Disappointed with my genesis, (cheap plastic door panels)

[walnut]

I got my used 2010 Black genesis last week and I haven't went past 150 miles on it. Now this accident happened while I was driving and I discovered how cheap the plastic door panels and radio plastic covers they use.

I bought a gallon of water to a close supermarket and placed it on the rear passenger side (floor). I am on my way home and took a right and my gallon of water fell over towards the speakers. I take care of this baby carefully on curves since I dont want to scratch the wheels. I heard a cracking sound and I thought its the plastic from the gallon of water and when I got home, to my dismay the speakers plastic covering were smashed. Not only the radio cover but also the plastic panel below it has a puncture from the plastic cap of my water gallon. I am so disappointed with Hyundai's cheap interior panels because I drove a toyota camry and honda accord for the past 4 years and I do carry the big 5 gallons and that would be tumbling and rolling in the rear seat and hitting the panels as much as they want with a few scuffs.(more likely to be dirt)

Now I would advise everyone to be careful with these speaker outlets since only a few tap of your steel boots, or kids knee could crack these plastic radio covers

 

[momuzik]

Sorry to hear that. I'll definitely keep that in mind from now on.

 

[walnut]

The damage look actually better on the pictures . If they will use lexicon sound system then they need to toughen up those plastic covers. And this damage was caused by a gallon of water. I guess this were one of the cost cutting Hyundai has made.

 

[Vince2]

Maybe it's a cost cutting measure or maybe just a freak act that damaged your vehicle and the same chance event would have damaged any number of vehicles. For what it's worth an installer of high end automobile audio lauds both the material and design of the Genesis interior and this guy has worked on some cars that are recognized as the world's best cars.
http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=9751

Thanks for the info. I'll try to keep items away from the speaker grill.

 

[QuantumRift]

I tend to agree with Vince2. A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 lbs. That means it has mass. IF you sit a gallon of water in the back seat, front seat, floor, etc and hit the brakes or suddenly turn, that mass now has momentum. If you then use the top of the water jug, where the cap is, as the point of impact for that mass that is moving, you concentrate a lot of energy into a small space. The grille covers are built to withstand certain amount of force (impacts)...the toe of a shoe or boot is a pointed, concentrated point of force, and can easily damage objects such as a speaker grill, especially towards the center areas that are least fortified and away from the edges where the material usually thicker near the mount points. But in looking at the physics involved, it's hard to figure out how a gallon of liquid just 'falling over' would do that. There were other forces involved (sorry, I'm an engineer at heart - have a degree in aeronautical engineering)...and it is possible that that was a defect in the speaker grille, or maybe a bad production run....it's possible that there were changes made since that production run..as a simple "tip over" should not damage the grille like that.

Just a matter of discussion, I do not place any heavy object in the car (front or back seat) without securing it from movement...gallon of water, gallon of milk, same-o same-o. I have the netting in the trunk and that's where jugs, bottles, cartons and any other heavy item goes to secure it. Once in awhile I will place objects on the FLOOR of the rear seat, but usually only if it sits fairly stable (like a box or bag of groceries that is 'tied' at the top. . It only takes a few extra seconds to pop the trunk and place items in there. Plus my wife likes it that way as well and I try to keep her happy by 'trunking' items.

Maybe it's a cost cutting measure or maybe just a freak act that damaged your vehicle and the same chance event would have damaged any number of vehicles. For what it's worth an installer of high end automobile audio lauds both the material and design of the Genesis interior and this guy has worked on some cars that are recognized as the world's best cars.
http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=9751

Thanks for the info. I'll try to keep items away from the speaker grill.

 

[TJPark01]

I've had the car for 3.5 years and never had any problems. Passengers go in the back seat not cargo.

 

[Mark63021]

Based on the marring and dent in the felt material below the grill itself, the "hit" was clearly very hard. A gallon of water weighs 8lbs. Factor in whatever Gs were taking place while cornering (2 G's easily), could equal a 16 pound containter slamming into the grill over a relatively small area. Sorta like hitting it good swing, with a hammer.

Examples of G-force

Frankly, I'm not sure you'd want material covering your speakers stong enough to withstand that level of impact. Considering factors of accoustics, weight, and manufacuring efficiency, the speaker/door panels are more than adequate, they're just not intendted to have loose cargo slam into them.

 

[Mark63021]

Sorry Quantum,
I'm not sure if I scanned your reply subconciously, or if we were just on the same page of thought, but apologies for restating the same points!

 

[Qbedobedoo]

A colleague of mine put a gallon of water in the trunk of her BMW, took a sharp turn, spilled the water (maybe half or so) and it completely fried all the electronics through the trunk floor. Thankfully her husband is a mechanic and able to fix it, but it took more than a week and set her back more then $1,900.

When transporting liquids I always put them in the net or have someone hold it.

 

[QuantumRift]

no, not a problem..

+10

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[QuantumRift]

"I do not always carry cargo in my Genesis, but when I do, I make my passengers hold it."

I've had the car for 3.5 years and never had any problems. Passengers go in the back seat not cargo.

 

[walnut]

Turning while 10mph, and its on the floor of the rear seat so the damage should be minimal and I am ok with the cracked cover, what I am concerned it the whole plastic panel that has a big dent on it and I never experienced this on any previous cars I owned.

I got huge books (which weighs more than 10lbs) when I was in college and those were roaming freely around my back seat and never damaged any panels or speaker covers. I always put in 60lb boxes on the back seat since I own a coupe before and have to force it in to fit on the second row seats. And again these heavy boxes were roaming around the back seat and I never had a single dent on the plastic panels on my accord.

 

[Mark63021]

"I do not always carry cargo in my Genesis, but when I do, I make my passengers hold it."

Why is it that I am actually unable to read Dos Equis "dont-always/when-I-do" quips without a spanish accent!

 

[gameday22]

"I do not always carry cargo in my Genesis, but when I do, I make my passengers hold it."

A tribute to your quote, added a line

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3q891k/

 

[QuantumRift]

Dunno what to tell you. Like we said, the cap area of a full jug of water, moving at even a slow speed, concentrates the area of impact into a small area.

Any car manufacturer now has to balance cost and weight into the equation as far as building cars go. Look at a 50's Chevy Impala compared to the new Impala. In a 50mph head on crash, the occupants of the NEW Impala would fare a LOT better (debunking the myth that 'old cars built like tanks are safer). Lighter materials, less expensive materials go into the mix. Is it always good? Maybe not, but when you are trying to build a car that competes with MB and BMW, you have to consider every component in your car to keep the price down. It all adds up. Like this. Just add it up to experience, find a grille, replace it, and lock your cargo down.

My guess is that if you conduct the impact in a BMW or Mercedes, you'd get the same results now. Only difference is that you'll pay a helluva lot more for the replacement grille than with the Genny.

Turning while 10mph, and its on the floor of the rear seat so the damage should be minimal and I am ok with the cracked cover, what I am concerned it the whole plastic panel that has a big dent on it and I never experienced this on any previous cars I owned.

I got huge books (which weighs more than 10lbs) when I was in college and those were roaming freely around my back seat and never damaged any panels or speaker covers. I always put in 60lb boxes on the back seat since I own a coupe before and have to force it in to fit on the second row seats. And again these heavy boxes were roaming around the back seat and I never had a single dent on the plastic panels on my accord.

 

[walnut]

well, I guess have to spend a few hundred bucks and never put anything there. Yeah your right its the small area of impact


I am so used with honda and toyotas this never happened before

 

[maxmar04]

"I do not always carry cargo in my Genesis, but when I do, I make my passengers hold it."

A tribute to your quote, added a line

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3q891k/

hahah. those dos equis memes never get old IMO

 

[homeofstone]

My Mercedes is no tuffer than the Genesis speaker cover. Tip: use the trunk, I never, never carry anthing but people and a breifcase in the passenger area of my cars, no boxes, no presents, no electronics. I learned it the hard way.

 

[walnut]

I guess this is a lesson for me. I called the local hyundai dealer and they told me the radio cover is attached to the whole door panel and have to replace the whole thing for 1500 + labor. No way I will spend that much money to replaced that cover.

Is there any cheaper way to cover this up of fix it?

 

[homeofstone]

I guess this is a lesson for me. I called the local hyundai dealer and they told me the radio cover is attached to the whole door panel and have to replace the whole thing for 1500 + labor. No way I will spend that much money to replaced that cover.

Is there any cheaper way to cover this up of fix it?

Check ebay and salvage yards. I just saw a rf door panel on ebay for 85.00 so good hunting.