A couple of ways to tell.......If it smells or tastes sweet its anti-freeze.

 

TASTE an unknown liquid from the top of an engine

 

Wrap a piece of paper towel around the place, see if it gets wet - wrap with with a wire so it doesn't fly into the belt area

To check the fluid, wipe with clean paper towel, smear onto a dark shiny surface, pour a bit of water on it, see if it makes rainbow like color - may put a flash light on it and look from the side. Much like you see on the rainy street when oil leaks from a car

 

Update: It is definitely oil. I called the dealer and they can't get me in until February 1st. I am driving the car back today and demanding they trade me out of it. I've owned it less than a month and It has had numerous issues including vibration at low speed and antifreeze smell in the cabin. I think people may have been right about Hyundai, I should have listened.

 

Update: It is definitely oil. I called the dealer and they can't get me in until February 1st. I am driving the car back today and demanding they trade me out of it. I've owned it less than a month and It reeks of antifreeze, shakes at 30mph, and is now spraying oil all over the engine bay. This is the biggest piece of **** I've ever spent money on. People were right about Hyundai, I should have listened. View attachment 486455

I have owned two Hyundai and have had no issues. Remember you bought a used car and often they have not been serviced properly by the previous owner/owners. So don't blame all of it on the brand. If your dealer has any integrity they should make it right for you. Good luck.

 

Oil sending units can do this. Easy fix if that's where it's from. Start the thing and see.

 

I think he said it's a new car. I would be displeased too if a new car has issues with coolant, oil and vibrations.
Maybe a friday afternoon car

 

To clarify it is a used 2021 CPO vehicle with 31k miles. It is just unacceptable to be having these issues within a month of ownership. The "173 point inspection" apparently doesn't mean anything. There has been numerous issues so far, I get anxiety everytime I get in the thing. I understand there is a risk of issues with any used car purchase but this is absurd. My last car was a ten year old, 2012 Honda Civic that I bought at 100k miles and it did not give me a single issue for nearly a year.

I've wanted one of these cars since the first day I saw one, I fantasized about graduating from college, getting a real job and buying one. Now I did and I am sick to my stomach because of it.

 

To clarify it is a used 2021 CPO vehicle with 31k miles. It is just unacceptable to be having these issues within a month of ownership. The "173 point inspection" apparently doesn't mean anything when my car reeks like antifreeze, shakes at low speeds and is spewing oil in the engine bay. I get crippling anxiety everytime I get in the thing. I understand there is a risk of issues with any used car purchase but this is absurd. My last car was a ten year old, 2012 Honda Civic that I bought at 100k miles and it did not give me a single issue for nearly a year.

I've wanted one of these cars since the first day I saw one, I fantasized graduating from college, getting a real job and buying one. Now I did and I am sick to my stomach because of it.

What'd they say about the, "...when my car reeks like antifreeze, shakes at low speeds ..." issues?

 

I would bring it back indeed. Don't take chances. Don't know what the history of that car was.

 

Did it shake on the test drive?
Did you look under the hood before agreeing to buy?

 

Test drive was on a series of bumpy western PA roads, the vibration issue I'm talking about is only perceptible when on a flat road.

I checked under the hood, there were no signs of oil spray anywhere. If you look at the pictures, the area where the oil is collecting can only be seen when standing far overtop the motor and shining a flashlight on it.

What did you hope to gain with this post?

 

I took it to the dealer, they brought me back in the shop and I showed them the leak. They told me they believe it's an issue with the connection with a sensor, which is visible in my 2nd picture. They said they will order the part and will fix it during my scheduled service appointment on the 1st of next month.

I am extremely upset over the whole situation but I am also at fault for agreeing to purchase the vehicle in the first place. I did my research and throughly inspected the car before I bought it but none of these issues were immediately apparent. They mentioned me trading to another vehicle but there isn't anything on the lot in a similar price range or quality that I'd want so I'm kind of stuck.

I'm hoping I can just get this all taken care of and maintain the vehicle the way it needs to be maintained. I want this car to just be okay.

 

Is the car warranted only through the dealership you bought the car from?

 

No it's Certified Pre-Owned so I can take it to any Hyundai dealer, but I figured itd make sense to take it back to the place I bought it from just for the fact they might bear the responsibility of this and may be more likely to listen to my issues.

The next-closest dealer is 45 minutes away and has even lower Google ratings which deters me from trying them, yet.

 

Antifreeze is easy to spot if you first wash it all off with water. Go for a drive and look for wet spots after you get back.

 

You've had an absurd amount of problems with that car. I've never heard of anything this bad. Also, whoever sold you that car needs to answer some questions. Seriously. W.T.F. This isn't a hyundai problem, it's a that car problem. I sent you a private message.

 

Yeah I called my salesperson and told him I have to trade this out, there is absolutely no way I can keep this car. They have an Elantra on the lot with very low miles on it that is similarly priced and he said I could trade for that. I don't want another Hyundai but unfortunately everything else they have is basically big SUVs and crossovers which I simply just don't want.

 

If it's equipped to your liking, the Elantra should be a good move. Make sure it's a good $ deal though. Heck they could owe you $ on the trade-up depending on how the two cars compare. Used car pricing (especially sedans) is NOT on fire like it was just a year ago.

 

The service advisor talked to me like I was lying to them about the oil spray. They tried claiming that there was no issue because oil wasn't leaking on the ground. I said no, its leaking from the top of the motor on top of the valve cover.

They told me since my oil levels are good and not dropping, I should continue to drive it until my scheduled service appointment, which is two weeks away. They seriously looked me in the face and told me to drive my car with oil spraying under the hood for two weeks. What a joke, that's not okay. It'd be different if I had owned this car for longer than 4 weeks. I went to shake the technician's hand to thank him for checking out my car and he just limp wristed me and avoided eye contact. How dare these people treat me like that. I'd like to note, this entire time I've been extremely kind and even apologetic for potentially interrupting their service appointment time. I haven't been rude for even a second and this is how they treat me.

 

Is that a turbo model?

 

Yes, the 1.6T variant

 

Looks like it’s leaking out of the camshaft position sensor in your picture. Maybe it isn’t torqued down properly or the sensor is missing the seal, perhaps both.

 

I appreciate your advice, i couldn't find a single diagram of the motor online and the technician wouldn't even speak to me to tell me what he though the issue was. Anyway, after going through this with this car, I cant keep it. Someone else can deal with this thing.

 

Ok. It just looks to me it’s an easy fix and it’s unfortunate that the tech that worked on your car didn’t make an effort. I would have at least taken the covers off, degreased the area and test driven a few miles and re-inspect then go from there.

 

I can understand why the techs would be annoyed by someone just showing up (after attempting to call the general manager, and then attempting to call the service manager three hours later) but they would barely even look at me, as if I was being unreasonable for showing up with my car I bought 27 days prior with oil spraying in the engine compartment. Never again will I go through this.

 

For what it's worth, I wont go near my local dealer, which is about 15 minutes away.

Instead I go to a dealer 46 miles away. It is what it is... Fortunately in 9 years of Hyundai ownership, I haven't needed any service beyond oil changes which I DIY and document.

 

I "always" try to avoid any dealer.... even when they offer free oil changes for the first x miles... Not that I believe in Bigfoot or urban legends, but I certainly believe they have a vested interest in "return" customers. Finding out how they "invest" in that over the years has made me skeptical of returning.

 

I am trading in the Sonata tomorrow for an Elantra with low miles on it, only previously owned by the dealer. I will drive it until I can afford to trade it in for something I actually want. I would have loved to own a Sonata and developed a bond with it but it doesn't appear to be in the stars, there's no way I'm gonna risk this again. I considered keeping the Sonata but my gut is telling me to take the safer option and maybe I can try again with a "cool" car in five years when I build up some more financial stability to afford a premium brand. I don't want to even step foot into another car dealership until then, I'll have all my oil changes done at my local mechanic who has treated me and my family right for years.

Thank you all for the advice and discussion, I've learned a lot from this experience. You may see me over in the 2021-2023 Elantra forum.

 

I am trading in the Sonata tomorrow for an Elantra with 4k miles on it, only previously owned by the dealer. I will drive it until I can afford to trade it in for a different brand that doesn't carry this reputation for their vehicle quality and dealership service. I would have loved to own a Sonata and developed a bond with it but it doesn't appear to be in the stars, there's no way I'm gonna risk this again. I considered keeping the Sonata but my gut is telling me to take the safer option and maybe I can try again with a "cool" car in five years when I build up some more financial stability to afford a premium brand. I don't want to even step foot into another car dealership until then, I'll have all my oil changes done at my local mechanic who has treated me and my family right for years.

Thank you all for the advice and discussion, I've learned a lot from this experience. You may see me over in the 2021-2023 Elantra forum.

Hopefully, because it was owned by only the dealer, you can get them to GIVE you the 10 year/100,000 warranty

 

I believe your car has a warranty directly from Hyundai, bypass the dealer and push towards Hyundai.

I would give Hyundai the benefit of the doubt (until they prove I shouldn't) and let them be your advocate.

I have seen 3rd owner Kia and Hyundai motors replaced under warranty (over 100k miles on both).

I had a 2018 elantra SE (80k miles) for 3 years and now at over 2 years on the 2021 elantra SEL (60k miles now) and they have been great.

Good luck, remember, you get more with honey than vinegar, if you get Hyundai on your side, you should win....

 

I appreciate the advice but I simply do not have the mental energy to continue with this car. I've done nothing but worry for the last 30 days, I've spent all my free time reading about how to figure out what is wrong with my car. It's simply not worth it, I just want a car that drives and doesn't give me issues. If the Sonata is giving me these problems now, I have no idea what it's going to be like in a year or two.

 

First off, I understand your frustration with this car right off the bat, but the rest of us have had fantastic performance from our 2020+ Sonatas. I'm at 170,000 with few issues (knock on wood). It's by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. I replaced one bad spark plug coil at 160,000 miles, and they're like $30.
That being said, you don't know if the previous owner jumped railroad tracks with yours. So is it Hyundai? Accident? I don't know how a car with only 30k miles already has a different set of poor-quality tires on it unless very bad things happened previously.
Interestingly enough, I just developed an oil leak in this exact same spot....after 170,000 miles. I'm not sure where it's coming from yet but for the rest of us this is probably going to be a future common area to keep an eye on. I will post in the forum when I find the leak location.
As for antifreeze, this particular model by design vents a tiny amount of antifreeze odor. This is not a coolant leak, as in active seepage from the coolant system. You'll very often smell it when exiting the vehicle. Not saying you don't have a leak, but you might not. After 40-60k miles you might notice a liquid bubbling sound when pulling from a dead stop. This means you need to top off the coolant system. This, from what I've read, happens to all owners of the 2020+ Sonata. For me, this means topping off the coolant annually. For others, far less often.
Good luck with your car. Considering my 2018 Camry was total garbage, I suggest you keep the Sonata once you get these issues solved. And, change your transmission fluid whatever car you keep.
My employee just bought a new Elantra. He loves it.

 

The antifreeze odor is so bad I need to roll my windows down after driving for 30+ minutes. That is just unacceptable. I understand that I likely just got a dud vehicle, but the main problem I have is my dealership's lack of proper customer service when I need these issues looked at. The way I was treated when I brought my car in with the spewing oil was not okay and permanently turned me off from ever returning there. It's one thing having all of these issues right off the bat, but it's a whole other level of messed up when I'm not being respected. The service tech wouldn't even talk to me, the service advisor talked to me like I was making this up.

 

They don't have a 30 day return policy?

 

No, Pennsylvania has absolutely zero buyer protections when it comes to used cars. The dealership has stated three times to me that I can't get my money back. I'm not trying to be difficult here so I am just hoping to trade out

 

My car did that one time when I left the oil cap off.

 

5yr/60,000 off the top basic whoever own car, leave thing at dealer telling them you don't feel safe driving with oil spray that can have engine compartment flash fire from oil on hot exhaust, same as the 953 - T3G Engine fiasco going on currently, and you need car to drive before yours burn to ground

 

Thank you for your advice, but I am currently sitting at the dealer trading it in. I cannot afford to take a risk on a vehicle that has had so many issues on such a short period of time. It would be different if the service technicians had treated me with respect but after my experience I don't even want to bring it back to get worked on, and unfortunately it would need a lot of work.