Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Hyundai Tiburon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My clutch is slipping already. Ive owned the car for six months and the previous owner repaced the cluch, and he o ly owned the car for 10 months. My previous standard transmission car went through 1 clutvh in the 15 years i owned it. Something must be defective. I do not know what the situation will be when it goes out all the way , i just really hope it does not hurt anyone. Becaus e of circumstancesthe damage to me and my life is quite great. And god please dont let it physically hurt me on top of the fact i vary well may go to prison for something i absolutlly did not do.i worked out of state and without my car i will not make it to court. Since i lost my job because of this incident i did not do, i cannot fix the car before it goes all the way out. Once again please god let no one get huet by my car, please please please
Clutch fails to disengage. This is most dangerous when vehicle is parked in gear(as when parked on a hill with the rear of the front wheels turned to curb, and an attempt is made to start vehicle by pushing clutch pedal down and activating ignition, the vehicle May start with clutch engaged, and propel the vehicle into street and into th e lane where traffic is approaching from behind, and therefore out of sight. Other dangerous situations are attempts are made to start vehicle are made in crowded parking lots where pedestrians might be walking behind car, and vehicle is propelled rearward. …
My Tiburon was fine a few days ago but recently started giving me problems when shifting gears while the car is in motion or shifting into reverse while the car is stopped. I did some research and found that this is a common issue with these cars and that it seems to be a faulty model of clutch. According to my research this is something that is a safety issue and has not yet been brought up by Hyundai for a factory recall
2006 Hyundai Tiburon seems like a high performance sports car. And it looks slick, but something about its manual clutch, fly wheel, master cylinder, presser plate, all that and more. Makes this 06 tibby a peace of bad engineering garbage! I bought this car jan 9 2007 with 3333 miles on it on July 24 2007 with 14,687 "I had to pay" 1,865.25 dollars to replace the mesh flywheel, presser plate, and clutch in my brand new 2006 Hyundai Tiburon! This is crazy, the factor, Hyundai, car max, or my extended warranty wouldn't cover this! Here I am again oct. 26 2008 with 44,000 miles my tibby is in the shop again. This time its the master cylinder, as often as I keep seeing this happen to other owners, of the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon I know its not just me or my car alone, its a big problem with every owner! …
2006 Hyundai Tiburon se clutch malfunctioning and failure. Poor quality and deformed parts used. Warranty classifies parts as "wear parts." I took my car in for its scheduled maintenance visit to r.c. Hyundai in roswell, ga. After 2 days I experienced acceleration issues and went back to r. C. Dealership. On duty technician informed me the clutch was the source of the problem and it would cost me 2,000.00+ usd. When I asked why I was told this was covered by warranty during the original sales process ireceived inconclusive answers. After a little internet research I discovered: a class action pending stemming from 03-04 Hyundai Tiburon's choice of clutch parts (fly wheel to be specific) and numerous post on edmunds car space ( over 5 pages of enraged Hyundai Tiburon 03-07 owners') Hyundai refuses to acknowledge the faulty, deformed and defective parts that make up its clutch and …
On June 11, 2007 at 26,577 miles, I experienced on my way in to work while driving, a slight stick and a definite "click" sound from my clutch pedal. While at a traffic light I experienced complete clutch failure, the car would not go in to gear. The invoice from the dealership states "internal part on master clutch broken-remove and replace master clutch". On October 15, 2007, at 37,500 miles, there began a similar clutch pedal problem, later the rpms of the engine were increasing, however the gears were not engaging fully, another clutch failure in less than six months. …
1. The 2006 Hyundai Tiburon se that I am the original owner of has been driven almost daily to and from work. I was driving the vehicle today and the clutch starting slipping, I did not drive any differently than I do normally. 2. I had the clutch for the first time ever start slipping today. I was driving up a slight hill and gave the car gas and it started revving up but not actually accelerating. I immediately let off the gas pedal and the rpms came down and reengaged the motor when the transmission should be. This was non-normal operation for the car and I was concerned that if I were to disengage the clutch that I would not be able to engage the clutch and drive the car home. …
Car started to have a clutch pedal problem around 5000 miles, so I took it to the dealer and they said it was normal nothing to worry about. Then at about 10,000 miles the clutch began slipping so I took it once again to the dealer. They said "yep the clutch is pretty worn out it should be replaced but we aren't sure if it will be covered under warranty" so they told me I need to authorize the payment for the clutch repair which was $1100. Well I am a college student and working to own this car and I didn't have the money to authorize that so I pursued the consumer affairs department and after a bout a month driving the car with the slipping clutch. …
2006 Hyundai Tiburon clutch failure. We noticed that the clutch was starting to slip. Shifter started to get stuck in gear. Took to dealership where purchased and was told that it was going to cost 2000.00 to replace the clutch, they also proceed to question me saying that it appears that the car has been raced. We do not race our vehicles. In reading other complaints, this seems to be an on going problem with the standard transmissions in the Hyundai's. I am to wonder if this make and model of vehicle should continue on the market. In order for the dealership to uphold the warranty, you have to have the vehicle maintenance done at a Hyundai dealership and at the specified mileage. The maintenance is not cheap on this vehicle. Our vehicle is at 32,000 miles maintenance was to be done at 30,000 miles, we were unable to afford the almost 600.00 for the maintenance. …
July of 2007 I was having problems getting my car into gear. I brought it to the dealer I bought the car from and they told me that it was a pin that was bent relating to my clutch which I later find out was the master cylinder which was covered so their was no out of pocket expense however a little less than a year later in July of 2008 I was having the same problem so I bring the car back to the dealer and now they are telling me I need a clutch pressure plate release bearing and a flywheel which is not covered my car is less than two years old and has just over 27K miles I learned to drive on my permit using a manual transmission my first car was a manual and now this is my first brand new car and its also a manual I have never burned out a clutch.
Transmission complaints in other Tiburon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon, 66% of the model year's 64 complaints. The component named most often is manual transmission (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Hyundai Tiburon transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon, though it has 1 recall for other components. 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 2006 Hyundai Tiburon transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 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.