I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this problem.

When I shift out of Park into either Drive or Reverse, I have to wait about 1 second before applying gas. If I don't wait that 1 second, I get a hefty jerk 'just' as the car starts moving. It's like the engine and transmission are getting synchronized before they find first gear.

Maybe this is normal for the 3.8 liter engine?

No it's not normal for the 3.8 engine. I do not get a "hefty jerk" going from Park to either Reverse or Drive, even from a cold start. A slight delay is normal but NOT the hefty jerk as you describe.

This post has been edited by raw6464: May 16 2008, 05:02 AM

Did you buy your Azera at Hyundai of Westchester in Yonkers? :)
Don

Mines the same way. It goes into reverse right away, but going to from R to D takes about a second for it to engage. I almost hit a car once backing out of a steep parking spot after I took the car out of reverse and put it into drive it kept going backwards for about a foot.

Mine is OK from Reverse to Drive and from Drive to Reverse. It only jerks from Park to either Drive or Reverse.

With my Azera, I also notice a second or so before the tranny has the car engaged into drive.

This is not unusual. Every automatic that I have owned, including my 07 Santa Fe and my previous 2003 Explorer Sport Trac did the same thing.

From Reverse to Drive there is a delay. From Neutral to Drive is instant.

When Backing out of my garage and then putting it into drive the delay is noticeable.

Absolutely nothing to be concerned about. I assume your transmission fluid is at the proper level? Be sure to check it while hot.

Remember, when the tranny fluid is cold, it takes a little longer for the pressure to build up. A warmed engine and tranny will shift into drive or reverse sooner.

David <><

This post has been edited by david-paul-1: May 16 2008, 12:55 AM

Yes, I live a block away. I wasn't too happy with the way they handled the delivery of the car and their attention to customer satifaction.

They got the car from another dealer in NJ. All they did was wash the exterior of the car at the local car wash. I had to spend the next day cleaning the interior myself. There was dirt and mud on the doors and sides of the dashboard, and the side and front windows were full of glue and grime from the stickers that where on the car.

During the buying process, on several occasions they made commitments to me and faulted on them. Even the promised day of delivery was missed without a phone call to me... I had to call them at 5PM to find out they would not deliver it. I was not happy and told them missing promises to the customer is not a good thing.

From a meeting the customers expectation they failed. To compete in the entry luxury level they need to fine tune their act. It's obvious to me they are still in the selling econo-boxes mind set.

I think with Hyundai getting into the luxury market they need to do what Toyota, Nissan and Honda did... rename the brand have a seperate dealership for the upscale cars. When people think Hyundai they don't think luxury... and may never will. Buyers in the $30 grand and up have higher expectations.

This post has been edited by raw6464: May 16 2008, 05:06 AM

It does take a moment to go from R to D, but briefly - literally 1 or 1.5s.

My house is on a sloped street so whenever I park on the street I crank down the parking break tight; I don't like letting the car rest on the park locks in the transmission. That was always the first thing that would f*** up on old Volvo transmissions... after 15 years. I'd rather have to replace a parking brake shoe every 10 years than to have the transmission torn down in 15 because of a little parking lock microswitch.

Anyhow, the point of my rambling anecdote is to say that IF I do park the car and let it roll a little and rest against the parking lock in the transmission, the next time I drive it, put it in park, it does "bump" to get out of neutral, either into 1st or R. But my experience in that regard has been the same with all FWD cars. That's why I have gotten in the habit of using the parking brake, even on even surfaces :beer:

I notice the "jerk" mentioned on my Azera too. It happens when the car is started cold and backed out of the garage and then put in drive. As some have mentioned, it is normal for automatic transmissions to be a little slow to react when the car is started cold. I have seen similar reactions from other automatic transmission vehicles I have owned. I don't think it is anything to worry about.

Joe :mellow:

Unless you have a direct mechanical linkage between engine and transmission, you'll have a slight delay. And if you're on the accellerator during that delay, expect a bit of a jack-rabbit start when the delay times out... :w00t:

Same here, with my 2008 Azera Limited Ultimate.

- Chris

I recall reading an early Azera review where the author had been stopped at a light, then noticed that the light had changed and he quickly got on the accellerator:

"Both front tires chirped as we took off. It made us smile."...