Wanted to put my thoughts here on my experience as a Santa Fe (3.3L) Owner in case it helps anyone.
Important Note: I bought my car used/uncertified, but it had ~3k miles left on the original warranty and had good service history so I wasn't too worried.
In general it's a really nice car for the money. I have the SE and when I was car shopping at the time (May 2020) it checked all of the boxes. It's comfy, spacious, and has good leg room for a taller person like myself. Plus everything I read said it was reliable, so I pulled the trigger.
In saying that, I've had extensive issues with the car. The day I drove it home I noticed a banging when shifting and after months of troubleshooting got a new transmission under warranty. Annoying but hey, free new transmission right?
I then had to have the trailing arms replaced, there's a sound eminating from the steering wheel that Hyundai said it normal (it's not), a hanging exhaust bracket has broken off, and the engine blew up. Out of nowhere it started rattling on startup, then on a drive one day it gave out. My suspicion is I drove too long between oil changes (7k miles, though I was following the owners manual) and a bearing was cooked. It was out of warranty but Hyundai covered 50% and the dealer covered another $1k for billing more than they said they would. My out of pocket for it was $3500 or so.
The shop also left the engine bay a mess and didn't properly fill the coolant, as I had to add about a half gallon or so to it.
With all of that in mind, I probably won't be buying a Hyundai again. I've considered getting rid of this car but with prices the way they are, it's just not worth it given how far in I am. Hyundai was decent to pay for some of the engine when they didn't legally have to, but also the car had 67k miles on it. The engine should not be blowing up.
Some advice for other owners:
Everyone's experience will be different but this is mine.
Important Note: I bought my car used/uncertified, but it had ~3k miles left on the original warranty and had good service history so I wasn't too worried.
In general it's a really nice car for the money. I have the SE and when I was car shopping at the time (May 2020) it checked all of the boxes. It's comfy, spacious, and has good leg room for a taller person like myself. Plus everything I read said it was reliable, so I pulled the trigger.
In saying that, I've had extensive issues with the car. The day I drove it home I noticed a banging when shifting and after months of troubleshooting got a new transmission under warranty. Annoying but hey, free new transmission right?
I then had to have the trailing arms replaced, there's a sound eminating from the steering wheel that Hyundai said it normal (it's not), a hanging exhaust bracket has broken off, and the engine blew up. Out of nowhere it started rattling on startup, then on a drive one day it gave out. My suspicion is I drove too long between oil changes (7k miles, though I was following the owners manual) and a bearing was cooked. It was out of warranty but Hyundai covered 50% and the dealer covered another $1k for billing more than they said they would. My out of pocket for it was $3500 or so.
The shop also left the engine bay a mess and didn't properly fill the coolant, as I had to add about a half gallon or so to it.
With all of that in mind, I probably won't be buying a Hyundai again. I've considered getting rid of this car but with prices the way they are, it's just not worth it given how far in I am. Hyundai was decent to pay for some of the engine when they didn't legally have to, but also the car had 67k miles on it. The engine should not be blowing up.
Some advice for other owners:
- If your car is banging between shifts, your transmission is very likely cooked.
- Change the oil every 3k or 3.5k miles. Some may already do this but dont follow manufacturer directions in the manual.
- A lot of the parts are seemingly cheap metal or poorly manufactured/designed, so be ready to replace things as it ages (more than you would with something like a Toyota or Honda)
Everyone's experience will be different but this is mine.
