Model year guide

1998 Hyundai Tiburon

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 1998 Hyundai Tiburon is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 1 on record.

1998 Hyundai Tiburon — representative photo
Representative photo

1998 Hyundai Tiburon at a glance

Safety recalls1
Owner complaints30
Combined22–23 mpg

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

1998 Hyundai Tiburon recalls 1

Seat Belts:front:webbing NHTSA Campaign #01V345000 · 06/11/2001

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 EXTEND AND RETRACT SMOOTHLY, THEY MAY TWIST IN THE D-RING GUIDES AND MAKE IT INCONVENIENT TO EXTEND AND RETRACT THE SEAT BELTS.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A STOPPER OVER EACH FRONT SEAT BELT D-RING GUIDE TO ASSIST THE SEAT BELT TO SMOOTHLY EXTEND AND RETRACT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 10, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A…

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

1998 Hyundai Tiburon common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Check coolant level and color, look for leaks, and confirm the engine reaches normal temperature without overheating.
Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Seat Belts
Check that every belt latches, retracts and locks under a sharp tug, and that none are frayed.
Fuel System
Sniff for fuel odor, check for leaks, hard starts or stalling, and confirm the fuel gauge reads correctly.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

1998 Hyundai Tiburon MPG & running costs

Combined22–23 mpg
City20 mpg
Highway28 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,975
EPA size classSubcompact Cars
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd or Manual 5-spd
Passenger volume80 cu ft
Cargo volume13 cu ft
5-yr fuel cost vs average new car$2,875 more

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 2 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 1998 Hyundai Tiburon costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$14,875
Fuel only$14,875
Per mile$0.20

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

Dimensions & weight

Length
170.9 in
Width
68.1 in
Height
51.6 in
Wheelbase
97.6 in
Curb weight
2,549 lb
Front track
57.9 in
Rear track
57.5 in

Manufacturer-reported figures for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.

Investigations & service bulletins

NHTSA defect investigations 1

FUEL CAP REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN 36 Open

NHTSA #SQ00003 · Fuel System, Gasoline · opened Feb 2000

An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.

Manufacturer service bulletins 42

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 42.

Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement.

Bulletin 22-EM-010H · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2022

Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.  Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions.  Use of other DCT and IVT gear oil may result…

Bulletin 21-AT-006H · Power Train · May 2021

This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.

Bulletin 21-EM-003H · Engine And Engine Cooling, Equipment · Mar 2021

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to moisture accumulation in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. The TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp as…

Bulletin 20-BD-014H · Exterior Lighting, Equipment, Equipment Adaptive/mobility · Jul 2020

This bulletin provides information on tire maintenance best practices and procedures for dealers and customers to maximize tire life and performance.

Bulletin 20-SS-002H(1) · Tires, Wheels · May 2020

This bulletin describes the general guidelines to help disinfect and protect vehicle exterior/interior surfaces using recommended safe chemical products.

Bulletin 20-BD-007H-1 · Equipment · May 2020

This bulletin provides information on identifying dealer stock vehicles with either: • A Battery SOC alert - low Battery State of Charge (SOC) at or below 50%. • A 30 Day alert - vehicle has not started and reported an SOC in 30 days.

Bulletin 20-EE-003H · Equipment, Electrical System · Apr 2020

The automatic transmission warranty repair policy authorizes in-dealership repairs of the following components for both OEM (new) and remanufactured automatic transmissions:

Bulletin 20-AT-016H · Power Train, Equipment, Equipment Adaptive/mobility · Apr 2020

This bulletin describes the general guidelines to disinfect and protect vehicle interior surfaces using certain safe chemical products.

Bulletin 20-BD-007H · Equipment Adaptive/mobility · Mar 2020

This bulletin describes the requirements for all wheel alignment and/or vehicle tracking claims and best practices when diagnosing and conducting alignment-related repairs for all models and model years.

Bulletin 20-SS-001H · Suspension · Feb 2020

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the TIBURON. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

Canadian recalls 1

Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.

Seats And Restraints

Certain vehicles are equipped with driver and front passenger seat belts that 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 extend and retract smoothly, they may twist in the D-ring guides and make it inconvenient to extend and retract the seat belts. Correction: Dealers will install D-ring g…

Transport Canada #2001260 · Oct 2001

Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.

About the Hyundai Tiburon

The Hyundai Tiburon, known in Europe as the Hyundai Coupé, is a front wheel drive sports coupe that was produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai from 1996 to 2008.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

1998 Hyundai Tiburon vehicles on record

Other Hyundai Tiburon model years

1998 Hyundai Tiburon — frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon?

Across all 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are power train, engine and engine cooling, electrical system.

What gas mileage does the 1998 Hyundai Tiburon get?

The 1998 Hyundai Tiburon has U.S. EPA estimates of 22–23 mpg combined, depending on engine and trim (2 versions).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.