2003 Hyundai Tiburon Recalls, Complaints & Specs
9 safety recalls list the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon, and owners have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
9 safety recalls for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Suspension: control arm
Hyundai is recalling 160,904 my 2001-2003 elantra and my 2003 tiburon vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms for corrosion damage. If specified levels of internal corrosion damage are found, the front lower control arms will be replaced with new front lower control arms…
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Storage (fuel system)
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity" a valve on the fuel tank assembly may not close properly. If a vehicle rolls over and the fuel tank assembly valve is not properly closed, fuel spillage may occur.
Remedy: Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. The recall began on october 5, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai de puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.
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Tank assembly (fuel system)
Some passenger vehicles contain a fuel tank assembly valve that may not close properly. If a vehicle with a fuel tank assembly valve that is not properly closed were to roll over, fuel spillage may occur.
Remedy: Dealers will install an additional fuel tank assembly valve. Owner notification began on june 30, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets.
Remedy: Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes, install brake tube clips, and apply anti-corrosion material to the rear brake tubes. Owner notification began january 22, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico…
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Air bags: frontal
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front passenger air bag is mounted beneath the right portion of the instrument panel's padded surface. Tear lines are formed into the underside of the instrument panel's padded surface during the production process of the instrument panel top pad. These tear lines allow a portion of the instrument…
Remedy: Hyundai will replace the instrument panel. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
On certain sport utility vehicles, the driver seat belt buckle wiring could be damaged by interference with the driver seat cushion height adjuster mechanism. Damaged driver seat belt buckle wiring could cause the seat belt warning lamp or the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag wiring lamp to illuminate. It could also cause the…
Remedy: Dealers will install a new driver seat belt buckle, if necessary, and will place a protective cover over the driver seat belt buckle wiring to prevent damage from occurring. Owner notification began september 23, 2003.…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
On certain passenger vehicles, the rear brake tubes pass behind the front suspension crossmember. Two steering gearbox mounting brackets are welded to the crossmember. On vehicles equipped with an antilock brake system (ABS), the rear brake tubes could contact both steering gearbox mounting brackets. On vehicles that are not equipped…
Remedy: Dealers will reposition the rear brake tubes so they do not contact the mounting brackets, install brake tube clips to control the location of the rear brake tubes, and apply anti-corrosion material to the tubes in the…
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
On certain passenger vehicles, the driver seat belt buckle wiring could be damaged by interference with the driver seat cushion height adjuster mechanism.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new driver seat belt buckle, if necessary, and will place a protective cover over the driver seat belt buckle wiring to prevent damage from occurring. Owner notification began on march 24, 2003.…
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Unknown or other
On certain passenger vehicles, the left lower instrument panel bracket was not installed.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles to determine if the bracket has been installed. If the bracket has not been installed, the dealer will install the left lower instrument panel bracket. Owner notification began march…
328 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA; 33 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Reports cite 21 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 51,646 miles. Complaints peaked in 2006 with 57 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, gasoline started spilling from the filler neck. The contact stated that the vehicle was refueli”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 29, 2022 · Fuel system, gasoline
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai tiburon. The contact stated while going to turn the battery off under the hood due to the driver hazard light was illuminating, there was black smoke coming from th”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 19, 2020 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 19–23 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16–20 / 24–28 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Subcompact Cars |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2/2.7 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd; Manual 6-spd |
Compare Hyundai Tiburon model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Hyundai Tiburon model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 Hyundai Tiburon | 4 | 36 |
| 1998 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 26 |
| 1999 Hyundai Tiburon | 3 | 26 |
| 2000 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 58 |
| 2001 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 36 |
| 2002 Hyundai Tiburon | 4 | 2 |
| 2003 Hyundai Tiburon | 9 | 328 |
| 2004 Hyundai Tiburon | 0 | 82 |
| 2005 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 43 |
| 2006 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 64 |
| 2007 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 42 |
| 2008 Hyundai Tiburon | 1 | 19 |
Checking a specific 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
How do I know if my 2003 Hyundai Tiburon has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 9 campaigns currently list the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Hyundai dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V044000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Hyundai models
- Sonata16,085 complaints
- Elantra8,715 complaints
- Santa FE7,663 complaints
- Tucson6,287 complaints
- Palisade2,447 complaints
- Accent2,032 complaints
- Ioniq 51,339 complaints
- Veloster1,292 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.