Most common 1997 Hyundai Tiburon problems
Share of the 36 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Tiburon complaints by model year
Best Tiburon years: 2002, 2008, 1999. Years to avoid: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2000. Compare all years →
1997 Hyundai Tiburon recalls (4)
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belts May not extend and retract smoothly through the d-ring guides mounted on the body pillars aft of the doors.
Remedy: Dealers will install a stopper over each front seat belt d-ring guide to assist the seat belt to smoothly extend and retract. Owner notification began December 10, 2001.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The evaporative emission control systems can apply excessive vacuum to the fuel tanks during the canister purge cycle. If excessive vacuum is applied, minor fuel tank distortion can result. A small crack could develop on the upper fuel tank surface.
Remedy: Dealers will pressure check the vehicle's fuel tank to determine if it has cracked. If the fuel tank has cracked, it will be replaced.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The evaporative emission control systems can apply excessive vacuum to the fuel tanks during the canister purge cycle. If excessive vacuum is applied, minor fuel tank distortion can result. A small crack could develop on the upper fuel tank surface.
Remedy: Dealers will pressure check the vehicle's fuel tank to determine if it has cracked. If the fuel tank has cracked, it will be replaced.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the contaminants from the windshield wiper motor circuit breaker contacts.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Hyundai Tiburon:
Fuel cap replacement campaign 36
There is no summary currently available
What 1997 Hyundai Tiburon owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
6 transmissions replaced within 40,000 miles...all rebuilt and all have problems with slipping and very hard shifting. I would like a transmission that works the engine and all other parts of car are in good condition. Car has been serviced regularly. Now dealership is trying to tell me that the transmission slip is just the way it 'smoothes' into the next gear. Even my passengers comment on the way the car the shifts. I have been inconvienced for at least a day or more to find alternate transportation so that they can install rebuilt transmissions. Some of the service people have told me that hyundia has great difficulty rebuilding transmissions. The huyndai represetative will not allow them to install a new transmission. All transmissions are giving out before their 12,000 warrenty expires. All repalcements have been in the past two years. …
Transmission started slipping in May of 2000. Car had approx. 40,000 miles on it. Dealer replaced it under warranty. In July of 2001, the new transmission started slipping again. We took it to a new dealer (tom o'brien Hyundai of danvers). They could not find a problem. We took it back in August of 2001. This time they replaced the transmission again. One month later, the transmission started slipping again. We took it back. They could not find a problem. On December 11, 2001, my wife was driving on a major highway. She heard a loud noise. She pulled over and the car stalled. When she restarted it, the transmission was not working. We had the car towed into the dealer. They claim the transmission was overfilled with fluid. The transmission was never touched by anyone but them. Hyundai would not cover the repair since the car was now out of warranty. We took it to a transmission shop. …
Air bags
Consumer was traveling about 30mph and coming off ramp when vehicle in front jammed on brakes and consumer's vehicle skidded into back of other vehicle. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. Dealership was aware of problem.
Vehicle was involved in a frontal crash. Front end was totalled, and there was no deployment of driver's side or passenger's side air bag. Vehicle will be repaired at a body shop. Please provide any further information.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
Defective engine head gasket replaced twice which caused fluid to leak onto the engine. Also, hood flew open which May have caused a crash/ problems with the driver's and passenger's windows, and driver's/passenger head rests won't stay in the top position. Please provide further information.
I parked the car. Got out of the drivers side and shut the door. The window shattered. Door was not shut forcefully. Passenger side window off track and raises too high. This May cause window to shatter also. I believe this May have been what happened with the drivers side of the vehicle.
1997 Hyundai Tiburon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Hyundai Tiburon a good car?
Based on 36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Tiburon rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Tiburon at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Hyundai Tiburon?
The transmission & drivetrain — 9 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (8) and windows, wipers & sunroof (6).
How many recalls does the 1997 Hyundai Tiburon have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1997 Hyundai Tiburon, the most recent from November 6, 2001 (webbing). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Tiburon?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2002, 2008 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2000. See the full Hyundai Tiburon years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Hyundai Tiburon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 103,000 miles; 0% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.