Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicleâÂÂs ownerâÂÂs manual. ï· Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions. ï· Use of other DCT and IVT gear oil may result in reduced durability. Hyundai does not approve the use of any aftermarket ATF or gear oil additives.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2007 Hyundai Tiburon powertrain problems
moderate Owners of the 2007 Hyundai Tiburon have filed 18 NHTSA complaints about the powertrain, typically surfacing around 50,000 miles at roughly $2,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
| Model year | powertrain complaints |
|---|---|
| 2005 Tiburon | 18 |
| 2006 Tiburon | 40 |
| 2007 Tiburon (this page) | 18 |
When does it fail?
Of the 18 powertrain complaints filed for the 2007 Hyundai Tiburon, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA powertrain complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 15 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
The automatic transmission warranty repair policy authorizes in-dealership repairs of the following components for both OEM (new) and remanufactured automatic transmissions:
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin provides the procedure to write the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) during the replacement of the Engine Control Module (ECM) or Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Once the VIN has been programmed to the ECM/PCM, it cannot be removed or overwritten.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Clutch failures dominate complaints on the 2007 Tiburon, with 16 of 18 narratives citing premature failure typically between 12,000 and 62,000 miles. Common symptoms include slipping gears, inability to engage or shift, loud screeching, and complete loss of drive—sometimes on the highway. One owner with 40+ years manual transmission experience reported a second clutch failure 20,000 miles after the first dealer replacement. Owners cite dual-mass flywheel design, pull-type pressure plates, and metering valves in the slave cylinder as structural weaknesses. Repair costs run $1,200–$2,500; one owner replaced both clutch and flywheel at $1,866. Hyundai denies all warranty coverage, claiming wear-part exclusion and driver error, despite multiple owners with decades of stick-shift experience reporting this is abnormal. A class-action lawsuit settled for 2003 models; complaints are documented across 2003, 2004, and 2007 model years. Two additional failures emerged: harmonic balancer shedding causing camshaft breakage and stalling at 70 mph with no warning lights, and transmission shift failures in second owners denied warranty coverage. One owner reported mechanic advice to remove slave cylinder delay valve for better operation, a modification Hyundai likely will not perform.
Same Hyundai Tiburon powertrain reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006
Failure modes owners describe
Clutch assembly premature failure
Clutch fails prematurely—often before 60,000 miles and sometimes under 20,000 miles—with slipping, inability to engage gears, popping out of gear, or complete loss of drive. Multiple owners report second failures after dealer replacement. Owners with 40+ years manual transmission experience report this is abnormal. Hyundai attributes failures to driver error despite patterns suggesting design defect.
When: 11,985 to 62,100 miles; clusters around 17,000–56,000 miles; some repeat failures 20,000–40,000 miles after first replacement
Symptoms owners cite: Clutch slips or will not catch gears; Inability to shift or engage reverse; Gear pops out while driving; Loud screeching sound before loss of power; Jerking when going into first gear; Loss of power on highway (safety hazard)
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement clutch and flywheel cost $1,200–$2,500. Some owners cite need for replacement of dual-mass flywheel (part alone ~$900+), master cylinder, and removal of slave cylinder delay valve/spring for proper operation. Aftermarket clutches mentioned as superior option but not available through dealership. Labor alone ~$700–$720.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hyundai denies warranty coverage under 100,000-mile/10-year warranty, citing 'wear part' exclusion or 'driver error.' Dealership service resets transmission computer on some cases; parts provided as 'goodwill' on second failures but labor remains owner's cost. Class action lawsuit settled for 2003 Tiburon clutches; complaints expanding across model years (2003, 2004, 2007). Hyundai claims failure must be 'driver misuse' or 'riding the clutch,' with standard response that clutch must show wear of <1-year-old part to qualify for warranty.
Dual-mass flywheel fracture/breakage
Dual-mass flywheel breaks or fractures at the collar where the dual-mass is connected—not typical wear but structural failure. Mechanic inspection confirms no wear on clutch surface and flywheel is otherwise smooth, pointing to design defect rather than owner abuse. Owner reports mechanic identified 'poorly designed' dual-mass flywheel as root cause.
When: Timing not specified; owner had researched issue and found lawsuit information for 2003 Tiburon
Symptoms owners cite: Clutch engagement issues following from flywheel structural failure; Fractured collar on dual-mass coupling area
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement dual-mass flywheel cost not specified but identified as expensive ($900+ for part alone in another narrative). Owner unable to afford repair and inquired about class-action lawsuit. Mechanic confirmed poor design of component.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented for this case. Owner noted lawsuit existed for 2003 Tiburon but unclear if 2007 models included.
Harmonic balancer shedding / camshaft breakage
Harmonic balancer shed internally, causing camshaft to break. Vehicle stalled without warning while owner was attempting to merge onto highway at 70 mph—created immediate safety hazard with following traffic unable to brake in time. No diagnostic warning lights or codes displayed before failure despite severity.
When: Mileage not provided; no prior service history given
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls without warning while driving at highway speed; No service engine light or warning indicator before failure; Complete loss of power on highway
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer estimated repair cost $1,200 plus $85 tow fee. Owner on disability with limited income, unable to pay.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer unable to explain why no warning lights activated before critical failure. No recall or warranty information provided in narrative.
Transmission shift failure (stuck in gear/reverse engagement failure)
Transmission fails to shift into reverse or other gears; clutch remains engaged. One narrative reports transmission reset by dealership as temporary fix, with recurrence within a month. Warranty denied for second owner despite 100,000-mile/10-year coverage claim.
When: 57,300 to 63,555 miles (one case); another case undefined timing
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission will not shift into reverse; Clutch remains engaged (will not disengage); Loss of ability to shift gears
Repairs/costs cited: One dealer reset transmission computer; temporary fix lasting ~1 month. No repair completed in documented case. Another narrative mentions potential need for transmission or computer replacement with unspecified cost.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Warranty (100,000 miles) denied for second owner of vehicle. Dealer reset transmission as initial diagnostic; no permanent repair completed. Hyundai positions itself as having 'best warranty in America' but applies it only to first owner.
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
I have a 2007 Hyundai tiburon and while I was driving the clutch simply failed. After luckily avoiding an accident I contacted Hyundai, who stated there was nothing they could do, then took it to a mechanic come to find out I now have to replace my master cylinder as well as most of the clutch assembly, total cost is going to be almost $2400. *tr
Harmonic balancer shedded causing the camshaft to break stalling out while trying to enter a highway ramp.the car just stopped while partially on the highway and ramp to enter causing a close call from behind.a car was speeding up to enter the highway and had to lock up his breaks almost smashing into me at a very high speed the a truck nearly struck me on the highway and had to pull over to the…
I am the sole driver of a 2007 tiburon se. Two years ago, with only 25,685 miles on it, the car had clutch failure, was jerking when going into 1st gear, and not gliding when switching through the other gears. I took it to a dealership week and was told that they would have to take it down to the transmission which would take about 7 hours to do, and then there would be about a 10-30% chance…
2007 Hyundai tiburon with 22k miles the clutch is not working properly and I have been told I may have to replace the clutch. *tr
Clutch went out, I have a manual transmission, and the clutch would pop out of gear then just went out. This is not due to driver . I was driving luckily at 30mph when it was like it had no gear shift at all had to push it to the side and have it towed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Hyundai tiburon. The contact stated after turning the vehicle on, the transmission failed to shift into reverse. The contact stated that the clutch remained engaged. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,300 and the current mileage was 63,555. Updated 11/21/14*cn
The clutch assembly failed for the second time on my daughters 2007 Hyundai tiburon. She bought the car used, with approximately 11,000 miles. The first clutch failed before 12,000 miles, and the dealer replaced it under warranty. The clutch has now failed for the second time, with 30,734 miles. Hyundai said it was not under warranty since it was a wear part, but they would provide the new…
At 17,000 miles the clutch totally went out on my Hyundai tiburon, mind you I bought the car brand new exactly 12 months ago. According to reports online, this is a common occurrence. Went to the dealer, and was told this was not covered, and had to pay for the exact same clutch to be installed, as there is no after market clutch available. *tr
Had powertrain trouble with your 2007 Hyundai Tiburon?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2007 Hyundai Tiburon?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 18 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 18 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 30,734 and 62,083 miles, with the median around 50,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 30,734; a quarter make it past 62,083. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Hyundai/Tiburon.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.