Most common 2004 Hyundai Tiburon problems
Share of the 82 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 →
What 2004 Hyundai Tiburon owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 39 →
Clutch recall, powertrain recall, master cylinder recall, slave cylinder recall. When driving my car after a week of purchasing the car I pushed the clutch pedal to the floor to shift, and the pedal did not come back up. After several attempts to bring it back up to shift it finally came back. When shifting again the car died instantly, and after the car was off I could shift to any gears. When turning the car back on in neutral the car turned on, but would not shift to first it would push itself forward and die. Trying to start the car in first would take off but you could only put it back to neutral. After taking it to several mechanics I changed the slave and master cylinder, and nothing happened. To my surprise the clutch and dual mass flywheel, clutch, shift fork was completely destroyed. This is a common problem and they won't do anything about it.
Drove my 2004 Hyundai Tiburon for 17K miles and 1 day after driving about 1 hr in traffic I noticed my clutch would not engage my first gear properly. I have a 6 spd. Brought the car to Hyundai dealership and they told me that "I" had worn out my clutch and wanted 2 charge me $1800.00 to repair it. After arguing and calling corporate Hyundai and having to go to the dealership and explain to these guys and I know how 2 drive standard they finally replaced my clutch as a "one time good-will repair" under 1 circumstance, that I would pay 4 the 15K mile service, which at $235.00 was better then $1800.00. Came across the problems that other are having after signing up to www.newtiburon.com and figured I would file a complaint also. The thing is that after they repaired it with what seems to be the revised clutch number per the TSB, when the car is cold it grinds going into to 2nd gear. …
Air bags all 21 →
My wife was in a rear end accident at approximately 30 MPH, air bags did not deploy, air bag light is on. My wife got whiplash from the accident. Reading similar complaints, I'm almost glad the air bags did not deploy because her injury could have been worse. Hyundai needs to fix the issue with their air bags immediately.
2004 Hyundai Tiburon gt collided, bumper to bumper, with a stopped passenger vehicle at 5-10 MPH. Impact was on the driver's side at a 40 degree angle to the vehicle centerline. Bumper damage was minor and there were no injuries nor realistic potential for injury. The vehicle's supplemental restraint system (SRS) deployed the passenger front airbag even though there was no passenger, presenting a risk of injury to the vehicle's occupants. The driver's front airbag did not deploy. The Tiburon's SRS computer activated the passenger airbag prematurely and was too sensitive to a minor, non-threatening impact; that is, defective. Bumper cover replacement $500, airbag repair $4,500. Defective devices are in my possession. Hyundai owners with a similar experience are invited to join a potential class action by e-mailing [email], established for this purpose.
Electrical system
Almost right after purchasing the vehicle, I started experiencing electrical problems. The alarm system would randomly go off and sometimes even lock the doors of the car on it's own. Whether the car was running or not, windows open or shut, did not matter. Later the windshield wiper motor burned out so only the fastest setting works and only when I hold the knob up for the one time wipe. The window motor went out on the passenger side as well. If you were to slam or hit the door, the window will roll down, but not back up unless you pull very hard on it to get it going. The power steering has also began to go out. There are times when it will not stop squealing while I turn the wheel and it is almost pulsing so I can only turn the wheel in tiny increments at a time. The steering squeaks the most when the wheel is turned all the way.
My 2004 Hyundai Tiburon suffers from a long list of electrical problems. Both power window motors have stopped working, my power trunk latch is defective, the interior light switch doesn't work, and now the turn signal relay that is part of the body control module has caused intermittent problems with my left turn signal. Sometimes it stays on even after turning off the car. I'm worried I May be rear-ended because although my signal is on, it sometimes does not flash properly due to the faulty BCM. Research indicates these are very common issues with Hyundai vehicles, and very expensive to repair. The BCM is about $700 alone. The window motors are about $300 each. It is ridiculous to pay $700 for a signal light. Hyundai should be held accountable for shoddy engineering!
2004 Hyundai Tiburon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon a good car?
Based on 82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Tiburon rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tiburon at the same age. It is one of the Tiburon years we suggest avoiding. 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 2004 Hyundai Tiburon?
The transmission & drivetrain — 39 complaints, 48% of all complaints for this model year, most often about clutch assembly. Next are the air bags (21) and electrical system (8).
How many recalls does the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. You can still confirm with your VIN using our 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 2004 Hyundai Tiburon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 42,000 miles; 59% 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.