Australian Hyundai Dealers and i30N

[mickjf]

I fell your pain GazmaN. Bought a new Kia last year and after a week noticed paint missing on the trailing edge of the bonnet. Pointed it out to them at the 1 month free service and they said unless you have definitive proof it was there when you picked the car up, too bad.

And had similar with my i30N. Noticed a small mark on a wheel after driving it home. I did a check of the car but I suspect I missed it due to their very bright spot lights. Took photos and told them the next working day but they said the same thing. Unless you can prove it was there on pickup, too bad.

Long gone are the days of dealers doing the right thing by customers. Both cars now go to an independent service centre.

 

[Stash-N]

This is disgusting that so called trained technicians cannot change wiper blades without damaging the vehicle. I think I am more enraged that you @GazmaN.
As someone who earned a living as a mechanic for 26 years (albeit 20+ years ago now) I watched as dealerships in general (not all) took the view that apprentices were cheap labour that you did not train them to think or diagnose issues but rather relied on trade school to teach them everything and just used them up till they got sick of low pay and poor conditions and left the trade. False economics also pushed many away from the tools. Techs who either loved the work or the products they worked on and had pride in their work got sick of being pushed to get jobs done in shorter and shorter time frames so the management could make more and more money. Oh I am sounding so jaded now! It is beyond belief that 3 techs (sic) did not know of the wiper service position. 13 km test drive - and over inflated tyres. Do they really want you to come back?
I really hope they are able repair your bonnet to your satisfaction. They don't even consider the time in inconvenience involved here.
I need to stop my blood pressure is rising and it is only 7:20am.
Best of luck and keep loving the car.

 

[NULLOBANDITO]

I need to stop my blood pressure is rising and it is only 7:20am

At least you're awake now

In all seriousness, I don't get why dealerships allow this. Only hurts their reputation in the long run.
I feel like many dealerships try and get cheap, unexperienced folks to keep their employee costs down, yet they forget that with cases such as @GazmaN's they'll probably have to pay several times the amount they "saved" with those inexperienced folks in repairs...

I'm just happy that I'm on good terms with my dealership.

 

[R Veloster N]

This is disgusting that so called trained technicians cannot change wiper blades without damaging the vehicle. I think I am more enraged that you @GazmaN.
As someone who earned a living as a mechanic for 26 years (albeit 20+ years ago now) I watched as dealerships in general (not all) took the view that apprentices were cheap labour that you did not train them to think or diagnose issues but rather relied on trade school to teach them everything and just used them up till they got sick of low pay and poor conditions and left the trade. False economics also pushed many away from the tools. Techs who either loved the work or the products they worked on and had pride in their work got sick of being pushed to get jobs done in shorter and shorter time frames so the management could make more and more money. Oh I am sounding so jaded now! It is beyond belief that 3 techs (sic) did not know of the wiper service position. 13 km test drive - and over inflated tyres. Do they really want you to come back?
I really hope they are able repair your bonnet to your satisfaction. They don't even consider the time in inconvenience involved here.
I need to stop my blood pressure is rising and it is only 7:20am.
Best of luck and keep loving the car.

Write it of to morning aerobic exercise.

 

[mcb6110]

I feel your pain GazmaN. This level of incompetence (wipers) and disrespect (taking the car for a serious fang) is unforgivable. Either on their own is bad enough. To add salt to your wounds, the next closest dealer is not exactly a short drive!

Their explanation of the distance and fuel consumption for the "test drive" should at least be entertaining.

I have been through the sheer incompetence bit in the past with a Toyota Vienta, but at least I had other dealers to try. Unbelievably, the first 3 I used had to be given the flick and not used again - didn't inspire me towards another Toyota.

Makes me grateful to have an excellent independent mechanic. This of course leads to the dilemma of using a dealership to avoid discussions about warranty (becomes more of an issue when warranty is 5 or 7 years and cars such as the N beome more technical, with more gear to go wrong) or using your trusted mechanic and feeling confident that you won't have to endure "bonus" paint chips & scratches, incorrectly fitted wheels, joy rides and the like!

 

[Hugh_85]

I haven't had the service Dept. damage my car from 'work' as such, but a dog took the 'liberty' of chewing on my car when it was under their 'care/supervision'. This was repaired eventually.......not sure how many times the wrong part can be ordered but it's all fixed now.
Every service I tell them even having been there many many times (They know my name without seeing my car), if it's driven then the dashcam is to be connected for insurance. Covers their arse and mine should we need to have a conversation about how the car was driven or damaged. I don't trust their textbook mechanics, they're nice people but their mechanical knowledge is pigeon holed and limited.
They have a step by step process for everything with coloured diagrams with part numbers (even for tools needed). Issues outside these and they're dead in the water. Queue the data collection process......
Take note when it's fuel filter time (60 thou kays), the i30n has a specific tool for opening the fuel tank. I had to come back another when they had the tool. Oh and make sure they close it back up properly because it's under the back seat (had to take me car back).
With all the dealings I've had with my car in the 2 years I've owned it, I'll never buy another Hyundai or car from my local Dealer (inc. their other brands).Same service dept. had previously put $14k of brand new driveline in to my Santa Fe, even after my warranty had ended.
I had asked for a refund but it was declined, so now can't wait for my car to be written off or my lease to end, Hyundai don't know what's wrong or how to fix the issues so it's very much love/hate with my car .
Oh and Customer (don't) Care aren't much help either, they just say work through it with the Dealership.

 

[GazmaN]

Quick update. Wednesday before last: after hearing nothing for a couple of days after my in-person complaint Hyundai Customer Care emailed me a post-service satisfaction survey. I grinned. Completing it was...time-consuming.

Within five minutes of hitting the submit button I received a call from the dealer's service manager. Promises were made without me saying much - phrases like "serious investigation", "this will be sorted", "I'll organise a courtesy car while it is getting repaired", "we'll send it to the same panel shop where we send the Porches and BMWs - they're the best" were thrown in my general direction. And finally "so I'll give you a call hopefully by the end of the day". A week and a half later... nothing.

Young fella next door is a Toyota salesman and this morning I noticed he had a little black car in his driveway with two exhaust pipes and NT number plate that read GRYARIS. I found them kind of hideous in the press photos but they were always white or red. The black seems to hide the bits I don't like. And I've never owned a black car before .

 

[Stash-N]

Quick update. Wednesday before last: after hearing nothing for a couple of days after my in-person complaint Hyundai Customer Care emailed me a post-service satisfaction survey. I grinned. Completing it was...time-consuming.

Within five minutes of hitting the submit button I received a call from the dealer's service manager. Promises were made without me saying much - phrases like "serious investigation", "this will be sorted", "I'll organise a courtesy car while it is getting repaired", "we'll send it to the same panel shop where we send the Porches and BMWs - they're the best" were thrown in my general direction. And finally "so I'll give you a call hopefully by the end of the day". A week and a half later... nothing.

Young fella next door is a Toyota salesman and this morning I noticed he had a little black car in his driveway with two exhaust pipes and NT number plate that read GRYARIS. I found them kind of hideous in the press photos but they were always white or red. The black seems to hide the bits I don't like. And I've never owned a black car before .

Tempted by a Toyota! Hyundai dealer only have themselves to blame.

 

[NULLOBANDITO]

Kinda sad seeing this community fall apart because of shoddy dealers

 

[mcb6110]

Quick update. Wednesday before last: after hearing nothing for a couple of days after my in-person complaint Hyundai Customer Care emailed me a post-service satisfaction survey. I grinned. Completing it was...time-consuming.

Within five minutes of hitting the submit button I received a call from the dealer's service manager. Promises were made without me saying much - phrases like "serious investigation", "this will be sorted", "I'll organise a courtesy car while it is getting repaired", "we'll send it to the same panel shop where we send the Porches and BMWs - they're the best" were thrown in my general direction. And finally "so I'll give you a call hopefully by the end of the day". A week and a half later... nothing.

Young fella next door is a Toyota salesman and this morning I noticed he had a little black car in his driveway with two exhaust pipes and NT number plate that read GRYARIS. I found them kind of hideous in the press photos but they were always white or red. The black seems to hide the bits I don't like. And I've never owned a black car before .

They don't like negative reports! I had great delight in retiltling the dealers email from "Customer Satisfaction Report" to "Customer Disatisfacton Report". Also got the prompt phone call - but in my case, there was no remedial action, as I had already correted their stuff-ups.

Did the service manager indicate how he was going to remedy the "test drive"?

 

[mickjf]

Kinda sad seeing this community fall apart because of shoddy dealers

I love my i30N but the two dealers where I live are awful so I use an independent who specialises in high performance cars. Next closest dealer is 100km away. All it will take is one very bad warranty experience and I will sell the car.

This is in complete contrast to my local Honda dealer where I get my Type R serviced who are simply brilliant. In fact I've just won the right to purchase one of the 19 limited edition Type Rs coming to Australia and just assumed I was going to sell my current Type R to fund it. But my wife actually said given we get such great service from Honda, why not sell the i30N instead and I'm seriously thinking it is the better option.

 

[Jajodu]

Having been in the trade for over twenty years I know this sort of shoddy work is not limited to Hyundai, I once owned a new Lexus and it needed a software update to overcome starting problems. Took it to the dealer who carried out that update. Drove home, popped the bonnet to have a nosey and found both cooling fans disconnected. Story from the dealer was that that need to do that to prevent spikes when flashing the ECU. Nitwit mechanic forgot to reconnect them. Luckily the journey home was on free flowing roads.
Needless to say I never used that dealer again.
That's why I do all my own servicing in my own garage.

 

[GazmaN]

Did the service manager indicate how he was going to remedy the "test drive"?

You know what? I decided not to even mention it in the end as it was actually the least of my concerns. Bloke who changed the oil this time is the first (I've had three dealer oil changes now) to have not overfilled it and clean up after himself. And it's designed to be driven hard, so I'll give him his test drive. Nothing was damaged by him. According to the first names of the techs on the invoice he ain't one of the clowns who wrecked my wipers and bonnet.

The most amusing aspect of my conversation with the service manager was his fascination with the overinflated tyres. He wouldn't let it go. "I must check that the airlines and that the gauges in the workshop are properly calibrated". I told him there should be 3 psi less in the rears regardless. "No, something is not right here - I take this very seriously", he says. Okay dude...I just want my paint back .

 

[GazmaN]

An update. Finally some movement today (I may have drunk-mailed the service manager last night). She's booked in to a paint and panel shop for wiper arms replacement and full bonnet respray next Monday. They'll need it for the whole week during which time Hyundai will give me a courtesy loan vehicle. I wonder if I'll treat their car with the same care as they treated mine . Anyway, It's a start I suppose.

GR Yaris test drive booked in for Saturday morning. We'll see if I have to do some soul-searching after that.

 

[loafer-N77]

GR Yaris test drive booked in for Saturday morning.

Make sure you check how the wipers are accessed on the Yaris
Could be the deciding factor!

 

[Corsa59]

Make sure you check how the wipers are accessed on the Yaris
Could be the deciding factor!

Interesting.... the Gazman is not happy with his car, I thought he loved it. I get that it is a service issue, but it still surprises me...

I had an apprentice drop a tool on my front wing and bonnet, and damage both at the 10K service. After complaining to the stealership and Hyundai, the wing, bonnet AND front bumper were repainted. Now I have a car with three different blues! Ever so slightly different, but I notice it.

I have placed a $1000 deposit on one of the first 100 GR Yaris, and I haven't been invited by the local dealer to test drive yet, but I suspect I will be buying it just to resell, and hopefully make enough profit to offset the extra cost of a Rallye Edition when they arrive.

Planning on keeping the N in the family (my son), and looking at upgrading the boss' car to an i30N with DCT...

No serious issues with my car (April '18), maybe I have been lucky!

 

[loafer-N77]

@Corsa59

100% agree mate, but @GazmaN (not that I speak for him in any way) I guess got fed up with the aftercare from Hyundai. I can see his point too tbh.

A car with a 5 year warranty is great but not so much if the establishment that deals with warranty/servicing is as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

My car has also been without any serious issues (two years old) but the level of competancy of my UK dealership (directly and indirectly after hearing about @fatcat issues in his threads) leaves me considering if I'd buy a new Hyundai again unfortunately. I love the one I've got, just hope it doesn't need me to interact with dealership in the future.

I can see why people think "Sod it" and look for another vehicle.......

 

[GazmaN]

Interesting.... the Gazman is not happy with his car, I thought he loved it. I get that it is a service issue, but it still surprises me...

No serious issues with my car (April '18), maybe I have been lucky!

Don't get me wrong mate. The Gazman loveth the car, he just despises the dealer. And it's not like I can choose between them. @loafer-N77 nailed it really - it's the aftercare (or lack thereof) that has my undies in a bunch. Like you I've had no issues with the car itself (July '18 for me), just the humans I've entrusted it to.

Regardless of the extended warranty if I keep taking it back to the dealership for servicing she ain't going back there after this. No offers of compensation or future acts of good faith, just "we'll fix what we did", and only after I had to chase them up and lean on them.

I'm not going to sell the N and buy a Yaris on principle alone. I just gave her a bath so she doesn't get jealous at the Toyota dealership tomorrow and damn she looks pretty. So I'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face just yet.

 

[mcb6110]

A quick thought GazmaN, do you know if your local Toyota dealer is any better?

Enjoy your test drive his morning.

 

[GazmaN]

A quick thought GazmaN, do you know if your local Toyota dealer is any better?

Enjoy your test drive his morning.

I had my Hilux with them for three years and they were great. That said, I know of others that had some problems with 'em. Pretty sure it's often luck of the draw with any of them tbh but they certainly have better service and a better reputation than Darwin Motor Group. Anyway, I'm off to flog a Yaris now - wish me luck!