Why I'm giving up on Hyundai

[larrycohen28]

I've owned my 2009 Genesis 4.6 sedan w/tech package for almost 3 years now, and I've made the decision to not only part with my car, but move to another brand. Why? It basically comes down to customer service. The Genesis is a really nice, large entry level luxury sedan, and it does compete with many, much more expensive brands. It has a great warranty too. Unfortunately though, a great warranty does absolutely no good when the dealer can't fix the car, and they give you an attitude when you insist that they do. Here has been my experience.

- Steering wheel electronics stopped working 3 times and a part was replaced 3 times. Dealer initially told me they couldn't reproduce the problem so I did some research on my own and found a service bulletin on it. They still insisted that they couldn't replace the part unless they could reproduce the problem. I called corporate headquarters and got them to replace the part, but as stated, it broke 2 more times. Finally it seems to be fixed.

- Car has what Car and Driver describes as abrupt throttle tip in, where the car will sometimes lurch forward when starting from a complete stop. Dealer couldn't reproduce the problem even though I had it in 3 times and showed them the article from Car and Driver. I even drove with the mechanic and demonstrated the problem, but he said it was the nature of the car. This has never been fixed.

- Dealer told me I'd have a free loaner car for life because I was buying a Genesis. At first this was true, but then when I got a new service rep, he said they only provide loaner cars when there is a safety recall. I called corporate headquarters and got my loaner car.

- Noticed that MapnSoft had provided new map software for my car, so I made an appointment to have it installed. Same service rep told me there was no bulletin about it so I probably had the latest version in my car. I told him I'd owned the car for over a year, and the new software just came out. Asked him if he could check the software version and he told me no. Said it wasn't like Windows 7 where you could just click on an icon and it would tell you the version number. I called corporate headquarters and they installed the new version for free. Now half the roads I drive on, which have been there for many years are called "Unnamed road".

- Asked if the service rep if they could install new tires for me if I had them shipped to the dealership. He told me to ask the parts manager if it was OK. I did, and the parts manager said it was fine as long as I had them installed within 3 days of deliver to the dealership. The day of delivery I got a call from the service rep stating that the parts manager was yelling at him, threatening to throw the tires away. I came in and got them installed, and told the parts manager that I was switching dealerships for service because of his threat.

- New dealership. Much better, smaller dealership with more personalized service. Unfortunately, they also could not fix the lurching problem described above.

If Hyundai is going to produce a quality product like this, they need to provide quality customer service to go along with it. People are paying more for these cars, who is giving up their BMW or Lexus to come over to Hyundai have learned to expect a much better customer service experience. Now I know why BMW's and Lexus's are so much more expensive. You are paying for customer service, and to me that's worth it. I wasted many hours waiting in the dealership for the service rep to come out and tell me that they couldn't reproduce or fix my problem. I also spent a lot of time explaining the situation to Hyundai corporate headquarters. I think that time is worth an extra 10 or 15 thousand dollars.

Other luxury brands - 1, Hyundai - 0

 

[stuofsci02]

I've owned my 2009 Genesis 4.6 sedan w/tech package for almost 3 years now, and I've made the decision to not only part with my car, but move to another brand. Why? It basically comes down to customer service. The Genesis is a really nice, large entry level luxury sedan, and it does compete with many, much more expensive brands. It has a great warranty too. Unfortunately though, a great warranty does absolutely no good when the dealer can't fix the car, and they give you an attitude when you insist that they do. Here has been my experience.

- Steering wheel electronics stopped working 3 times and a part was replaced 3 times. Dealer initially told me they couldn't reproduce the problem so I did some research on my own and found a service bulletin on it. They still insisted that they couldn't replace the part unless they could reproduce the problem. I called corporate headquarters and got them to replace the part, but as stated, it broke 2 more times. Finally it seems to be fixed.

- Car has what Car and Driver describes as abrupt throttle tip in, where the car will sometimes lurch forward when starting from a complete stop. Dealer couldn't reproduce the problem even though I had it in 3 times and showed them the article from Car and Driver. I even drove with the mechanic and demonstrated the problem, but he said it was the nature of the car. This has never been fixed.

- Dealer told me I'd have a free loaner car for life because I was buying a Genesis. At first this was true, but then when I got a new service rep, he said they only provide loaner cars when there is a safety recall. I called corporate headquarters and got my loaner car.

- Noticed that MapnSoft had provided new map software for my car, so I made an appointment to have it installed. Same service rep told me there was no bulletin about it so I probably had the latest version in my car. I told him I'd owned the car for over a year, and the new software just came out. Asked him if he could check the software version and he told me no. Said it wasn't like Windows 7 where you could just click on an icon and it would tell you the version number. I called corporate headquarters and they installed the new version for free. Now half the roads I drive on, which have been there for many years are called "Unnamed road".

- Asked if the service rep if they could install new tires for me if I had them shipped to the dealership. He told me to ask the parts manager if it was OK. I did, and the parts manager said it was fine as long as I had them installed within 3 days of deliver to the dealership. The day of delivery I got a call from the service rep stating that the parts manager was yelling at him, threatening to throw the tires away. I came in and got them installed, and told the parts manager that I was switching dealerships for service because of his threat.

- New dealership. Much better, smaller dealership with more personalized service. Unfortunately, they also could not fix the lurching problem described above.

If Hyundai is going to produce a quality product like this, they need to provide quality customer service to go along with it. People are paying more for these cars, who is giving up their BMW or Lexus to come over to Hyundai have learned to expect a much better customer service experience. Now I know why BMW's and Lexus's are so much more expensive. You are paying for customer service, and to me that's worth it. I wasted many hours waiting in the dealership for the service rep to come out and tell me that they couldn't reproduce or fix my problem. I also spent a lot of time explaining the situation to Hyundai corporate headquarters. I think that time is worth an extra 10 or 15 thousand dollars.

Other luxury brands - 1, Hyundai - 0

Yeah... To each their own on this.. For some, the hassle of dealing with Hyundai is not worth it to save $15,000, for others it is..

This falls into the "different strokes for different folks" category...

 

[Ruissimo]

Well... good luck to you. I hope you're picking a Japanese company, because if you are getting a VW.... you're gonna be spending three times as long at the dealership as you have in your Genny.

But hey... they'll treat you real nice.

(While they eye-gouge you)

 

[Midnightsun]

You also had a 2009 which was a first release. Many things can be expected to go wrong like with any new release. My 2010 was pretty much bullit proof with a couple of annoyances. My new 2012 will be much better I have to assume since everything that has gone wrong has been corrected more or less.

Dealership, has everything to do with it. Some treat you like a king and others treat you like crap. Trick is finding the great dealership in your area. Happens with all brands except some of the high end stuff which is hidden in the cost of the vehicle. No thanks, not gonna pay and extra 20 thou to get cappuccino and café au lait served to me by a sexy young thing while they repair my car. A titty bar is cheaper.

 

[larrycohen28]

You also had a 2009 which was a first release. Many things can be expected to go wrong like with any new release. My 2010 was pretty much bullit proof with a couple of annoyances. My new 2012 will be much better I have to assume since everything that has gone wrong has been corrected more or less.

Dealership, has everything to do with it. Some treat you like a king and others treat you like crap. Trick is finding the great dealership in your area. Happens with all brands except some of the high end stuff which is hidden in the cost of the vehicle. No thanks, not gonna pay and extra 20 thou to get cappuccino and café au lait served to me by a sexy young thing while they repair my car. A titty bar is cheaper.

I'm not complaining about the car. I'm complaining about the service. But you are right about the dealership. Unfortunately there's not much to choose from in my area, and I live very close to Washington DC.

 

[dg_moore]

I'm not complaining about the car. I'm complaining about the service. But you are right about the dealership. Unfortunately there's not much to choose from in my area, and I live very close to Washington DC.

How close? I have used Ourisman Hyundai in Laurel since 2005, when I got my first Hyundai - an Azera - to the present, with my 2010 Genesis. The dealership is a bit shabby, but their service is first rate. The manager is knowledgeable, and the techs are proficient.

 

[Matt Z]

Unfortunately, a dealership can make or break a manufacturer's appearance. They are the face of the brand. I, on the other hand got a dealer that kisses my a--.....I didn't even buy the car from them!

 

[dg_moore]

Unfortunately, a dealership can make or break a manufacturer's appearance. They are the face of the brand. I, on the other hand got a dealer that kisses my a--.....I didn't even buy the car from them!

Which steering wheel did you get? The $$$ one? That's what I bought, and I remain very pleased with it.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I'm not complaining about the car. I'm complaining about the service. But you are right about the dealership. Unfortunately there's not much to choose from in my area, and I live very close to Washington DC.

I've got a 2011 4.6 and it has been flawless, so I've never really had to visit my dealer.

One rule of thumb for me is to never buy a car in it's first year of release or re-design. I'll let other folks get the bugs out for me.

With my 2007 Lexus GS350, the dealership bent over backwards for me, but there was so many problems that visiting the dealership was just taking too much time. My goal is to get a car that never needs a trip to the dealer. My Genesis has been as close to this as possible.

 

[Stoofpilot]

I bought my 2010 at Fitzgerald in Rockville and the Sales dept. was excellent. Since I live in NC, can't comment about the Service dept.

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[deepcolor]

that sucks about the bad customer service. i also have an 2009 4.6 w/tech (30k miles on her) and knock on wood, she's been problem free thus far.

but as far as paying 10-15k more for a luxury car, i think it's more like 25-35k
more- that is if you're talking about a bmw 5 series v8 (550 i) w/ all the bells and whistles that the genisus 4.6 tech has. big difference and not worth it imo.
i'll take the genny any day and save the big bucks.

 

[PMCErnie]

The word is "chutzpah" to expect a dealer to take delivery, store, and install tires that you buy elsewhere.

 

[jstkrsn]

I just got rid of my $126,000 Mercedes. It was in the shop more times in 5 years than the previous 5 cars I owned together. And there were lots of things they could never fix and I finally just gave up asking. The worst was when the car would die when you were coming to a slow stop or slowing to turn. Was almost in two accidents because the car died while turning and I am pointed right at someone with no power steering or brakes. The list goes on and on. I had the 7yr 100,000 factory warranty. It was good. Nothing cost me a cent. But the last time I went in the guy said they had just put over $6,000 worth of repairs on it. I'll never buy another Mercedes. The Genesis is the way to go. Believe me.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

I just got rid of my $126,000 Mercedes. It was in the shop more times in 5 years than the previous 5 cars I owned together. And there were lots of things they could never fix and I finally just gave up asking. The worst was when the car would die when you were coming to a slow stop or slowing to turn. Was almost in two accidents because the car died while turning and I am pointed right at someone with no power steering or brakes. The list goes on and on. I had the 7yr 100,000 factory warranty. It was good. Nothing cost me a cent. But the last time I went in the guy said they had just put over $6,000 worth of repairs on it. I'll never buy another Mercedes. The Genesis is the way to go. Believe me.

I could go on and on with similar stories about the highest end Audi models I've owned, except I put the money out myself with those. MB is trying hard to put the Chrysler shared supply chain nightmare behind them. BMW has some quality issues. My life was simply getting too complicated with these cars, and if I had been willing to spend as much time as before (waiting for the flatbed to show up), I'd be driving something Italian. Genny has been trouble-free and drama-free, except on an on ramp!

 

[cschuler]

I've owned my 2009 Genesis 4.6 sedan w/tech package for almost 3 years now, and I've made the decision to not only part with my car, but move to another brand. Why? It basically comes down to customer service. The Genesis is a really nice, large entry level luxury sedan, and it does compete with many, much more expensive brands. It has a great warranty too. Unfortunately though, a great warranty does absolutely no good when the dealer can't fix the car, and they give you an attitude when you insist that they do.

You said it! A nice car that dealers can't fix. "Cannot replicate the problem" is a load of crap with cars of this ilk. If Hyundai dealers cannot fix them, who can?

- Steering wheel electronics stopped working 3 times and a part was replaced 3 times. Dealer initially told me they couldn't reproduce the problem so I did some research on my own and found a service bulletin on it. They still insisted that they couldn't replace the part unless they could reproduce the problem. I called corporate headquarters and got them to replace the part, but as stated, it broke 2 more times. Finally it seems to be fixed.

Similar thing happened to me. Why would I know more about service issues than my dealer?


- Dealer told me I'd have a free loaner car for life because I was buying a Genesis. At first this was true, but then when I got a new service rep, he said they only provide loaner cars when there is a safety recall. I called corporate headquarters and got my loaner car.

OH MY, this strikes a deep and painful nerve. Why do I have to fight for something that was promised to me when I bought the car? Shame on Hyundai!!!!!!!!

- Noticed that MapnSoft had provided new map software for my car, so I made an appointment to have it installed. Same service rep told me there was no bulletin about it so I probably had the latest version in my car. I told him I'd owned the car for over a year, and the new software just came out. Asked him if he could check the software version and he told me no. Said it wasn't like Windows 7 where you could just click on an icon and it would tell you the version number. I called corporate headquarters and they installed the new version for free. Now half the roads I drive on, which have been there for many years are called "Unnamed road".

Hyundai GPS (mine at least) cannot compare with a $100 stand-alone unit. I had it upgraded (the Hyundai nav) and it worked the same here. Waste of time to have it upgraded.

- Asked if the service rep if they could install new tires for me if I had them shipped to the dealership. He told me to ask the parts manager if it was OK. I did, and the parts manager said it was fine as long as I had them installed within 3 days of deliver to the dealership. The day of delivery I got a call from the service rep stating that the parts manager was yelling at him, threatening to throw the tires away. I came in and got them installed, and told the parts manager that I was switching dealerships for service because of his threat.

- New dealership. Much better, smaller dealership with more personalized service. Unfortunately, they also could not fix the lurching problem described above.

If Hyundai is going to produce a quality product like this, they need to provide quality customer service to go along with it. People are paying more for these cars, who is giving up their BMW or Lexus to come over to Hyundai have learned to expect a much better customer service experience. Now I know why BMW's and Lexus's are so much more expensive. You are paying for customer service, and to me that's worth it. I wasted many hours waiting in the dealership for the service rep to come out and tell me that they couldn't reproduce or fix my problem. I also spent a lot of time explaining the situation to Hyundai corporate headquarters. I think that time is worth an extra 10 or 15 thousand dollars.

Other luxury brands - 1, Hyundai - 0

The Hyundai Genesis (at least mine) is fraught with intermittent problems. One cannot get a dealer to work on what ain't broke! However, on a few occasions I have documented where others are having the same problem and still have never got my dealership's attention.

Face it! It is not really a luxury car! My lease is up in about a year and I'm OUTTA HERE!

 

[Cut-Throat]

The Hyundai Genesis (at least mine) is fraught with intermittent problems. One cannot get a dealer to work on what ain't broke! However, on a few occasions I have documented where others are having the same problem and still have never got my dealership's attention.

Face it! It is not really a luxury car! My lease is up in about a year and I'm OUTTA HERE!

Sounds like you need a $126K Mercedes, just to teach to a 'lesson'.

 

[vegas]

I feel much like the OP. After owning a 2009 V6 and 2011 V8, I'm done. I realized that over the last few months the wife and I, while we love the options and gadgets, there are serious software type problems with the car that make the execution bad.

I have had about eight visits to three different dealerships multiple times replacing the steering wheel switch in an attempt to fix the telescoping/tilting issue and the preset drift issue. Sometimes it works, sometimes it creeps and I can no longer see the speedo, and sometimes I cant get the steering wheel to move at all.

Sometimes the nav system resets itself for no known reason.

I've never driven a car with an electronic nanny that was SO conservative. Whats the point of all the power when you can almost never use it, even after putting the highest rated continental extreme contact tires on it?

Presets randomly reset into new positions that are wrong.

I test drove a hatchback ford focus with all four windows with auto up and down on all windows?

Flaky ipod and smartphone integration

NO BLUETOOTH AUDIO support?

Seat replaced numerous times, heats and cools great with nobody sitting in it, but try getting the dealer convinced the cooling doesnt work right when someone is actually sitting in it ( and I only weigh 180) and they tell you "well, it only works if you have the ac on as there is only a fan" or "it works fine" testing it with a temp gun with no weight on the seat" until you show them in their own technical manual there is a TED (basically a peltier device) which actively cools (or is supposed to) the seat. Once replaced, and still doesnt work, dealer says "what do you want me to do? I just replaced your 2000 dollar seat, there is no way it doesnt work right?.

Incompetent dealer network. I should never have to research a problem on the forum, and then beg and plead the dealer to read about the known problem that corporate has addressed but failed to put into an official service bulletin.

I'm officially a tree hugger now, ordered my prius c four. Not nearly the same league, but the hyundai problems combined with four dollar gas and saving for a house has changed my outlook on what I need right now. I still get entune, voice command, nav, keyless entry and start, etc, but at 23k. Unfortunately it can barely get out of it's own way, but I cant deal with all the little software type issues that exist in the genny that corporate cant seam to figure out.

 

[Matt Z]

Its a matter of opinion. I've owned 47 cars in my lifetime ranging from a lowly 1963 Plymouth Valiant to a New 928S Porsche... The Genesis is second only to my Porsche which I drove for 90K miles in my opinion!

 

[waveman]

The Hyundai Genesis (at least mine) is fraught with intermittent problems. One cannot get a dealer to work on what ain't broke! However, on a few occasions I have documented where others are having the same problem and still have never got my dealership's attention.

Face it! It is not really a luxury car! My lease is up in about a year and I'm OUTTA HERE!

It's the same old story - people with many problems like you and the OP are convinced that Hyundai, or at least the Genesis in this case, are horrible. Others with few or no problems are happy. But our experiences are all anecdotal. Only Hyundai knows the actual prevalence, though we can get some idea from consumer surveys, which suggest that the 2010/2011 Gennys are quite reliable.

Dealer experience is another matter. There seems to be major variation in terms of what dealers provide, probably much more than you find with higher-end brands. Personally, all I care about is competent service offered by professionals who care about what they do and are willing to work with me when there's an issue.

 

[gaguy]

It's the same old story - people with many problems like you and the OP are convinced that Hyundai, or at least the Genesis in this case, are horrible. Others with few or no problems are happy. But our experiences are all anecdotal. Only Hyundai knows the actual prevalence, though we can get some idea from consumer surveys, which suggest that the 2010/2011 Gennys are quite reliable.

Dealer experience is another matter. There seems to be major variation in terms of what dealers provide, probably much more than you find with higher-end brands. Personally, all I care about is competent service offered by professionals who care about what they do and are willing to work with me when there's an issue.

Very well said!