2003 Hyundai Tiburon Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tiburon years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 9 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. That is the most of any Tiburon model year in the database (12 years). The most reported problem area is power train (164 complaints, 50%), typically at around 31,000 miles. Complaints mention 33 crashes, 7 fires, 21 injuries. There are 9 safety recalls covering this model year.
_Washington_DC_Metro_Area,_USA.jpg){kind=link}
- 328owner complaints
- 9safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 33complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Hyundai Tiburon problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 164 | 50% | 31,000 | “clutch flywheel” (15%) | $3,050 |
| Air Bags problems | 71 | 22% | 62,000 | “air bag” (65%) | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 10% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 23 | 7% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 4% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 4% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 13 | 4% | 19,855 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 3% | 79,200 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 2% | 9,039 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 2% | 41,999 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 2% | 50,962 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 2% | 31,056 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 112,788 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 127,277 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 158,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 18,181 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 158,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Hyundai Tiburon recalls (9)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm
Problem: 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 virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt used during the winter months in these jurisdictions may result in internal corrosion and thinning of the steel in the front lower control arms. The corrosion may progress to the point where the lower control arm's upper and lower panels become perforated. A perforated front lower control arm may fracture between its ball joint attachment and the forward and rearward pivot attachments to the chassis.
Risk: The fracturing of the control arm could an owner's control over their vehicle that may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 incorporating additional holes in the upper and lower panels. If the front lower control arms do not require replacement, the dealer will add drainage holes to the front lower control arms and will treat the front lower control arms with rust-proofing materials to arrest the internal corrosion process. These procedures will be performed free of charge. The recall began on august 17, 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: 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.
Risk: Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: Fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the brake tubes for the rear brakes can contact the steering gearbox mounting brackets.
Risk: Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering gearbox mounting brackets may result in rear brake tube wear and corrosion, increasing the risk of brake fluid leakage. Brake fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability, which could result in a crash.
Fix: 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 at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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 panel surface to fold upward if the passenger air bag deploys.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the air bag may not deploy properly, possibly resulting in serious injury to the right front passenger.
Fix: 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 reasonable time should contact hyundai of america at 1-800-633-5151, or if the vehicle is located in puerto rico, hyundai of puerto rico at 1-800-981-0188.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: 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 air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment. 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 air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment.
Risk: Nondeployment of an srs air bag in a crash where air bag deployment is warranted could increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners should contact hyundai of puerto rico at 1-899-981-0188.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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 with abs, the rear brake tubes may contact only the left mounting bracket. Contact between the rear brake tubes and the steering brackets could cause wear and corrosion that could result in brake fluid leakage.
Risk: Fluid leakage could result in reduced braking capability increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 areas where contact with the mounting brackets may have occurred. Owner notification began on october 13, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the driver seat belt buckle wiring could be damaged by interference with the driver seat cushion height adjuster mechanism.
Risk: 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 air bag fuse (cavity number 5) to open, preventing air bag deployment. Nondeployment of an srs air bag in a crash where air bag deployment is warranted could increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Unknown or other
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the left lower instrument panel bracket was not installed.
Risk: If this bracket has not been installed, there may be an increased likelihood of injury or increased severity of injury in a frontal crash.
Fix: 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 4, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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 refueling very slowly. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the fuel tank detached from…
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 the vehicle. The contact extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic…
Vapor purge canister malfunction front end failure bad gaskets
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…
In motion on city street
Other Hyundai Tiburon years
← 2002 Tiburon · 2004 Tiburon →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Tiburon | 19 | 1 |
| 2007 Tiburon | 42 | 1 |
| 2006 Tiburon | 64 | 1 |
| 2005 Tiburon | 43 | 1 |
| 2004 Tiburon | 82 | 0 |
| 2003 | 328 | 9 |
| 2002 Tiburon | 2 | 4 |
| 2001 Tiburon | 36 | 1 |
| 2000 Tiburon | 58 | 1 |
| 1999 Tiburon | 26 | 3 |
| 1998 Tiburon | 26 | 1 |
| 1997 Tiburon | 36 | 4 |
See all Hyundai Tiburon problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
Embed this 2003 Hyundai Tiburon badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 164 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon?
Yes, 9 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tiburon model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.