1999 Hyundai Tiburon problems & reliability
26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 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.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 8 | 31% |
| Power Train | 6 | 23% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 23% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 15% |
| Equipment | 4 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 12% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 8% |
| Tires | 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
“1999 hyundai tiburon crankshaft position sensor is faulty in a lot of these cars I keep hearing about how a lot of people are having this problem with the tiburon. *tr”
Electrical System · filed May 29, 2011
“This complaint is related to nhtsa campaign id 99v178000 for a hyundai tiburon 1999. The car is experiencing the consequences detailed in the campaign. I contacted the manufacturer, they are saying that the campaign does not apply to my vehicle vin#. I don't agree with this based on the description of the issues the…”
Power Train · filed Apr 1, 2010
“Vehicle loses power on acceleration sporadically. When car stopped and idle, engine rpm increases dramatically trying to override brakes. *tr”
Power Train · filed Aug 22, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Hyundai Tiburon. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
23-EM-005H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2023
Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare…
23-BD-007H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
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
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 1999 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 1999 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.