What breaks most · 1997 to 2008 model years
Hyundai Tiburon problems by year
Owners have filed 762 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Tiburon across model years 1997 to 2008. One year stands out: 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2002, 1998 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 2003
- Fewest complaints: 2002, 1998, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 7621997 to 2008, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003328 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 999 fires · 69 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 44kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 27Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 5 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 26 | 3 | 1 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 26 | 5 | 3 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 58 | 10 | 1 | Seat belts (17) | |
| 36 | 6 | 1 | Seat belts (8) | |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | Air bags (1) | |
| 328 | 33 | 9 | Powertrain and transmission (164) | |
| 82 | 11 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (39) | |
| 43 | 8 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (18) | |
| 64 | 6 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (42) | |
| 42 | 9 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (19) | |
| 19 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (10) |
What fails on the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 50% |
164 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 22% |
71 | 24 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
34 | 5 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon |
| Seat belts | 7% |
23 | 1 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 4% |
14 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
13 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 4% |
13 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
10 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Shifting gears has led to slipping, grinding, and locking. It's gradually getting worse. Now, even when driving on the freeway shifting can lock up. Sometimes i have to force the shift into gear. Reverse is the worst. Had the master and slave cylinders replaced and still having issues with clutch.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Tiburon years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003 carries the most filings on the Hyundai Tiburon. The 2003 alone has 328 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Hyundai Tiburon problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 164 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Tiburon problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Tiburon complaints that include mileage is about 44,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.