2 Year Ownership Report

[niteflite]

I've had 2012 gensis 3.8 sedan base for a little over 2 yrs now. bought it as CPO (what a joke that is, haha) with a little over 30k miles. so, here is what i've got to share:

what i like:
- power
- roominess and comfort in cabin
- spacious trunk
- stereo quality
- fuel efficiency (21 real mpg in mixed city/hwy)

what i don't like:
- braking is pretty bad. don't know if it's rotors or brakes but it shudders when braking, and just isn't smooth...almost feels like i'm on a boat or something how rocky it is when braking
- there's something also funny happening when putting car in reverse at cold start. i hear and feel a loud click. i don't know if this can be related to shifting between 1st and 2nd...but accelerating i almost always feel a little thump. then decelrating i feel a little click too. of course, the dealer cannot replicate any of this
- wish this model came with sunroof and back-up camera as standard equipment

overall, reliability other than the issues above has been good. the ac compressor broke and they had to replace it. otherwise, the performance is great. it would be almost perfect if it weren't for the issues above...

i'm not sure how long i want to keep this vehicle. am debating getting rid of it for who know what end of 2018. or keeping it until the warranty runs out in 2022..or even beyond that.

question -

has anyone had the adaptive transmission reprogrammed? the service advisor told me the car adapts to the driving patterns of the driver.. i'm wondering if this could help get rid of the shifting problem.

 

[qstarweb]

Depending on whether you are still making payments on your 2012 Genesis, an upgrade to a fully loaded 2013 Genesis 3.8 with the premium/technology packages is a move you might find well worth it, because you'll gain the backup camera, adaptive cruise control (a great feature and one of the reasons I got a Genesis), lane departure warning system, and several other nice features.

The other option to consider, especially if you can get a good deal on a left over new one, or barely used one, is a 2015-16 Genesis 3.8 fully loaded.

Dean

 

[Mark_888]

Sounds like you have warped brake rotors. This can be caused by improper tightening of wheel lugs, either too much torque or not tightened in proper sequence.

When the engine is cold, the RPM's run higher in idle, so shifting into reverse "could be" related to that. Hyundai used a brand new 8-speed transmission in 2012 and some people have had to have them replaced due to problems, so take it to your dealer if you think that the "click" is a sign of a problem, especially if is getting worse over time. You can test out a demo at the dealer to see if it does the same thing. Take the dealer with you on a test drive of both your car and the demo. Service advisors are taught to say that they cannot replicate the problem (unless it is very bad), even if they know there is some problem. They will resist complaints about the transmission unless there is a severe problem, since they can't repair them, and can only replace them (which cost about $8K plus labor if you had to pay for it).

The transmission does adapt to the driver habits, but ask them if they have a TSB for the transmission computer logic that is available. I believe that if you disconnect the battery, the driver habits will reset.

You can also try another dealer, since warranty work can be done by any authorized Hyundai dealer.

 

[jlindh]

Are you feeling the click in the shifter?

 

[homeofstone]

Clicking can also be the parking brakes.

 

[PMCErnie]

The OP's problems could easily fixed by a trip to the dealer. All vehicles require maintenance and have problems from time to time. Odd too that the OP says that his CPO warranty is a joke, but doesn't indicate why he feels that way. 30,000 miles on a '12 is great. It's hardly broken in. Forget getting rid of it. Get it fixed!

 

[Mark_888]

The OP's problems could easily fixed by a trip to the dealer. All vehicles require maintenance and have problems from time to time. Odd too that the OP says that his CPO warranty is a joke, but doesn't indicate why he feels that way. 30,000 miles on a '12 is great. It's hardly broken in. Forget getting rid of it. Get it fixed!

I am guessing that he means the initial CPO inspection was a joke. A lot of people buying Hyundai CPO have found numerous problems right after drive-off of a CPO that made it obvious that the inspections had not taken place. I assume he got them fixed.

 

[landtuna]

Bear in mind that a CPO vehicle is usually clean and low mileage but the only thing that differentiates it from a normal used car is the dealer warranty. This is a warranty the dealer buys, and includes in the cost of the car, to cover the dealer for any unforseen problems after the sale.

I would also call CPO a sales gimmick.

 

[Mark_888]

Bear in mind that a CPO vehicle is usually clean and low mileage but the only thing that differentiates it from a normal used car is the dealer warranty. This is a warranty the dealer buys, and includes in the cost of the car, to cover the dealer for any unforseen problems after the sale.

I would also call CPO a sales gimmick.

I believe that the dealer has to pay HMA to use the CPO designation, because the restoration of the original owner warranty for the 10 year - 100K mile drivetrain warranty (usually not available to used cars) is made by HMA, not the dealer. There is supposed to be enough money in the CPO upcharge for the dealer to do the inspection, in addition to paying HMA. But any problems are covered under the HMA warranty.

 

[niteflite]

ok, thanks for the responses.

I have taken the car for the cold start click 3x. The first time they were able to replicate and adjusted the torque or something and that made the sound not happen for a few days. then it went back to clicking again. after that, they said were not able to replicate.

for the click when accelerating from 0,i have gone on a drive with their mechanic and foreman a few times but you know how it is - it does not happen when they hop in. the sound is not coming from the shifter - i mean, that makes a sound too but that's a different sound. this sound seems to be coming from under the car. it's almost like the sound that the car makes when driving manual in a low gear and taking the foot off the clutch early.

the cpo being a joke - i never said anything about the warranty. but perhaps it isn't much better than a non-cpo without the warranty. and even the warranty itself isn't the bumper to bumper warranty being extended to 100k - it's just the powertrain warranty that the original would have. one difference was the brand new tires - yokohama something.. after 20k miles it probably still has 85% life at least.

i definitely will check with the dealer to have them try resetting the adaptive transmission, and also checking the rotors.

oh one more positive thing is the car taking regular gas and performing the way it does. this car rides better than the previous generation lexus gs awd i had.

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[PMCErnie]

It's hardly a sales gimmick, or a joke, if you need a new engine, or transmission, after the 5/60,000 warranty expires. On a used car without a CPO you are SOL. If you have a CPO you are rolling in clover.

 

[Guardsman]

Your gas mileage seems low, I am getting 25+mpg on the Michelin tires that are crafted for high gas mileage. They are very hard and not satisfactory in terms of their handling characteristics.

My gas mileage figure is computed not the cars estimate which generally runs higher. Mine use is mixed driving between Charlottesville, VA and DC

 

[rogerlange]

you can warp your rotors by driving though a large puddle.
Does take much, hot rotor cold water.

 

[niteflite]

i don't read too much into the city mpg or the combined mpg. i usually will rely on gettting 1 or 2 mpg more than the city mpg for my kind of driving.

back to the cpo being a joke - i think in some cases it's possible all they do is a little more in addition to slapping on the 10 yr/100k powertrain which the original owner would have anyway. i don't understand why they would revoke that when resold as a non-cpo or non-hyundai dealer certified.

i took a glance at the 150 point check list. there was damage on the rear bumper they did not bother to fix before listing the car. the salesman said "i'll take care of it" but never did and i did not make a big deal out of it. one of the rear doors has a chirp/squeak when it closes. both of these are on the list. and while the car's brakes and rotors and alignment may have been fine at the time of purchase, for some of these things to go bad within 9 months of driving and relatively low miles being put on, it discredits some of the cpo status, if you follow.

 

[kn5owa]

you can warp your rotors by driving though a large puddle.
Does take much, hot rotor cold water.

Or hosing off the salt and slush after a long drive.