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1998 Hyundai Tiburon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.

About this comparison →
26Owner complaints

Model-year median: 39

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
36
199726
199826
199958
200036
2001
Compare all Tiburon years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
6Power Train
6Unknown Or Other
6Electrical System
5Seat Belts
4
All reported categories
Air Bags
3Service Brakes, Hydraulic
3Vehicle Speed Control
3Fuel System, Gasoline
2Wheels
2Exterior Lighting
1Fuel System, Other
1Tires
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 4 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

26 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 27, 2000
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicCrash

HE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON BOULEVARD AND IT WAS RAINING. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM JAMMED THE BRAKES. HE STARTED HYDROPLANING, AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. DUAL AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #875522

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE SMAKE A DEEP GRINDING NOISE. ROTORS WERE CHECKED OUT BY 2 SERVICE CENTERS. SERVICE STATION SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THERE WERE MULTIPLE CRACKS IN EACH OF THE ROTORS. DEALER STATED IT WAS OKAY, BUT THERE WAS SOME FORM OF RUST. ALSO, SHOES HAD SCORED SEVERAL MARKS IN EACH ROTOR. DEALER SAID IT WAS SAF…

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BRAKE SMAKE A DEEP GRINDING NOISE. ROTORS WERE CHECKED OUT BY 2 SERVICE CENTERS. SERVICE STATION SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THERE WERE MULTIPLE CRACKS IN EACH OF THE ROTORS. DEALER STATED IT WAS OKAY, BUT THERE WAS SOME FORM OF RUST. ALSO, SHOES HAD SCORED SEVERAL MARKS IN EACH ROTOR. DEALER SAID IT WAS SAFE TO RIDE ON. *AK

NHTSA ODI #869395

Mileage unknown · Jun 30, 2000
Seat Belts

WHILE DRIVING ALL OF A SUDDDEN THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE JUST RELEASED ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND ONCE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #864608

Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2000
Seat Belts

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #724774

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2000
Power Train

SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 1998 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WON'T DOWNSHIFT TO PASS, IT SLIPPED, AND SOMETIMES VEHICLE WOULD BARELY MOVE AFTER STOPPING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #864052

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 1999
Unknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

WHEN DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE THROTTLE VALVES ARE RACING HIGH, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS ON AND WON'T GO OFF. *AK

NHTSA ODI #851762

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 1999
Fuel System, GasolinePower TrainUnknown Or Other

THE CLUTCH CANNOT BE USED PROPERLY DUE TO DESIGN OF FLOOR MATS. MAKES THE GEARS TIGHT. ALSO, COVER TO FUEL TANK BROKE OFF WHEN OPENED. THE 1997 MICHELIN X TIRES ON FRONT OF VEHICLE BROKE OFF DUE TO ALL LUGS: NUTS SHEARING OFF TWICE. TAKING VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #847387

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 1999
Air BagsElectrical SystemPower Train

THE CAR HAS BEEN INTO HYUNDAI DEALERS 4 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. CAR HAS BEEN IN LITERALLY EVERY OTHER MONTH SINCE PURCHASE IN OCTOBER 1998. MAJOR PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER(S) AND TRANSMISSION. CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAVE BOTH GONE OFF. CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT AND WOULD H…

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THE CAR HAS BEEN INTO HYUNDAI DEALERS 4 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. CAR HAS BEEN IN LITERALLY EVERY OTHER MONTH SINCE PURCHASE IN OCTOBER 1998. MAJOR PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER(S) AND TRANSMISSION. CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAVE BOTH GONE OFF. CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT AND WOULD HESITATE AT HIGHWAY AND SIDE STREET SPEEDS. CAR JUST RETURNED FROM DEALER YESTERDAY AFTER 4TH TIME IN FOR REPAIR. AT 65 MPH, THE RPMS SUDDENLY SHOT TO APPROX 5800. CAR HAS BEEN TERRIBLY UNRELIABLE. HOPEFULLY IT IS FIXED NOW, BUT I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I FEAR THAT IN ANOTHER 2 MONTHS THE PROBLEMS WILL OCCUR AGAIN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #708592

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING, INDICATING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITHIN THE ENGINE. DEALER KEEPS REPLACING ENGINE VALVES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #841655

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior LightingUnknown Or Other

3 WEEKS AFTER CAR WAS BOUGHT, BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED. STARTING FIRST OF FEB. CAR WOULD TEMPORARILY STALL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON, CAR WOULD DROP TO 500 RPM'S, THEN RED LINE TO 5500 RPM'S.

NHTSA ODI #708290

Official recalls

1

01V345000 · Seat Belts:front:webbing

Nov 6, 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELTS MAY NOT EXTEND AND RETRACT SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE D-RING GUIDES MOUNTED ON THE BODY PILLARS AFT OF THE DOORS. IF THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT EXTEND AND RETRACT SMOOTHLY, THEY MAY TWIST IN THE D-RING GUIDES AND MAKE IT INCONVENIENT TO EXTEND AND RETRACT THE SEAT BELTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE SEAT BELTS ARE INCONVENIENT TO USE, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE INCLINED TO WEAR THE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A STOPPER OVER EACH FRONT SEAT BELT D-RING GUIDE TO ASSIST THE SEAT BELT TO SMOOTHLY EXTEND AND RETRACT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 10, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

SQ00003 · Fuel Cap Replacement Campaign 36

Opened Feb 2, 2000 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

There is no summary currently available

Additional source detail variants (2)

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

There is no summary currently available

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

There is no summary currently available