AI Damage2006 Hyundai Tiburon: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon filed 64 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 64
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 66% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 4 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 42 complaints (66% of all).
- Air bags: 6 complaints (9% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 5 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Equipment: 3 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (5% 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 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 14 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 14 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 64 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 | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
The air bag failed to deploy. The contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
I had a tire blowout. The blowout in turn made me lose control of the vehicle and I went into a spin causing me to crash into a post on the side of the fwy. Upon crashing into the post my head hit the steering wheel at which time the airbag did not deploy.
The sunroof also fell apart and the radio does not work half the time. I wouldn't recommend this car to anyone.
On friday, august 25, 2006 my son was driving in a residential area when he attempted to turn left and the steering locked up and he had no control and could not get his car to stop and he hit a tree. He and his passenger were fortunately wearing their seat belts and did not get thrown out of the car.
My clutch is slipping already. Ive owned the car for six months and the previous owner repaced the cluch, and he o ly owned the car for 10 months. My previous standard transmission car went through 1 clutvh in the 15 years i owned it. Something must be defective.
The contact also stated that whenever the hi-beam headlamps were activated, there was static in the radio. The contact had not taken the vehicle to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor a dealer were made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
I bought the car and looked at the vehicle repair records and the clutch had been replaced about 12000 miles ago and I can push the clutch in and it is slipping horrible, I can push the clutch all the way down and it will slip and grind every gear as if I'm trying to shift without the clutch.
The check engine indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. While at a stop, the vehicle performed as if it would accelerate. The acceleration returned to normal within five minutes after the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure occurred on seven different occasions.
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 4,654 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tiburon has 59 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 64, about 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.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- 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 2006 Hyundai Tiburon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, air bags, tires. Total complaints: 64. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), tires: bulges, blowouts (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.