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EnginePart report

2003 Hyundai Tiburon Engine Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
1%of 328 total for the year
Median mileage
112,788miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon, 1% of the 328 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 112,788 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was driving to my brother place when a wire started to smoke and cought on fire from under the steering wheel it was smokey where I could not see from the smoke and I hit a parked car front windshield shattered and my airbag did not exposed at all. It was on a city street no one got hurt just the car”

NHTSA complaint #11271576, filed 2019-10, 135,125 miles

“Takata recall air bag light remains on door handles inside and outside constantly break off even after being replaced by factory parts leaving occupants trapped in car also replaced camshaft contoller cause wiring is melting. Contacted brandon Hyundai dealer service dept they told me handles had been already replaced before and refused to repair also they lied and told me there were no further recalls for my vehicle but when I googled there are actually around 10 recalls for my vehicle and Hyundai refuses to fix or even admit there is a recall..my control arms need replacing also.”

NHTSA complaint #10825518, filed 2016-02, 170,000 miles

“Shifting gears has LED to slipping, grinding, and locking. It's gradually getting worse. Now, even when driving on the freeway shifting can lock up. Sometimes I have to force the shift into gear. Reverse is the worst. Had the master and slave cylinders replaced and still having issues with clutch.”

NHTSA complaint #10464273, filed 2012-07, 85,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, he depressed the accelerator pedal and noticed something being spewed from under the pedal. Also, the oil warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the oil pan bolt had become detached from the vehicle, causing the failure. The contact replaced the oil pan bolt but stated that the metal in the area where the bolt was located had become stripped and the bolt was loose. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

NHTSA complaint #10487410, filed 2012-12, 90,450 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200712%
200612%
200525%
200341%
200113%
200035%

Other parts of the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon

Transmission and drivetrain
164 complaints
Air bags
71 complaints
Electrical system
34 complaints
Seat belts
23 complaints
Fuel system
15 complaints
Exterior lighting
14 complaints
Suspension
13 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaints
Brakes
10 complaints
Body and structure
10 complaints
Engine cooling
8 complaints
Other or unknown
7 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology