Hyundai Sonata 2005 and earlier

tamu2002

Hi all,

This is a follow-up of my post a while back. We have moved to Indiana, the decision was made and we bought a Malibu LS for $16300. If you can recall, my wife and I had been crazy about the Sonata for quite some time and I've been reading this forum for a couple of years now. Being on a tight budget the GM rebates accidentally caught our attention, which got us to consider the Malibu as an alternative. In Texas (where we were living) Hyundai and Kias aren't that popular and we probably could've got a Sonata GLS for around $16500. But fixing to move and all we just decided to wait and do the compare shopping after moving to Indiana.

We didn't realize that's when we said "farewell" to our dream car Sonata. After we got here and checked out the Sonata prices, man! The dealership said right off the bat--a coule of hundred off the MSRP and walk if you don't buy. They were extremely busy that day and I had to wait for someone to help me. I had thought being close to Detroit the midwest might have a softer market for Hyundais. Boy was I wrong! ...Our Malibu LS is a nice car and a good value, but every time I see a handsome Sonata on the road...
Well, I wish everybody good luck with their cars. Enjoy your Sonata!

jimbeaumi

As a veteran of a GM product, I'd like you to give us an update in one year. I truly hope your dollars were well spent, but just the same ... can't help but wonder if you'll have a regret or two (I am not jinxing you, I PROMISE!!).

homer61388

My best friend is looking at these 3 vehicles for his wife. He recently had a new edition to his family. He works for a division of the chrysler corporation and gets money off if he buys a car from them. Chrysler owns some of Hyundai and Mitsubishi too so he gets a decent discount if he buys one of them also. His wife wants all the nice stuff, like leather,a cd player, automatic transmission, and a sunroof etc. He knows that hyundai is the best value and the best warranty but he is a little unsure about buying a Korean car. He is looking for a sporty car, with performance and a good ride and handling. He also wants the most room for his family as well. This car should be able to seat 4 people in relative comfort and still have room to haul around cargo for any vacationing plans too. This car should be above all safe in every crash test. All cars have decent warranty's especially the hyundai so all would be reliable right? (Chrysler has a 7 year powertrain warranty so that covers the engine and transmission, the most problematic parts of the car.) He just wants an all around good car for his wife to enjoy for 3 to 5 years.

Which car do you recommend? Any responses would help, thanks!

tamu2002

Maybe because I haven't driven too many high end cars, when I test drove the Malibu I actually thought to myself--how can any car (in this class) be any better than this. The engine was quiet and transmission smooth, good pick-up if you step on it, confident brakes... I kinda liked the Malibu a lot except for the generic looks. It actually compared favorably to the 4-cy Sonata we test drove right after, which was obviously under powered in comparison and with a jumpy transmission. But again the 6-cy Sonata would have been a different story. Plus we kinda wanted to buy american (wish the current domestic rebates were a year-round thing so we could actually afford it!)...anyway, I'll update you all as time passes, if it's ok to do so on this forum.

astrol

Actually any of those cars would be a good buy for what you describe. I personally like the Sebring LXI. It has great interior room and the largest trunk of the three but I still found too much road noise. The Galant has perhaps the prettiest interior/exterior combination and the GTZ certainly has a more sporting nature. As to the Sonata LX, it has all the luxury you could reasonably ask for. The ride and handling are very good IMO but it is certainly no sports sedan.

In July '00 I bought my wife the equivalent of todays LX, a GLS equipped with everything but a spoiler. She loves this thing to death and constantly reports to me how impressed people are who ride in her car, even after two years of ownership. Just the other day, I heard her nephew remark on how good the doors sound when they close. He seemed surprised. We weren't.

gchua

Well, I'm starting up a new business and need the cash flow. The car is in excellent shape and has 6,500 miles. I've added 17 inch alloy wheels to improve handling with little sacrifice to comfort. Also, it has a K&N filter which seems to help at the low end a little bit. This is, I think, a rare 5 speed WITH ABS. I'm asking $14,500 or best offer for it. Factory warranty is ofcourse still in effect (in service for less than a year). The car is in the Boston area. Email me for pictures. Thanks!

sonatava

I'm wondering if anyone else has sort of a moldy smell coming from the a/c when you first run it. The first year I had my 2000, I could avoid this smell by running just the fan a while before shutting off the car, but after a year and a half the smell doesn't seem to go away until the a/c's been on a while, but comes back if I run the fan a little without the a/c, after the a/c was just on. I'm not sure if it's mold or pollen, but it definitely gives me an allergic reaction (headache, sinus pressure).

Replacing the inside filter doesn't help.
Using an odor-neutralizer only works for a day.
I've removed the blower unit and swabbed the little blades, and wiped down as much as I could where my hand could reach where the air comes in below the windshield, but still it comes back.

Does anyone else have this problem? I plan to mention it when I go in for my recall and some other stuff. The only two other problems I need fixed are the trunk tension bars keep popping out of their clip (trunk pops, but not up) and the driver's vanity mirror's little hinge pins have cracked apart, so it doesn't stay up/lighted.

snookey

Hi everyone. After Hyundai installed the 3RD transmission in my 3 month old 2002 Sonata last week I noticed there was another serious problem. The steering rack is binding up or getting very tight and hard to turn when making left hand turns. It is actually dangerous because you have to adjust and correct your path when making left hand turns. This would make the 7th time the vehicle is in the shop and over 25 days.
The dealer informed me yesterday that it does need a new steering rack and that the part is BACK ORDERED from korea with no ETA. As you can imagine iam almost speechless with the pure insanity of Hyundai Canada and their lack of customer service. Instead of trying to fix the problem and get me in a new sonata they are telling me to take them to court. My question is this. Does anyone have any advice or contact numbers of Hyundai Canada officials who can help this terrible situation. I have dealt with their manager of customer service "Ross Mathers" dozens of times and he is standing firm in not helping resolve this situation. I am willing to put money towards a new hyundai, My dealer will sell me one at cost but Hyundai Canada Will not help buyback my vehicle so I wouldnt be 5000 dollars in the hole.
I believe I have been very fair about this whole lemon situation and I am willing to compromise if need be. However Hyundai Canada obviously does not believe in customer service and I will make sure they lose many potential customers who eventually hear of my problems.


Thank You

astrol

Sonatava,

Sounds like the problem is in the plumbing, so to speak. Many shops now use a foam product. It mainly evaporates after expanding in the ducts and surface killing the spores. Other people just use Lysol in the fresh air intakes but that doesn't get to all of the problem and, of course, the whole car really smells like Lysol. I've know people to shoot an entire can in there. (

jimbeaumi

Fortunately, there are different Lysol fragrances. I've thought of doing mine (one year old) just to prevent this type of problem. I'll be using "Crisp Linen" scent Lysol.

chollie

Pertaining to Hyundai Lemon: well if the car was bought in Canada, and you are trying to service it in Canada, you may want to get a hold of Kirk Robinson; (http://www.robinsonautomotive.com/. He's a weekly tv personality who helps out with consumer automotive issues. He will steer you in the right direction.

tonykrapil

Hi Folks,

I havent posted in a while BUT thought I might offer my A/C tip. Living in Florida gives our A/C units a workout and its amazing the amount of water that does some out of the drain when its working properly.

Without even getting out of your car do this.... it has never failed me. With the A/C running and set to fresh air I close all the ducts and place a towel over the ones that might not have the ability to shut them off.

I then turn the fan on HIGH for about a minute.

Then open the vents and enjoy a better smelling a/c soon.
What happens is there is all sortsa gunk that accumulates on the cooling fins inside the car and gets washed down with the condensation eventually clogging the drain somewhat.

BY closing the vents the air being moved by the fan has to go somewhere and OUT the drain it goes. Sometimes when I start to get a whiff of stagnant water I do this at a stop lite for a few seconds and you'd think my car sprung a leak because of all the water running out of it!

I hope it works for you all.... let me know if at least ONE person gains relief from this.

I thought of this many years ago when I had a stinky AC and while checking the drain hose I noticed nothing coming out til I turned on the fan. This meant there WAS water in there but it couldnt get out on its own. When I closed the vents to see if it would help push the water out a BIG glob of a furball like mass came our and the water flooded the inside of the car as I didnt have the drain line hooked up!

Good luck
Tony

sonatava

Thanks for everyone's responses. I never thought of the Lysol. I had used an expensive odor eliminator called Atmosklear which I use in my apartment, but like I said it only lasted a day.

I'll try covering the vents to clear the drain, but I'm not sure there is a drain. I mean, when I took out the fan to clean it, I noticed some sort of drain from above that went back down to the fan itself. I hadn't been running the ac, so of course it was dry. It's still worth a shot.

I'm taking the car in on Wednesday for the recall and other work and will mention it, so hopefully they'll do the foaming treatment anyways. My check engine light came on last weekend, but I'm not sure if it's because it's nearing 15K and it's some sort of reminder for servicing, or if maybe the wiring connections (previous recall) got jarred from the higher speedbumps that came when the contractors re-paved my apartment complex.

hawk123

I have a 2001 Sonata GLS V6. It runs great but... I have had problems with the drivers and passenger side front windows. I put the window up and hear a pop. Upon inspection of the window now there is about a 1/4 inch gap at the top of the window. This really makes a great whistling noise while driving down the highway. This has happened twice to the drivers side front window and once to the passenger side front window. I took the car in and they have replaced the window regulator all three times. Three times in less than a years.

Has anyone else had this problem?

goodtime11367

After ordering a Sonata LX with Option 6 on June 8, I finally got it on Aug 3. 8 weeks for a Sonata! Wow, it goes to show you that Hyundai demand is greater than what they are supplying.

I only have driven it about 80 miles, but so far it is everything I had thought it would be. When I test drove one, they only had a V6 base with auto. Although it only has 181 horses, I don't feel that I am underpowered. I had a 1990 Acura Integra 5sp before this car, and the Sonata feels just as fast, although the Integra had much better handling. But I had gotten the Sonata for it's luxury characteristics, not as a sports sedan, which it really isn't.

The Autostick is a nice gimmick, but it really isn't a great substitute for a manual if you wanna drive like Mario Andretti. It will downshift faster than punching the throttle, which helps in passing.

This car drives really smooth and I can hardly hear the engine when it is on. The stereo has awesome power and range, the bass is outstanding. I read in cars.com that the stereo sounded "tinny", I really don't know what they where thinking. Maybe they don't know how to change the bass and treble on stereo's.

I purchased my Sonata from Valley Stream Hyundai for $19,775 (plus t,t&l) with almost every option, sans the sunroof deflector. The financing was great, and they even threw in free oil-x's. The car salesman was great. Unfortunately, they , like other dealers in my area, are out of stock on the GLS and LX Sonata's, so waiting lists are long. But if you are patient, these cars are definitely worth looking into, if not for their good looks, but for their value.

hjr2

wish I had the extra cash, I'd update my Sonata(has hail daents in it and someone hit my bumper in a parking lot, looks scratched up alot and circular dents, on pushed in and cracked looki, I have 82,000 miles on 99 gls v6).
If the car were new, I'd really have been angry about the messed up bumper. It is not too hideous, but I am not gonna pay a deductible on a "hit and run" when it is tolerable to look at, and when I trade it in, it'll have about 150,000 miles + anyways, and about zero for trade in value.

csandste

I'm not making money by selling these on the side.

I got a rock dent on my Elantra and went to one of those paintless dent repair people. This guy quoted me $35. Everyone else wanted $80. Anyway, although he had all the diplomas showing he could use the wand type dent removers, he pulled out one of those Ding Kings they advertise on TV (and on the web). Didn't know it at the time since I'd never seen one.

The thirty-five bucks he charged me for the Elantra was the retail price of the complete kit (with shipping), so had I known about the Ding King I would have felt kind of cheated. I ordered one when I finally saw the infomercial on TV and tried it on a 97 Cavalier. The damn thing works pretty well, not as well as full blown dent repair, but well enough so I didn't feel cheated by spending the $35. For the money, you get a glue gun, a dent puller with two heads and some liquid that releases the glue. You keep pulling til it pops and repeat til the dent is gone. For $35 bucks you'd probably get enough materials to fix fifty hail dings.

hjr2

thanks for the info....maybe around trade in time?
Hmmmm.

kingrw

I own a 2000 Hyundai Sonata GLS.
I am in the military and currently stationed in Belgium. I recently tried to get some warranty work performed and was told that the warranty was only good in the USA, because that's where I purchased the car. They said they would fix it and bill me and then I would have to recover the cost by going through Hyundai USA.
I find this really hard to believe and I'm wondering if anybody has any experience or ideas on this matter.

FYI...the reasons I brought it in are for the following:

1) The left rear power window is broken. The cable mechanism inside the door needs to be replaced.

2) The front brakes act as if the rotors are warped. When slowing down from high speeds, the brakes are not smooth. I know pads aren't covered, but the pads are fine.

Thanks,
Richard W. King

jimbeaumi

My guess is that you are being given the correct information, since the warranty is different from country to country. This suggests it isn't a Hyundai worldwide warranty so much as it is provided by the marketing arm from each country (Hyundai USA, in your case). I would still contact Hyundai USA and explain the dilemma before getting the warranty work done, if you haven't called them already.

maxamillion1

Have any of you been able to get great deals on the Sonata, mainly GLS and LX. I went by the Hyundai dealer today after work, and they had only 1 LX and no GLS models. They had about 10-15 Base models. I am mainly interested in the GLS and LX models. Any info would be appreciative.

Thanks
Maxamillion

sonatava

My brother's a mechanic and I told him

about the a/c smell, and said he'd check

the drain and spray some stuff.

Well, he blew some air through the drain and

said nothing came out, and then sprayed some

stuff by BG called frigi-fresh. It was only

done yesterday, so I don't know how long it'll

last, but it has done a good job so far. The

mold spores coming through the vents had been

bad enough for me to stop using the ac before.

The frigi-fresh also has a new-car type smell

which ain't so bad.

BTW, Tony, I tried clearing the drain by covering

the vents, but I guess the problem wasn't with

the drain.

Supposedly, you should be able to get the frigi-fresh spray at the dealership parts dept, but I haven't tried, since my brother gave me a can to keep. Alot of places on the web mention it if you search for frigi-fresh. Here's an article that describes some other methods:

http://autorepair.about.com/library/weekly/aa071601b.htm

intrepidspirit

Your experience doesn't surprise me. In North America, domestic car manufacturers will not honor warranties in the U.S. on cars registered in Canada and vice-versa.

There was a recent article in Edmunds about cars being imported to the U.S. and sold illegally, which is probably the biggest reason. Also, warranties differ in different countries -- for example, Hyundai's 10 year U.S. warranty does not apply to Canada.

jk27

Maxamillion1:

We got a great deal on a 2002 Sonata LX. Had to look around a bit to find one with ABS/Traction Control and Power Moonroof, though.

We got a 2002 Ardor Blue Sonata LX with 5 miles on it for $18,249 before tax & title. Installed options were ABS, Power Moonroof, Traction Control, Sunroof deflector, mud guards, floor mats and pinstriping. The dealer also had a demo LX with 3,500 miles on it with ABS, power moonroof and traction control for $17,700 (ebony black) -- we opted for the blue one with the additional options. So far, we love it!

hyundaima

You can send an e-mail to Hyundai USA through the global site, www.hyundai-motor.com. Click on the "Contact Us" or something like that, at the bottom of the front page of the site and you get a pop-up e-mail form. Your message will be forwarded to Hyundai Motor America if you choose "United States" in the country list; it appears that the forwarding is done automatically solely based on the country you select, so be sure to highlight "United States", not Belgium. I think they'll reimburse you for the repair expense if you send them a copy of invoice, but you probably need to open a case and discuss issues like exchange rate with Hyundai USA in advance.

lngtonge18

I found an interesting tidbit in the Elantra GT forum. It appears that the Sonata, Santa Fe, and Tiburon all have V6 engines that were advertised with wrong horsepower figures. I'm not completely sure which models were affected, but I believe it's all 2.7 liter V6s. Hyundai will be notifying owners via mail of their mistake. Before you get all upset over it though, listen to this....Hyundai is offering to do one of 3 things to keep customers happy. You can choose to either increase your roadside assistance from 5 years to 10 years, increase your bumper-to-bumper warranty to 6 years/72k, or increase your powertrain warranty to 12 years/120k (for original owners only obviously). That's one helluva good mistake!!! To find out if your specific car was affected by the mistake go here: http://www.hyundaistatus.com and type in your VIN. Let me know how much the horsepower ratings will drop as I'm curious.

sonatava

I just checked my VIN, and the change was from 170 max hp to an actual 163 max hp, for my 2000 GLS V6 2.5L. I'm leaning towards the 12yr/120k powertrain deal myself.

astrol

My wife's '00 GLS was affected as well. Funny thing is I just got through clocking it on my favorite run not too long ago and the darn thing has gotten faster through the years.

She puts over 20K mi. a year on it so choosing between the extended B to B or the extended Powertrain will be a tough one.

lngtonge18

So, is anyone really mad their V6 has less horsepower than advertised, or could you care less? Would 7 less horsepower made you not buy this car?

Here's another curiousity: What about Kia's Optima? It has the same V6 but it hasn't been mentioned in this campaign.

jk27

Check this other Edmunds discussion board for more posts regarding the horsepower error and owner response:

"Hyundai is the greatest car line available to the public"

goodtime11367

I currently have 1000 miles and I only seem to be getting around 19.5mi/gal with 50/50 city highway driving. Is this normal for the sonata or is it a break in period thing.

Also, it appears that although the Sonata's HP figures went down from 181 to 170, the torque has gone up from 177 to 181. Anyone else know what is going on with that?

denp3

goodtime11367: When mine was new I only got around 18-22. I am averaging around 20 now with a 50/50 city highway driving like you. I have almost 5000 on it now. I haven't seen anything about the torque going up.

goodtime11367

I think that the gas mileage estimate for the sonata is for people who drive like grannies(i.e. 50 mph and 0-60 in a day).

The torque figures are from hyundai's web site on specs for sonata. It used to be 177lb-ft/4000 rpm and now it reads 181lb-ft/4000 rpm . What is confusing is before all this hp misstatement, the Kia engine with exactly the same displacement and compression ratio had specs of 178hp and 181
lb-ft of torque while the sonata was 181hp and 177
lb-ft of torque. I don't think hyundai has their caps on straight when doing their mech specs, and I wonder if their torque ratings are correct.

Also, in regards to mileage on Kia vs Sonata, the Kia was 18 city/24 hwy and Sonata was 20 city/27 hwy. Same engine and roughly same weight. What is up with them?

lngtonge18

I can't explain the hp difference between the Kia and Hyundai, but I can explain the fuel economy difference. The Kia has a lower final drive ratio for improved acceleration, which decreases fuel economy.

goodtime11367

Now I believe both cars (Optima and Sonata) both have final drive ratio's of 3.77:1. I just think that Hyundai still doesn't have actual figures, but estimates.

jimbeaumi

You almost make is sound as if Kia developed the Optima, and is using "actual" figures rather than Hyundai's estimates. Are we comparing V-6 to V-6 and I-4 to I-4 final drive ratios?

goodtime11367

I am saying that the two models are nearly clones of each other(Optima being unavailable with traction control). I have a 2002 Sonata LX. It rides smooth and has plenty of power, but I am just saying Hyundai has made some mistakes in their specs for so long. Torque figures have seemed to change on many models for many years. Maybe their mileage figures are wrong to.

jimbeaumi

Hyundai owns Kia, the Optima is a Hyundai (Sonata), so to single out Hyundai's mistakes from Kia's doesn't make sense. As for torque and other figures changing from year to year, this is routine for car companies as emissions, performance and other requirements change.

goodtime11367

I am using the Sonota/Optima comparison as an example. I want to know why 1)torque figures for the sonata before hp overstatement was 177lb-ft now it is 181lb-ft 2) esentially the engine, final drive, components are the same for optima and sonata, so why was there ever any difference before all this hp overstatement, now they are the same exact figures(170hp&181lb-ft torque).I am now wondering why gas mileage is off, if it is a problem with Hyundai's estimates, my o2 sensor is corrupt, or I don't drive at grannie speeds like there testers do.

Now do not get me wrong, I would not trade my sonata in for anything, I love this car, but this fiasco of problem disclosures make me think of Enron's antic's(as an extreme example).

Some feature's on US Hyundai website is still inconsistent i.e. lockable glove box(doesn't exist). Now are the mileage ratings of 20/27 reasonably accurate, or are they just incorrect like the hp figures?

jimbeaumi

This is hardly a fiasco. I have read or noticed very little about this issue outside of edmunds.com discussions. It is a non-issue, especially since you enjoy your Sonata, and I my Elantra.

goodtime11367

I must contest, many forums outside of edmunds are complaining of this hp discrepancy, so it can be called a fiasco. Owners calling for class action lawsuits for false adv, wanting free maintenance for 5 yrs etc, etc. Now I am happy with my Sonata, true, but my mileage is sub par. I want to know if it also is a misstatement, or a potential problem with my car (maybe an O2 sensor).

nato1

The window sticker for my '02 sonata said 20 city and 27 highway, and that is what I am getting. It is surprising that other car manufacturer's have a larger engine and the same mileage ratings.

goodtime11367

Nato1, what is your avg mileage for a tank of gas, mine is less than 20 mpg. And what are your driving habits, do you drive constantly in manual mode, heavy/light foot, heavy city/hwy?

lngtonge18

I don't think you have anything to be worried about. You only have 1300 miles or so and it takes at least 10k for an engine to fully break in and begin achieving its max effiency. Averaging on the low end of the scale is quite common with low miles. My 00 Accent with a puny 1.5 four cylinder rated at 28/36 often got 24-27mpg in city driving for the first 8k. After about 10k, it consistently got 28-29mpg. Give your car some time to fully break-in before trying to convince yourself something is wrong or Hyundai has tried to mislead you.

nato1

goodtime11367,
The last reciept that I have is 292 miles on 14.5 gallons (87 octane). I write down the trip odo on the receipt (usually). A regular day to work, 25-35mph (20 minutes) highway 70-80mph (20 mins). The last trip I took was about 160 miles non-stop and I remember averaging 26 or so, but that was in august during the heat wave (95 or so), 3 people and luggage. I have had my '02 sonata for almost 1 year, 11k miles. Do I use manual mode? rarely.
Do I think I have been taken with the hp, and the semi-lower than standard mileage? No. If you are really looking to get the 181 hp, go put a k&n filter in, and use 93 octane. It will probably get you there. I would agree with lngtonge18, don't worry about it.
I found that after the 'fuzzy-logic' transmission was reset from a tsb, and basically drove it like a race car for 200 miles, it is more in tune with my habits, and didn't need the manual mode as often.
One question though, does anyone still use or buy the reformulated 'oxygenated' gasoline?

jk27

Does anybody know where the board entitled, "Hyundai is the greatest car line available to the public" went? It always used to come up with all the Hyundai Sonata boards. Now, I can't seem to find it? Any ideas? Thanks.

dougndo

I believe the host for that board closed it due to the ongoing negative, personal nature of some of the posts. In my opinion, it could have been a valuable board if it had taken a more useful turn. However, I never posted on it simply because I didn't care to become a potential target for the name calling or idea-bashing that came to be commonplace. It was very argumentative and even had several posts removed before the host pulled the plug.

Kudos to the host for doing the right thing.

dougndo

Now to the Sonata.

My Ebony Star (2001 GLS Leather) passed the 15,000 mile mark, and she's more beautiful today than the day I bought her. Everything is working well. It drives wonderfully and shifts smoothly. The seats are comfortable on long trips, and there's plenty of useful power for merging and passing. I must say, however, that I wish I had the advertised HP; it would be even sweeter.

The custom installed stereo is a killer, but of course I can't say anything about the stock sound system's long term usefulness since I took it out.

With regular washing and cleaning, Ebony's appearance is holding up well; this car is beautiful in black.

Since I travel frequently, I get to compare my Star with other vehicles, and I rarely find anything that makes me wish I had purchased something else. My most recent rental last weekend (Chevy) made me really glad to have a Hyundai. However, the Infiniti G35 I rented a while back was noticeably superior in many respects and inferior in a few, like visibility. Nevertheless for the retail price, I could get both a new Sonata and a Tiburon GT (but I'd have to get rid of Beatrice, my '89 Chrysler TC by Maserati--not gonna happen).

So 17 months after purchasing the Ebony Star, you can call me triple HHH! (Happy Having Hyundai, not Hubert Horatio Humphrey)

pat

The discussion is closed, but it is still available for viewing. Jk27, perhaps you were not logged in when you looked for it. Try again and if you don't see it, log in. Then you should be able to find it.

killerk

Hey, guys! Changed the E-oil today.
My 2000 GLS racked up 38K in 20 months w/o problems until last wk. It's my radio. The power button doesn't work on the first try. I gotta press the darn thing a several times b4 it works. Also my AM/FM fades out for a couple of seconds whenever it feels like it.

This isn't anyting critical but VERY annoying.

Turns out that b/c I just went over 36K, the radio can't be serviced under warranty. The extended warranty I got doesn't cover radio either (Radio is an item that has a "life span" of its own like brakes - I think that's what Hyundai rep said.)

They told me it'll cost $230 for them to service it. Yeah, right!

Also, picked up the cabin air filter for $44. I didn't realize it costed so much. Well, that's all from me. Hope everyone else is doing well...