(Moved from another thread per suggestion) I have had 6 Hyundai as rentals as I travel allot with my job and all of them, just like most Asian cars has a "sewing machine" tick. On the older cars this was normal b/c they had mechanical valve lash, however, the newer DOHC engines use hydrolic lifters with an adjusting shim on top of the valve spring. These also make a little noise, mainly when cold. However, with my 2008 Elantra, that has been a different story. In the first 800 miles, the check engine light came on twice and once the car would not start while hot, but the problems went away before I could get it to the dealership. About 800 miles valve train noise started to change and get louder -- I dismissed it as everything settling down and wearing in. By 1000 miles the noise was loud enough to hear inside the car with the windows up, radio on cruising on the highway. You should only really hear this noise at idle. I notified the dealer (Serra -- Birmingham Alabama) and they did not have a loaner car and asked for me to wait on bringing the car in. After a week of calling them, I took the car in, let them listen to it and I was told to limit my driving on it and call back in a few days for a loaner. Needless to say, considering they lost the car I ordered and had to wait nearly four months to get this one, I told them it was going in the shop now and after tracking down the General Manger and he heard it, he nearly had a come apart and found me a loaner right then. After two weeks, they call me and inform me that they had pulled the oil pan and found nothing but found a broken lifter. After repairing it, from what they would tell me the engine dropped a valve and blew a piston. Now I am waiting again and already had round with the dealership b/c they want to rebuild the motor on a car I waited nearly 4 months to get and has less than 2000 miles on it. The car doesn't even have a tag on it yet!!!!!!!! I think they should replace the car -- what advise is out there?
FROM marrug: Well emgal, thats a nightmare of a story...and it deserves a thread all its own....your choices are simple, but theyre all PITA.....first, let em "rebuild" your motor...that sounds strange, considering the amount of internal damage done...you could insist they put a new motor in it, which would probably satisfy me, but what about you?? OR, unfortunately, start checking your states lemon laws, and THAT, more than likely, is going to require you to get a lawyer, at least to write them a nasty letter telling them exactly what it is going to take to satisfy you...as far as them "taking the car back", what??? out of the goodness of their hearts?? sorry, i dont think so...not without some serious activity on your part..good grief!!!!...good luck...

BTW, have you tried calling HYUNDAI direct and "going on record" with your feelings re this???



This post has been edited by emgal4883: Oct 15 2008, 12:18 PM

I haven't contacted Hyundai directly yet, I thought I would give the dealership a few days first. I would be satisfied with them putting in a new motor if I had 20K on the car or something like that, however, the problem started with less than a 1000 miles on the car, i.e. like a week after I got it. It still burning off the crud from the exhaust and has no tag yet, heck, it still has those new tire rubber dimples on the tires.

Glad you put this in its own thread, the more input the better...what a horror show...and after rereading your initial post, I get the feeling your dealers service dept ISNT making this a priority...shouldnt matter if it has 1k or 20k..especially to you.....suggest you speak directly to the General MGR re this since now you know who he is...and HE ought to get to know you really well over the next few months...because UNLESS they make it a priority, to satisfy you (whatever that is), thats how long its liable to take for them to dedicate the resources to fix it.. or failing that, the owner...but either way, given the amount of time that has ALREADY elapsed, and the rediculous advice they gave you which might have contributed to the engine damage.. I wouldnt wait too long to call HYUNDAI.....I wouldnt expect miracles... clearly this "incident" has already removed the joy from owning a newie, whatever the make...

BTW,..bout 6 years ago I had an old FORD, not a scratch on it...not a classic or anything...just an old Taurus..motor went away...I'll spare you the gory details but I decided to keep the car..everything worked and it was pristine....went to a local shop that did engine work, they ordered a rebuilt motor from JASPER..rather well known motor mfg....complete with 5 year or 75,000 mi warranty (not from a junkyard) had it in less than a week, installed it in one afternoon..car ran better than when it was new...cost me about 3k altogether, and I figured it was better than buying another used car....put another 120,000 miles on that car before it was wrecked...only reason I add this is to show you what CAN be done when something is made a priority by people who know what they're doing.....I dont care where they have to get the motor from...a US warehouse, or put it on a slow boat from KOREA..but if you're going to sit around for a loooong time while they piddle...well.....good luck...please keep in touch...

This post has been edited by marrug: Oct 15 2008, 01:54 PM

Dear emgal,

Just a suggestion, contact these people:

http://www.autolemonlaws.com/alabama/?gcli...CFRlRagod8FHbxw

this is NOT legal advice, always seek your own legal counsel. Normally, if you do not have use of your car for 30 days or more during the first year the lemon law applies.

Byron

Well the lemon law states 30 calender days in the shop in a year. I am at 16 days now and we haven't even started repairing or ordering parts yet.

Every state has different lemon law rules. If your says 30 days in the shop in the first year keep track of everything. At 31 days follow the lemon law directions and all should go well. I lemon lawed back a Volvo recently and had no grief at all.

Well tomorrow will be day 30 -- still no word from Hyundai -- come tomorrow I will pull my case number up and give them a call, or I might just keep driving the loaner. So far I have put 11,500 miles on loaners (2000 miles on this 30 day round).

I would suggest calliing Hyn. Corp. in cali. There's a phone number on the site. They are plesent to deal with and have a very "i own this problem" attitude. I had them help me in another engine issue, although I'm 500 miles out of warranty so it's still pending on weather they are going to foot the bill or not. In either case, I'd suggest calling them.


Good luck...

Well whats amazing to me is that you're being so laid back about this...dunno that I could be...sure, keep on driving the **** out of their loaners, but dont convince yerself its free miles...you PAID for the other car...the one gathering dust in their service depts back lot...yep, by all means call Hyundai, and I think that since you are now over the 30 day requirement for your state (are you?? what else do you need to do,,,be verrry careful to follow the procedure exactly.....) you should decide what you want to do and send the dealer and Hyundai a nize certified letter saying so..be brief...but some where enough is enough...good luck...

You should lemon law the vehicle back to Hyundai. They will give you a choice of an exchange to a new vehicle or a buyback. It's reasonably painless IF you follow the instructions for your state.

I don't want to rain on the parade, but get on your battle armor. Hyundai could be different from Honda, but I went through this with Honda recently, and it was an all out war. Matter of fact, that's why I bought my Hyundai Elantra instead of a Honda Civic. My Elantra is the first car I've bought in 20 years that wasn't a Honda.

My new Pilot with 1,800 miles on it suddenly started running very poorly, and thankfully, my wife was only a few blocks from home. It was flat-bedded to Honda, where they found that a bad casting on the cylinder head wreaked havoc on the valve-train. They had to pull the head, and replace it, along with the valve-train.

This was on top of a bunch of other cosmetic and mechanical issues we had with the vehicle, so I asked Honda to replace it. They sent a district manager to meet with me, and the guy would not approve even the replacement of a few interior parts that had discolored. I snapped after that meeting.

I ended up pursuing my case with a senior executive at Honda, and in the end, never had the car outright replaced, but did get a "discount" on a new one when I traded this one in. Turns out the dealer took most of the bath on the "discount." I've owned 15 Honda cars over a period of 20 years, and I had to take them to the mat on this, so car companies just don't want to budge on this kind of stuff.

I heard "wear and tear" and "that's what the warranty is for" till I was hearing it in my sleep. Even the dealer was afraid to side-step Honda. Getting something covered under the Lemon Law is also very, very difficult.

After what I went through, unless pain and aggravation are rehabilitating to you, let 'em fix the car and move on. What you can ask for is an extension of the warranty for your trouble, but with 10 years and 100K miles already, there's not much more you can bargain for. You might also ask for something like a rear spoiler, or other upgrade and see if they'll accomodate.

Has anyone every Lemon Lawed their Hyundai? I am continuing to have more problems and at this point (for obvious reasons), I cannot disclose what actions I am working with, however, I am still collecting any and all information I can. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone every Lemon Lawed their Hyundai? I am continuing to have more problems and at this point (for obvious reasons), I cannot disclose what actions I am working with, however, I am still collecting any and all information I can. Thanks in advance.