Problems · NHTSA complaints
2004 Hyundai Tiburon problems
Owners filed 82 complaints about the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon with NHTSA between May 2004 and Jun 2018. The most-cited component is power train (39).
Complaints
82
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Power train39
- Air bags21
- Electrical system8
- Exterior lighting7
- Steering3
- Seat belts3
- Suspension3
- Structure3
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Visibility2
- Equipment2
- Wheels2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
5
4
27
4
4
4
10
8
3
4
5
1
1
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2006 | 27 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Power train
39 reports
“CLUTCH RECALL, POWERTRAIN RECALL, MASTER CYLINDER RECALL, SLAVE CYLINDER RECALL. WHEN DRIVING MY CAR AFTER A WEEK OF PURCHASING THE CAR I PUSHED THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO SHIFT, AND THE PEDAL DID NOT COME BACK UP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BRING IT BACK UP TO SHIFT IT FINALLY CAME BACK. WHEN SHIFTING AGAIN THE CAR DIED INSTANTLY, AND AFTER THE CAR WAS OFF I COULD SHIFT TO ANY GEARS. WHEN TURNING THE CAR BACK ON IN NEUTRAL THE CAR TURNED ON, BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT TO FIRST IT WOULD PUSH ITSELF FORWARD AND DIE. TRYING TO START THE CAR IN FIRST WOULD TAKE OFF BUT YOU COULD ONLY PUT IT BACK TO NEUTRAL. AFTER TAKING IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS I CHANGED THE SLAVE AND MASTER CYLINDER, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. TO MY SURPRISE THE CLUTCH AND DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH, SHIFT FORK WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.”
Air bags
21 reports10 crashes
“MY CAR TURN ON THE AIR BAG, ALL THE TIME, I TAKE TO THE DEALER UNTIL THE WARRANTY WAS ACTIVE, AFTER THE THIRD YEAR THEY SAID THAT THIS DON'T HAVE NO MORE WARRANTY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT STEEL ON ALL THE TIME.”
Electrical system
8 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH DID NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS TURNED ON. THE BATTERY FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AS LONG AS THE TURN SIGNAL FUSE WAS IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE NEEDED REPLACING. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 122,000.”
Exterior lighting
7 reports
“RIGHT TURN SIGNAL STAYS CONSTANTLY GLOWING OUT OF NO WHERE. TURNED THE LEFT SIGNAL ON AND THE RIGHT SIGNAL CAME ON AS WELL AND STAYS ON EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. IT DOESN'T BLINK IT JUST STAYS GLOWING. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM MECHANICS AND OTHER DRIVER WITH THE SAME VEHICLE THAT THE RELAY INSIDE THE BCM TENDS TO GO BAD. IF IT WERE JUST A FLUKE AND IT WAS JUST MINE THAT WAS BAD I WOULD COUGH UP THE MONEY AND REPLACE IT BUT IF I FIND NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THEN SEEMS LIKE HYUNDAI HAS A FAULTY PART AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, AND ALSO FUNNY HOW IF YOU ORDER THE MODULE ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE PART NUMBER HAS CHANGED BECAUSE THEY HAVE UPDATED THAT MODULE SO THEY MUST HAVE EVEN FOUND A PROBLEM WITH THE MODULE. SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY PROBLEM AS IT CONFUSES DRIVERS AROUND ME BECAUSE MY RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS CONSTANTLY GLOWING THEN ALL THE SUDDEN LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS FLASHING. *TR”
Steering
3 reports
“STEERING WILL NOT STAY IN NO MORE THEN 6 MOUTHS AND ALMOST INSTEAD THEY GO OUT .ON ALIGNMENTS . IT HAS BEEN GOING ON SEENS THIS CAR”
Seat belts
3 reports
“THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. SEATBELTS AND AIRBAGS WILL NOT PROPERLY WORK OR WORK AT ALL WHEN THIS LIGHT IS ON. WHY SHOULDN'T THE 2004 MODEL BE INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY RECALL SINCE ALL OTHER TIBURON YEARS EXCEPT FOR 2004 WERE RECALLED? *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.