Hyundai quality comparison

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Hyundia/Kia are having a ton of problems with the Theta II 2.0L and 2.4L engines right now. They've recalled 3.7 million of them in total so far, and there are more than 300 cases of Hyundia/Kia's with that engine catching fire in the US. The core of the issue is debris left in the engines during the manufacturing process, which causes the engines to eventually lock up and in some cases catch on fire.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ca...wingly-sold-defective-vehicles-1.5073563

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Theta_engine

Overall I think Hyundai's are a really good value but they're not impervious from making a bad product.
 
Nick1994, I see you bought your '15 Genesis from Chapman Hyundai Scottsdale. I was just there today getting my first complimentary oil change on a 2020 Hyundai Elantra Limited.

As far as Hyundai/Kia quality-I've owned 3 Toyota's, 1) '97 Geo Prizm 109000/mi, 2) 2004 Toyota RAV4 21000/mi, and 3) Scion xA 8,000/mi. I've owned 3 Hyundai's. 1) 2007 Hyundai Sonata 99000/mi, 2) 2017 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition 46000/mi, and 3) 2020 Hyundai Elantra 3800/mi.
The only reason I'm still not driving the 2007 Sonata is because it was totaled in an accident. The only reason I'm still not driving the 2017 Elantra is because it was totaled in an accident
frown.gif
. None of the Hyundai's ever gave me any major problems. The Sonata had a TSB for the Stability Control and was replaced for free. It also had a TSB for the sunvisor that was replaced for free. The only issue I had was the right rear window went down one day and didn't go back up. It was fixed under warranty. The 2017 Elantra had the brake booster recall. No other issues at all in the 46000/mi I had it. I got rid of the Prizm (Toyota Corolla copy) because I wanted a new car. I got rid of the RAV4 to lower my monthly payment and deeply regret that decision. I got rid of the Scion because it had no acceleration and got mediocre gas mileage. That's when I switched to Hyundai. My dad also had a 2007 Hyundai Sonata for 12 years to the day and with 104000mi with no major problems. He was going to have the oxygen sensor replaced and decided to lease a new 2019 Kia Forte instead.

There have not been any major engine failures of the Theta II since the 2015 Hyundai Sonata redesign. 2011-2014 is an entirely different story but as mentioned every car manufacturer has issues. I mean Toyota just recalled 700000 vehicles for the fuel pump!

As far as Hyundai dealer experience. I have had mostly good experiences at the one's I've used in the Phoenix area. My father has also had good experiences at 3 different dealers in the Pittsburgh area. Here in Phoenix, the Earnhardt dealers have the best service departments and aren't bad for sales. Chapman Hyundai Scottsdale is good but I didn't care for the service department at Chapman Hyundai Bell Rd.
 
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Originally Posted by CG_BrianM
Nick1994, I see you bought your '15 Genesis from Chapman Hyundai Scottsdale. I was just there today getting my first complimentary oil change on a 2020 Hyundai Elantra Limited.

As far as Hyundai/Kia quality-I've owned 3 Toyota's, 1) '97 Geo Prizm 109000/mi, 2) 2004 Toyota RAV4 21000/mi, and 3) Scion xA 8,000/mi. I've owned 3 Hyundai's. 1) 2007 Hyundai Sonata 99000/mi, 2) 2017 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition 46000/mi, and 3) 2020 Hyundai Elantra 3800/mi.
The only reason I'm still not driving the 2007 Sonata is because it was totaled in an accident. The only reason I'm still not driving the 2017 Elantra is because it was totaled in an accident
frown.gif
. None of the Hyundai's ever gave me any major problems. The Sonata had a TSB for the Stability Control and was replaced for free. It also had a TSB for the sunvisor that was replaced for free. The only issue I had was the right rear window went down one day and didn't go back up. It was fixed under warranty. The 2017 Elantra had the brake booster recall. No other issues at all in the 46000/mi I had it. I got rid of the Prizm (Toyota Corolla copy) because I wanted a new car. I got rid of the RAV4 to lower my monthly payment and deeply regret that decision. I got rid of the Scion because it had no acceleration and got mediocre gas mileage. That's when I switched to Hyundai. My dad also had a 2007 Hyundai Sonata for 12 years to the day and with 104000mi with no major problems. He was going to have the oxygen sensor replaced and decided to lease a new 2019 Kia Forte instead.

There have not been any major engine failures of the Theta II since the 2015 Hyundai Sonata redesign. 2011-2014 is an entirely different story but as mentioned every car manufacturer has issues. I mean Toyota just recalled 700000 vehicles for the fuel pump!

As far as Hyundai dealer experience. I have had mostly good experiences at the one's I've used in the Phoenix area. My father has also had good experiences at 3 different dealers in the Pittsburgh area. Here in Phoenix, the Earnhardt dealers have the best service departments and aren't bad for sales. Chapman Hyundai Scottsdale is good but I didn't care for the service department at Chapman Hyundai Bell Rd.

Just don't go to Camelback Hyundai. What a slime ball dealership that is.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
Yep, Honda's are great, the gold standard of a reliable automatic transmission in every model sold, past and present.

Ahh Ha Ha. We will never buy another Honda due to the designed in failures and poor service by a dishonest dealer. We purchased our 2004 Honda Odyssey new.
 
I have 2 Hyundai GTs.
Leased both new on screaming deals because they both had 3000 miles on them.
Used as parts/managers cars.
The incentive was a little over $6000 off each car.
I cant comment on reliability because they both have low mileage.
But I will say this the family owned dealership that I leased them from couldn't be better.
From service to sales top notch.
Of course the service department wants to sell me $90 cabin air filters but thats their job.
I've had Hyundias before and changing that filter is a 10 minute job with a $10 filter.
 
The late 80's excel were rolling junk. They ran but everything was broken.

Build quality is way up. I would not go as far as saying better the. Honda given the major engine issues through 2010's with certain but popular Hyundai.

They seem neck and neck with initial quality but jury is still out on the 150k+ of Hyundai.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
The late 80's excel were rolling junk. They ran but everything was broken.

Build quality is way up. I would not go as far as saying better the. Honda given the major engine issues through 2010's with certain but popular Hyundai.

They seem neck and neck with initial quality but jury is still out on the 150k+ of Hyundai.

While looking for a 'donor car' (for parts) to fix my daughters crashed 08' Elantra...I saw several 07'-10' Elantra's with well over 200k and one with 330k (miles not kilometers). The Beta 2.0 is extremely durable and not very fussy about oil (the OM allows SJ, SL, SM, and SN and 5w20 to 10w30 (maybe even 10w40..I can't remember.)
 
My DD 2010 Hyundai 2.4L I'm over 185k on the clock. Has never let me down.
Besides oil/filter changes, wiper blades, couple headlight bulbs, engine & cabin filters, tires:
105k changed coolant and threw on new brake pads
112k New battery
135k R&R serpentine belt (kept OEM belt in cargo area as it looks fine)
145k got a misfire code a few times, one coil pack looked iffy on the end so bought a set of 4 and installed them (Denso).

Took it in early for a bulletin on the brake/stop lamp switch and they replaced it although I had no issue with the EOM switch.

That's pretty much it. I have put the least amount of maintenance time and money in this vehicle for the time/miles and it has been just trouble free so far. Still drives pretty much like the day I bought it. Brakes straight, no steering wobble (actually steering still tight), seems to ride the same as always.
Getting close to think around 200k new brake pads & may turn rotors plus drain/fill brake fluid, coolant drain/fill again, plugs, maybe do some kind of a fuel system cleaning. Other than that don't know. Hate to touch the transmission as its been trouble free. Will come a day and I'll just want to get another/different vehicle.
Still have a Lexus RX 330 and a couple Camry's, so will be somewhat hard when I let the Hyundai and what comes next.
 
Originally Posted by LeakySeals
How about rust? How do they hold up in the salt?


I had my Elantra for 10 New Hampshire winters never rustproofed and parked outside. Sometimes parked oceanside for months at a time in New England (son served in Navy then, and now is a civilian employee of Navy at our nearby naval shipyard -- nuff said). Both parked outside winter and summer, at the waterfront. The car had no rust issues. It got totaled several weeks ago.
 
Originally Posted by bugeye
Originally Posted by skyactiv
Yep, Honda's are great, the gold standard of a reliable automatic transmission in every model sold, past and present.

Ahh Ha Ha. We will never buy another Honda due to the designed in failures and poor service by a dishonest dealer. We purchased our 2004 Honda Odyssey new.



What sort of designed in failures?
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Had 107k miles on my 15' Sonata, traded it in almost 3 weeks ago. Was an excellent car, only issue was a CV boot started to tear. Had new OEM boots installed for around $200.

Now have a 15' Genesis 5.0L, very happy with it. I'll create a write up on it soon. Just under 3 weeks and I've put a little over 2,000 miles on it. Very high quality car to say the least.



Didn't you trade yours in because you were worried that the 2.4 in your Sonata was going to blow? Not sure that's an "excellent" car.

Originally Posted by CG_BrianM

There have not been any major engine failures of the Theta II since the 2015 Hyundai Sonata redesign. 2011-2014 is an entirely different story but as mentioned every car manufacturer has issues. I mean Toyota just recalled 700000 vehicles for the fuel pump!


Not true. There are plenty of complaints for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 model years registered with the NHTSA. Motors are failing up to and including the 2018 model year:
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Hyundai/Sonata/2015/engine/engine.shtml. In fact, though spontaneous failures seem to be a little less frequent, there are a lot MORE reports of the newer design becoming a massive oil burner at 60-80k miles.

Complaint volume is slowing now that Hyundai isn't trying to get out of replacing the engines, after the whistleblower and class action suit forced them to set aside nearly a billion dollars for this problem. Toyota is not analogous, as once the defective part is replaced, those engines will be trouble free. In Hyundai's case, the best they can offer you is a mispurposed use of the knock sensor to try (not always successful) to warn you before your engine fails catastrophically on the highway.

Everyone talking about pre-2011 models are referring to the days they used Mitsubishi powertrains, which were dead reliable and share very little with today's Hyundais. Try finding a Sonata with 200k+ miles for sale and still running. Chances are much, much better of finding a 2009/2010 than a 2011/12/13.
 
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Originally Posted by smc733
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Had 107k miles on my 15' Sonata, traded it in almost 3 weeks ago. Was an excellent car, only issue was a CV boot started to tear. Had new OEM boots installed for around $200.

Now have a 15' Genesis 5.0L, very happy with it. I'll create a write up on it soon. Just under 3 weeks and I've put a little over 2,000 miles on it. Very high quality car to say the least.



Didn't you trade yours in because you were worried that the 2.4 in your Sonata was going to blow? Not sure that's an "excellent" car.

Nope, I wanted a car with more power, didn't get the V6 Genesis, I got the 420hp V8 model.

The far better financial decision would have been to keep the Sonata and drive the wheels off of it. Even if the engine blew, spending $3,000 on an engine is a lot cheaper than spending $20k on a replacement car.

But where's the fun in that?
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994

Nope, I wanted a car with more power, didn't get the V6 Genesis, I got the 420hp V8 model.

The far better financial decision would have been to keep the Sonata and drive the wheels off of it. Even if the engine blew, spending $3,000 on an engine is a lot cheaper than spending $20k on a replacement car.

But where's the fun in that?


V6 or V8 would be more fun and more power. The financial decision isn't always as clear cut as it sounds, depending on what you trade it for. In your case, a 2015 Genesis has already lost considerable value against MSRP, so you got a lot of car for the money.

On the side of keeping the Sonata, the absolute lowest cost would probably be to throw in another junkyard Theta II (with god knows what condition/life left in it) and keep gambling. $3k is getting you a junkyard motor without any "fixes", so its unwise to assume that would get you another 100k miles. But if you pencil out the replacement cost on a similar class, lower mileage, slightly newer car that doesn't have the risk of a $3k expense hanging over it, the cost per mile isn't as different as it sounds. At 107k, you were a little closer toward the end of the depreciation curve, so you probably had less equity to lose by keeping it. $3k for an engine on a car worth $3k still leaves you with a car worth $3k. $3k toward a new car still gets you a newer car worth more money, with presumably lower mileage and more life, especially if you get a good deal. The higher mileage car will need more $ in repairs per year moving forward as well.

I do remember you posting a thread about the engine worries though, because someone linked you to my thread in yours. I'm less concerned about it being fun to drive, given my commute to work, but I just haven't been bothered to make a deal yet. Here's your thread: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5293944/1

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Trying to figure out the gamble with my Sonata. I originally got a 2015 because at the time it was believed they weren't really affected with the defective engines. Well, sounds like they are, but possibly might not be to the extent of the 2011-2014 models.

Not sure if it's worth trading for something else, or if it's worth the gamble to replace the engine if it goes. I haven't asked my mechanic yet how much it is to put in a used low-mileage engine yet. Might be pretty reasonably priced.

I got the car for a great deal, and it's been really reliable since.

I need to get the recall done for the software flash for the knock sensor, which will give me warranty until 120k miles. That'll give me about 7 months to come up with a plan to either keep or replace.

I'm kind of leaning towards keeping it. If the engine were to blow, say at 150k miles, I could have a low mileage engine swapped in for $3,500 maybe? Then rinse and repeat and if that one blows too after another 100k miles (I don't see me keeping it that long) then call it a good run and move on.


You asked the same question I did, because Hyundai is so shady and indirect about the issue, no one knows. You seem to agree in that thread that much newer engines are failing too, and the whole thing is just a big gamble. In my case, I haven't had any replacements yet, but the car feels really tired/worn at 70k, and who feels like starting to put any money into other things for a car with this motor? Of course you got the classic BITOG responses in there to "just keep it" and claiming the engines aren't really problematic, it must be people not doing oil changes! Despite the evidence that has been demonstrated in courts sufficient enough for judges to award a settlement against Hyundai.

No matter what, a car that makes it to only 107k with threat of imminent death is not an excellent car. I have no doubt the Genesis will treat you better, though, the V8 powertrain seems to be reminiscent of the early 90s Lexus LS. I'd like to think Hyundai has learned their lesson, but after my wife's Elantra going to [censored] at 70k, and the same worries on the Theta II in this car, I'm giving Hyundai another generation (5-7 years for me) before even thinking to try again. I suspect they'll be one of the few big ICE players that successfully makes the jump to electric, where Korean engineering is stronger.
 
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Originally Posted by smc733
Originally Posted by Nick1994

Nope, I wanted a car with more power, didn't get the V6 Genesis, I got the 420hp V8 model.

The far better financial decision would have been to keep the Sonata and drive the wheels off of it. Even if the engine blew, spending $3,000 on an engine is a lot cheaper than spending $20k on a replacement car.

But where's the fun in that?


V6 or V8 would be more fun and more power. The financial decision isn't always as clear cut as it sounds, depending on what you trade it for. In your case, a 2015 Genesis has already lost considerable value against MSRP, so you got a lot of car for the money.

On the side of keeping the Sonata, the absolute lowest cost would probably be to throw in another junkyard Theta II (with god knows what condition/life left in it) and keep gambling. $3k is getting you a junkyard motor without any "fixes", so its unwise to assume that would get you another 100k miles. But if you pencil out the replacement cost on a similar class, lower mileage, slightly newer car that doesn't have the risk of a $3k expense hanging over it, the cost per mile isn't as different as it sounds. At 107k, you were a little closer toward the end of the depreciation curve, so you probably had less equity to lose by keeping it. $3k for an engine on a car worth $3k still leaves you with a car worth $3k. $3k toward a new car still gets you a newer car worth more money, with presumably lower mileage and more life, especially if you get a good deal. The higher mileage car will need more $ in repairs per year moving forward as well.

I do remember you posting a thread about the engine worries though, because someone linked you to my thread in yours. I'm less concerned about it being fun to drive, given my commute to work, but I just haven't been bothered to make a deal yet. Here's your thread: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5293944/1

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Trying to figure out the gamble with my Sonata. I originally got a 2015 because at the time it was believed they weren't really affected with the defective engines. Well, sounds like they are, but possibly might not be to the extent of the 2011-2014 models.

Not sure if it's worth trading for something else, or if it's worth the gamble to replace the engine if it goes. I haven't asked my mechanic yet how much it is to put in a used low-mileage engine yet. Might be pretty reasonably priced.

I got the car for a great deal, and it's been really reliable since.

I need to get the recall done for the software flash for the knock sensor, which will give me warranty until 120k miles. That'll give me about 7 months to come up with a plan to either keep or replace.

I'm kind of leaning towards keeping it. If the engine were to blow, say at 150k miles, I could have a low mileage engine swapped in for $3,500 maybe? Then rinse and repeat and if that one blows too after another 100k miles (I don't see me keeping it that long) then call it a good run and move on.


You asked the same question I did, because Hyundai is so shady and indirect about the issue, no one knows. You seem to agree in that thread that much newer engines are failing too, and the whole thing is just a big gamble. In my case, I haven't had any replacements yet, but the car feels really tired/worn at 70k, and who feels like starting to put any money into other things for a car with this motor? Of course you got the classic BITOG responses in there to "just keep it" and claiming the engines aren't really problematic, it must be people not doing oil changes! Despite the evidence that has been demonstrated in courts sufficient enough for judges to award a settlement against Hyundai.

No matter what, a car that makes it to only 107k with threat of imminent death is not an excellent car. I have no doubt the Genesis will treat you better, though, the V8 powertrain seems to be reminiscent of the early 90s Lexus LS. I'd like to think Hyundai has learned their lesson, but after my wife's Elantra going to [censored] at 70k, and the same worries on the Theta II in this car, I'm giving Hyundai another generation (5-7 years for me) before even thinking to try again. I suspect they'll be one of the few big ICE players that successfully makes the jump to electric, where Korean engineering is stronger.



They replaced my son's motor in his Sonata at 125,000 because when he got the letter he took it to the dealer and the dealer stated he was OK. Then it blew about 6 months later. Replaced the motor and put him a a Malibu rental for about two weeks. Cost to him $0.00

BTW-I bought a new Subaru (Legacy) $24,000.00 plus dollars and they laughed at me when I asked them to repaint the hood-a couple of years later. Guess what-a year later It was traded in and I purchased the wife's DD a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited XL.

So yeah-what happens when things hit the fan matters......
 
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@CKN

What year was your son's Sonata? They do seem to be replacing out of warranty, but it's certainly a hassle and potentially dangerous depending on when/where it fails.
 
Originally Posted by smc733
@CKN

What year was your son's Sonata? They do seem to be replacing out of warranty, but it's certainly a hassle and potentially dangerous depending on when/where it fails.



It was a 2012. BTW-it was still drive-able-but barely when the motor went.
 
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Originally Posted by Jake_J
Hyundia/Kia are having a ton of problems with the Theta II 2.0L and 2.4L engines right now.

The core of the issue is debris left in the engines during the manufacturing process, which causes the engines to eventually lock up and in some cases catch on fire.



While it's entirely possible that some early engines were chock-a-block full of debris, leading to early failures, that's not true today. The engines continue to fail and are doing so due to design and materials issues, not poor quality control. I do not believe the issue has been fixed, and I continue to see reports of engine failures well below and up to the 100K mark.
 
Originally Posted by smc733
Originally Posted by Nick1994

Nope, I wanted a car with more power, didn't get the V6 Genesis, I got the 420hp V8 model.

The far better financial decision would have been to keep the Sonata and drive the wheels off of it. Even if the engine blew, spending $3,000 on an engine is a lot cheaper than spending $20k on a replacement car.

But where's the fun in that?


V6 or V8 would be more fun and more power. The financial decision isn't always as clear cut as it sounds, depending on what you trade it for. In your case, a 2015 Genesis has already lost considerable value against MSRP, so you got a lot of car for the money.

On the side of keeping the Sonata, the absolute lowest cost would probably be to throw in another junkyard Theta II (with god knows what condition/life left in it) and keep gambling. $3k is getting you a junkyard motor without any "fixes", so its unwise to assume that would get you another 100k miles. But if you pencil out the replacement cost on a similar class, lower mileage, slightly newer car that doesn't have the risk of a $3k expense hanging over it, the cost per mile isn't as different as it sounds. At 107k, you were a little closer toward the end of the depreciation curve, so you probably had less equity to lose by keeping it. $3k for an engine on a car worth $3k still leaves you with a car worth $3k. $3k toward a new car still gets you a newer car worth more money, with presumably lower mileage and more life, especially if you get a good deal. The higher mileage car will need more $ in repairs per year moving forward as well.

I do remember you posting a thread about the engine worries though, because someone linked you to my thread in yours. I'm less concerned about it being fun to drive, given my commute to work, but I just haven't been bothered to make a deal yet. Here's your thread: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5293944/1

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Trying to figure out the gamble with my Sonata. I originally got a 2015 because at the time it was believed they weren't really affected with the defective engines. Well, sounds like they are, but possibly might not be to the extent of the 2011-2014 models.

Not sure if it's worth trading for something else, or if it's worth the gamble to replace the engine if it goes. I haven't asked my mechanic yet how much it is to put in a used low-mileage engine yet. Might be pretty reasonably priced.

I got the car for a great deal, and it's been really reliable since.

I need to get the recall done for the software flash for the knock sensor, which will give me warranty until 120k miles. That'll give me about 7 months to come up with a plan to either keep or replace.

I'm kind of leaning towards keeping it. If the engine were to blow, say at 150k miles, I could have a low mileage engine swapped in for $3,500 maybe? Then rinse and repeat and if that one blows too after another 100k miles (I don't see me keeping it that long) then call it a good run and move on.


You asked the same question I did, because Hyundai is so shady and indirect about the issue, no one knows. You seem to agree in that thread that much newer engines are failing too, and the whole thing is just a big gamble. In my case, I haven't had any replacements yet, but the car feels really tired/worn at 70k, and who feels like starting to put any money into other things for a car with this motor? Of course you got the classic BITOG responses in there to "just keep it" and claiming the engines aren't really problematic, it must be people not doing oil changes! Despite the evidence that has been demonstrated in courts sufficient enough for judges to award a settlement against Hyundai.

No matter what, a car that makes it to only 107k with threat of imminent death is not an excellent car. I have no doubt the Genesis will treat you better, though, the V8 powertrain seems to be reminiscent of the early 90s Lexus LS. I'd like to think Hyundai has learned their lesson, but after my wife's Elantra going to [censored] at 70k, and the same worries on the Theta II in this car, I'm giving Hyundai another generation (5-7 years for me) before even thinking to try again. I suspect they'll be one of the few big ICE players that successfully makes the jump to electric, where Korean engineering is stronger.

Sorry to hear yours felt worn at 70k.

At 107k miles, mine drove like brand new. No creaks or rattles, suspension was perfect, it drove smooth as silk. Very comfortable car. Even though the car wasn't worth a whole lot, I didn't pay much for it either. Either putting in low mile engines for $3k every couple years or buying a new crate motor for who knows how much, it would have been smarter financially. But I wanted something different.

I'm not expecting the Genesis to be as trouble free. Might be a solid V8 engine, but this thing has a ton of tech in it. But I knew that when I bought it.

I'll shed some tears later when something breaks. But that's ok.
 
I'm looking at a Stinger GTS AWD. Ridiculously inexpensive for what you get. Reliability doesn't worry me in the slightest. The only thing that gives me pause is that the local dealers are sketchy when it comes to service.
 
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