2008 Hyundai Tiburon problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (7) · Seat Belts (3) · Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Tiburon model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch 2013-04-01 · campaign 13V113000 · 1,712,336 vehicles
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, m
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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (34)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DL · Other
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 vehi
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DCS · Other
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
Exterior Lighting 2025-11-06 · 25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 34 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-10-15 · Air Bags“air bags deployed for no reason while driving.…”
2021-07-29 · Steering · 135,000 mi“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 mechani…”
2020-11-21 · Air Bags“when i bought the car from a dealership its also had an airbag light on…”
2020-03-15 · Air Bags · 120,000 mi“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…”
2019-05-14 · Seat Belts · 122,394 mi“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)…”
2016-09-25 · Seats · 63,000 mi“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 …”
2016-08-20 · Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly · 129,000 mi“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…”
2016-08-18 · Air Bags · 30,000 mi“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…”
2016-05-20 · Air Bags“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 refus…”
2015-08-18 · Air Bags · 50,000 mi“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 fa…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.