RoadVitals

2008 Hyundai Tiburon

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
19
Latest Oct 15, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 1, 2013
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

Overview

Our database contains 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon, most frequently naming the airbags, seat belts and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 31 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags1038.5%
  • Seat belts415.4%
  • Driver assistance27.7%
  • Brakes27.7%
  • Transmission27.7%
  • Tires & wheels13.8%
  • Visibility13.8%
  • Electrical13.8%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
13V113000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Apr 1, 2013
1,712,336 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
The risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Hyundai Motor CompanyManufacturer number 110View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 19
Airbags
Filed Oct 15, 2025

air bags deployed for no reason while driving.

NHTSA ID
11693583
Incident
Oct 13, 2025
BrakesSteeringTransmission
Filed Jul 29, 2021

The contact owns 2008 Hyundai Tiburon. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the hydraulic clutch was depressed and ceased in the depressed position. The contact was able to switch lanes and pulled the vehicle into a parking lot. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure persisted. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as a complete clutch failure. The mechanic was able to repair the clutch except for the linkage. The failure persisted after the repair. After the clutch repair was performed, the steering and the brakes became inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA ID
11427063
Incident
Jan 12, 2021
Mileage
135,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 21, 2020

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP ITS ALSO HAD AN AIRBAG LIGHT ON

NHTSA ID
11375725
Incident
Jul 25, 2018
Airbags
Filed Mar 15, 2020

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND NO ONE CAN FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE DEALER WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS YEAR HAVE A RECALL FOR AIR BAGS

NHTSA ID
11318134
Incident
Jun 15, 2019
Mileage
120,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed May 14, 2019

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. ERROR CODE LEADS TO PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT ISSUE. DEALER JUST RESET COMPUTER AND LIGHT CAME BACK ON. KNOWN CAMPAIGN #094 ON THIS BUT DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS VIN. UNKNOWN IF AIRBAG WILL ACTUALLY DEPLOY IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. LIGHT IS ON AND DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $350 FOR THE PART ALONE (SEAT BELT LATCH)

NHTSA ID
11207617
Incident
May 14, 2019
Mileage
122,394 mi
Interior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Sep 25, 2016

STARTED NOTICING THE ISSUE IN MID MAY 2016. I DON'T USUALLY MOVE MY SEAT FROM THE ORIGINAL POSITION OF COMFORT BUT DRIVER SEAT HAS SHIFTED INADVERTENTLY SLIDING FORWARD OR BACK WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING (15 - 50MPH). ALONG WITH THE SEAT BELT ON OCCASION UNBUCKLED WHILE MOVING SOMETIMES IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEAT MOVEMENT, OTHER TIMES ALONE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LATELY AND I HAVE TAKEN MORE CARE TO HEAR THE CLICK & TUG ON BELT BUT THIS SOMETIMES DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE (UP TO 75MPH), A SHIFTING OF WEIGHT IN SEAT, OR LOOKING OVER SHOULDER FOR TRAFFIC WHILE CHANGING LANES CAN PULL CLIP OUT OF CLASP.

NHTSA ID
10909536
Incident
May 12, 2016
Mileage
63,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 20, 2016

MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I AM UNABLE TO ATTACH A PHOTO TO THIS FORM FOR SOME REASON BUT DO HAVE THEM AND CAN EMAIL.... UPDATED 08/23/16 *BF *TR

NHTSA ID
10897331
Incident
Jul 21, 2016
Mileage
129,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 18, 2016

AIRBAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. I'VE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW (8 YEARS) AND IT STARTED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES REGARDING AIRBAG LIGHT AND THEY DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND IT DISAPPEARS FOR A WHILE. I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH SO HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS LIGHT INDICATES THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY OR NOT.

NHTSA ID
10896882
Incident
Aug 1, 2010
Mileage
30,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

25-BD-012H TSB

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.

24-BD-001H

VISIBILITY; VISIBILITY/WIPER

This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.

23-EM-005H

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.

23-BD-007H

STRUCTURE:BODY

Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Tiburon by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008Viewing191048.3
2007421046.1
2006641041.9
2005431044.8
2004820040.1
20033289055.8
2002240—
2001361045.0
2000581046.6
1999263052.7
1998261146.7
1997364156.8
1996000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.