Azera Owners: Do You Have Suspension Issues? Options

[TheWidowsSon]

Are all of the people (I'm one of them) that have had NO suspension problems just lucky. Or are we just ignorant when it comes to cars, and deaf because we can't hear the "clunk". My '07 has 35k miles now and still rides as well as it did when new. I drive on a bumpy, potholed road every time I leave and enter my subdivision and listen every time for any unusual noise. Nothing other than tire noise. My brother-in-law recently bought a new '09 and it seems to ride and sound the same as mine.

Either you're one of the lucky ones with the "good" shocks ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif) ) or you are, like you said, deaf. In which case you're still lucky because ignorance is bliss.

I'm personally keeping my fingers crossed for luck with my Azera. I'm already lucky to be ignorant because I still don't know the difference between shocks and dampers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grin.gif)

[andyman32]

Are all of the people (I'm one of them) that have had NO suspension problems just lucky. Or are we just ignorant when it comes to cars, and deaf because we can't hear the "clunk". My '07 has 35k miles now and still rides as well as it did when new. I drive on a bumpy, potholed road every time I leave and enter my subdivision and listen every time for any unusual noise. Nothing other than tire noise. My brother-in-law recently bought a new '09 and it seems to ride and sound the same as mine.

HA! We had an esteemed regular of this forum for a good long while who took perverse pleasure in asserting (over and over and over) that anyone who doesn't hate this car with a passion is totally, completely ignorant. Thankfully we don't have that little gem of wisdom being shared with us daily any more. Personally, it does not appear to be one way or the other. Some folks might not notice the same noise that others do... some might notice it and not be bothered by it... some might ACTUALLY not be experiencing it. The kinds of handling problems that are reported seem to vary wildly, so that again could be a combination of your tolerance, knowledge, experience with relevant comparisons, driving habits, and driving environment.

In the 4100 miles I've put on my Azera I certainly wouldn't find it in any way disappointing as a daily driver... I'm just kind of fickle, I like trying different cars and rarely stick with any one car for more than 2-3 years. The depreciation is really my biggest beef with the Az at the moment, and it's not really the Azera's fault, it's my own, for buying a new car, which contradicts my established personal preferences and habits. Can hardly blame Hyundai for my making a bad decision. (Or can I? I'm willing to try anything once...) I would have much rather bought a low-mileage 2 year old Az for half what I paid and played with that for a while. Oh well! Live and learn. (Or, in my case, don't... this is the second time I've bought a new car and regretted it due to depreciation alone.)

This post has been edited by andyman32: May 30 2009, 08:59 AM

[campoly]

Nothing other than tire noise. My brother-in-law recently bought a new '09 and it seems to ride and sound the same as mine.

And that is exactly the way it should be. I think all Azeras, out of the box, start out with a smooth, taught pleasing ride. Unfortunately for some of us, and only God and Hyundai knows why, after several K miles the ride goes noisy, busy, sloppy and choppy as if one is riding on a worn out suspension. But for many of us, the clunking is the minor part of the equation. I live in an area known as the Mid Cities right between Dallas and Fort Worth Texas where compared to our bigger neighbors we have well maintained streets. There are virtually no pot holes along the route that I take to work. I'm not saying the streets are perfect but the imperfections are greatly magnified in the Azera. Between me and my wife and kids, we have 4 cars (1 Honda & 2 Mitsubishi) which have no problem handling the local streets and freeways in a quiet, well behaved fashion. Not so with my Azera (the most expensive one of the four). I've been traveling the streets in my area now for 15 yrs and always took the (relatively) good quality of our streets for granted until my Azera came along.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/puzzled.gif)

rminor,

I'm as equally puzzled as you as to why some have problems and some don't. A few days after I bought my Azera, I had it back to the dealer to program the "easy out" feature and the automatic locking sequence feature and to check out some interior squeaks. They gave me a loaner Azera that had 15+k on it. I put about 75 miles on that loaner and enjoyed every minute of it. Driving that older loaner made me feel good about my purchase. But alas, by the time my Azera had 2k on it I started to notice a big difference it the ride quality from when it was new and even from thinking back on that loaner Azera.

I promise you, those of us who are dissatisfied about our ride quality are not dreaming this up.

[campoly]

I wish I knew how to delete this post....

This post has been edited by campoly: May 30 2009, 12:51 PM

[campoly]

In everyday life I'm a positive person (IMG:style_emoticons/default/59.gif) . In fact, life is very good for me and my family. Sort of Ozzie and Harriet-esq but not as squeaky clean and polished. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/essen37.gif)

But it occurred to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) that in my last umpteen posts on this forum, I've not had any thing positive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) to say about Hyundai (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alien.gif) , my Azera (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wallbash.gif) , nor the Hyundai dealerships (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) and the horses they rode in on.

It also occurs to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) that I must seem like a big whiner (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blownose.gif) with nothing positive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rant2.gif) to say and it's got to be a great big ol drag for the rest of the membership (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grouphug.gif) here who are enjoying (IMG:style_emoticons/default/auto.gif) their Azeras.

So, I apologize and vow to stop..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beathorse.gif)

I wish you all continued happiness and enjoyment with your Azeras and in life. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/57.gif) OUT!...... campoly

This post has been edited by campoly: May 30 2009, 12:53 PM

[Gator65]

campoly,
Have no fear or regrets. You gave your honest experiences with your car, which too, too many of us also have shared. No one, including Hyundai, knows what the problem is. If H knows, they aren't telling the rest of us, but every year, H. says the suspension has been revised/improved/whatever in each new version of the Azera. Why does it need yearly improvements if their is no problem?
Personally, I think it is a design AND quality control issue. The shocks are poorly designed for the task they are given and quality control by H. and its suppliers allows too many questionable parts to slide through.
This ultimately is what will keep H. from becoming a serious contender in the luxury market, be it Azera, Vera Cruz, Genesis or Equus.

[campoly]

campoly,
Have no fear or regrets. You gave your honest experiences with your car, which too, too many of us also have shared. No one, including Hyundai, knows what the problem is. If H knows, they aren't telling the rest of us, but every year, H. says the suspension has been revised/improved/whatever in each new version of the Azera. Why does it need yearly improvements if their is no problem?
Personally, I think it is a design AND quality control issue. The shocks are poorly designed for the task they are given and quality control by H. and its suppliers allows too many questionable parts to slide through.
This ultimately is what will keep H. from becoming a serious contender in the luxury market, be it Azera, Vera Cruz, Genesis or Equus.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif) Gator65


BTW, I had some fried gator nuggets and frog legs and gumbo and raw oysters and Abita Beer at Pappadeaux's today. Mmmmmm....Mmmmmm it was scrumptious. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/59.gif)

[andyman32]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif) Gator65


BTW, I had some fried gator nuggets and frog legs and gumbo and raw oysters and Abita Beer at Pappadeaux's today. Mmmmmm....Mmmmmm it was scrumptious. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/59.gif)

LOL!
Campoly - your input is welcome. You are objective about your experiences with the car and even though you don't like your Az, you're a quite amicable cohort on the forums here. No worries m8. There are some who really enjoy it and see nothing wrong with the car after many miles, some who hate it and see quite a bit wrong after a few miles, and those in purgatory (not enough use to tell [me], no strong conclusions one way or the other). But there's no need to enforce any kind of uniform opinion... keep on contributing eh!

[campoly]

there's no need to enforce any kind of uniform opinion... keep on contributing eh!

Now I know how 007 felt when he officially got his license to kill. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/gunsmilie.gif)

[richardc]

On web site http://www.discountautoshocks.com I searched for struts for my 07 Azera and a web page came up listing some struts made by Rancho. I have never heard of this brand. Is anyone familiar with these? Also I saw no way to specify front or rear struts. I know there is a difference between the front and rear struts on the Azera. I'm wondering if these will really fit the Azera or if they made a mistake. Anyone have any ideas?

[Gator65]

On web site http://www.discountautoshocks.com I searched for struts for my 07 Azera and a web page came up listing some struts made by Rancho. I have never heard of this brand. Is anyone familiar with these? Also I saw no way to specify front or rear struts. I know there is a difference between the front and rear struts on the Azera. I'm wondering if these will really fit the Azera or if they made a mistake. Anyone have any ideas?

I personally don't know, but someone who does doubts any generic shock will fit. From my experiences, the Azera shocks/struts are pretty specific. After all they are on their 3rd or 4th design since 2006.

[alwa7sh]

azera 2007

i had many problems in the car
suspension 4 and this is the 5th time
it started 10 thousand Kilo with one front suspension
the dealer changed it and at 11 thousand Kilo the dealer changed one rear suspension
at 14 thousand kilo the dealer changed the second front suspension
at 15 thousand the dealer changed the fourth one

now i am having problem with the first one the dealer changed at 40 thousand kilo

the other problems i had was

oil leak from engine 25 thousand Kilo

exhaust part changed " the one that is attached to the engine "25 thousand Kilo
and i think this problem came back again " sound of the engine is high again "

dashboard crack 20 thousand kilo

[artdent]

Well, I too, have found the ride on my 2007 (built in June of 07 -- I guess that makes it a '07 model?) Azera deteriorating. (It's now at about 25,000 -- but the deterioration seems to have started long ago). I note some people mention changing the shocks for about $400 and having a much better ride again. In response to this, I have a couple of questions.

Can 2008 or 2009 shocks be fitted to my car? IF SO, has anyone any experience with whether the replacement shocks last more than 10,000 miles? I've seen a few posts on the Web from some individuals who had replaced the shocks and got a big improvement, but they felt like the new shocks didn't last much longer than the old ones? Anyone had a new set that stayed good to go for a long period of time?

[AREZA]

My research is that 2006-08 shocks/struts are the same, but 2009 are different along with the upper strut mount and a few other parts. You can get this information from www.Hyundaiparts4less.com. Go to the replacement parts section and pull up the info on the 2006-2008 suspension and compare it with the 2009 info. Strut/shock for 2006-08 is $80.66 and $107.54 for the 2009. I have a 2008 with a mfg date of Jan 08 and I have over 25K with no ride complaints, maybe it has the 2009 struts, I wish I knew. During my younger years I would of pulled the strut assy off to check it out, but at 74, the h--- with it and I hope it continues to ride as it does now. The 2009-10 is supposed to have improved suspension components according to the the Hyundai sales brochure.

[Gator65]

I was asked to post this for a member who is having problems logging in right now. I agree with what he has to say. BTW, many have quit posting because they simply gave up or moved on to other cars. Being verbally abused if they said anything negative about Hyundai didn't help.

This is in response to those who may be confused over the history of the ride/suspension situation with Azeras. There are three different factory part numbers for the front shocks, which are the main problem. From the beginning, the earliest cars used part number 54611-3L041.
There was a TSB issued in September 2007, number 07-50-007, authorizing new replacement shocks using part number 54611-3L040. Beginning with line production on October 20, 2007 the new "improved" suspension used front shocks baring part number 54611-3L640.
Those were the ONLY changes that were done to the front suspension over the entire four models years of production, per Hyundai representatives.
If you have an early 2008, built prior to 10/20/2007, you will have either the 040 or 041 parts. If your Azera was built 10/20/07 or thereafter, you have the so-called new improved '640' parts.
ALL parts are interchangeable and all shocks will fit all years. There are NO OTHER DIFFERENCES in the front suspensions other than the shock absorbers themselves. Here again, confirmed by Hyundai representatives.
Many are happy with their Azeras and report no problems whatsoever. They are indeed the lucky ones if their cars do have good shocks. However, there are far too many complaints for it to be just a few “lemons” or problem cars out there.
There are those of us who do know what any good car should ride like and have had all three sets of factory shocks and have had all sets fail very shortly after they have been installed.
In most cases, the replacement shocks seem okay in the beginning but will start to fail in less than 1000 miles.
In the case of those with failing shocks, the car is no longer steady when traveling, especially when driven over uneven surfaces, and will be uncontrolled, as the jounce and rebound control is simply not there as it should be. The front wallows, porpoises and bounces up and down with no control whatsoever.
How can a person tell which shocks are on their Azera? Look at the last three numbers imprinted near the bottom of the shock tube. You may have to turn the wheels and bend a lot to see them. Then the complete front number will be 54611-3L640; the rear number will be 55311-3L640 if both sets are the same. Some cars will have different numbers if TSB was performed on front only.
There are unfortunately No After Market shocks being produced by ANY after market manufactures. I say unfortunately because that is what it will probably take to make one of these Azeras right. Hyundai has been unable to solve the problem and has no solutions to offer. They seem to be focusing on Genesis and Equus and abandoning improving the Azera .
That's why in one case, an Azera is being litigated under Song-Beverly, the California Lemon Law statute.
Many Azera owners simply trade off/sell their cars because of this problem that cannot be corrected by Hyundai. Hyundai’s position is that it's riding as designed. If true, the design leaves a lot to be desired. This may be why suspension/ride is often listed as a negative for Hyundai vehicles, including the Genesis and Equus.
Those who have sold or traded in their cars because of the ride probably would not have purchased them if the initial test rides had been anything similar to the eventual poor rides. Others have simply given up and are waiting for the opportunity to dispose of their cars.

[rfreeman]

Instead of talking to Hyundai, I feel like it would be more effective if consumers contacted magazines and news outlets, like Motortrend, autoblog, consumer reports, etc. About the deteriorating ride quality and bad design of the Azera, and the lackluster response Hyundai gives in dealing with its customers. It would only take the test drive of a carmax azera by a magazine editor for them to to understand whats going on. And maybe after a nationwide article is released about a bad Hyundai design in the Azera, which may then cause speculation against their new Genesis and Equuis sedans challenging Hyundai's quality and consumer loyalty, Hyundai could finally experience a taste of bad press. THEN maybe Hyundai will pay attention to its customers when their sales drop due to low consumer confidence.

[boostedfc3s]

On web site http://www.discountautoshocks.com I searched for struts for my 07 Azera and a web page came up listing some struts made by Rancho. I have never heard of this brand. Is anyone familiar with these? Also I saw no way to specify front or rear struts. I know there is a difference between the front and rear struts on the Azera. I'm wondering if these will really fit the Azera or if they made a mistake. Anyone have any ideas?

I really don't think Rancho makes suspension for the Azera. I know of them only because of my suburban. They are a truck/suv shock company. They don't do anything with car suspension. If you go to their homepage, www.gorancho.com there's a Jeep Wrangler and a Chevy Pickup on the page.

[Gator65]

rfreeman:
Good thought, but won't work. Remember the auto magazines and websites are dependent on auto manufacturers for advertising and providng cars for their staffs to drive (test).
Furthermore, many have already pointed out the ride problems in Hyundai vehicles, but very, very few people actually read these articles or take them at full value. Example: Consumer Reports noted three areas of concern with Hyundai vehicles in general- low fuel efficieincy, low resale and suspensions.
The other problem is that apparently not all Azeras are affected, but enough to know that it is a significant problem, not just a few lemons out there. Could be design defect, QC on parts and struts/springs or something else.