Hyundai Tucson 1.6T Hybrid, engine damaged before first service is due

[Zee09]

I’m amazed at the number of complaints about South Korean products here. From appliances, to vehicles, to Lord only knows what other products we’re unknowingly consuming that might be substandard.

Their airguns have bad machining and design too.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

I don’t know the truth behind it or not, but on a local Facebook group a person asked advice on buying a Hyundai/kia vs Toyota/honda. Some supposed local Kia tech chimed in and rambled off the endless list of common problems and that he’d avoid like the plague (avoid a palisade that she was asking about)

He then went on to say they cannot keep good techs employed, and that the shop is losing work space to engine and transmission storage. He also said Hyundai/kia isn’t even giving them warranty time to replace an engine anymore. They’ve further reduced labor from warranty time, I think he said something like he’d get 5 hours as opposed to 8 now. So now the few techs they have remaining refuse to do engines. He said he can still get it done in the time they’ll pay, but just barely, and only because he’s done so many. They now only do them if they want to stay late after hours as well, because there’s so much other work and diagnosis to be completed during the regular day that they just can’t fit the engine work in.

If all this is true, this is in an understaffed shop as he said, but with my experience from owning our palisade almost 1 year, every dealer’s service around the DC metro area sucked. I’ll never buy a Hyundai/kia again.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

And for some reason people think Chinese cars built in Mexico will be just fine.

Chinese cars be like:

 

[SHOZ]

The Ford Taurus V8 SHO had some fail from stripped cam gears before they left the factory lot. They quit making spare parts before the generation was done with production.

Just another Basturd car

I have two Hyundais both make in S Korea and engine problems are none.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

I have two Hyundais both make in S Korea and engine problems are none.

Yet.


Jk. I will say that despite all the issues a 2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6L is still cheaper to keep on the road than the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan was. Timing chain, turbo twice, water pump, various sensors, and other little things that I can't remember anymore... Around $7000 in surprise repairs. That VW was a PITA... Sold it at 140k miles, owned for 30k miles.

The Genesis is great as far as that TAU 4.6L V8 and ZF 6-speed automatic transmission go. The issues are mainly with electrical stuff. But so far everything is easily resolvable with a new OEM part. It refuses to accept any aftermarket parts unfortunately...

 

[ls1mike]

Bought a my first (and last) Hyundai last September, because we'd like to try Hybrid and Japanese brands all marked up.
Overall happy with our new Tucson 1.6T Hybrid since it has a smooth & quiet ride and thinking it should be reliable given they replaced previous gen's DCT with AT and 1.6T gamma engine is not under any recalls.

Unfortunately, car started making ticking noise since last week when driving uphills (we live in Seattle), it has just 7903 miles ODO. First oil change is due at 8000 miles.
Checked the engine carefully and noticed visible damage right under the oil filler cap, tho no check engine light has poped up:
View attachment 209196

According to my research, I believe the cause is the CVVD system drives the camshaft that hits the engine block, the damage happened here:
(Screenshot taken from some video)
View attachment 209197

I'd expect metal shavings in the *factory fill* engine oil lol
What's worse, because Hyundai now has 10/100k warranty their dealers are all fully occupied with their masterpieces, called 2 dealers today and the first slot to have someone look at the engine is early May. I may have to keep driving it.

Will update this thread if ppl are interested. Ironically this is the first time we had engine problem, other ride (BMW F30 / B48B20) is stonger than this Hyundai over the 7 years of ownership

I don't understand how it hits the block?

 

[BAJA_05]

Sorry but, anytime I see a new Hyundai or Kia being driven. I think to myself --- good luck suckered. Realistically, they are priced near or the same as new Toyotas and Hondas these days pertaing what model you are attempting to purchase.

 

[Invisible]

First oil change is due at 8000 miles.

Yeah, okay, moving on...

You're not supposed to go by their maintenance schedule, especially for your first oil change. You don't don't how clean the new engine is. I've seen oil filters from brand new Hyundais with forbidden glitter in them. If that happens, you do a few oil changes close together to get all that stuff out. It could be from machining, assembly, etc.

 

[zzyzzx]

Some supposed local Kia tech chimed in and rambled off the endless list of common problems and that he’d avoid like the plague (avoid a palisade that she was asking about)

He then went on to say they cannot keep good techs employed, and that the shop is losing work space to engine and transmission storage. He also said Hyundai/kia isn’t even giving them warranty time to replace an engine anymore. They’ve further reduced labor from warranty time, I think he said something like he’d get 5 hours as opposed to 8 now. So now the few techs they have remaining refuse to do engines. He said he can still get it done in the time they’ll pay, but just barely, and only because he’s done so many. They now only do them if they want to stay late after hours as well, because there’s so much other work and diagnosis to be completed during the regular day that they just can’t fit the engine work in.

If all this is true...

Is there really any doubt in your mind?

 

[zzyzzx]

Sorry but, anytime I see a new Hyundai or Kia being driven. I think to myself --- good luck suckered. Realistically, they are priced near or the same as new Toyotas and Hondas these days pertaing what model you are attempting to purchase.

Realistically Hyundai/Kia should be priced much lower due to poor (as in worse than Stellantis) quality. I would also expect Hyundai / Kia insurance to be higher.

 

[gman2304]

The Ford Taurus V8 SHO had some fail from stripped cam gears before they left the factory lot.

Yamaha engine in a Ford….. what could have possibly gone wrong…?

 

[SHOZ]

Yamaha engine in a Ford….. what could have possibly gone wrong…?

Same issue in some Mustangs. It was Fords instance that the cam gears be swedged on. Yamaha just made the heads and put the engine together. Block was from Canada, for the V8.

 

[dogememe]

I’m amazed at the number of complaints about South Korean products here. From appliances, to vehicles, to Lord only knows what other products we’re unknowingly consuming that might be substandard.

The Bolt is mostly S. Korean. And is generally considered to be a very reliable vehicle. It's H/K's bad design/components/quality that are the problem, not the country.

 

[gman2304]

The Bolt is mostly S. Korean. And is generally considered to be a very reliable vehicle. It's H/K's bad design/components/quality that are the problem, not the country.

How are those LG and Samsung appliances working out for ya…….?

 

[Chris142]

I dont understand how with todays technology they can build a bad engine.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

I dont understand how with todays technology they can build a bad engine.

They're too busy applying that technology to make cool LED lights and touchscreens. After that there is simply no budget left for trying to find and fix the root causes of their common issues.

Every manufacturer has their common issues, but I don't see others stockpiling mountains of engines and transmissions...

 

[dogememe]

How are those LG and Samsung appliances working out for ya…….?

My LG/GM Bolt works great.

We have LG washer and dryer and they've been trouble free as well and we do a lot of laundry because my partner does massages and so he's constantly washing sheets from the massage table separately from our normal laundry.

And the previous place I lived had Samsung washer and dryer that seemed to handle what I would consider severe duty usage - a whole family with three kids plus two rental tenants including myself just fine.

I'm not saying that everything Korean is great - I'm just saying you can't discount an entire country's products based on HyunKia's lousy cars.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Is there really any doubt in your mind?

Not a strong doubt at least. What he described seemed believable. I’ve never heard of a manufacturer reducing warranty labor due to a tech doing such a high quantity of the job, and I was in dealerships as a tech about 10 years, but that was also 10 years ago.

 

[zzyzzx]

I’ve never heard of a manufacturer reducing warranty labor due to a tech doing such a high quantity of the job

I've heard it from a mechanic on YouTube.

 

[loneryder]

Why can’t H/K get their act together on their engine issues? You would think they’d have figured out the problem after 10 years of issues with them.

Because they are throwing together disposable vehicles.