2013 Hyundai Elantra nightmare steering

[olivierochanine]

I bought a brand new 2013 Hyunday Elantra 1.8 GS a month and a half ago, and the experience has been an absolute nightmare! If you've had the same experience, please reply.

The original car I bought was not this one; the first one proved to have defective steering (stiff steering on one side at all times), and the dealership recognized this issue and offered to replace it (since it was barely driven). I was impressed.

I was told, however, that the car they wanted to replace it with had not passed a quality inspection. I was surprised, because that meant there must be a line of bad cars.

When they finally gave me the replacement, I was horrified!! The car manifested, again, very bad steering!! And on top of the, the car veered dangerously to the right! I had already wasted so many days with steering issues by now and had continuously brought the car in to the dealership to have the issue solved, but to no avail. The short version of the story is that after 6 or 7 alignments, the car is STILL acting up! The car does not veer to the right as much, but the tension in the steering wheel is tight to the left and super easy to the right. Also, the steering wheel wants to go right and prefers to sit slight to the right of center, even though they've supposedly centered the thing many times. Additionally, the amount of turning of steering while to make the car go right is bigger than the amount needed to make the car go left.

They insist that the alignment has been fixed, and since the alignment on paper looks ok, they insist the car has no problem. This even after the service manager of the Hyundai Central EDSA branch admits to me that he noticed the problem this morning when I did what was to be a final test drive!! He and his mechanic admitted right there that the car was behaving badly!!! And yet, they have the nerve to tell me the alignment is correct and that the car is ok!

I've written 2 letters by now to the president of HARI (Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.) and have had NO responses aside from an insulting auto reply. The letters are the following:

1st letter:
________________________________________

Dear Ms. Perez-Agudo:
I write to you today with a plea. I am at my wit’s end and the stress level is simply too much for me now. I hope you will read this and help me with my request.
One month ago, I decided to give Hyundai a try, as I had heard wonderful things about it from friends who own Sonatas and Elantras. My nightmare began immediately after purchasing the 2013 Elantra 1.8 GS model. To save you time and to keep this letter concise, I will enumerate my dilemma aspects from the past month.
1. August 17: we traded in our Honda City, which had served us very well, for the new Elantra Clean Blue. We had decided to go for Hyundai instead of another Honda partly because my wife loved the Clean Blue color so much. The test model also drove very nicely so I was very happy to switch. Immediately, we noticed that the steering was not behaving well on the new car we bought. The steering to the right was extremely tight while to the left was super easy. I told our sales person (Anjo of Hyundai Pasig) by phone about this problem, and was advised to bring it in.
2. August 19: we took the car to Hyundai Pasig, but nobody told us they were not opening for the day because of rain, so we drove from Fairview to Pasig for nothing.
3. August 22: service technicians were finally able to look at the car. They said it was an alignment issue. They returned the car to us, but the car still drove very badly. We had to cancel appearing at a family wedding in Tarlac because we could not drive the car.
4. August 27: we brought the car in again; I asked to test drive a model unit again just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. The test model drove beautifully. Service techs drove my car and noticed there was a big problem. This time they decided to replace my car, but offered us a grey color. They did in the end find another new Clean Blue, but told us that one was defective also and could not be used. Finally, they found another Clean Blue and assigned it to us. While we waited for the processing, which was to take some days, they kindly let us use a loaner vehicle, and we were very thankful for the customer care. Unfortunately, while driving the loaner in Intramuros, the air conditioning broke and the car overheated. I had to cancel my work meetings for the rest of the afternoon, AND I missed my wife’s grandmother’s funeral. This was a huge problem for me. Luckily, later that afternoon I was given another loaner car, which worked well.
5. September 2: We got replacement car, and were happy to hopefully be done with the car troubles. However, we quickly noticed this new car had also steering problems! This time, the car was veering to the right and the steering wheel was not at all centered, wanting to stay left of center.
6. September 5: my wife brought car to Hyundai Pasig again ( I could not skip more work to do this). They did an alignment again and told her the car was good. When I drove it that evening, I noticed the car was still not functioning properly. The steering was still heavy on the right side and very easy to turn left, and the car still veered dramatically to the right.
7. September 9: we dropped off car again, and this time Hyundai Pasig had the car 3 days and brought in techs from HARI. The service techs agreed that a significant steering problem existed, but after three days said the car was fixed. Even though service adviser Fred told us they were doing an alignment and promised to give us the readings, when we got the car back, no papers were given to us, and then we were told no alignment was done after all. Actually, most visits, NOTHING was given to us to show us what was being done. This time I was very annoyed because up to this date, we had nothing to show for the many times we had taken the car in, except for one time that we were shown the computer readings. Nothing was shown as to alignments that were done. On top of it, when I called the branch to ask for the papers, the person who answered the phone even referred to me as ‘a pain in the ass’ when she was speaking to Lea, who by this week was refusing to take our phone calls. The customer service we were receiving in the beginning was excellent, but by this time, we were getting only run around and Lea (CRM) was refusing to take any of our calls. We were frustrated, to say the very least. I had already taken so many days off work to deal with this car. I was now limited to calling the branch to inquire about the car about the supposed test results, but I was being refused service.
8. September 12: We got the car back. The problem this time was worse. The steering was veering dangerously to the right. This is even AFTER the HARI technicians supposedly had examined the car. The car now was driving so erratically that as soon as you let go of the steering wheel on a very straight road, the car drove violently to the right. I have video documentation of this for your reference.
9. September 21: I managed to get some time off work again, but this time, since we were so disenchanted with the cold reception we were getting from they Hyundai Pasig branch, I decided to take the car to Hyundai EDSA. I was so happy when the service technicians there drove the car and IMMEDIATELY told me that there was a huge problem. The tech named Jun told me he thought the rack and pinion should be replaced because the car’s steering was so bad. He was also very shocked by how erratically the car’s steering was, especially considering it was brand new. I was so relieved, because I thought finally that I would see the end of my problems with this nightmare car. However, after three days, and another alignment, they decided that the rack and pinion was ok and that the car was fixed. They advised me to get the 1,000 KM preventive service, which of course I agreed to, since I always take good care of any car that I happen to own. For reference, I’ve attached the last alignment results (the only ones I received from any service adviser; this from JC at Hyunday EDSA, who was helpful). The alignment results speak for themselves – according to JC, the alignment is fixed, and yet the steering handles just as badly (and the car, just a day later, is still veering to the right).
Much to my absolute shock, the car today STILL drives dangerously. The steering to the right has returned after just one day and the hard steering has switched from the right now to the left. I cannot drive this car in its current condition.
Ms. Perez-Agudo, I urge you to please help me. I’ve had such a nightmare with this car’s steering. I actually love this car otherwise. It’s a beautiful car, with comfortable seats and just the right amount of power. However, I feel like I’m getting into a death trap every time I get into the car. Please help me, as I want at this point to either:
1. return the car and close my bank loan
OR
2. exchange the car again and this time let me test drive the new unit for a decent amount of time to make certain that the car is not defective. You may have a batch of cars with defective steering, as mine is the 3rd Clean Blue car with problems, which are corroborated by your Hyundai technicians.
I thank you in advance for your help. I am just looking forward to enjoying the new car that I was buying, as I do love the Elantra, but really feel in danger because of my car’s defective steering. So far, it’s been such a nightmare and has really destroyed the new-car experience that any new car owner enjoys. I hope you can help me, and humbly ask you to put yourself in my position and to feel for a moment how I feel after going through this.

[olivierochanine]

here is the 2nd letter, AND the ridiculous auto reply I got!

The service manager in question is Robert Sanpedro. He is telling me he is hesitant to put into writing what he told me by phone about them telling me my test drive means nothing to their decision concerning the defect! They are either hiding something or they simply don't give a damn about their customers!
___________________

2nd letter:

Date: Tuesday, October 1, 13
Ms. Fe Perez-Agudo
President, HARI

Dear Ms. Perez-Agudo:
I write a follow up letter to you regarding my dilemma with the 2013 Elantra I recently purchased. I want to thank Hyundai for its many attempts at correcting the issue, but at this point, I must plead to you that the defective car be replaced.
To summarize to you the facts of my experience:
1. In good faith, I switched from Honda to Hyundai by buying a 2013 Elantra.
2. In good faith, when problems were immediately noticeable with the steering, I brought in the car for diagnosis.
3. In good faith on Hyundai’s part, the car was replaced when deemed defective.
4. In good faith, I brought in the car again – not once, but many times, sometimes being without a car for my work for days on end – when the replacement car exhibited dangerous steering issues (noted in my first letter to you).
5. In good faith, I was very patient and brought the car in for repeated alignments, each not solving the problem, and the veering issue and the stiff steering on one side persisting.
6. In good faith, I didn’t complain when I was unable to attend important family events (one wedding and one funeral) because of the car hassles), and did not overly complain when spending so many days taking public transportation and missing so many days of work just to bring the car to servicing.

TODAY, in good faith, even though I was promised to be contacted by someone from Hyundai after my initial letter to you (I was told I would be contacted to have someone come and look at my car Saturday or Monday, but received no communication), I decided to give Hyundai another chance to diagnose the problem, and thus spent most of the day at Hyundai EDSA (taking yet another leave from work). Service technicians once again agreed that the veering to the right has not gone away at all and that the steering to the left is very stiff. This final alignment shows that the alignment results are not consistent with the parameters set out. 6 of the 12 measurements came out incorrect AFTER this second alignment even. For instance: (this is the final alignment) you’ll notice the faulty alignment in RED (this is Hyundai’s own printout, clearly indicating in red color the results that show the alignment is still not correct.



And the one from last week:


7. After these alignments, the fact remains that the car drives dangerously, just like before this alignment and before and after the last one. I was asked to leave the car at Hyundai for 2-3 days for possible diagnosis, which causes me again a huge inconvenience. This is even after one of your HARI technicians from Calamba assessed the car today (this is the 3rd or 4th time that HARI technicians have looked at the car without figuring out the solution). And what is even more alarming is that the technicians by their own printouts of alignment will say that the car is ok, when the very print out says it is out of spec. An excellent car like this with very precise rack and pinion steering demands very high precision in the alignment.
8. In good faith, I’ve been extremely patient now for 1.5 months! I have reached my limit. I am leaving for the US for a business trip this Sunday, and respectfully plead to you to have this car replaced before I leave. I will not be able to focus on my business needs on this important trip with this nightmare hanging over my head. I think you will agree that I have been more than patient. If Hyundai wants to figure out what is wrong with this unit, I encourage it, but at this point, I cannot afford for it to be done on my time. I need a reliable and safe car, and I believe that at this point I deserve to have this.
PLEASE, I beseech you to replace this defective car with one that drives normally, like the model unit I tested on the day I decided to go with Hyundai. I love this car, but I cannot stand the steering problem. If you cannot replace this defective car with one that drives normally, I ask you to please cancel my contract with this car. This has caused me so much more pain and stress than any enjoyment of owning a new unit. The amount of stress that has come from constantly going to Hyundai for diagnosis (which to this date has not fixed anything) and constantly asking for leaves from work is too much to bear. Additionally, not being Filipino, I do not feel safe taking public transportation, and often get hassled by people and drivers. Please, do the right thing and let me enjoy a safe and normal car. It’s been 1.5 months and nothing at all has been resolved.
Thank you.

Olivier Ochanine
_____________________

ridiculous auto reply:

Dear Mr. Olivier Ochanine,

We acknowledge the receipt of your message which was raised thru Email. Please be informed that HARI is aware of your concern and that this matter has been endorsed to your servicing dealer, Central EDSA, for their immediate attention.

We thank you for bringing up the matter to our attention. We sincerely extend our apologies for any inconvenience the concern may have caused you.



Very truly yours,



Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.

[slapz]

Dami na talaga nightmare stories ng Hyundai.

[falken]

Maybe it's time to bring your case to DTI, check out this thread.

http://tsikot.com/forums/hyundai-car...nloloko-94799/

[olivierochanine]

Definitely going to DTI.
By the way, what was the outcome of that guy's trouble? I didn't quite understand the tagalog.

thanks!

[piscesboy]

2nd letter #1. dapat nagbasa ka muna ng thread dito sir bago ka nagdesisyon in good faith.

tama si falken dti na yan.

[olivierochanine]

sorry what do you mean?

[nelany]

Siguro ka mag anak itong HARI ng RAPIDE.

[glenn_duke]

Weird, yung original at yung replacement unit parehas ng sakit. Baka naman parehas na returned units mga yan.

[yoshimitsu]

I'm so sad to hear this story... Because, I myself brought a Hyundai just this May, but an i10 1.1 A/T from Hyundai Central EDSA.
Been very happy of my purchase since day 1. It did not disappoint me regarding fuel efficiency & handling. It's been just 5months since I purchased my car, but my ODO already clocked 14,500kms since I drive 150km per day from Pulilan to BGC.

Could it be possible that one whole batch of cars with the clean blue color are defective? I really hope that all your woes with your purchase will be resolved. My officemate also owns a 1.8 Elantra GS color white. He bought his car June 2012, and he told me that he has no problem with his car and is happy with his purchase since day 1. His daily route is from Antipolo to BGC...