2004 Hyundai Tiburon Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
I've owned mine 9 years now. It's been a crazy dependable auto. The tires are a bit pricey, but overall, the cost of maintenance has been minimal. The MPG has been pretty consistent. About 25mpg with mixed 70/30 hwy/city. In my opinion, they should have increased the gear ratio for 6th gear and it would have saved ALOT of gas on highway. I ran nothing but royal purple synthetic motor oil and she still purrs to this day... Always starts and runs smooth as silk. The 6-speed manual takes a bit of getting used to at first, the clutch doesn't really engage till last 15% of pedal. The ratio of the gears is VERY much built for quick accelerating and is why the SE version smokes all other versions. 0-100 in this car once you know how to drive it, comes pretty quick. The handling is aggressive on dry pavement, but can be a bit dicey on wet. It surprisingly doesn't do too bad in snow. It's a bit nose heavy, that's probably why. Love the room when you put the rear seats down. I hauled my complete patio furniture set. 4 swivel chairs and table...
VS
Critical Review
I bought my 2004 tibby 4cyl 5 speed manual used in 2008 for 10,000 dollars, ever since I first saw the second gen I knew I had to have one and I finally got one. Its been 4 years now and my time with it has been less than stellar in the mechanical respect. 2003 and 2004 stick shift tibbys have problems with the clutch delay valve in the slave cylinder causing the clutch to slip before engagement. I have since taken the delay valve out because it really doesn't need to be there. the only reason its there is to keep inexperienced people from dumping the clutch at a high rpm but at a cost of clutch life due to excessive heat and wear from the excess slipping, so its not needed for veteran drivers and it is totally safe to do. I've saved my clutch from early destruction as many other tibby owners have done from doing this mod. one problem solved. now lets get to the rest. at 65000 miles the bcm(Body Control Module)unit goes on the fritz. had to replace it at a cost of 827 dollars just for the part. check engine light has gone on 2 times once for a oxygen sensor and second for a idling problem. gone through two sets of rear tires because of horrible alignment and disgustingly spongy stock springs and struts, got it fixed when I put the new suspension on. paint is oxidized on the plastic gills and gas cap. and if you live in the salt belt like I do then you gotta check your door edges for rust otherwise you get a nice little rust patch on the bottom of the door. caught mine early and repaired it. trust me check your bottom door edges on the inside to make sure there isn't rust brewing. saw a tibby one time and it had a nice big patch of rust from the owner neglecting to check those edges. check for rust, you'll be glad you did. alright now that all the bad stuff is addressed we can move on to the good. LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS!!!! It is a stunningly beautiful car, well designed and curvy in all the right places. comfort is great in this car. with an aftermarket suspension it handles like nobody's business and the 4 cyl has enough get up and go to get the job done. steering is tight. gas mileage is great, I get around 28 to 30 highway have gotten many complements on its looks and and it's a blast to drive and carve corners in. that's why I love the tibby, despite the quality I was hoping for, I did not find it until I undid some of Hyundai's mistakes in the engineering of this car. now the car is reliable as it should be.the only design flaw was the back seat. It should have been a 2 seater. the back seat is more like an exaggerated package shelf. one last thing, keep tabs on the timing belts. they last 60,000 miles in these cars but if you let them go for longer then the belt can snap causing catastrophic engine damage. they are interference engines no matter if it's a 4 or a 6 meaning if the belt snaps the pistons can hit the valves and you'll be looking to shell out several thousand bucks for a new engine. although the replacement of the belt at a shop is not particularly cheap ranging from 4 to 600 around me, it's a heck of allot cheaper than 3000 bucks for a new motor. or if your good with tools you can do it yourself and save a nickel. unfortunately the problems with this car has made me never wanna buy another Hyundai again. Too many things on this car have worn out before they should have and has taken allot of work to make it reliable. bottom line: design = good. engineering and parts quality = needs major improvement. If you want to buy a second gen tibby, buy an auto or find a manual that has the slave cylinder mod done to it. those are your best bets.
2004 Tiburon Reviews
Showing 8 of 359 reviews.
Alot of look and dependability
HP does not live up the styling.
3 Sonatas, (1991,1997,2008) and 3 Tibs, (1999, 2001, 2022), and I have not ever had an issue. From Germany to the States, (Active duty Soldiers/ MILITARY NEED good warranties), My Hyundais all performed every time I turned the key. The Tiburon is not a barn burner, it is the Korean version of the 944 compared to the Targa! LOL!!!! It is sporty, comfortable, handles well and gets good gas mileage with the manual/2lt, the 6cylinder is a blast to drive if you want something faster. The cost of repairs are nominal, that is when you have to repair- the 10yr/100,000 mile warranties offer a no-cost repair life. If you want a good solid sports car that is easy on the gas and full of looks,..., you can't go wrong with a Tiburon at the prices they are now as used. My last Tiburon, 2002 6cyl, is still running strong in another state, my ex has it since 2004 and has never reported any issues at all as usual. Regular maintenance will keep these roadsters going a long time. Mileage is unknown but will be well over 150,000 by now easily.
Responds quickly and gives good milage.
Blind spots...I figured out how to resolve them!
I bought my '03 Hyundai Tiburon car in 2006, it came from CA had some basic problems like shimming @60mph, in '08 I experienced a loss in power on my way to KY. Later BCM issues, radiator replacements but I fixed them, it made a mechanic out of me. It has a solid engine and I stuck with it. Guess what? I never had a major problem since '08. I since drove it from VA to MA and of course NY. I tune it faithfully and my efforts continues to pay off.
Solid,handles well,Grtsound syst, reliable, sporty
Some road noise, not for 5'10" & above,
I have owned two of these cars. They have been accused of being a "go-kart on wheels", but if you want a really sporty car that is fun to drive and handles well, for a reasonable price, then this car might be for you. Here are the UPs and the Downsides of the car...UPs: Solidly built, handles great, even the 4-cylinder wants to GO (good uphill too), fun to drive, low maintenance needs (only ever have to do regular oil changes, brakes, tires, AWESOME sound system,6-speakers, Handles well. Downside: Some road noise --sportscars are low to the ground! If you're over 5'10" harder to get in/out of. This car has never refused to start and has never left me stranded. I bought a 2nd one when my other one was totaled because I love it that much!
This has been a money after I bought from a dealer with only 11,331 miles on it. I had to have transmission replaced at 32000 and then motor rebuilt at 62,000 miles and that doesn't include various other items including a/c, interior and other issues.
There's nothing wrong
I have had no problems with the car I fix everything when it needs it it does need to paint job and car seat covers
Great on Gas and Reliable
Small back seat!
Bought my USED 4 Cly. automatic 2005 (2nd owner). I'm 5'5", comfortable (for me) and it's now over 200,000 km and still runs like the day I bought it (3 yrs ago). Regular maintenance and tlc is all you need. I would buy another Tiburon as long as they are available. Not into the newer models. She's all I want! Great on gas and travels just fine! Reliable.
Fast, fun, and great looking
Like most Hyundais, the cabin is a tad loud
This sexy beast is fast and fun to drive. I love my Tiburon. Very reliable and great on gas. The low height doesn't cause problems visually, but rather allows this nimble vehicle to really hug the road. I trust its very good safety rating for the year, too.
Durable. Very spacious, back seat folds to load!!
Suspension is a bit rough
I bought it new. Other than regular maintenance, I've never had any problems with it. This is manual, it has great grip. I don't use it frequently, it has not been an issue to start it. As a petit person, it adjusts perfectly to sitting. It has great visibility, no dead points! Though it looks small, it's very spacious. Back seat folds, providing extra room to carry large pieces such as book shelf or table. I transport large art canvases! My mechanic told me it has a long life! As far as there is regular maintenance, the engine and parts are in perfect condition after all these years. I do not have a garage, yet, weather has not affected much.
