RoadVitals

2008 Hyundai Tiburon Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Oct 15, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
53%
of 19 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Oct 15, 2025

air bags deployed for no reason while driving.

NHTSA ID
11693583
Incident
Oct 13, 2025
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
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
Airbags
Filed May 20, 2016

PURCHASED NEW, ORIGINAL OWNERS. AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON VARIOUS TIMES REQUIRING REPAIR, AND DEALERSHIP OF PURCHASE (NORTH PARK HYUNDAI) HAS ALWAYS REFUSED TO REPAIR DEFECTS UNDER WARRANTY COVERAGE ON VEHICLE. AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE FAILED FOR NO REAL REASON (DEALERSHIP SAID MOISTURE CAUSED FAILURE - VERY HOT AND HUMID IN SOUTH LOUISIANA) AND REFUSED TO COVER THE PART SO WE PAID OVER 600 BUCKS TO CHANGE THE MODULE BECAUSE OUR COLLEGE AGE DAUGHTER IS USING THIS VEHICLE. NOT LONG AFTER THIS REPAIR (THAT WAS TOLD TO US, BY THIS DEALERSHIP, WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM), THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. OUR LATEST VISIT TO THIS DEALERSHIP WAS THE SAME - THIS TIME THEY SAID IT IS THE AIRBAG SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT (NOT THE CENTER CONSOLE ONE THAT FAILED LAST TIME) AND (WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT) THEY WANTED ANOTHER 600 DOLLARS TO CHANGE THIS MODULE! THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY ISSUES WITH THE 2008 TIBURON AIRBAG SYSTEM (THIS CAR ONLY HAS AROUND 60K MILES ON IT), AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED WHEN WE ARE IN IT. LUCKILY THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
10870102
Incident
Jan 14, 2014
Airbags
Filed Aug 18, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID
10749477
Incident
Aug 18, 2014
Mileage
50,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed Jun 23, 2015
Crash reported

MY 2008 HYUNDAI TIBURON HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN 3 ACCIDENTS (NONE MY FAULT). THE IMPACT WAS OF ENOUGH SIGNIFICANCE THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE FIRST COLLISION INVOLVED A DEER THAT WAS BEING CHASED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND IT HIT MY CAR SO HARD, THE DEER EXPLODED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TOLD THE CRASH WAS EQUIVALENT TO 80 MPH HEAD ON. ALSO, SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE IT CONTINUALLY REVVS ITSELF AND NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. IT DOES IT ALL THE TIME AND IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I CANNOT STOP WHILE ITS REVVING LIKE THIS. I HAVE TO THROW IT IN NEUTRAL, HIT THE GAS, THEN IT WILL STOP REVVING. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS (AND VERY ANNOYING) IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WILL RANDOMLY SHUT ITSELF OFF AND QUITE FREQUENTLY. I DID NOT BUY THIS AS A USED CAR.

NHTSA ID
10726991
Incident
Aug 2, 2013
Mileage
30,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Sep 10, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG OFF WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10632242
Incident
May 13, 2014
Mileage
32,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 25, 2008
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. AN ESTIMATE HAS NOT YET BEEN GENERATED CONCERNING THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.

NHTSA ID
10239670
Incident
Aug 22, 2008
Mileage
11,000 mi

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .