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Hyundai Sonata Maintenance and Repair

3234 messages,  Last post on Oct 15, 2012 at 7:44 AM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Sedan

Messages Page 236 of 324

#2347 of 3234 Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? by rustygutter

Feb 20, 2008 (5:23 pm)

I have a 2005 Sonata with 27k miles on it. It's the first new car I've ever purchased. A few months ago I noticed a couple of small spots where paint was starting to peel off the outside door handles. As the problem started getting worse I finally got around to taking it to the dealership; where I was told in no uncertain terms that they were not going to be able to help me (in any way) since I was almost 4 months out of (paint) warranty. According to what they told me, Hyundai's 3 year paint warranty was better than most. To say they were unhelpful is a gross understatement. So I called Hyundai and was told that they would consider my case and render a judgment on whether to cover the repair costs. Today I came home to an answering machine message saying that they were denying coverage.
 
I have several questions. Is this paint problem common on Hyundais? And are are all dealers/auto-makers so unhelpful when it comes to fixing problems like mine? Would I be better off buying something other than a Hyundai next time?

#2348 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [rustygutter] by bhmr59

Feb 20, 2008 (7:31 pm)

Replying to: rustygutter (Feb 20, 2008 5:23 pm)
What color is you car?
 
My Sonata is an '05 also.
 
From time to time many manufacturers have had paint problems, usually limited to certain colors.

#2349 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [rustygutter] by backy

Feb 20, 2008 (7:37 pm)

Replying to: rustygutter (Feb 20, 2008 5:23 pm)
How long of a paint warranty would you like to have on your Sonata? Five years? Ten? Maybe lifetime?
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "lousy warranty support." The car is out of warranty for the problem you reported. It would have been a real nice gesture for Hyundai to give you special consideration and take care of the problem even though it's not covered by the warranty. But they are under no obligation to do so.
 
Maybe if you had taken the car in to the dealer a few months ago, when you first noticed the problem and the car was still under warranty, it would be taken care of by now?

#2350 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [bhmr59] by rustygutter

Feb 20, 2008 (8:13 pm)

Replying to: bhmr59 (Feb 20, 2008 7:31 pm)
Silver. And FWIW, the paint is only coming off on the plastic parts -- it's fine on the metal body.

#2351 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [backy] by rustygutter

Feb 20, 2008 (8:26 pm)

Replying to: backy (Feb 20, 2008 7:37 pm)
How long would I have like the warranty to last? Five years would have been nice. As in the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty is 5 years. But honestly it's not just warranty length that bothers me. It's the fact that now I have an expensive repair and that neither the dealer nor Hyundai was willing to give in the slightest. I've had plenty of cars longer than 3 years -- and none of them started peeling like the Hyundai. And to top it off, I've treated the car really well. So is the peeling paint common for Hyundai, or did I just get lucky?
 
And to reply to your little dig about it being my own fault for not noticing that the paint didn't fall under the bumper-to-bumper warranty -- you're right. It's a mistake I won't make again. And thanks so much for rubbing my nose in it!

#2352 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [rustygutter] by targettuning

Feb 21, 2008 (4:57 am)

Replying to: rustygutter (Feb 20, 2008 8:26 pm)
Regarding the peeling paint. Plastic trim such as your door handles, side door moldings and the outside rear view mirrors to name a few are prone to paint peeling. I think because the plastic is non friendly and non adherent to paint and primer, especially the new EPA mandated non volatile water based paints now required. It isn't such a big or expensive job to have these repainted. Just do it.! Silver has traditionally had peeling problems for decades and not only restricted to plastic parts but large sheets of paint disappear from horizontal surfaces such as hood trunk and roof.

#2353 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [rustygutter] by tenpin288

Feb 21, 2008 (7:14 am)

Replying to: rustygutter (Feb 20, 2008 8:26 pm)
My wife drives an 04 Sonata LX in powder pearl white. And other than the typical chips from the salt and cinders they use on our roads in the winter here in south-central PA, we have had no problems with the paint. I am really sorry to hear of your problems, but as has been mentioned, waiting to bring this up to your dealer until after your paint warranty expired was not your best choice. I would definitely try getting in touch with the higher-ups at Hyundai's corporate HQ and plead your case, but they would be within their rights to just re-affirm the decision already made. But you never know until you try.

#2354 of 3234 Re: Bad paint problems & lousy warranty support? [rustygutter] by backy

Feb 21, 2008 (8:17 am)

Replying to: rustygutter (Feb 20, 2008 8:26 pm)
I had no intention of "rubbing your nose" in anything and I'm sorry you feel that way. I just feel that it's too common for car owners (and I include myself here) to make a mistake in the upkeep of our cars, then expect the manufacturer to come to our rescue. I've seen that kind of thing all the time in Town Hall.
 
I had a '01 Elantra (no paint issues, even on the door handles, after 7-1/2 years of ownership by me and now my sister) on which the clutch plate "broke" after about five years (a little over five years). I went into the dealer "expecting" Hyundai to cover it through the powertrain warranty. Turned out the clutch had been abused--often--by my son and my wife. The dealer looked for signs of a defect but could only see that it had been abused, so they said they couldn't report it as a warranty claim. Although I really hated paying that repair bill ($1300), I had to agree with them. Would I have loved it if Hyundai has said, "You know, even though the clutch was abused a lot, so technically the warranty doesn't cover it, we'll cover it or pay half or whatever because we value you as a customer." (I owned two Hyundais at the time.) Sure. But I can't fault them for not doing that.
 
Have you had the paint repair on the door handles estimated? I would think it would be a fairly easy, spot-painting kind of repair. Might even be possible for a do-it-yourselfer who is pretty good with a spray paint can/gun; factory-matched paint for all cars is available on the Web for a nominal price.

#2355 of 3234 Time for the timing belt change. (2002 Sonata 4cyl) by neworder8

Feb 21, 2008 (9:18 am)

I just rolled over the 60,000 mile marker and it's time for a new timing belt (among other things). My Hyundai service tech quoted a price of around $450.00 for this. I looked up the part and it runs between $60-100. I've always had excellent service from my guys, but if I can get this done for less at a chain or small service place I'd like to. What have you folks experienced with this?
 
Also, I'm planning on a transmission flush at the same time. The shifting is a bit rough these days, will the flush help. Just curious.
 
Thanks in advance!

#2356 of 3234 Re: Time for the timing belt change. (2002 Sonata 4cyl) [neworder8] by patrickjk2

Feb 21, 2008 (9:07 pm)

Replying to: neworder8 (Feb 21, 2008 9:18 am)
neworder8,
 
I have a 03 Sonata with a v6 and I just had my belt replaced for my 60k. I can't really afford to have a dealer work on my car every time i need something done. So I have a small shop I know and trust for work such as brakes, tires, oil etc. When I asked them about changing the timing belt, they recommended I take it to the dealer. However, they did say if it was a 4cyl they would have done it. But apparently the v6 timing belt job is a bit more complicated.
I live in a fairly big city ( st. louis) so I had the benefit of getting quotes from 6 or 7 dealers: All of them quoted me above $500 except for two, both of which quoted the job at $370, and one of those two said it was a 'special'.
I chose the dealer whose price was $370 and who did not mention it being a special price. They had their most experienced tech do the job and he did it in 2.5 hrs which from what I gather is not bad.
    Anyway, the way I see it, it's a big job and you really want to put your best foot forward for the work, so the dealer is worth the extra dough. Call other dealers though, if i got my v6 done for $370 you should be able to get your 4cyl done for that much or less at least.
    The dealer recommended I got my power steering, brake, and trans flushed. But I declined - I wanted to but I didnt have the money, plus it seemed to me like a job for my small shop guys where I could save. Really though, I'm just unsure of what a flush accomplishes? What really is a flush? Do they just swap the old fluid for new and call it a flush? Is there a machine involved? Does everyone use this machine? My sonata could shift better too, it's especially noticeable when the car is very cold - it waits too long to upshift when i accelerate. And so I have the same question - will flushing fix this? Can someone give a flush 101?

Messages Page 236 of 324

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