1998 Hyundai Tiburon: common problems and reliability

The 1998 Hyundai Tiburon has 30 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 1 recall on record. The most-reported areas are power train and engine and engine cooling. Owners most often flag timing belt failure — the timing belt and water pump require service every 5 years/60,000 miles as a critical maintenance item; failure leads to catastrophic engine damage. frequency: very frequent.

Safety record for the 1998 model year

30
Owner complaints
1
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 1998 Hyundai Tiburon vehicles (US, public record).

Where owners report problems

power train
6
engine and engine cooling
6
electrical system
5
seat belts
4
fuel system
4

Recalls affecting the 1998 Tiburon

seat belts:front:webbing

Campaign 01V345000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELTS MAY NOT EXTEND AND RETRACT SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE D-RING GUIDES MOUNTED ON THE BODY PILLARS AFT OF THE DOORS. IF THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT EXTE…

What owners say across generations

Sentiment is mixed and heavily dependent on ownership expectations and maintenance history. Long-term owners frequently report high reliability and durability, with many vehicles reaching 150,000 to 230,000 miles with minimal major issues, describing them as r

  • Timing belt failure — The timing belt and water pump require service every 5 years/60,000 miles as a critical maintenance item; failure leads to catastrophic engine damage. Frequency: very frequent.
  • Electrical issues — Random failures including window motors, battery cable/connector failures at the fuse box leading to no-start conditions, and other unspecified electrical gremlins. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Premature clutch wear — Stock clutch rated for insufficient torque, leading to wear in under 12,000 miles on the V6 GT model. Frequency: isolated.
  • General OEM part quality/reliability — Dashboard switch failures, concerns about long-term durability of some components compared to Japanese rivals. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Difficulty sourcing parts — As a discontinued model, finding certain replacement parts can become challenging. Frequency: isolated.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Tiburon.

Typical used price

Used Tiburon listings typically run $4,393–$6,499 across 2001 to 2008 model years.

Other Tiburon model years

2006 Tiburon2004 Tiburon2002 Tiburon1999 Tiburon
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