Hyundai woes again

[cookiedough]

our 2014 santa fe just outside 60K warranty noticed leaking left front strut plus been thunking noise over large bumps in road front suspension.  So, decided to replace front struts, sway bar links, and top strut bearings at local repair shop being near 1/2 price of Hyundai dealer pricing,  since might as well do it all at once with now 70K miles.  Well, got online struts/sway bar links but got from HYUNDAI dealer the top strut bearings informing me the new bearings had new part number vs. original OEM bearings in it.  I asked if they are the same so will fit and Hyundai parts said they should since schematics do not say otherwise.  Guess what - the bearings are bigger than OEM and will not fit in top strut mount.  No mention from Hyundai dealer will need new front strut mount, so put the OLD OEM top strut bearings back in since nothing I could do at the repair shop needing the vehicle back.

I filed a case with Hyundai Motor Co. for a call back last week and still no word from case mgr.  I am requesting if I buy the new bearings along with new (better not be same size) top strut mount to fit, that Hyundai Motor Co, reimburse me labor to take everything apart again just for stupid bearings that Hyundai has no clue that will not fit the OEM top strut mount.  IDIOTS!!!    I blame Hyundai Motor Co. for not knowing their own 4 year old vehicle, plus why revamp the OEM bearings with bigger size without informing Hyundai dealers a new top strut mount will be needed??????  If they request the work be performed at a Hyundai dealer, they best pay for labor since is near double the going rate of most local repair shops.   Another example, the EXACT same Monroe OE spectrum struts I got for 75 bucks online were 155 at a stealership, why????  does the dealer rub their magic potion elixir on the struts to make them double the value?

[MarkT]

Had a mechanic friend advise that Hyundai and Kia both use pot metal in their production parts.  Said steer clear.  I was surprised - thought they were trying hard to build a rep like Honda & Toyota & Mazda.  I know their engineers can be or are, top notch.  As for me I'm staying with proven companies.  That being the 3 I just mentioned.  Not going back to the Big 3 US makers after repeated disappointments - I trusted them with multiple chances always with them letting me down and I'm done with them.  Sorry bout that, American Content people.  Anybody want a 97 Exploder, stick shift, with a cooling problem, multiple other small problems, 145k miles with the coolant repair being more than it's worth?  Per my mechanic, but I'm getting a 2nd opinion from a dealer - maybe I can get it fixed and sell it for more than just parts.  Replaced it with a low mile 2012 4Runner Limited, everything works and I'm pretty sure it's a 300k vehicle.

[Robert]

Kia and Hyundai are not bad cars but they do have their problems along with every other brand. Even Honda which was the rock solid brand in the past has gone the way of making less of a car or cheapening them. The nice thing about Kia and Hyundai is the warranty on most parts, if you can get them to honor it. Plus dont expect them to honor the design difference and I would hope but not expect any letter and if you do get one I doubt it will be anything that is really beneficial to you.

Dealer pricing has gone through the roof along with many times the honesty of the dealers going down. NOT in all cases, Not in all situations but just the cost of repairing cars and making money. If they have a fancy dealership they did not get that by giving big discounts on repairs. Its their bread and butter now since they dont make as much on the sale of the cars and the MFG are doing their best to cut out the local shops by making the software to their cars proprietary.

Your story is the new normal at most any dealer. It has always been the story that in all brands there are models that stand out as good vehicles, the problem is to know which ones are good.

Mark T unless you know the dealer I would not take the Exploder to the dealer for a second opinion. I would take it to a different mechanic.

[Dave Ritsema]

The same old adage is still true today, you get what you pay for.

I had a neighbor that bought a Santa Fe two years ago and went on and on about how its better than a Toyota, etc. It's had multiple major issues and several months ago she got in a wreck and the OEM replacement fender had different marker light locations than her original one. The body shop tried multiple orders, worked with the factory, etc and apparently her fenders were from an earlier production run that model year and they are no longer available  so she has one kind of marker light on one fender and another location and type on the other.

I had Hyundai as a rental for a week when travelling and couldn't wait to give it back.

[old2soon]

            I WUZ lookin at a couple of Hyundai's here in Southern Mo. and y'all have made me HAPPY I went with the Pontiac. The 3.8 V-6 is a decent driveline. Mid to high 20s for fuel economy and my mechanic can still git parts. I just recently went thru the Shock of how MUCH dlr parts over parts house parts are versus Rock Auto. Far as parts and suppliers changing mid year-NOT a surprise from ANY of them. Try being an aircraft mechanic. When I was still turning wrenches on big trucks-semis and 3 4 and 5 axle dumps-you had BETTER have the line setting ticket fer that vehicle-build sheet. Still NO guarantee you'd git the Right parts. A Good parts gut in a dealership Can save you a LOT of headaches. Hope y'all git it sorted out WITHOUT breakin da bank!  RIDE SAFE.

[F6Dave]

Anybody want a 97 Exploder, stick shift, with a cooling problem, multiple other small problems, 145k miles with the coolant repair being more than it's worth?

Mark, I'm curious, what engine was in that '97 Explorer?  I had a '97 F150 with the 4.2 liter V6.  There was a head or manifold gasket problem that let coolant into a cylinder, which led to hydrolock that destroyed the engine.  I put a rebuilt engine in, and it started losing coolant too, so it was a Ford design problem.  I caught that before the engine exploded, and found a mechanic just a few miles from you who resolved the problem for a reasonable price.

[MarkT]

Anybody want a 97 Exploder, stick shift, with a cooling problem, multiple other small problems, 145k miles with the coolant repair being more than it's worth?

Mark, I'm curious, what engine was in that '97 Explorer?  I had a '97 F150 with the 4.2 liter V6.  There was a head or manifold gasket problem that let coolant into a cylinder, which led to hydrolock that destroyed the engine.  I put a rebuilt engine in, and it started losing coolant too, so it was a Ford design problem.  I caught that before the engine exploded, and found a mechanic just a few miles from you who resolved the problem for a reasonable price.

Yeah same engine.  I read online there's a tube that passes coolant between the heads, in the valley, that has a problem of developing a leak.  If it was that, the coolant should show up in the oil however.  My mechanic thinks it's a blown head and says they aren't available at a reasonable cost.  But he doesn't like to dig into serious engine takedowns as he's run into too many situations where the cost has just ballooned.  He has backed out of fixes on this truck twice before, and explained then he doesn't do serious fixes.  He even failed to fix a door lock problem - worn linkage - after having the truck for a week. I got the dealer to fix that. So if he runs into a semi-serious problem his path is to discourage the customer from fixing it by saying the cost is so high it's not worth it.  Maybe, maybe not as I already know his aversion to really digging into a problem.  He's my guy for making my header collectors for the exhaust mods but I'm thinking he's no longer my guy for car repairs - even though that's his business. Not sure I have the honest story.  No symptoms of coolant getting into a cylinder or the oil.  Just a serious leak - disappearance of coolant.  I guess I can look closer at it myself without a lot of time spent.  I don't work on cars anymore, just bikes.  Cars have become computers and I don't have the right equipment, training or inclination to wrench on them anymore.  Not simple like they were back in the day, or like our bikes.

What mechanic was that?

[Robert]

Just check it out Mark you sound like a better mechanic than the guy whose afraid to get in over  his head. Who knows it may turn out to be nothing

[F6Dave]

Anybody want a 97 Exploder, stick shift, with a cooling problem, multiple other small problems, 145k miles with the coolant repair being more than it's worth?

Mark, I'm curious, what engine was in that '97 Explorer?  I had a '97 F150 with the 4.2 liter V6.  There was a head or manifold gasket problem that let coolant into a cylinder, which led to hydrolock that destroyed the engine.  I put a rebuilt engine in, and it started losing coolant too, so it was a Ford design problem.  I caught that before the engine exploded, and found a mechanic just a few miles from you who resolved the problem for a reasonable price.

Yeah same engine.  I read online there's a tube that passes coolant between the heads, in the valley, that has a problem of developing a leak.  If it was that, the coolant should show up in the oil however.  My mechanic thinks it's a blown head and says they aren't available at a reasonable cost.  But he doesn't like to dig into serious engine takedowns as he's run into too many situations where the cost has just ballooned.  He has backed out of fixes on this truck twice before, and explained then he doesn't do serious fixes.  He even failed to fix a door lock problem - worn linkage - after having the truck for a week. I got the dealer to fix that. So if he runs into a semi-serious problem his path is to discourage the customer from fixing it by saying the cost is so high it's not worth it.  Maybe, maybe not as I already know his aversion to really digging into a problem.  He's my guy for making my header collectors for the exhaust mods but I'm thinking he's no longer my guy for car repairs - even though that's his business. Not sure I have the honest story.  No symptoms of coolant getting into a cylinder or the oil.  Just a serious leak - disappearance of coolant.  I guess I can look closer at it myself without a lot of time spent.  I don't work on cars anymore, just bikes.  Cars have become computers and I don't have the right equipment, training or inclination to wrench on them anymore.  Not simple like they were back in the day, or like our bikes.

What mechanic was that?

Yep, identical symptom.  Coolant was disappearing.  Must have been flowing through the cylinder as the engine was running.  Then one day, when my wife parked it at work, a cylinder must have stopped in a position creating enough vacuum to suck in lots of coolant.  When she went to start it, it hydrolocked with a loud BANG.

Mine was fixed at Elizabeth Auto Repair.  I told Eric, the owner, that the rebuilt engine was losing coolant just like the exploded one.  He called the rebuilder and they'd seen it before.  They told him to install 2 manifold gaskets using lots of sealant.  He did that and the problem never returned.  However, if there's more serious damage on yours, I'd agree it isn't worth fixing due to the age of the vehicle.

[cookiedough]

glad I am not the only one having readily available and CORRECT OEM replacement parts.  I have a HUGE issue with dealer and Hyundai mfg. changing a part design something so simple and yet so important of front strut bearings being different sizing than OEM on santa fe 4 years ago and the vehicle is so NEW.

How do I know if I buy new bearing part number like I did and then also get new top strut mounts, the SAME sizing top strut mount the bearing goes into will not fit yet again paying labor again for nothing?  Then I am out even more money thru the fault of Hyundai not knowing what parts are needed to do a simple strut replacement.  IDIOTS!!!  I am not letting this slide one bit until I get it remedied.

Their parts schematics should have specified new top strut mount needed for new front strut bearing but it does not so Hyundai is liable for repairs/labor IMO.   I think this is a huge safety issue as well for if one REALLY needed a front strut bearing causing steering/driveability issues (mine is not horrible yet but could be one day in 30-50K more miles) Hyundai nor their dealers are able to fix it not knowing a darn thing!!!!!!!!

This is the first issue on any of my 3 hyundais I have owned since 2011 putting on over 170K miles on all 3 of them together, ran well no issues so cannot knock them for building crappy quality vehicles, just their OEM parts replacements are bogus.  They may not ride quite as well as say a Toyota or Honda, but the reliability and hp/speed is on par with Toyota and Honda equivalents IMO.  I compared a toyota camry vs. our hyundai sonata in 2014 and sonata is roomier, better mpg, and 5 grand cheaper apples to apples  yah, will not get all that savings of 5K got off upfront back when time to sell, but I can deal with that.  Santa fe was not cheap near 30K bought new, but the equivalent toyota highlander was over 35K pushing 40K and the 3.3L v6 290 hp engine is snappy and fuel efficient as well, just not as smooth riding but can live with it.

Now, if you would have asked me to buy anything Kia or Hyunda prior to 2010,  then I would say NO WAY the 1990s and thru late 2000's were junk and ugly. 

[sheets]

2008 Kia Sportage - 4 banger. 115k miles with zero problems. Zero. Did replace the AC unit last year. It quit making cold air. That is the only malfunction repair in ten-plus years. Yrmv.

[bscrive]

I have a 2007 Santa Fe and a 2017 Tucson.  I have had the Santa Fe now for 6 years.  I had the same clunking that you had and it was the stabilizer links that were worn out.  They do not last long as I had changed them a couple of years ago.  If they changed the links and you still have the clunk on the front then the lower ball joints are probably toast.

If the top bushings were going you would hear some clunking when you turn the steering wheel.   

I am fortunate, because one of my cousins is a Hyundai mechanic and I get him to diagnose the problem and then I fix it.

[cookiedough]

I have a 2007 Santa Fe and a 2017 Tucson.  I have had the Santa Fe now for 6 years.  I had the same clunking that you had and it was the stabilizer links that were worn out.  They do not last long as I had changed them a couple of years ago.  If they changed the links and you still have the clunk on the front then the lower ball joints are probably toast.

If the top bushings were going you would hear some clunking when you turn the steering wheel.   

I am fortunate, because one of my cousins is a Hyundai mechanic and I get him to diagnose the problem and then I fix it.

I guess cannot hurt to replace lower ball joints for 27 bucks each for the MOOG's ball joints (https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/hyundai,2014,santa+fe,3.3l+v6,3300346,suspension,ball+joint,10070   even though they look from the outside perfectly fine no excess freeplay or anything.  Yah, I replaced the sway bar links with Moog''s and Monroe OE spectrum struts.  I just do not want to have to replace top strut mount (piece of metal is all it is and OEM''s are fine (65 bucks at auto parts store vs. 140 each at stealership), then having to yet again pay to tear it all apart also replacing the newly redesigned bigger front strut bearings which also needs a new rubber insulator below the bearings costing even more moola since the darn bearings are bigger, need a bigger insulator rubber boot as wel to fit below bearings.

It is better, but still hear a thunk but not as bad as before.  top strut bearings are not the thunk issue but have felt a catch/knock in the steering wheel  at slow speeds ONLY a few times is all and some say that is or could be the top strut bearings starting to go bad.  Mechanic did say the left one side strut bearing did have some grit in it but other than that looked fine.

question:  that thunking over BIG bumps in road compressing the front suspension is there anyway to see from feeling or moving around and looking at the lower ball joints if they are bad?  The rubber boot around the lower ball joints look just fine as did the sway bar links I replaced.   I guess take them off and wiggle the lower ball joints around to see if sloppy?  Probably should have replaced lower ball joints same time as the struts/sway bar links just hate tossing money out the window when was 99% sure the sway bar links were just fine to begin with which from inspecting while off they seemed firm and good shape still.

[bscrive]

The Hyundai ball joints are notorious for being crappy.  That is why they are so cheap.  The only way to check them is to remove them from the shock tower and see if they are loose.  They should be almost impossible to move.  Although, doing this may damage them if they are still good.  I would definitely change them out with Moog ball joints.  That is what I did. 
The other thing that could be giving you a thunking over a heavy bump is the bushings for the stabilizer bar or, it could be the A-arm bushings.  I have had to change those out over the years as well.
If you do change the upper strut bearing and plate, make sure that you get an alignment afterwards even if it seems to drive ok.  The alignment will definitely be out.