AI Damage2004 Hyundai Tiburon: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon filed 82 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 82
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 48% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 26% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 9% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 39 complaints (48% of all).
- Air bags: 21 complaints (26% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (10% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 7 complaints (9% of all).
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (4% of all).
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
- 2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 6 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 6 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 82 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 21 | 10 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 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.
My wife was in a rear end accident at approximately 30 mph, air bags did not deploy, air bag light is on. My wife got whiplash from the accident. Reading similar complaints, I'm almost glad the air bags did not deploy because her injury could have been worse.
The air bags did not deploy and she sustained a concussion and whiplash. The police were called and a report was filed. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where they deemed the vehicle as destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was approximately 103,000.
The seat air bags failed to deploy. The contact feels that if the seat air bags would have deployed, his son would still be alive. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was not applicable.
While applying the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop. This caused the consumer to collide into the vehicle in front of him. The driver had taken the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. The incident occurred twice in 12 hours.
The lower control arm completely rusted through. Have pictures. Son driving car on our driveway and car started making noise and started pulling hard to the left. Drove back to house to inspect and lower control arm on drivers side had rusted apart allowing tire to be uncontrollable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 hyundai tiburon. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. Additionally, there was a loud abnormal noise heard when driving at various speeds.
The contact stated that when the fuel tank reached half full, the fuel gauge would display an inaccurate reading of empty. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. Five months later, the contact noticed fuel leaking from the vehicle. The dealer was notified and advised her to bring the vehicle in for diagnosis.
This is the third time I have had a brake line replaced because according to my mechanic, the poor design allows for the brake line to rub against the shock which eventually wears a hole through the brake line. I've had three separate incidents where my brake pedal has gone completely to the floor.
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 4,021 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tiburon has 59 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 82, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 82. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (17%), transmission slipping (11%), airbags did not deploy (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.