2003 Hyundai Tiburon review from North America
"Other than the clutch problem, I really like it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought a used 03 Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 SE in 06. It had 24K miles on it.
After I drove it for a few days, I decided that the clutch didn't feel right and I took it back to the dealer, and they said that there was nothing wrong. I felt like the release of the clutch plate didn't coincide with the release of the pedal. There was a slight delay.
So I did some web searching and found that there was a spring loaded restricter plate with an orifice in the clutch's hydraulic slave cylinder that only allowed the plate to release at a set rate, IE: slowly. So, with five minutes of work I removed the restricter plate and the clutch functioned much better.
But now at 78K miles, the clutch went out completely. The dealer said that it wasn't under warranty and that the flywheel and throwout were bad also. $2038! I was furious. I know how to drive a standard and I know that it wasn't my fault. I suspect that this restrictor plate in the slave cylinder aggravated the problem with an already defective flywheel. The new clutch shifts much better than the old one ever did, even when there was only 24K on the car.
I put my name in with a few of these class action law suits for this very same problem, and I intend to file a claim with the BBB.
Recommended reviews
  | Nice car although it has a poor paint job |
| I hate this car and wish I had never got it |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.7 V6 Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 24000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 78000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 13th August, 2008 |