2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON Complaints

HELLO, I'M 26YRS OLD. I OWN A 2003 TIBURON GT V6 6SPEED WITH LESS THAN 80,000 MILES. I BOUGHT IT OFF OF THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH ONLY 9,000 MILES. WITHIN THE 70,000 MILES I'VE DRIVEN IT, IT'S HAD THREE CLUTCHES.? I'VE OWNED ALL MANUAL DRIVEN CARS SINCE I WAS 16, I LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE WITH ONE. WE ALL KNOW I BURNED THAT CLUTCH UP A LITTLE BIT YET I STILL DIDN'T BURN THAT CLUTCH OUT. THE FIRST CLUTCH I HAD TO REPLACE I PAID FOR THE PARTS. HYUNDAI TOOK CARE OF THE LABOR WHICH WAS NICE BUT, I STILL HAD TO PAY FOR A PART THAT I WASN'T AT FAULT FOR RUINING. NOW I'M ON MY THIRD CLUTCH, I HAD TO PAY FOR THIS ONE IN FULL BECAUSE I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND HYUNDAI ONLY COVERS 60,000 MILES. AS OF 01\06\09 THIS ONE IS NO LONGER WORKING. THERE HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURES DEFECT OF SOME KIND. WHETHER IT IS THE HYDRAULIC LINES PUMPING TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH FLUID, THE REVERSE DUAL MASS CLUTCH, OR IT BEING THE FIRST YEAR THEY MADE THE CAR, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS HYUNDAI HAD TO TAKE CARE OF. I NEED HELP PLEASE. I'VE READ MORE REVIEWS ON "2003" TIBURON'S THAN I CAN HANDLE TO READ, AND AT LEAST 90% SAID THEY HAD CLUTCH PROBLEMS. I STARTED LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION AND THE ONLY THING I COULD FIND WAS CONSUMER AFFAIRS #, E-MAIL, AND A FEW OTHER #'S. I CALLED THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS #, AND NOW THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T HELP GO FIGURE. THEIR REASON WAS IT BEING TO FAR OUT OF WARRANTY ALTHOUGH IT WAS AT ONLY 31,000 MILES. NOW AT 77,000 IT GOES AGAIN, WHAT A COINCIDENCE. THIS DISASTER OF A CAR HAS COST ME AROUND $4,000 AND HAS ALSO PUT A HALT ON MY LIFE. I HAD A JEEP PAYMENT THAT I HAD TO SURRENDER BACK TO THE BANK BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER PAY FOR REPAIRS ON THE TIBURON AND MY JEEP. I'M WRITING THIS IN HOPE THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF GOOD WILL, RECALL, ECT. TO HELP REIMBURSE MY LOSES. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE AIR BAG INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED AND WILL NOT DIM. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WIRING IS PREVENTING THE AIR BAG FROM DEPLOYING IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V290000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY) WAS REFERENCED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. ON NOVEMBER 14, 2008, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V395000 (AIR BAGS); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT A CRASH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER AND THEY REFUSE TO INSPECT IT OR MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,184.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON GT V6 IN APRIL OF 2008. THE CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS IN GREAT CONDITION AND DID NOT HAVE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY WHEN I PUT ON MY TURN SIGNAL TO CHANGE LANES. AFTER I HAD CHANGED LANES I NOTICED THAT MY TURN SIGNAL WAS PERMANANTLY ON. UPON ENCOUNTERING THIS PROBLEM I TOOK MY CAR TO BOB KING HYUNDAI IN WINSTON-SALEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS INTERNAL PROBLEMS WITH THE BCM AND THAT IT WOULD COST $1100 JUST FOR THE PART, PLUS LABOR. UPON FINDING OUT THIS TOTALLY ABSURD PROBLEM, I WENT ONTO THE INTERNET TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO FIX. MY DISCOVERIES WERE AMAZING. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY PERSON THAT HAS A 2003-05 HYUNDAI TIBURON HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN THE CARS HAVE REACHED 100,000 MILES OR MORE. THIS PROBLEM LEAVES YOU WITH OUT TURN SIGNALS AND DRIVING LIGHTS. IT CAN ALSO SPREAD AND EFFECT OTHER AREAS OF THE CAR, LIKE NOT LETTING THE WINDOWS ROLL DOWN, CAUSE THE KEYLESS ENTRY TO MALFUNCTIONS, AND CUTS OFF YOU HUD LIGHTS AS WELL. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE HANDLE BY THE HYUNDAI MOTORS CO. *TR

WHILE IN OPERATION OF OPENING, SUNROOF CAUGHT SUNSHADE AND BENT MECHANISM RESULTING IN BROKEN PIECES AND SUNSHADE HITTING DRIVER IN HEAD CAUSING BRUISING. RESULT OF INCIDENT CAUSED INJURY TO DRIVER AND SUNROOF MECHANISM TO BE STUCK OPEN UNTIL ALL BROKEN PARTS WERE REMOVED, SUNROOF DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY NOW. *TR

2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON GT SMELLS OF GASOLINE WHEN STARTING, AT IDLE STAND STILL, AND WHEN TURNING CAR OFF FOR SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. SMELL OF GAS VERY STRONG INSIDE CAR. *TR

MY CAR WAS PARKED, I GET INTO THE CAR AS NORMALLY AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR......... BOOM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH NO REASON, I NEVER HIT ANYTHING, THE CAR NEVER MOVED,IN LESS THAN A SECOND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, A BIG EXPLOSION, M CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. I WAS SCARED WHAT IF THAT COULD OCCUR WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IM 100% THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND BE A RECALL OF THIS. MY INSURANCE WONT COVER AND THEY PROBABLY WILL RAISE MY COVERAGE, I HAD BRUISES IN MY HAND AND FOREHEAD DUE TO THE IMPACT. A REPAIR SHOP WILL COST ME MORE THAN 1,000 DOLLARS WHICH I DON'T HAVE. AND NOW IM SCARED TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR, AND I NEED IT TO GET TO MY JOB AND I CAN'T. *TR

IN AUG OF 2008, WITH 90K MILES ON THE CAR, WE HAD NOTICED THAT THE CLUTCH WAS BECOMING HARD TO IN-GAGE IN ORDER TO SWITCH GEARS. WE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER SEALS WERE FAILING. DURING THIS REPAIR THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS ALSO REPLACED . BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THESE COMPONENTS THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS PHYSICALLY INSPECTED DURING DISASSEMBLY. THE CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL AND PRESSURE PLATE APPEARED BURNED AND AT A POINT OF FAILURE, WHEN DISASSEMBLED A RING ON THE FLYWHEEL WAS NO LONGER IN EVIDENCE. IF THE FLYWHEEL DOES NOT HAVE THIS RING THERE IS NOT ANYWAY FOR THE CLUTCH TO WORK SO IT WAS DEDUCED THAT IT DECOMPOSED IN USE AND WITH NO EVIDENCE OF IT IN DISASSEMBLY. THIS IS A DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL WHICH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE PROBLEMATIC IN OTHER BRANDS OF VEHICLES. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WAS $2300. THE COMPANY AND DEALERS CONTINUE TO CLAIM THAT THE FAILURES ARE NOT THE FAULT OF THE VEHICLE'S DESIGN BUT ARE THE FAULT DRIVER ABUSE. BELIEVE ME, MY WIFE AND I HAVE DRIVEN DOZENS OF CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS SOME OF WHICH WERE HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORTS CARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH IN ANY CAR, THREE OF WHICH WERE USED FOR AMATEUR RACING (OTHERS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OVER 180K MILES AND SOLD WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A CLUTCH REPLACEMENT.) RESEARCH ON THE NHSTA SITE AND OTHERS SHOW OVER 700 IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF 2003-2004 HYUNDAI TIBURON GT'S AND ALMOST ZERO ON 2005-2007. THE REPLACEMENT FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY (PUT IN THE CAR IN AUG.2008) HAD A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FLYWHEEL RETAINING DEVICE THAN THE ORIGINAL. THESE TWO THINGS WOULD INDICATE THAT HYUNDAI MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH LATER MODEL VEHICLES AND WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OR REBATE REPAIR COSTS TO THOSE OWNERS OF THE 2003 AND EARLY 2004 6 SPEED CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES. A FULL INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE IN REGARDS TO THIS PROBLEM AND RESTITUTION SHOULD BE MADE TO THE OWNERS AND FORMER OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS ORDERED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V290000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,950 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,010. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 10/20/08. *JB