Automotive

How is Hyundai reliability these days?

  • Last Updated:
  • Nov 19th, 2017 11:55 pm
Member
Nov 6, 2016
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How is Hyundai reliability these days?

It's safe to say that Hyundai has come a long way these days in terms of quality. But I'm curious if anyone has any insight on how well built and reliable the current Hyundai's (Elantra, Sonata) are in comparison to similar offerings from Toyota, Honda, etc. I also find it interesting that they are not using CVT transmissions in their Elantras, which I think is a good thing for long-term reliability?

Please don't chime in and say things like "Hyundai is crap, Honda rulezzz" without having some evidence or some actual insight.
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May 22, 2005
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There are always bad apples in all manufacturer lineups, so it depends on which model. I know the DCT used in a few of their models weren't great and Hyundai moved back to traditional auto boxes.
Last edited by coriolis on Nov 18th, 2017 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Similar to Honda, slightly better than Nissan, worse than Toyota. Kia models seem to be better than Honda on average now, interestingly.
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Very reliable. My mother in law's sonata from 2013 is still going strong. No problems at all. Has around 100k on it.
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Blubbs wrote: Similar to Honda, slightly better than Nissan, worse than Toyota. Kia models seem to be better than Honda on average now, interestingly.
Do we know if Kia and Hyundai use many of the same parts, like engine and transmission?
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alexh9 wrote: Do we know if Kia and Hyundai use many of the same parts, like engine and transmission?
Yeah they use the same parts.
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trixstar wrote: Yeah they use the same parts.
Yes, many are based on the same platforms, but Kia tends to score a bit higher for reliability now.
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I am on my 7th Hyundai in almost 30 years. All have been excellent vehicles.
Currently have a 2010 Santa Fe with 230,000 km (maybe 30,000km of it towing) - only problem I had with it was the turn signal relay (the turn signal would come on randomly and go crazy) and it was replaced under warranty.
Also have a 2015 Tucson - not sure how many k's so far as my wife exclusively drives it.

Will probably getting a 2018 Sonata in Mar/April and giving the Santa Fe to my son.
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If you'd have told me ten years ago I'd be buying a Hyundai brand new, I would have laughed in your face. But I bought an Elantra in November 2011. Have put 190,000 on it since then and I've had ZERO problems with it. It still looks and drives like the day I bought it.

If you like the styling/feel of a Hyundai, I wouldn't worry about reliability any more. Resale value is still a bit behind Toyota/Honda but not as much as before, as people trust the brand more now.
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I would like to know more as well. I'm more concerned about their turbo and transmission, especially their dct. I have been driving the new sport for a few months, I feel like if I'm driving in Eco mode will wear out the transmission faster as it seems to go to neutral under low speed braking, less than 15kph.
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raymondly wrote: I am on my 7th Hyundai in almost 30 years. All have been excellent vehicles.
Currently have a 2010 Santa Fe with 230,000 km (maybe 30,000km of it towing) - only problem I had with it was the turn signal relay (the turn signal would come on randomly and go crazy) and it was replaced under warranty.
Also have a 2015 Tucson - not sure how many k's so far as my wife exclusively drives it.

Will probably getting a 2018 Sonata in Mar/April and giving the Santa Fe to my son.
You'll want to provide more information as to why you changed cars so frequently. Were they all leased? Because that many cars over 30 years is like 4-5 years per car which isn't very reassuring for long term reliability of any of them.

I own a 2013 Forte (bought in Oct. 2012) myself and it has been problem free other than a few squeeks in the cabin which isn't exclusive to cheap brands as you get the same in premium brands. When I'm lazy, I buy oil filters from Hyundai since they share parts as the Hyundai dealership is closer than the Kia although they charge more than Kia for the same damn filter!

However, I drive very little so I wouldn't expect any problems within their stated warranty period as I'm at 54K km after 5 years. I definitely don't expect any issues within 100K km even. If it did, I'd probably black list the brand from my future buying decisions. If anything now, all the positivity around the Kia Stinger has me itching lol. Always wanted AWD and a hatch and had been considering the top trim Impreza hatch for my next vehicle, but maybe there's another contender given the Impreza is quite weak and the WRX is so due for a refresh that isn't slated until 2020. It depends on when my dad needs a new vehicle as he'll be getting my Forte.

GDI engines and carbon build up is a concern for all brands I think. DCTs of Hyundai/Kia are also a major concern I have regarding reliability, but that seems to be the direction the industry is heading in. CAFE rules and fuel economy seems to be pushing the industry towards either DCT (VW/Audi) or CVT (Honda, Subaru). I'm also waiting a bit to see if the software fix for the Hyundai DCT problems that plagued the 2016 Tucson have been resolved to see if other subsequent implementations (Elantra Sport, Forte SX, Kia Soul SX) have any issues. It's a little weird (fishy?) to me that the Kia Sportage SX has a 2.0 turbo with 6 speed AT instead of the 1.6 turbo with 7speed DCT.
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morpheus_1987 wrote: You'll want to provide more information as to why you changed cars so frequently. Were they all leased? Because that many cars over 30 years is like 4-5 years per car which isn't very reassuring for long term reliability of any of them.
Both my wife and I commute in opposite directions so we have always had 2 vehicles. There were other cars in there too (I.E. '96 2 door Sunfire that we traded in for a 2000 Venture due to kids...)
The 84 Pony we had we didn't get until 88 and the 86 Excel we got in 90.
It's pronounced Throat Wobbler Mangrove
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Dec 14, 2015
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2011 Elantra, commuter 95% highway (407) 180Kms no issues
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2013 Hyundai Elantra with about 75km. Bought new and no issues at all, never used the warranty.

Oil changes on time, replaced rear brakes last year and battery this year. Would love to upgrade to a more premium car but this one has been good to me so I will keep it for a few more years
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I test drove a 2016 Accent in 2015 and it was like driving a tin can. When it comes to reliability I trust Toyota the most.
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Have owned two 5.0L R-spec sedans and would gladly buy Hyundai again. In total I had driven over 300,000km between the two vehicles and saw three larger issues which were all covered under the warranty.
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eldiablo wrote: Have owned two 5.0L R-spec sedans and would gladly buy Hyundai again. In total I had driven over 300,000km between the two vehicles and saw three larger issues which were all covered under the warranty.
How did you like your R-spec ? What type of mileage did you get on average ?
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pfbmgd wrote: How did you like your R-spec ? What type of mileage did you get on average ?
Loved both. The first one was 2012 and the other was 2014 models. Lots of power and torque but found the suspension a bit too soft. Wish it had a bit more firm ride or adjustable controls. Everything else was impeccable. Both models ran on regular fuel but the fuel consumption is not that great in the city. I was getting something around 16-18L/100km and 13L/100km on the highway.

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