Support for suspension issues

[ImInPA]

Canadian...thanks for the thoughtful post. I agree with you that Hyundai has a lot riding on the Genesis. I also think they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Let's assume that the Genesis truly has some serious issues with the suspension a-la the Automobile long term comments. Automobile was one of the most glowing initial reviews of the Genesis. The car has since gone on to win award after award after award. How does Hyundai "fix" a car so highly awarded without alienating the automotive press (after all they are supposed to be both expert and objective)? Does everyone come clean and just admit that the journalists hastily awarded the wrong car and that they were totally duped by the Genesis? Does Hyundai go in for the "quick buck" on the Genesis and let it fade into oblivion over the next few years?

There are some disturbing posts regarding not just the suspension, but, also the electronics as well. This has and will likely keep me from purchasing a Genesis without some reassurance from Hyundai that 1) these issues exist and will be corrected. 2) that they do not abandon the "true believers" (the first year purchasers). 3) wider coverage from the press that highlights the supension shotfalls with follow-up that it has been resolved.

There has been no indication from Hyundai at all that there is an issue so there can be no ackowledgement by Hyundai that changes will be forthcoming. It would be a genuine shame to have this vehicle fail because of issues so easily remedied. But, that is up to Hyundai.

 

[USMA84]

Canadian...thanks for the thoughtful post. I agree with you that Hyundai has a lot riding on the Genesis. I also think they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Let's assume that the Genesis truly has some serious issues with the suspension a-la the Automobile long term comments. Automobile was one of the most glowing initial reviews of the Genesis. The car has since gone on to win award after award after award. How does Hyundai "fix" a car so highly awarded without alienating the automotive press (after all they are supposed to be both expert and objective)? Does everyone come clean and just admit that the journalists hastily awarded the wrong car and that they were totally duped by the Genesis? Does Hyundai go in for the "quick buck" on the Genesis and let it fade into oblivion over the next few years?

There are some disturbing posts regarding not just the suspension, but, also the electronics as well. This has and will likely keep me from purchasing a Genesis without some reassurance from Hyundai that 1) these issues exist and will be corrected. 2) that they do not abandon the "true believers" (the first year purchasers). 3) wider coverage from the press that highlights the supension shotfalls with follow-up that it has been resolved.

There has been no indication from Hyundai at all that there is an issue so there can be no ackowledgement by Hyundai that changes will be forthcoming. It would be a genuine shame to have this vehicle fail because of issues so easily remedied. But, that is up to Hyundai.

Great thoughts ImInPa! I will likely remain on the sidelines until the '10 models hit the showroom floor and there is a formal announcement from Hyundai that the suspension is "new & improved". If a test drive confirms that pronouncement, I'll join the ranks of the Genesis owners.

Having said that, I for one, prefer a firm ride and the handling that comes with it. The comments that concern me are the ones about oscillating, porpoising and resonance. Those issues have to be addressed.

 

[CanukV6]

I urge all Genesis owners (especially those in Canada) who have issues with the ride to contact Hyundai Customer Relations and let them know about it. Copy your dealer if you like but send an e-mail to them directly. This is the only way we might get anything done. I told my dealer who checked with Hyundai Canada and they claimed they had zero complaints on the subject. I followed up with an e-mail to them directly. The e-mail was acknowledged but no specific response has yet been received.

 

[JPW]

Good thinking. From the research I did it appears Hyundai's Customer Relations e-mail address for the US is cmd@hma.service.com.

 

[Canadian]

I urge all Genesis owners (especially those in Canada) who have issues with the ride to contact Hyundai Customer Relations and let them know about it. Copy your dealer if you like but send an e-mail to them directly. This is the only way we might get anything done. I told my dealer who checked with Hyundai Canada and they claimed they had zero complaints on the subject. I followed up with an e-mail to them directly. The e-mail was acknowledged but no specific response has yet been received.

Canuk - I know at least one other Canadian (not me) wrote to Hyundai customer service and was told it was the first complaint. I'll send mine and let you know if the response remains the same.

 

[Maxman]

I have a theory that the suspension problems are specific to Gennys with the 18 inch wheels, which includes ALL Genny models except the base model 3.8, which has 17 inch wheels. I've test driven the 3.8 base model extensively, over the worst types of roads, and haven't experienced the problem. Would the folks who are following this thread PLEASE re-post if they have the 3.8 base model, and indicate whether or not they have experienced this issue? BTW, I am interested in the 3.8 base model primarily because where else can you get a luxury car without a sunroof (I have a convertible), which increases the cabin noise substantially and sacrifices crucial headroom. Thanks much!

 

[JPW]

I am interested in the 3.8 base model primarily because where else can you get a luxury car without a sunroof (I have a convertible), which increases the cabin noise substantially and sacrifices crucial headroom. Thanks much!

Gee thanks. Just when I think I've decided on everything I want you go and mention that cabin noise could be affected by the sunroof. I never even thought of that!

 

[CanukV6]

I have a theory that the suspension problems are specific to Gennys with the 18 inch wheels, which includes ALL Genny models except the base model 3.8, which has 17 inch wheels. I've test driven the 3.8 base model extensively, over the worst types of roads, and haven't experienced the problem. Would the folks who are following this thread PLEASE re-post if they have the 3.8 base model, and indicate whether or not they have experienced this issue? BTW, I am interested in the 3.8 base model primarily because where else can you get a luxury car without a sunroof (I have a convertible), which increases the cabin noise substantially and sacrifices crucial headroom. Thanks much!

I have the 3.8 with Tech Package (18" Wheels) but at present it is running on 17" wheels with Winter Tires. Switching from the 18" to 17" wheels/tires did improve the ride slightly on surfaces where I knew it would be bad, which I'm sure that was due to the difference in tire profile. The ride is still unacceptable on the problem surfaces, even with 17" wheels and softer winter tires. Having said all that, I will re-iterate what I have posted before. The ride issue only shows up on about 5-10% of the roads I travel (and I travel a lot) so it is not something I can't live with, its just that when it is bad it is totally unacceptable and Hyundai need to do something about it.

BTW you are right about the noise from having the sunroof. I usually drive with the cover forward on the sunroof otherwise it sounds like I left a window cracked open. Not a problem exclusive to Genesis though.

 

[Canadian]

Maxman - I have a 3.8 base with 17" wheels. Again, the suspension isn't bad enough for me to consider getting rid of it but I'm disappointed it rides more like my 2001 Isuzu Rodeo (a real truck, not a car chassis) than my 2005 Accord. I just expect a luxury car to soak up bumps at least as well as my wife's Elantra. As for the sunroof, I don't miss it. When you factor in 5 months of winter, 3 months of blazing heat requiring A/C and the noise at highway speed, it leaves approximately 3 hours/yr of having the sunroof open and enjoying it.

 

[Maxman]

I've had sunroofs on a series of Maximas because Nissan (and other manufacturers) package the options so that you have to get a sunroof to get the other stuff you want...I'm in a cold climate and love my heated seats, heated steering wheel and heated mirrors, which add a total of about $250 to the Maxima's sticker price, but I had to have a sunroof, for about $1,000, to get them. I never open the sunroof...but luckily, in the Maxima, the headroom remains sufficient. If you follow the Genny threads concerning insufficient headroom and seat height problems (for tall people), it appears that the sunroof does create a problem in the Genny. According to Hyundai's specs, the front headroom difference is 2.3 inches, with and without the sunroof, which is quite a lot. And, BTW, having once had to pay to replace a bent wheel, I'd rather have the 17 inch wheels than the 18 inch wheels, which account for the entire $1,000 increase in the sticker price of the 3.8 Premium Plus package over the price of the 3.8 Premium package.

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[Maxman]

Just a word further to my comment about sunroofs...they increase cabin noise substantially when closed-you don't have to open a sunroof to lose sound insulation...they replace solid sheet metal and sound insulation with a piece of glass and a thin plastic slider.

 

[ttsig]

I have a theory that the suspension problems are specific to Gennys with the 18 inch wheels, which includes ALL Genny models except the base model 3.8, which has 17 inch wheels. I've test driven the 3.8 base model extensively, over the worst types of roads, and haven't experienced the problem. Would the folks who are following this thread PLEASE re-post if they have the 3.8 base model, and indicate whether or not they have experienced this issue? BTW, I am interested in the 3.8 base model primarily because where else can you get a luxury car without a sunroof (I have a convertible), which increases the cabin noise substantially and sacrifices crucial headroom. Thanks much!

I have the 3.8 base model with 17 inch wheels and I think my ride is pretty much OK 99% of the time, although a little stiffer than I would like. However, I have found a few roads which make the Genny go totally crazy, like something I have never experienced before.

Even though I drive a good bit (15K miles in the first 6 months of ownership) it's mostly the same roads over and over and fortunately those roads don't happen to be the ones that cause my car to act up. If I had to drive my car on a commute that was anything like what I experienced on a three mile stretch of I-20 in Alabama, or a 15 mile stretch of I-55 in Louisiana, I would probably be looking to dump it. Since I don't, I'm managing to enjoy it.

So, it may be true that the vehicles with 17 inch tires are less subject to the "constant pitchness on almost any road" that some have claimed, I certainly haven't experienced that, but it's possible to experience the porpoising/oscillation problem on certain roads even with 17 inch tires.

If I ever find a road around my home area that creates the problem I'm going to take a video of it and send it to Hyundai. I also may be making a trip back to Alabama in a few weeks so, if I get anywhere near that area, I'm going to detour to video it there. That stretch of I-20 about 60 miles east of Birmingham is by far my worst experience. Unfortunately that's about 300 miles from where I live so I can't just take a trip to go video it.

 

[JOwest]

I urge all Genesis owners (especially those in Canada) who have issues with the ride to contact Hyundai Customer Relations and let them know about it. Copy your dealer if you like but send an e-mail to them directly. This is the only way we might get anything done. I told my dealer who checked with Hyundai Canada and they claimed they had zero complaints on the subject. I followed up with an e-mail to them directly. The e-mail was acknowledged but no specific response has yet been received.

I sent an email about suspension issues to Hyundai Canada yesterday and I received the following response from them:

Thank you for taking time to write to us. We have communicated with our quality assurance, they have indicated the suspension on the Genesis is stiffer, due to sportier suspension on the vehicle. Unfortunately, it is the characteristic of the vehicle, therefore no changes may be made at this current time. Please be assured we will forward your comments to appropriate personnel for future references. Thank you.

 

[kaberle]

I guess I should say my piece. As you can see from this previously posted post, some people like the Genesis but have some issues with the ride. Others have no issues at all. Still others can't find anything good to say about the ride. For that matter there are those, not necessarily on this forum who have nothing good to say about the car period.

The point is there is no perfect car. It all depends on the perspective of the driver. For instance, my Father would be impressed with a smooth ride but would have no appreciation of corning. Still other may be impressed by acceleration but have no appreciation for braking. Some will listen to a really good sound system and will judge it to be no better than a poor one because they have no ear for it. I had someone come and watch High Definition TV on my big screen and they said it didn't seem any better than standard definition to them (because they could not discriminate the difference).

When it comes to ride quality there are many factors. Hyundai decided to not have fold down seats in the rear so that they could give the car more torsional stiffness. This is good for stiffness, not so good for convenience. Therefore a tradeoff. The fact that the car is "bumpy" over ruts and grooves in the road is a product of this stiffness. But the stiffness is also what gives you handling. It is difficult to have both at the same time. A BMW does not have a smooth ride like say a Rolls Royce, but it sure handles better.

When it comes to Posters posting extreme issues, like for instance Porpoising, I say these are isolated instances which do not reflect the general behaviour of the car. Some Posters have a problem with the green light coming on to indicate your lights are on. To others this is not an issue and therefore not really a fault of the car but rather a perception of the user. I once read a review of a hotel where the poster was complaining about the loud kids at the pool, as if this was somehow the hotels fault rather than the people using the pool. For that matter if the poster had kids he may not have even noticed that kids at the pool were loud. In the same way many complaints about any car are not so much a complaint about a car but rather a perception of the user. In other words a car cannot be all things to all people. Some people are never satisfied. In the end If you don't like the car SELL IT!! ..... and let the rest of us enjoy the things that we like about the car.

 

[doug725]

As the peson who started this thread and had one of the most extreme experiences (posted anyways) I'll say again it cannot be reduced simply to perception and preference. It is actually possible to make a judgement about something in this life and it is possible to design a firm riding car that handles well and is not unplesant to ride in. I'm driving such a car right now. The widely divergent opinions on the ride and the divergent real life experiences and reviews indeed is part of the oddness of the Genesis suspension as it is at the moment. Even my car did not behave the same from day to day. I still think a relatively minor damping/shock adjustment and perhaps some quality control review would solve the issue that some experience and not cause it to lose the positive charcteristics of the ride/handing.

 

[doug725]

Oh by the way - who is keeping you from enjoying the things you like about the car? Something you read? This WAS a thread started to discuss suspension/ride afterall - you are mot obligated to trouble yourself with it.

 

[ImInPA]

doug725: How are you enjoying your Milan?

 

[doug725]

Hi IminPA-

The Milan is a decent car overall and it gets good mileage so I can't complain. I really like the ride and handling on it -it glides over everything. I do miss things my Genny had like good dimming mirrors, heated seats, rain sensing wipers, great stereo, memory seats, pearl white tricoat and such -but, I needed an inexpensive used car so what ya gonna do -

Where are you at in PA by the way? I'm originally from PA myself.

 

[ImInPA]

I am in Harrisburg. I noticed on another forum you had mentioned that you had a Milan. I believe they are built off of the Mazda6 platform. One of my co-worker's has a pretty decked out Milan. has most of the things you are missing. It is a pretty nice car over all. Ironically, he complains to me that some roads really upset the car...lol. I think of you when he is bitchin'. He claims his former Subaru GT, while not as plush inside, handled those same roads much better. Makes me wonder if every car has certain roads that will upset it. In the end, they are just cars and life is too short to not have one that you can live with.

 

[doug725]

You got that right. I actually test drove the new 2009 Mazda 6 before I got the Milan and did not like the ride much - it was rough -not in any sort of horrible way, but more noticeable than the other cars I was testing for sure. The roads here are so awful - its interesting to see how these cars react. Unfortunately for me my Genny was the worst by far. Oh well, its said and done now.

Harrisburg area is exactly where I'm from as well. Parents are still in Middletown and sister right in Harrisburg!