2006 Hyundai Tiburon Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2006 Hyundai Tiburon has a complaint index of 67, ranking 2nd worst among 4 model years, with a Caution verdict. Transmission and powertrain issues make up 66% of its 64 complaints, with a median failure mileage of 32,000.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 67/100
- #2 of 4 Tiburon years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 64
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 1
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 6
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 17 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
Top 2006 Hyundai Tiburon problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain42 (66%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (14%)
- Airbags6 (9%)
- Other6 (9%)
- Brakes3 (5%)
- Electrical System3 (5%)
- Visibility & Wipers3 (5%)
- Engine2 (3%)
- Steering2 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Clutch fails or goes out repeatedly on manual transmission cars, sometimes within a few thousand miles of purchase.
- Front or rear airbags fail to deploy during moderate-speed crashes and rollovers, even when the vehicle sustains a hard impact.
- Wheel bearings wear out and in one case a wheel separated from the vehicle while driving.
- Steering locks up unexpectedly during a turn, leading to loss of control.
- Tire tread separates at highway speed, damaging the wiring harness and causing the driver to lose control.
2006 Hyundai Tiburon recalls
1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.
- NHTSA 13V113000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System1,712,336 vehicles
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
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, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
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.
Remedy: 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.
2006 Hyundai Tiburon fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,250
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Tiburon years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2006 Tiburon a complaint index of 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking 2nd worst of the 4 model years with data. Transmission and powertrain problems, mainly clutch failures, account for 66% of its 64 complaints.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon?
- Transmission and powertrain issues are the top problem area, making up 66% of complaints, with owners most often reporting clutch failure at a median mileage of 32,000.
- Does the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists one recall (campaign 13V113000) covering the electrical system, involving a stop lamp switch that Hyundai replaced free of charge. It affects multiple Hyundai models including the 2006-2009 Tiburon range described in the recall.
- How does the 2006 Tiburon compare to other model years?
- The 2006 Tiburon has a complaint index of 67, worse than the 2005 (33, Good) and 2008 (0, Good) model years, but better than the 2007 model year, which has a complaint index of 100 and an Avoid verdict.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2006 Hyundai Tiburon?
- The EPA rates the 2006 Tiburon at 20 mpg combined (17 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,250.