fix.

By the way, most of these failures would be covered under Hyundai’s factory 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty

Unfortunately for Kat, though, she isn’t the original owner. Subsequent owners get a 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty. Since her Tucson is nine years old, she’s S-O-L.

Kat’s first shop performed more than $3,400 in repairs…and the check engine light came right back

The initial repair order says the mechanic found the turbo soaked in engine oil. They condemned the component based on that finding, plus the boost sensor. The ticket also included replacing the turbo gasket, which is standard.

Well…that didn’t fix the problem.

She got the car back, and everything seemed fine…at first. “My check engine light comes back on.”

Second time isn’t a charm

Kat brings the Hyundai back to the same shop. They can’t find anything wrong, so tell her they’re going to clear the code and give the car back to her. She asks for an invoice saying everything’s fine, and they oblige.

But a week later, the light’s back again.

The shop says it’ll replace the boost sensor under warranty. The part was apparently two weeks out (which, what?), and she could “safely” drive the car in the meantime. Hmm.

Fast-forward to the warranty install. After she dropped the Hyundai off, they called her: It’s not the boost sensor. 

“At this point, it’s actually your spark plugs,” they tell her. But it gets even worse. They say that on top of the bad plugs, the oil leaking from the bad turbo got into her exhaust and messed with her catalytic converter, too. The estimate is in the thousands.

“At this point, I just told them, ‘Release my car to me.’” She posted that TikTok on June 29, saying she planned on getting a second opinion. “I have to hope to God it’s not a crazy repair.”

By July, Kat considered ditching the Hyundai for an even lower-end car, citing negative equity

In another TikTok, Kat works through whether she should just walk away from the Tucson. After posting her original video, mechanics messaged her letting her know that her car has a reputation for these problems.

She explains that since she’s a single mom, her monthly expenses plus these car repairs aren’t tenable. Kat openly laments buying the SUV instead of a more expensive used truck she really wanted, but felt she couldn’t afford.

Kat says that her hands are tied: Shoveling more of her tightly budgeted income into the car seemed foolish, but walking away means refinancing on a new loan and moving previous negative equity over yet again.

She’d only be able to afford a vehicle that probably looked even worse on paper.

She takes the Tucson to a certified Hyundai dealership as a last resort

And thank goodness she did, she explained in a third TikTok post.

The dealership tells her that the boost sensor is bad…and that it looked like the original, factory-installed sensor was still in the car. Uh, what?

Not only that, the dealership said that the other shop left her mass airflow sensor unplugged. Wellp. That’ll cause a check engine light and performance problems, too.

From what I understand, she paid another $412 to get her car back…but this time, the fix stuck.

The original shop agrees on a refund

In a final TikTok Kat posted yesterday, it’s good news. The first shop she visited agreed to reimburse her for the repairs she paid out-of-pocket for after the initial visit. This included the replacement spark plugs and the visit to the dealer that ultimately fixed the Hyundai.

“None of this should have happened; it was messed up from the start,” Kat says. But she’s made peace with the debacle and seems ready to move on. “Personally, I’m thankful for how they handled it.”

MotorBiscuit reached out to Kat via direct message with her TikTok account, @redwolfieee, for comment.