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Hyundai TiburonModel year report

2004 Hyundai Tiburon Problems

Complaints
82filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
41,030miles, 70 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 2.7L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report clutch problems, including slipping, grinding and early wear, frequently at low mileage. Airbag behavior in collisions and an airbag warning light that stays on are the next most common, followed by turn signals that stay on or stop working. Clutch slipping often builds up gradually, while some owners describe a sudden failure.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Clutch wear or slipping, often at low mileage

    • 32 complaints (39%)
    • median 31,500 mi at 3.0 yrs old (31 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2004–2018

    Owners describe the clutch slipping under acceleration, grinding or hard shifting, or failing completely, sometimes after the clutch had already been replaced. Some describe slipping that built up over time, while others say the clutch failed suddenly, including while driving. According to complaints, the dealer often said the wear came from normal use or driving habits and was not covered by warranty, and some owners were offered a parts discount or a one-time goodwill repair. Most sampled reports are under 40,000 miles, and a smaller group describe failures between about 49,000 and 80,000 miles.

    What to check: Ask for service records showing any clutch or flywheel work and whether any warranty covers clutch parts. On a test drive, check whether engine speed rises without matching acceleration, which owners describe as slipping.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have owned a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon since jan of 2005, it was purchased brand new with 2 miles on it. Since about 10k miles, my clutch has been slipping, Hyundai refuses to fix it under their warranty, stating it is a wearable part. I have been driving manual transmission cars for almost 25 years.. And this is the first clutch I have had go out, let alone at such low mileage.”

    NHTSA complaint #10153533, filed 2006-03, 10,000 miles

    “I was informed a week or so ago that my clutch needed to be repaired due to wear & tear on a 30,000 mile Hyundai Tiburon. I was informed that the warranty would not cover it due to wear & tear . I was informed by the repair consultant though that their facility has been open for 9 months and my car is the 3rd they have seen with low mile Tiburon's having the clutch repaired. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10156412, filed 2006-04, 32,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbags deploy unexpectedly or fail to deploy in crashes

    • 12 complaints (15%)
    • median 29,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2016

    Owners describe airbags that did not deploy in collisions, sometimes with the passenger-side bag deploying in an empty seat while the driver-side bag stayed inactive. Other complaints describe a driver-side bag that deployed while driving, or airbags that deployed in a low-speed impact with little damage to the vehicle. Complaints also mention an inspection by the dealer that found no fault and an owner who went through the manufacturer's complaint process. Most sampled reports are under 30,000 miles, and a few describe events at over 100,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask the dealer whether any NHTSA advisory on driver-side airbag inflators applies to this vehicle, and ask for a check of stored airbag system codes. Check at startup whether the airbag warning light comes on and then goes out as expected.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “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. Hyundai needs to fix the issue with their air bags immediately.”

    NHTSA complaint #10892561, filed 2016-08, 137,000 miles

    “I rear-ended someone on an icy road going approximately 30 MPH. My airbag did not deploy, but the passenger's did, with no one in the seat. Hyundai claims that this is normal- designed to deploy at slower speeds without the seat belt buckled, but based on the research done on injuries without a seat belt worn, I find this design to be faulty, or I must wonder if their claim is true.”

    NHTSA complaint #10111824, filed 2005-02, 15,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Airbag warning light stays on or returns

    • 14 complaints (17%)
    • median 64,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2017

    Owners describe the airbag warning light staying on, or coming on and off, sometimes returning after a dealer repair. Some complaints say the dealer replaced a seat belt buckle or pointed to the seat belts as the source. Owners state that the airbags will not work while the light is on, and some say the light returns once the car is driven again. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 3,000 to about 137,000 miles, with no clear pattern by mileage.

    What to check: Ask whether the airbag light has been diagnosed and whether any codes were stored, and check whether the light comes on at startup and goes out. Ask the dealer for records of any airbag or seat belt repairs on the vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I am almost scared to drive my Tiburon. I have read many stories about airbags not deploying when the light had been showing. Both my Tiburon, and my mother's sonata had the airbag light steadily on. I was able to fix hers by adjusting a few cords, mine to no avail. I have been told not to get it diagnosed because problem returns.”

    NHTSA complaint #10440909, filed 2011-12, 99,000 miles

    “My car turn on the air bag, all the time, I take to the dealer until the warranty was active, after the third year they said that this don't have no more warranty, the air bag light steel on all the time.”

    NHTSA complaint #10957845, filed 2017-03, 3,000 miles
  4. Exterior lighting

    Turn signal stays on or fails (body control module)

    • 6 complaints (7%)
    • median 115,500 mi at 7.4 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2009–2014

    Owners describe a turn signal that stays solid or stays on after the engine is off, sometimes without flashing. Some describe a drained battery, and others a turn signal that would not turn off until the bulbs were removed. According to complaints, the dealer often identified a relay or body control module as the faulty part, and complaints describe the repair as expensive. All sampled reports come from 61,000 miles or higher, and most are above 100,000 miles.

    What to check: Test the turn signals and hazard lights with the engine running and after switching it off, and check whether the signal stays on. Ask whether the body control module or turn signal relay has been replaced or updated.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon gt. While I was driving and switched it the right turn signal, it would not turn off. I pulled over and was unable to get it off. Even after shutting off the car and removing the key, the turn signal remained on. The only way to turn it off was to remove the bulbs front the front and rear headlights. I took the car to a Hyundai dealership and said the body control module failed and needed to be replaced. The cost to replace was $1,280. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10394230, filed 2011-04, 112,000 miles

    “Right turn signal stays constantly glowing out of no where. Turned the left signal on and the right signal came on as well and stays on even when the car is off. It doesn't blink it just stays glowing. I have read numerous reports from mechanics and other driver with the same vehicle that the relay inside the bcm tends to go bad. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10398147, filed 2011-04, 162,264 miles

Buying note. Ask for records of any clutch, flywheel or transmission work and check the clutch on a test drive before deciding. Confirm that the airbag warning light is off and ask whether any driver-side airbag inflator advisory has been checked for the vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 82 consumer complaints for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. 70 of the complaints include a mileage, and 59% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 41,030 miles. Of all complaints, 11 involved a crash, 7 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 36 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Other or unknown (2), Vehicle speed control (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Wheels (2), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Fuel system (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Clutch recall, powertrain recall, master cylinder recall, slave cylinder recall. When driving my car after a week of purchasing the car I pushed the clutch pedal to the floor to shift, and the pedal did not come back up. After several attempts to bring it back up to shift it finally came back. When shifting again the car died instantly, and after the car was off I could shift to any gears. When turning the car back on in neutral the car turned on, but would not shift to first it would push itself forward and die. …”

NHTSA complaint #11104904, filed 2018-06, 80,000 miles

Air bags: “Air bag warning light malfunction. The alarm has been reset with no reported code problems, but the air bag light will immediate fault when car is driven again. Thus when the light is on, the air bags will not work. Internet research indicates this failure happens to Hyundai Tiburon's of the same year as my car. Hyundai headquarters and local dealer were called and indicated there was a TSB for this problem, but it did not apply to my car and they will not issue a safety recall or investigate further. …”

NHTSA complaint #10328290, filed 2010-04, 77,000 miles

Electrical system: “Almost right after purchasing the vehicle, I started experiencing electrical problems. The alarm system would randomly go off and sometimes even lock the doors of the car on it's own. Whether the car was running or not, windows open or shut, did not matter. Later the windshield wiper motor burned out so only the fastest setting works and only when I hold the knob up for the one time wipe. The window motor went out on the passenger side as well. If you were to slam or hit the door, the window will roll down, but not back up unless you pull very hard on it to get it going. …”

NHTSA complaint #10436000, filed 2011-11, 60,000 miles

Exterior lighting: “The contact owns a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. The contact stated that the turn signal switch did not function when the left turn signal was turned on. The battery failed to function properly as long as the turn signal fuse was in the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the body control module needed replacing. There were no repairs completed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage 122,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10592712, filed 2014-05, 119,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

59% of the 70 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 19,550 and 77,000 miles.

10%0–1020%10–2529%25–5014%50–7514%75–10010%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (70 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 41,030 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’04’0627’08’10’12’14’16’18
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Tiburon · coupe not rated5 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 Hyundai Tiburon version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Tiburon FWD2.0L 4-cyl5-speed manual212823$2,900
Tiburon FWD2.0L 4-cyl4-speed automatic202722$3,050
Tiburon FWD2.7L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172420$3,350
Tiburon FWD2.7L 6-cyl5-speed manual172420$3,350
Tiburon FWD2.7L 6-cyl6-speed manual162419$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 36 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 36 bulletins →

Other model years of the Hyundai Tiburon

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20081932,0001—20—Falling
20074239,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20066432,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20054353,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20048241,0300—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200332844,0009—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20013663,0001—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20005869,0181—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19992689,0003—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19982677,0001—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199736103,0004—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Hyundai Tiburon model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon?

Owners of this model year most often report clutch problems, including slipping, grinding and early wear, frequently at low mileage. The issues reported most often: Clutch wear or slipping, often at low mileage; Airbags deploy unexpectedly or fail to deploy in crashes; Airbag warning light stays on or returns.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon have?

NHTSA recorded 82 consumer complaints for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 39 complaints (48% of the total), followed by air bags with 21.

Has the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon (Tiburon, 2.7L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon reported?

Among the 70 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 41,030 miles and the middle half falls between 19,550 and 77,000 miles; 59% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.