The Hyundai Tiburon has 17 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1997–2008. On average a defect was admitted 1.92 years after the car was built, the slowest took 7 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (4 campaigns). Owners also filed 560 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Hyundai Tiburon
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 4 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" a valve on the fuel tank assembly may not close properly. If a vehicle rolls over and the fuel tank assembly valve is not properly closed, fuel spillage may occur
Risk. Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188
What's wrong. Some passenger vehicles contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur
Risk. Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began on june 30, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" a valve on the fuel tank assembly may not close properly. If a vehicle rolls over and the fuel tank assembly valve is not properly closed, fuel spillage may occur
Risk. Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188
Seat Belts 3 Read
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, the driver seat belt buckle wiring could be damaged by interference with the driver seat cushion height adjuster mechanism. Damaged driver seat belt buckle wiring could cause the seat belt warning lamp or the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag wiring lamp to illuminate. It could also cause the air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment. Damaged driver seat belt buckle wiring could cause the seat belt warning lamp or the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag wiring lamp to illuminate. It could also cause the air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment
Risk. Nondeployment of an SRS air bag in a crash where air bag deployment is warranted could increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash
Fix. Dealers will install a new driver seat belt buckle, if necessary, and will place a protective cover over the driver seat belt buckle wiring to prevent damage from occurring. Owner notification began september 23, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-899-981-0188
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the driver seat belt buckle wiring could be damaged by interference with the driver seat cushion height adjuster mechanism
Risk. Damaged driver seat belt buckle wiring could cause the seat belt warning lamp or the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag wiring lamp to illuminate. It could also cause the air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment. Nondeployment of an SRS air bag in a crash where air bag deployment…
Fix. Dealers will install a new driver seat belt buckle, if necessary, and will place a protective cover over the driver seat belt buckle wiring to prevent damage from occurring. Owner notification began on march 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage
Risk. Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on…
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets
Risk. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering gearbox mounting brackets may result in rear brake tube wear and corrosion, increasing the risk of brake fluid leakage. Brake fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability, which could result in a crash
Fix. Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes, install brake tube clips, and apply anti-corrosion material to the rear brake tubes. Owner notification began january 22, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-800-633-5151
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped with ABS, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage
Risk. Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on…
Exterior Lighting 1 Read
What's wrong. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional…
Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional…
Fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110
What's wrong. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional…
Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional…
Fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110
What's wrong. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional…
Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional…
Fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles may have been built with threaded portions of the steering gearbox assembly's left and right inner ball joint assemblies that contain internal cracks in the material structure
Risk. If the inner ball joint assembly was to break as a result of the internal crack, the tie rod end assembly would not longer be attached to the steering gear box. This would prevent steering control of that front wheel by the separated tie rod which could result in a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the steering gearbox assemblies on these vehicles free of charge. Owners were contacted by telephone beginning on april 8, 2005, and instructed not to drive their vehicles. Hyundai will arrange to pick up and return their vehicles after repair. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151
Suspension 1 Read
What's wrong. Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may…
Risk. The fracturing of the control arm could an owner's control over their vehicle that may increase the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms for corrosion damage. If specified levels of internal corrosion damage are found, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms incorporating additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front lower control arms do not…
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, the front passenger air bag is mounted beneath the right portion of the instrument panel's padded surface. Tear lines are formed into the underside of the instrument panel's padded surface during the production process of the instrument panel top pad. These tear lines allow a portion of the instrument panel surface to fold upward if the passenger air bag deploys
Risk. In the event of a vehicle crash, the air bag may not deploy properly, possibly resulting in serious injury to the right front passenger
Fix. Hyundai will replace the instrument panel. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. 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 of america at 1-800-633-5151, or if the vehicle is located in…
Unknown Or Other 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the left lower instrument panel bracket was not installed
Risk. If this bracket has not been installed, there may be an increased likelihood of injury or increased severity of injury in a frontal crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the vehicles to determine if the bracket has been installed. If the bracket has not been installed, the dealer will install the left lower instrument panel bracket. Owner notification began march 4, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do…
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The automatic transmission pressure control solenoid valve seals do not remain sufficiently elastic, resulting in transmission fluid leakage. This leakage can result in reduced pressure application to the clutches, brake, and kickdown servo, allowing them to slip
Risk. Such slippage can cause premature deterioration of the friction element surfaces and could cause the vehicle not to accelerate, or not accelerate as expected, when the driver presses the accelerator pedal
Fix. Dealers will replace the pressure control solenoid valve
Equipment 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The tire pressure placard required by fmvss no. 110, "tire selection and rims," was misprinted. It incorrectly contains the tire sizes, seating capacity, and luggage capacity
Risk. Excessive loading can cause tire and vehicle damage that could result in a crash
Fix. Owners will be provided with a correct tire pressure placard and installation instructions
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 1.92 years |
| Slowest campaign | 7 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 16% |
| Campaigns on record | 17 |
Which Tiburon years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2007 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2006 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2005 | Steering | |
| 2003 | Unknown Or Other | |
| 2002 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2001 | Seat Belts | |
| 2000 | Seat Belts | |
| 1999 | Seat Belts | |
| 1998 | Seat Belts | |
| 1997 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Hyundai Tiburon have?
17 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1997–2008. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Tiburon still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 1.92 years, and the slowest campaign came 7 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.