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i30N lemon

theories

Member
Nov 29, 2019
12
33
13
Canberra
Hi

Seeking fedback from owners to my problem car!

I purchased a $45,000 Hyundai i30N high performance car from Lennock Hyundai in July 2018 after reading the great reviews of this sports car. At the beginning of August 2019 there was a distinct smell and I took it back to the dealer so they could assess the issue. After assessing the car they said it was coming from the clutch but after testing said there was no problem (at 17,000 km). Two weeks ago I was driving to the shops and the gear box failed nearly causing a major accident and the car had to be towed to the dealership (at 21,000 km). After it being assessed again, Hyundai has determined that the damage to the gear box was caused by driver error and will not cover it under warranty. I have not driven the car untoward and a car of this nature should last longer than 12 months. I have rung Hyundai Customer Care and have been told there is nothing more that I can do!

I have been told that it will cost $4000 to repair and which I cannot afford and therefore I am left with a 'lemon'.
Wasn't the car meant to have a toughened gear box and a track warranty!!??

I understand that under the Australian Consumer Law, when I buy products and services they come with automatic guarantees that they will work and do what I asked for.

Any advice apprciated!
 
This is not good news. What exactly did the "dealer ?" mean by driver error?
PM @Philip Rodgers &/or maybe @Geoff Fear from Hyundai to see if you can escalate this issue with either of them.
Both the clutch and the gearbox are indeed toughened in my understanding. To cope with the power this vehicle produces and it's intended purpose of sporty / spirited driving within certain limits of course. Track warranty as you also state is correct so long as it is not a timed event.
I can smell clutch too sometimes even after a year of ownership and normal 60km/h driving.
At the very least Hyundai technical staff should investigate the matter to eliminate any dealer mis-diagnosis of the failure.
Please keep the forum updated on your progress. We are all on your side.
 
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The dealership and Hyundai said it was due to my fault and there is no recourse. The car has not been driven hard or on the track. I am now stuck with a lemon! They also said it had excessive tyre and brake wear.
 
Thanks...problem is I cannot drive it anywhere at present! I have spoken to Fair Trade and will put a complaint in writing and see what happens but both the dealership and Hyundai have washed their hands off the matter and I cannot afford $4k for the repair. Buyer beware!
 
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I'm curious as to how the dealership determined it was owner/operator error? What was there a specific criteria and explanation? You can hire a lawyer on your behalf and have them interceed and discuss it with Hyundai. Generally, this will bring them around quite quickly.

You need to bypass Hyundai Regional in Australia and contact Hyundai Customer Service direct and explain the issues in depth and start an actual complaint ticket against the dealer direct.

Frankly speaking, there is no specific Hyundai criteria for this type of issue. If the clutch was slipping, it's due to either gross misuse or mechanical issues. Neither can be distinguished clearly, except for faulty mechanical issues and parts.

With the present problems of 5th and 6th gear engagement being posted here (which seems to be the norm and not the exception) I can see an issue developing with the clutch also.

It's time to bring pressure to bear on your Hyundai Dealership thru Australian Consumer Protection Laws and possible civil legal action. Keep in mind, your dealing directly with the dealership, not Hyundai when taking this avenue. The dealership is the diagnostic center and they must show clearly where, without a doubt the specific problem was owner/operator induced.

Again frankly, "there is no testing criteria for such a problem or issue." It simply best guess on their part and opinionated.

Your dealership also takes an extremely big risk in attempting to prove without doubt, you caused the issues solely. They have no proof of it and additional civil, legal repercussion can develop due to such claims. This is something a lawyer can explain to them in length.

If your dealership didn't disassemble the entire unit and inspect it thoroughly then by sending off the damaged part/s to Hyundai for some type analysis, then it's simply opinionated. Hyundai can't refuse a warrantied claim on simple opinion.

Do have it taken to an independent mechanic, keeping an expense log as well. I know this is a big inconvenience and frustration for you but it is well worth the time and effort you spend. Stay focused on the task at hand and do your diligence.

I hope and wish you all the best success with this issue.

All the Best Mate
 
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This does not fill me with hope as I purchased my i30N from Lennock a month ago and my dealings with them after the sale have been awful too. Minor stuff but as I bought the car to track it I'm now worried that any major issue and they'll fob me off. Enough concern that I'm genuinely regretting buying the car as it seems the default position of dealers these days is to deny more and more claims.

As others have said they really have to prove to a reasonable standard it was your negligence and not just it was one possible option. It's a performance car warranted for the track so excessive wear on brakes and tyres should be normal. Unless the callipers are black from being hammered all day at 900deg and there are chunks of metal from missing gears then they should wear the repairs.

Good luck with the fight and please keep us updated.
 
This does not fill me with hope as I purchased my i30N from Lennock a month ago and my dealings with them after the sale have been awful too. Minor stuff but as I bought the car to track it I'm now worried that any major issue and they'll fob me off. Enough concern that I'm genuinely regretting buying the car as it seems the default position of dealers these days is to deny more and more claims.

As others have said they really have to prove to a reasonable standard it was your negligence and not just it was one possible option. It's a performance car warranted for the track so excessive wear on brakes and tyres should be normal. Unless the callipers are black from being hammered all day at 900deg and there are chunks of metal from missing gears then they should wear the repairs.

Good luck with the fight and please keep us updated.
Go to another dealer. Not all dealers are the same, especially when it comes to customer service. There are several other dealers in your area that can service the i30N.
 
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Go to another dealer. Not all dealers are the same, especially when it comes to customer service. There are several other dealers in your area that can service the i30N.

My experience with the only other Hyundai dealer in Canberra, National Capital Motors, was even worse to the point I wouldn't even buy from them. It's that bad I'm actually going to go over 100km to Goulburn from now on.

I buy new cars fairly often (3 in the last 2 years) and can honestly say that what the OP is experiencing seems to becoming more common. Dealers and manufacturers flat out refusing to meet their legal obligations knowing that enough people will simply give up so they end up ahead.
 
I would contact John Cadogan from YouTube and explain your problem ,he might shove a rocket up Hyundai and if he puts it on YouTube then Hyundai might take action as he has subscribers world wide ,just a suggestion
 
What exactly did the dealer tell you and how did he justify this?
I know from one case in germany where the warranty claim on an engine defect was neglected because HY proved several overrevs done by the driver (>8160 rpm), however only a technician from HY was able to prove that but not the dealer himself and they provided the customer with written proof of the logs they took from the car. I guess that would be the propper procedure and I wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less, definitely insist on involving HY itself!

Unfortunately you will come across a lot of companies trying to rip you off just by trying to neglect your (legitimate) claims and it they are successful even in one out of ten cases it was worth it to them. I did have a similar issue with my old insurance company which tried to get out of paying the full insured sum for the car which was stolen from me. Only way to go was to involve a lawyer...
 
There is another little tidbit of information that hasn't been addressed either; "Launch Control"

This is a sure fire way to burn up the clutch quite quickly and cause transmission damage but it was Hyundai who installed it. They install the launch control and then don't back up the warranty if you utilize it??:eek:o_O

Something is afoot Mr' Watson!!:p
 
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Hi

Seeking fedback from owners to my problem car!

I purchased a $45,000 Hyundai i30N high performance car from Lennock Hyundai in July 2018 after reading the great reviews of this sports car. At the beginning of August 2019 there was a distinct smell and I took it back to the dealer so they could assess the issue. After assessing the car they said it was coming from the clutch but after testing said there was no problem (at 17,000 km). Two weeks ago I was driving to the shops and the gear box failed nearly causing a major accident and the car had to be towed to the dealership (at 21,000 km). After it being assessed again, Hyundai has determined that the damage to the gear box was caused by driver error and will not cover it under warranty. I have not driven the car untoward and a car of this nature should last longer than 12 months. I have rung the Hyundai Customer Care and have been told there is nothing more that I can do!

I have been told that it will cost $4000 to repair and which I cannot afford and therefore I am left with a 'lemon'.
Wasn't the car meant to have a toughened gear box and a track warranty!!??

I understand that under the Australian Consumer Law, when I buy products and services they come with automatic guarantees that they will work and do what I asked for.

Any advice apprciated!

Not good :-(

When you say “gearbox failed” do you indeed mean gearbox?

Or do you mean clutch?

I ask as the $4000 cost matches that claimed for a new clutch on various FB groups.

If so, there are already aftermarket clutches which an independent mechanic could fit for far less.

A gearbox failure and clutch worn out/failed are very different things. I can imagine they might be saying the clutch is a consumable and it has failed due to wear and tear, possibly prematurely due to your driving habits. While they maybe wrong, they could be right - many people rest their foot on the clutch while driving...

As long as you weren’t doing that or using launch control etc like a maniac, then yeah time to toughen up and let H know youre not going to let it go as other posts has detailed.
 
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This is a sure fire way to burn up the clutch quite quickly but it was Hyundai who installed it. They install the launch control and then don't back up the warranty if you utilize it??:eek:o_O

Thats exactly what Nissan did with the first gen GTRs. Used launch control once - warranty gone. But afaik that was clearly written in the warranty agreement and they did change that later.
 
Yep but it's not in ours. Plus, if they install it to be utilized by the owner, then Hyundai has to back its use as per their warranty. Hence, a shortened life for the clutch plates.:(

I realize clutch linings are warranted unless you have the 10 year Bumper to Bumper warranty, However, clutches don't burn up in 13K miles utilizing it normally.

The Ford GT500 we owned had less than 10K miles wasn't hot rodded and decided to take a powder. We took it to Ford and they replaced it with a newer unit. It had over 650 whp.

I'm sorry but if your lucky an i30N night crest 245 whp which is not enough power to wear out a clutch in 13K miles or damage a transmission, not unless Hyundai can without a doubt,prove it the owner negligence.

Keeping in mind; the 5th and 6th gear problems, no manufactures warning regarding accelerated clutch wear from Launch Control use, normal daily use, IMO he has a case against Hyundai.

Additionally, there is such a thing called; customer loyalty and good will gesture on a case by case basis. Adding in the possible NHTSA issues abroad with the 2.0T Theta II engine, there is a need for Hyundai to show a bit of leniency and grace.

Not saying they will but it surely doesn't speak well of Hyundai's customer service or loyalty to present and future customers.;) . This is one of the reason I got the 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. They can't deny a warranty claim because we paid extra for it. If they would attempt to do so, Hyundai would have to refund the cost in full.

Mind you, we don't have to complete details of why the claim was refused either. I'll leave this up to the thread op to dill in.
 
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Additionally, there is such a thing called; customer loyalty and good will gesture on a case by case basis.

I'd say zero chance of that with this dealer. My issue with them was when I picked up the car it was under a lot of bright spotlights but I still did the full check of paint, panel, interior, etc. Mentioned that another car I'd bough a few months earlier came with some pre-existing damage that I was still fighting the dealer over it. They said that was bad form and implied they'd never do such a thing.

Got home and the next day I noticed some marks on the very edge of two wheels. Took pictures and when the salesman phoned a day later to check up I mentioned it to him. He said that they'd used a lot of tyre shine, so much that he had to wipe some off, and with the reflections it can be almost impossible to pick up that damage visually. Told him as it wasn't a safety issue I'd get them to sort it out at the first service.

Show up at the first service and Lennock claim that there was no record of the conversation with salesman and he apparently denied having spoken to me about the wheels. They denied the claim unless I could offer positive proof that the marks were there at the time of delivery. Of course I couldn't, even with photos less than 24 hours after delivery.

The argument over the damaged wheels is one thing, but lying about the conversation I had with the salesman is just reprehensible. Rather than fight them for a few hundred dollars I'm just never going back there again.