1998 Hyundai Tiburon problems & reliability
26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Hyundai Tiburon vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 23% |
| Power Train | 6 | 23% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 19% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 15% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 12% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 12% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 8% |
| Wheels | 2 | 8% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I went to the car lot and picked up my tiburon. I drove it home...and to work. After I had driven the car for 3 days, I walked toward the car and the wireless remote on the keys wouldnt beep so when I put the key in the door to unlock it the alarm sounded and the ignition would not start. I immediately contacted the…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 1, 2005
“My 16 year old daughter rear ended a vehicle and the airbag deployed breaking her elbow in 6 places and her humerus detached from the elbow. The accident happened on february 13, 2003 and she has limited use of her right arm as of today. She has had two surgeries and goes to occupational rehab three times a week…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Vehicle does not shift out of second gear, resulting in stalling. Consumer is concerned that the vehicle will stall in traffic which may cause a rear end collision. *ak”
Power Train · filed Apr 19, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL CAP REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN 36
Investigation SQ00003 · opened Feb 2, 2000 · open · led to recall 99V001000
Technical service bulletins
51 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…
23-BD-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2023
Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement.
22-EM-010H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022
Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for correcting load carrying capacity information indicated on tire placards when vehicle weight has been increased…
22-GI-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2022
Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicleâ  s ownerâ  s manual. ï · Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions. ï · Use…
21-AT-006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2021
This bulletin provides the service procedure for engine connecting rod bearing clearance testing. Perform the procedure outlined in this bulletin to fulfill the Bearing Clearance Test inspection requirements to…
21-EM-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2021
This bulletin provides best practice recommendations when performing brake service procedures.
21-BR-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 23, 2021
This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
21-EM-003H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
20-BR-002H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 30, 2020
This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the â Tire Balance Data Sheetâ must be fully completed including…
20-SS-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 19, 2020
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to moisture accumulation in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. The TSB illustrates the various causes of…
20-BD-014H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Hyundai Tiburon has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Hyundai Tiburon?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.