I've got an '06 Sonata, and until Saturday was generally happy with it. My only maintenance issue was a failed power window motor, which Hyundai fixed quickly with no fuss.I either change my own oil, or drop in at the first reputable looking place I see when it's needed, and have never in my life bothered to keep any more record than when the next change is due.

You probably know what's coming next.

Saturday evening, coming hope from a hundred mile road trip, my wife suddenly says, "What's that rattling sound?" This was followed by a bang, and a lurch after which my V6 sounded like a tin can full of rocks.We managed to get off the road and I called the Hyundai hotline.I had never used them before, and was duly impressed by how quickly I found myself home, and the car parked behind the local dealer's shop.

It's now Tuesday, and both the dealer andHyundai say that my maintenance records are not sufficient.The vaunted 1,00,000 mile warranty is null and void, and I have only the payments to remind me that Iown a fairly new car.

I've already caught the service manager at Sand Dollar motors in one lie, he told me that the oil looked like it had never been changed. Since I had actually had the oil changedthe DAY BEFORE, I still had that receipt.When I told him that, he quickly said, "Well the oil could have beenburned when the engine blew."

 

Wow, that sucks. You said you had the oil changed the day before? Sounds like they are the culpret. Probably the 16 year old HS drop-out forgot to add any. Did you check the level after you got it back from them?

 

Keep fighting it. However.... since you just had the oil changed the day before, is there a chance the place that changed the oil forgot to tighten the plug or something? Make sure you have all your ducks in a row in terms of records, and also get with the oil change place and let them know what happened. They don't like to use it, but they carry insurance against doing work wrong that results in stuff like this.

 

Have the dealer check the cap to the cartridge oil filter. I've heard the local quickie lube places are notorious for 1) not replacing the large O-ring on the cap and/or 2) not screwing the cap all the way home when they reinstall it. They stop turning when the O-ring starts to engage the threads as the cap does get harder to turn at that point. I've had one friend with a 06 V6 Sonata live that experience, but he caught the problem in time loosing only a quart or two of oil.

 

It's stories like this that just reaffirm why I ALWAYS have all of my vehicle servicing done at the dealership. I have friends who say to me "dude, change the oil yourself you lazy bastard" or "go to a Jiffy Lube type place for an oil change, don't waste your money at the dealership." When I try to explain to them it has nothing to do with laziness or wanting to save a buck, and everything to do with making sure the dealership can never deny a warranty claim due to improper maintenance/service upkeep, it falls on deaf ears. If you had kept all of your service receipts and had your oil changed at the dealership, as much as theywould hate it, they would be fixing your engine now instead of fighting you with bogus excuses.

It may be more expensive initially to have all of your work done at a dealership but if the car ever needs major work it can pay for itself in a hurry. I'm going to print this thread out and throw it in my friend's face next time they give me a hard time about taking my car to the dealership for an oil change.

 

I did check the oil after the change and it appeared to be fresh,the dealer shop has comfirmed that the oil level was correct.There was no temp change, even after the damage was done, and only noise for maybe three seconds before it blew.Thismakes me think oil pump failure, or a spun bearing, possiblysomething foreign clogging theflow.

Also... I don't use the dealers for oil change, even when they're free.I've tried it in the past. Get there at 6:15 am and there's already a two hour wait.Saturday is for flying... not reading a two year old Road and Track while watching Sponge Bob with six kids in a room the size of a closet.

Right now we're at a standstill. They won't break it down until I agree to pay, if Hyundai doesn't. Hyundai hasn't OFFICIALLY said no, they're just saying probably not.

If you know of any magic phone numbers at Hyundai (or a good law firm) I'd appreciate it.

 

In the Supplemental Owner's Manual, Hyundai provides a national cutomer assistance number:

Hyundai Motor America
Consumer Assistance Center
10550 Talbert Avenue
PO Box 20850
Fountain Valley CA 92728-0850
1-800-633-5151 (M-F, 5 am to 6 pm PST)

Hyundai also offers or suggests an alternative arbitration program through the BBB:

BBB Auto Line
Alternative Dispute Resolution Division
Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc.
4200 Wilson Boulevard Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
1-800-955-5100

I don't know how "magical" the numbers truly are.

 

That's one problem with Hyundai- a lot of their maintenance is perfectly easy to do, but not quite the same as GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, etc. This is compounded with inconsistency between the dealerships. I'm fortunate that I have at least four different dealerships I can use to service my Hyundai, so I can shop around a bit. All for of them have been excellent to me so far. But I've heard of other areas of the country where all the dealers are deplorable. So I can understand wanting to take it to outside shops. My best advice is to do it yourself once or twice so that you can keep an eye on the guy to make sure he does it right, and to check his work afterward.

 

LOL! So true about the dealership. I HATE going to them for stuff like oil changes, because I can only go on Saturday and sadly that is the only day the rest of the world can go as well. So yes, something that should take no more than 20 minutes (I could change the oil in 20 minutes myself without a lift) usually ends up taking two hours because of the wait. It does suck, but I just bring along a good book and grin and bear it. I refuse to have a dealership ever deny me warranty work for any reason. Getting your work done at the dealership insures they can never make a bogus claim like "well since you've been doing your own oil changes maybe you did something wrong and we can't be responsible for that." Some dealers are sleazy and they will try to get out of covering a warranty repair any way they can. Sometimes the manufacture is to blame too. I have heard through the grapeving that even though Hyundai has a fantastic new vehicle warranty, getting them to honor it is very difficult.

Well anyway, keep us posted. Being a first time Hyundai owner myself, I took a lot of heat from friends and family for buying a Hyundai. I told them how reliable Hyundai has become over the years, but they're response, "I would still never buy a Hyundai, you should have bought a Honda." The last thing I want to do is prove them right. I'm hoping to get at least 10 trouble free years out of my car. It's a little distressing to hear about a new, properly maintained engine go to crap in two years. I will be keeping on top of this thread for a follow-up with what happened to your engine. Good luck!

 

That has to suck for real. Well did you do the 30,000 mile warranty? that might have something to do with it. I used to work for GM customer service and that was the major reason they wouldn't do it. But if you call and request a one time courtesy and can prove you change the oil all the time then they should honor it. the number should be the one Ken provided to you.