Looking for those of you who have problems with the Azera front Splash Shield scraping on parking lot barriers and other items which should clear most cars.

Please respond on this thread.

Thanks,

David <><

I've scraped it a couple-three times, but no damage. There's so much variability between curb/barrier heights and the paving that fronts them that I've made a big point of parking just a bit further back, with any vehicle I've owned. Besides, if I can see my taillights stick out a bit, I can find my car easier w/o having to hit the key fob panic button and scare th' poo-poo out of an old lady who's just walking by my car... :grin:

David -

I've had my Azera for 17 months and in that time I only recall scraping a couple of times. Fortunately, this happened early on and I became very sensitive to pulling up to a barrier or a curb. I since tend to not pull as far forward as I would normally and leave more space. Of course what I don't know is if the two times I've scraped, was the barrier taller than normal?

It's really not a problem for me. I just allow for the possibility.

Don

Have never had the problem with the Azera. Probably because I was aware of the potential for it to occur and have avoided pulling up and over obstructions.

My awareness results from other cars I've owned that incurred "chin rash" due to clearance limitations caused by the front end styling and my failure to recognize the issue beforehand.

I learned this along time ago (Mushed a Celica). I just don't drive over them...I drive up and stop. I've scraped my tow hook a few times on some steep drives but other than that all is good. My wife has damaged the one on the Solara but it was easly fixed...It's much closer to the ground than the Azera is.

David;

I managed to do it to an Azera we were test driving when we returned to the dealer's parking lot. :innocent: I saw no obvious damage to the car and perhaps the barrier struck the tow hook(s).

We did not buy that '07 model (it had the ultimate package with XM radio). We selected another color with the premium package. I have deliberately avoided pulling too far forward toward barriers since then.

I do have to keep the grass in the middle of our private road mowed more frequently. The Azera sits lower than the old wheels did.

Joe

Haven't done it in the Azera but the Jags' splash guards are both trashed. Longer & lower nose. Any given parking space stop or curb will scrrrrrrape the Jag. In such a long car it's a bit of a PITA (the XJR is 197" long; VDP is 204") to stay back far enough to be sure not to scrape the car's chin.

Had no problem so far w/ the Azera - and I even keep the tires pretty soft (yes, I will sacrifice the 0.07 mpg for a softer ride and to let the tires take a little more of the punishment that otherwise gets communicated to the frame of the car every day I drive the car in downtown...) so the car probably rides 1/4" low.

I don't think you have to worry too much about the grass in the middle. Unless, of course, in wet weather, the tracks get deep.

I have the same situation with our private road. So far, no problem but I am definitely more careful during the Monsoon.

The problem is never when moving forward, due to the position of the trailing edge of the splash shield. If something is too high, the shield will just slide over it.

It is only when moving in reverse where that trailing edge can get caught on something.


Enjoy your new car.

David <><

This post has been edited by david-paul-1: May 20 2008, 06:21 PM

I scraped the splash guard and it broke off the radiator mount :-(

Hi Alex,

That really sucks, doesn't it?

By now you have received my correspondence to your private e-mail so you know the type of epoxy I used.

J-B Weld.

Mine is still holding up quite well. As a matter of fact, since screwing the trailing edge of the splash shield to the plastic panel above it, it lifted it enough so that it is considerably higher than before. I used approximately 6 sheet metal screws.

Now I only scrape the tow hooks. No big deal.

My advice to every Azera owner is to do the same before your trailing edge catches a concrete barrier when backing out of a parking place and breaks one or more of the mounts.

Preventative maintenance. :thumbsup:

David <><

This post has been edited by david-paul-1: Jun 20 2008, 05:42 PM

Yep, My 'best beloved' backed off a snow/ice mound with her '00 Cougar and pulled the whole front end off! JB Weld fixed it. Body shop wanted $1500 US. I never, never come close to a curb after that. My butt sticks out with the Azera sometimes, but so what??

In another forum a member recently stated that,

"my wife had the same experience as you. Managed to tie the loose part up off the road and get into town. My Hyundai dealer said this is a known problem, and that the replacement parts have been re-done to eliminate the breakage that the guard was having. I guess time will tell. Overall, we are still very pleased with the Azera after two years of trouble free driving."

I have scraped the splash guard in this and in our other cars, I just try to be really careful, especially since its the wife's car and she makes a noise if I scrape it when she is in the car. I do everything I can to avoid the noise, that's the wife's noise I am referring to.

This post has been edited by DFWfrank: Jun 20 2008, 10:26 PM

ROTF, LMAO :clap:

I also hear the same noise, the wife that is, when I scrape the tow hooks.

I assure her, "It's okay, sweetie, it is not the plastic thingy doing that anymore.

David <><



This post has been edited by david-paul-1: Jun 20 2008, 11:46 PM

Three or four times but no damage. Had my Azera two years. I did do it many times when I had my Camry with no damage. I think my Camry sat lower to the ground than my Azera.

Dang, and I thought I had it bad paying 100 bucks for a new 'web pipe' for my exhaust line. A tire flew off a semi and where did it head?... That's right, directly underneath my little 97' accent. The left splash guard is mostly held on by duct tape now too. Dang semis drive too fast anyway...

This post has been edited by user7: Jun 28 2008, 10:20 PM

[/QUOTE]A tire flew off a semi and where did it head?... That's right, directly underneath my little 97' accent. [QUOTE]

I hate when that happens! I hope you were not hurt. Was it the whole tire or those big chuncks we're always trying to dodge all over the freeways?