Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Hyundai Tiburon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. In 2006, while driving at an unknown speed, the driver side air bag deployed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not find any defect. The contact's son was involved in a fatal crash with a school bus. The seat air bags failed to deploy. The contact feels that if the seat air bags would have deployed, his son would still be alive. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was not applicable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH when a vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact. The air bags did not deploy and she sustained a concussion and whiplash. The police were called and a report was filed. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where they deemed the vehicle as destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was approximately 103,000.
My 2004 hundai Tiburon was hit head on by another vehicle on 11/16/04. Both vehicles were traveling approximately 25mph. My passenger air bag deployed even though no one was in the seat. Driver side air bag did not deploy although the impact was mostly on the driver front. I sustained neck and back injuries in the collision. The car is at the dealer for repairs but I am not sure I will ever have confidence in the safety of the vehicle.
I rear-ended someone on an icy road going approximately 30 MPH. My airbag did not deploy, but the passenger's did, with no one in the seat. Hyundai claims that this is normal- designed to deploy at slower speeds without the seat belt buckled, but based on the research done on injuries without a seat belt worn, I find this design to be faulty, or I must wonder if their claim is true.
The driver side airbag failed to deploy in the consumer 2004 Hyundai Tiburon . The driver lost control of the vehicle while driving in inclement weather and hit a tree. The passengers frontal air bag deployed but the driver's frontal air bag did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries to her chest, neck and back. The vehicle was totaled.
On icy road conditions on December 24, 2004 my car slide down a hill and crashed into a car in the ditch. Driver air bag did not deploy, but passenger side did. No passenger in the car. Safety concerns over air bag not working properly.
My car turn on the air bag, all the time, I take to the dealer until the warranty was active, after the third year they said that this don't have no more warranty, the air bag light steel on all the time.
My airbags blew in a very low impact accident (5 MPH). My car was completely undamaged from the impact, with the exception of a broken license plate bracket and damage to my interior, caused by the airbags deploying. According to my automobiles user manual, the airbags are only made to deploy on high speed impact, which was not the case in my accident. I went through Hyundai's complaint and resolution procedure, because I felt that the airbags should not have gone off. I also took the car to my mechanic and a Hyundai mechanic, and they both agreed that, judging by the amount of damage done to the exterior of my car (broken license plate bracket). The airbags should not have went off. Hyundai claimed the airbags functioned properly, and closed the file. I started searching for a new dashboard, and I was told repeatedly that the airbags were sensitive and went off very easily. …
Airbag complaints in other Tiburon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon, 26% of the model year's 82 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Hyundai Tiburon airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2004 Hyundai Tiburon. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Hyundai Tiburon airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries and 1 death to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.