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1998 Hyundai Tiburon Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

46 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.26 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious01V345000

Seat Belts:Front:Webbing

IF THE SEAT BELTS ARE INCONVENIENT TO USE, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE INCLINED TO WEAR THE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY, raises the risk of INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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 REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

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.

Complaint volume

46 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 46 complaints. Severity Index 0.26.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Unknown Or Other6 · 13%Power Train · Automatic T…4 · 9%Electrical System2 · 4%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 4%Fuel System, Other · Stor…2 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control2 · 4%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 6 reports
  2. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 4 reports
  3. Electrical System — 2 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2 reports
  5. Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly — 2 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 2 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 2 reports
  8. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  9. Air Bags — 2 reports
  10. Seat Belts:Front:Retractor — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1997 (4) · 1998 · 1999 (3) · 2000 (1) · 2001 (1) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (9) · 2004 · 2005 (1) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (1) · 2008 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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