AI Damage2001 Hyundai Tiburon: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 19% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 11% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 8% of all complaints
- Air bags: 8 complaints (22% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 8 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (19% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (14% of all).
- Equipment: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle hydroplaned and slid into a guardrail. The front end was extensively damaged. Neither air bag deployed. Two of the vehicle occupants were injured. There was a police report filed.
We were both wearing our seatbelts,however I made contact with the windshield and the dash of the car. Neither the driver nor the front passenger airbags deployed.
While driving about 45 mph consumer's vehicle hit a tractor from the rear, and the air bags failed to deploy. Also, the seat belts did not keep the passenger and driver in position, throwing them forward.
The vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was repaired in 2010 under an unknown recall. The mechanic inspected the exhaust system however, the exhaust manifold was not replaced.
The mechanic discovered rust on the rear passenger's side of the sub frame. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The contact did not have the sub frame replaced. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact stated that the drivers and passenger side seat belts have malfunctioned since she was unable to retract them. It took her approximately two to three attempts before she could fully extend the seat belts in order to securely close the latch.
Consumer writes in regards to a rotten/rusted cross member the consumer received a call from a hyundai representative and was informed the claim would not be addressed. The dealer informed the consumer, the vehicle was not safe to drive.
While attempting to use the front driver seat belt the contact noticed that the belt would not retract and allow the seat belt to become loose. The seat belt failure was not diagnosed. There were no prior warnings. The current mileages were 55000 and the failure mileages were 104000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,253 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tiburon has 59 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 36, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, seat belts, powertrain. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (28%), rust, corrosion (8%), A/C or heater (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.