Hyundai XG300 and XG350

majorthomecho

Replacing the tranny at 100 miles is a "petty thing?"

bperry3

With about 12K on the odometer I've had only one of the problems about which you wrote- the transmission shudder on upshift from third to fourth. The dealer replaced the transmission at 1,200 miles yet, the problem reocurred about 1,000 miles later and remains. After the initial transmission replacement and several reflashings of the TCM nothing has changed and I can not attribute the continuation of the problem to "fuzzy logic." Ive driven other 300's and they simply dont have the problem. The dealer doesnt seem to know what the cause of the problem is and I have an appointment with the "tech rep" this Wednesday 8-1-01. If possible, could you please describe the symptoms of the problem which you experienced. eg: conditions of ocurrence; duration; intensity; operating temperature- any reasons for the problem which your dealer told you; did the dealer reflash the computer with a "new" program? If you would be good enough to do this I can relate your information to my dealer and perhaps expedite some sort of fix. Thanx.

mikewesq

My XG300L also shudders when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear. It is perceptible to me, maybe not noticeable to passengers. Lupo79, did the replacement of your transmission "fix" the shudder? It seems to me that the problem must be in the software that the trans uses in determining the shift points. If so, then I would expect all XG300's to have some manifestation of the problem. I would be very interested to know what Hyundai has to say about this issue, as a number of folks here on this board have reported the same problem. I plan to write to Hyundai myself about this, as I would like to know as soon as an official repair protocol is developed.

lupo79

i noticed the shudder at approx. 100 miles, ..ive always bought new cars and i fiqured its breaking in, gradually got worse..so at 1400 miles took it in...at the peak it would shudder for 1-2 seconds....i really dont think the average person, who just drives and doesnt pay attention to the shifting or engine... would have noticed it, so definetly not that intense in all aspects........ ....the shudder occured at any temperature, cold or hot,didn't matter......nobody else noticed it when i asked them to ride along in the passengers seat..so i was the only one that ever noticed it, since im the only driver... (felt like you could feel a vibration from the gas pedal) ...the 'shudder' would happen at around 2000-2500 rpm happened mostly on a small incline,hillside...very seldom on a flat surface, but it did at times......the dealer didnt exactly know why this happened, they seemed confused.. but said they need to install a new transmission right away.....the computer was reflashed with a new program when they installed the new tranny...havn't had anymore problems w/it yet...

also...another thing that would constantly happen, which i didnt mention was the 'check engine' light came on all the time and wouldnt go off....i took it to the dealer several times and they said it was the gas cap and make sure you, make it click several times...ive been doing that, so i knew it wasnt that... eventually they put silcone around the cap to make, a tighter fit...hasnt came on since.....now w/17k miles all expressway, nothing major yet...still great car for the price

civictd04

Just FYI,

I wouldn't use silicone around the gas cap. Silicone is known to damage O2 sensors. If you happen to get any of it in your gas it might eventually make your O2 sensor degrade quicker. You might want to try cleaning up what you put on and using a non-silicone based sealant instead.

acelink

I am wondering whether 215/55-16 Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 Ultra High Performance tire ($75 apiece from Tirerack) will fit the 16" optional OEM Hyundai alloy wheel for XG300. I do not know the width of this larger wheel available for XG.

newxg

I've got 12500 miles now, just got back from a 1200 mile trip. Averaged 26 mph. No problems except that I've developed a air leak on the front passenger window that starts up around 45 mph. Going to have it fixed under warranty next week.

I haven't noticed any of the transmission shudder issues. I did notice that when using the resume feature on cruise control that I get a very abrupt shift down as if the car is trying to resume speed ASAP. Not a feature I use very often.

My Dad just had a $2000 transmission repair on his Maxima at 60,000 miles. (The dealer wanted $3500). He's had 4 Maximas over the years and was a little frustrated as this was his first major issue with the vehicle. Just for perspective..., if his Maxima had been a XG300 he would have saved himself the $2000 as he would have been only 60% of the way thru the warranty...

Looks like I'll have to eat my words from several months ago. I just saw an article describing the 2002 Altima and Nissan IS bulking it up to the size of the XG300 and apparently dramatically increasing the horsepower in the Maxima.

Finally, Has any one replaced their factory stereo? I'm looking at joing the Satellite Radio and MP3 revolutions and am having a hard time getting some specs on the XG radio. I keep hearing that the speakers are 2ohm but have no idea what the specs on the head unit are. Does anyone know what would be the impact of putting a standard issue 3rd party head unit (Kenwood, Alpine) in the XG300? With the 2 ohm speakers, will I need to get a seperate amplifier? Trying to figure out what will work here makes me wish I had paid more attention iny one Electrical Engineering class in college.

Thanks

dvdphile1

If you tint your windows with the "metallized" tint you will lose 90% of your AM reception. FM reception will not be affected. The radio antenna is located in the rear window glass. Not tinting the top 7" or using non metallic tint will allow near normal radio peformance.

yk911

AUDIO
Items
H940A
H940C

Rated output
Max. 30W x 4
Max. 20W x 4

Load impedance
2OX4
4OX4

Band
AM/FM
AM/FM

Tuning type
PLL Synthesized type
PLL Synthesized type

Dark current
Max. 2mA
Max. 2mA

Frequency range / Channel
AM : 530 - 1710KHZ/10KHZ
AM : 530 - 1710KHZ/10KHZ

FM : 87.9 - 107.9MHZ/200KHZ
FM : 87.9 - 107.9MHZ/200KHZ

newxg

yk911. Thanks for the specs. I'll assume this be restated as:

XG300 Base
Head unit: Max. 20W x 4
Speakers: 4ohm x 4

XG300L (with cassette player)
Head unit: Max. 30W x 4
Speakers: 2ohm x 4

A co-worker of mine said that 2ohm speakers require more power than 4ohm speakers and if underpowered may have a problem called clipping which will damage the speakers. Sounds like this isn't a big factor as long as the replacement head unit has at least 30Wx4 (I'm assuming that average power is somewhat related to maximum power so that a head unit with 40W maximum would have at least as much average power as a head unit with 30W maximum). Most of the mide to high end 3rd party head units have at least 30Wx4. Based on this it doesn't seem like there are any special issues and that a seperate amplifier isn't required. Whew.

Except...

Does anyone know how the tweeters are attached to the system? Are they receiving filtered frequencies from the two front speakers?

Thanks

bperry3

Finally had the Hyundai America Tech Rep from Richmond, Va evaluate the shuddering problem of upshift from third to fourth ( 2200-2500 RPM /motor fully warmed- up). Previous attempts to include total transmission/TCM replacement and reflash of the new TCM had not met with any success. Both service manager and tech rep drove car and while unable to attribute the problem to anything either electrical or mechanical stated that they were going to replace transmission fluid as they suspected possible contamination of the Hyundai fluid. Apparently a fairly large amount of Hyundai Factory fluid had been contaminated in manufacture, placed at the factory in some vehicles of about the same build date as mine and unknowingly distributed to dealers at least in my area- Maryland, Va. D.C.; maybe east coast; maybe wider. They further stated that a Technical Service Bulletin either had been or was being, prepared to disseminate this information/ rectify the problem. Speculation was that the contaminated fluid became "tacky" and impeded the smooth operation of the clutch packs, hence, causing the shuddering. Tech rep also asked that I use 93 octane gasoline as that fuel might help smooth out the operating process. Have driven car for about five days since the fluid change and have noticed a definite improvement in the shift process on upshift from third to fourth/ 2200-2500 RPM/ Motor fully warmed. There has been an overall reduction- "not elimination" of the shuddering problem in general under all conditions and particularly under the conditions described over level, smooth road surfaces. After two days operation of the vehicle, I filled up with high (93) octane (major brand) gas to see if the final vestiges of shuddering would be eliminated thropugh this procedure. The residual shuddering was seemingly not at all effected by the higher octane fuel. I will watch this problem, follow-up if changes occur; and if it persists; will again engage with the Tech Rep. While Hyundai, like all other automobile manufacturers with which I have dealt over the past 30 years, has tried to minimize the problem, they have not denied its existence and seem to be dealing with it somewhat. From my perspective, I can not merely "write this off to experience" or "growing pains for Hyundai" since, I did ,in fact, pay a significant amount of money for their product and expect a significant amount of serviceability/ value. As for the contaminated transmission fluid, I have not yet seen/ been able to find, any technical service bulletin and ask that if any of you do find it, that you please posi it or its location, here. In the meantime, if any of you have experienced problems similar to the ones which I have described, ask your dealers to examine the fluid, maybe even write to Hyundai to inquire as to what the company proposes to do in response to "loyal" customer concerns. Thanx..

skanich

Has anyone had a problem with the air conditioning at the max level. When the auto or manual mode is on the air conditioner shuts down in the 4th circle. Is this common that you can only put it on up to the third level. Does not seem right.

mikewesq

bperry3: This is interesting news. I'm in Richmond, VA, and my XG300 was delivered from a dealer in Charlottesville, so mine could be one of the vehicles with the "bad" fluid. I had begun to suspect the trans fluid, but thought "oh, it couldn't be that simple"! I'm curious, however; since your transmission was replaced, why would the "new" trans have the contaminated fluid? Coincidence?

If it is indeed the fluid that is gumming up the works, replacement of the fluid might not immediately solve the problem completely, as some contaminated fluid or goo may have remained in the tranny. Perhaps replacing with fresh fluid a second time after a week or so of driving will clean it out (we hope).

Do you have the name of the Richmond Hyundai tech guy? Maybe my dealer (West Broad Hyundai, who have been really great to work with) can call him and find out what the heck is going on here, and what the best solution might be.

bperry3

Name of Hyundai America Tech rep from Richmond was Steve Hickman and date on which he examined my car at Fitzgerald Hyundai in Gaithersburg, Md.; was 1 August 01. Service manager for that dealership is Gil Briggs. The dealer diagnosed the fluid problem and changed fluid on that date. Service ticket does not indicate if trans filter was changed, ican only assume that it was not changed. The vehicle was purchased new 16 Jan 01 and the original transmission replaced in March/ April 01 at 1600 miles.. New TCM was reflashed several times with no success. The original transmission may have been installed in the vehicle with the contaminated fluid already in the pan. Symptoms of faulty operation of both units were exactly the same. Also, when the dealer installed the new unit, the Service Rep had indicated that the new transmission was shipped ( I guess as is customary) only partially filled and that they (Fitzgerald Hyundai) had added a significant amount of transmission fluid to fill it up. Herein might lie the explanation for the contaminated fluid in the second transmission. If you do have a chance to talk to your dealer, could you please ask him if he thinks (and I know that this will not be a binding estimate) that the transmission might have sustained significant damage so that I might either ask Hyundai for a new transmission or try to get a replacement vehicle under the Maryland Lemon Statute. Thanx a Lot..

im_brentwood

Sawa few posts about this... (I have insomnia).

As a dealer who's at auctions on a regular basis... This car surprises me.

I saw a bunch of em (Said XG300.. didnt see an L... dunnoif there is abadge for Ls.. had leather, CD/Tape, Auto Climate in em..)

They all had about 7K miles or so and were doing $17-17,500 or so. Ex-Rentals. So figure ya have a $200 or so fee on top of that..etc.. Retail is gonna be about $21K or so... Can't ya get a new one for $23K or so?

That's here in Florida. Considering how atrouciously the Sonatas have done, this looks good for the XG, seems to be comparable to a Maxima and ahead of many other cars....

Bill

montemmm

Has anyone experienced problems with the XG300 hesitating (almost like the old carb cold choke problems). The car runs fine when warm. There have also been times when it starts bucking if I try to accelerate too quickly when it is cold. The shop has reprogrammed the computer twice and I still have the same problem. Any advice for me to give the shop?

mickj

I too have had problems with the shift from 3rd to 4th shudder. I have had it in twice and they don't know what I'm talking about. I will have to print out the info on this site. Also, I told them about the floor mats holders coming loose, so they super glued them and cut my floor mat for some reason. I told them about it and they are ordering a new mat. All I wanted was the new design on the mat holders. They had no clue what I was talking about. One other issue is only when I have the air conditioner on. I sometimes smell like exhaust after I have had it on. Again, they can not dupilcate this. I'm frustrated with my service people, can you tell? I'm thinking of going to one of the other dealers in the area. I really don't want them to rip my carpet up and replace it . I think that may open another can of worms. Anyone have any suggestions.? I am a gal and I'm trying not to think that's why I'm having trouble. Thanks

giowa

new 5-speed automatic tranny problems, read the long-term test review of the Lincoln LS here at Edmunds. They have written about their issues in about all their updates over a long period. Mirror my experience with my '00 LS and those of many on the LS board. A Lincoln tranny engineer has been kind enough to post a lot to work people thru TSBs and the tranny's operation.

sirwinston4

Kia is now owned by Hyundai. The 2002 Kia Sedona has a 3.497 cc V6. HP is 195 at 5,500 rpm, and torque is 218 pound-feet at 3,500 RPM. A car version might be tuned for more HP, with a lower torque at a higher RPM.

There are numerous minor items that Hyundai should addresss for '02 if they are to be competive.

har1bush

yes, the bigger engine has been rumored ever since the car was introduced and chances are looking good that the '02 will be fitted with this new engine. As i've pointed out earlier, the korean hyundai website posted about 210hp and 220 lb-ft of torque for the 3.5L. Plus, since the Sonata is getting a 2.7L V6 from the Santa Fe, it would make sense to put in the bigger displacement in the XG and dub it the XG350. I just wonder why Hyundai didn't put in the 3.5 in there the first place -- kind of weird that they would change the engine after only 1 year in the US.

rdeschene

I saw my first XG300 in the Beer Store parking lot today. It's really nice to see a car and your first impression is: "wow, that's nice". And only then do you try to figure out what it is. I'm trying to remember the last time I had that reaction with a Honda, Toyota or Nissan sedan.

Altogether a very handsome and distinct styling job. I really like the raised section of the trunk lid. Bravo Hyundai for taking a sensible deisgn risk, as opposed to, oh I don't know, Pontiac and the Aztek. On that one I said "wow", but the sentence didn't end in "that's nice." ;-)

mickj

On July 26th, message #639 written by xg301, stated that he got newly designed floor mat clips from his dealer. My dealer has no idea what I am talking about. Anyone who has info, or if xg 301 could let me know I would appreciate it. Thanks Mick Email: slw88@aol.com

robw64

After researching new cars for a few months now, I just test drove an XG300L (Black w/Black Leather) this afternoon. Wow.....this is really a nice car. I'm seriously in the market for a new vehicle, and was blown away by the feature content on this Hyundai. Also, I watched carefully during the drive for the spongy suspension and minimal engine power mentioned on several review pages. Honestly, I didn't find either of these complaints to be accurate.

My only complaint would be the dealership (Bob Dance Hyundai in Longwood, FL). They're trying to tack-on $1,295 for "dealer options" which are disclosed as vehicle prep, chassis lubrication, etc. What a bunch of crooks.

Using the Edmunds TMV as a guide, I have submitted an offer via Priceline for an L at 23,295 (including 16" wheels, floormats, and wind deflector). I'm hoping it comes through. I'll keep you posted!

tatzbear

Yes Rob, I hear you on the Edmund's review. I have almost 6000 miles on my XGL and NONE of the horrendous problems their reviewers mentioned have showed up. I've even TRIED to bottom out and tried to get the rear seat to wiggle and listened carefully with all the windows up etc. for rattles and squeaks. Nothing. I still LOVE this car and think it's a GREAT value for the money.

I don't know what their angle is at Edmunds, or where they got this crappy test car, but I think they have done their readers a HUGE disservice to publish their last review without question. Makes me wonder just how useful a resource they can be! If you just look at this discussion board, it's OBVIOUS that none of these problems are mentioned by any of the owners, long or short term. How odd... you'd think THAT would tell them something (it certainly tells ME something!)

Good luck with your pricing... I think you are right on the mark, dollar-wise.

plibassi

For about 4 weeks, I have been experiencing a high pitched "whining" noise coming from under the front of the car, both immediately after startup and while driving. The noise is loudest at startup, but still noticeable after being driven. If I park or drive next to another car, the high pitched noise is very noticeable - more so than if you are in the open not next to another object. Twice I took the car into a Hyundai service center and both times they were unable to fix the problem, even though they admitted to hearing the noise and saying that it was not normal. Finally, I took the car to another dealer who contacted Hyundai - they were told the transmission needed to be replaced. A new transmission is on order. I have been reading about contaminated transmission fluid, therefore my problem may also have been caused by the bad fluid? I wanted to post this message just in case anyone else may have been experiencing this problem. However, even with now having to replace the transmission in my 300L, I still think Hyundai has a winner in the XG300. I have had several people tell me what a good looking car the XG300 is (mine is black) and don't believe such a good looking car can be a Hyundai - they really don't believe it's Hyundai after taking a ride in the car! Once this transmission problem is corrected, I don't anticipate any further problems as the car has been flawless in performance with over 7,000 miles on the odometer...

newxg

I recently upgraded the factory stereo on my Base XG300 and wanted to share with you my approach and learnings. As a caveat I'm not an audiophile or electronics expert. So instead of focusing too much on the equipment, I'm going to highlight my decisions as they relate to the XG300.

The factory XG300 stereo has a 20x4 watt (about 10x4 rms) head unit with six 4 ohm speakers, two 6x9” speakers in the back and two pair of component speakers in the front doors, a 6.5” woofer and a 1” tweeter. The component speakers have a little box which filters which frequencies get sent to the woofer and which get sent to the tweeter. The XG300L has an upgraded system with 30x4 watt head unit (about 15x4 rms) and 2 ohm speakers in a similar configuration as the base XG300.

The 2 ohm speakers require more power than 4 ohm speakers to avoid something known as clipping, but not twice as much . As a general rule more power is better not just louder. Very generally speaking, more power allows larger magnets and better materials in the speakers which allows more accurate sound reproduction at the same volume. So it's fair to say that the XG300L stereo adds not just a cassette player, but also better sound than the base XG300 stereo.

Sound systems are very much a matter of personal taste, but I was looking to get better clarity than the factory stereo could offer. When listening to music I like to focus in on all the sub-rhythms and harmonies which tend to be somewhat masked in a system without good clarity. I was also looking to be able to integrate some of the more modern audio technologies such as satellite radio and MP3 playback.

So for starters I got a fairly high end Alpine CDA-7878 head unit which delivers 45x4 watts (about 22x4 rms) about twice as much power as the factory head unit. I also got an Alpine MRV-100M single channel amp to drive a JL Audio 10" subwoofer in a single speaker enclosure. An efficient low footprint subwoofer setup (think timpani not fog horns). My thought was that getting a subwoofer would not only give me better low end base, but also allow me to tune the rear speakers for better midrange base which might be lost.

I decided to wait on upgrading the factory speakers until I had some experience with the setup. Then I would then decide whether to drive the new speakers with the head unit or a separate amplifier. As a rule of thumb, all those great sounding high end speakers that the audio stores love to demo really need a separate amplifier but I wasn't sure that I needed all that.

If I had gotten an amplifier that required adjustment it would have been mounted on the back of the XG300's folding back seats, which would still fold and would also allow me to adjust crossovers while sitting down in the back seat. Instead, since I got an amp that wouldn't require adjustment, it was mounted out of sight under the back seat. Something that would no doubt not work for a really large amplifier, but was ok for the 100 watt Alpine. The subwoofer enclosure is a little bigger than a cubic foot, so it sits quite comfortable in the trunk underneath the back deck, taking away very little trunk space. It's also easily removed.

Something that I think makes the XG300 unique is just how much room there is behind the front waterfall style console. I took a look inside while the installation was going on and not only can you put two 1 din aftermarket components in the 2 din slot taken up by the factory radio, but you could with a little custom installation, put components behind the ashtray. And If you really wanted to push it you could eliminate the little drawer and move the trip computer and install a stack of 5 components, two below the environmental controls and three above it. I just don't remember any of my other cars having that much usable room behind the console.

So anyway. I've now got a 45x4 watt Alpine driving the original factory speakers and a 100 watt subwoofer pumping away in the trunk. It sounds much cleaner than the factory stereo, which wasn't that bad to start with, at least as factory systems go. Aftermarket speakers are my next step but that I think is going to take a lot of careful listening.

I hope this helps anyone else considering upgrading their stereo. My impression so far is that the XG300 is a great platform for high end car audio.

Joe
Base XG300
13,500 miles

robw64

As promised, I am following up on the post above (dated 8/20/01). I received an e-mail price quote of $600 below invoice for an XG300L from a dealer 75 miles away from my home. I took this price to a local dealer and they actually beat the price for me (granted, it was by only $27 but I was still pleased). Within a couple of hours I was on the road with my new beautiful Evening Fog XG300L. I didn't get the 16" wheel option after test driving with the 15"-ers. I may change my mind in the near future, but this didn't drive noticeably differently from the tester I drove with 16"-ers.

A couple of hit-list repairs I've already requested under warranty: The rubber flashing around the moonroof wind deflector has cracked (possibly from the car sitting too long in the Florida sun while waiting for a loving home), and the chrome moulding above the driver's side front window is slightly misaligned. Both parts are already ordered and will be installed within 2-3 days.

Needless to say I'm very pleased. I'll continue to update my first Hyundai experience on the board for those who are interested. Please feel free to contact me for views and updates!

mikewesq

After not having the Check Engine Light come on for a couple of months, the CEL in my 300L has come on for the last two fill-ups, the first time coming on 193 miles after fill-up, and the second time 160 miles after gassing up. I have been religiously tightening the fuel filler cap very carefully, and I am beginning to wonder if a replacement filler cap is in order.

I know that a few prople have mentioned geting new fuel filler caps under warranty; has this stopped the annoying CEL warnings?

robw64

When I picked up my new XG300L just two days ago, the check engine light was specifically addressed by the Hyundai dealer. They advised:

#1 - Do not top off when filling the gas tank....stop fueling at the first automatic shut off. Overfilling causes a backup of fumes, which triggers the check engine light.

#2 - Make sure the gas cap is correctly aligned. The sales rep showed me that it is possible to put the cap on at an angle, which would allow air to seep in around the seal.

I hope this helps, and hope you are as pleased with your new XG as I am!

plibassi

I had the same problem with the check engine light coming on right after I picked up my XG300L. The dealer contacted Hyundai who told them a bad electrical connection with the ERG was the problem. The dealer had to order a complete new wiring harness to get the new connection part they needed. Once they installed the new connection, the problem hasn't occurred with 7K now on the car....

sobright1

I purchased an XG/L back in April, now have > 10,000 miles on it, have averaged 23 mpg, and have been generally pleased (though the wheels are butt ugly). Unfortunately, I too have experienced some of the (currently anyway) minor problems regarding shifting from third to forth. Because the shift is generally smooth, and only occasionally jerky, it has been difficult to present the problem to the service technicians. My transmission doesn't feel like it slips but more like it hesitates. Perhaps this is the same as the "shudder" others are writing about. It is like it would feel if you pressed in a clutch type transmission and held it down for a second before releasing. I have popped many a clutch in my life though and it is not the same sensation. I would appreciate any references to technical information (recalls) anyone may come across. Yes, the floor mat clips are useless! I too will seek replacements. I can also relate to the post by montemmm. Though it has only happened twice, and while the engine was cold (though it was 90 degrees outside), my XG has hesitated like it was running out of gas or something. I downshifted manually to keep my rpm's up until it straightened itself out, which it did both times. Also, a couple of weeks ago my air bag light came on and I still haven't gotten it back to the dealer for diagnosis, something I am not looking forward to. Perhaps the service department has been my greatest disappointment. In the two times I have gone there for minor work (they replaced the weather striping around the passenger side window due to wind noise and changed my oil twice) both times they got grease or oil on my car, the last time on the interior speaker.

mikewesq

sobright1: Did the new weather stripping on your passenger side fix the wind noise? I find that I have a fair amount of wind noise on my driver's side, and the dealer adjuster the driver's door to fit a bit tighter. This reduced the wind noise somewhat, but I still suspect that neither the front or rear door are sealing as well as they should. Could you notice improvement, and is there any visible difference with the new weather stripping?

On the mat clips: my dealer got new ones for me, and although they looked the same to me, they have not come loose once since they installed them!

Re CEL: I have not been topping off the tank, and have been careful about the cap going on misaligned (my dealer warned me about these things, too). I suspect that this is the connector problem described above. I will discuss with the dealer. I am still waiting to hear back from them about their inquiries with Hyundai re: the transmission shudder and "bad" ATF fluid.

bperry3

Most major corporations seem to be somewhat like Congressmen, in that they wont acknowledge the existence of a problem until they become overtaken by events resulting from its' occurence. Seems as though Ford and Firestone are prime examples of this, along with the pharmaceutical company which originally manufactured the drug, Thalidomide. My original posting of this condition (shuddering) occurred after Hyundai had already replaced one transmission in the hopes that the problem would be resolved. Since it reappeared shortly thereafter I persisted, and finally following many attempts at reflashing the (TCM) and performing related incantations including "not finding the problem" a factory representative from Hyundai America, Richmond, Va.; diagnosed the shuddering condition as possibly being attributed to "Contaminated Transmission Fluid" originally produced in Korea and distributed in this country. I do not know nor was I told the extent of distribution of this fluid. The Hyundai rep told me that a technical service bulletin would be developed and that the fluid was being recalled. He also suggested that I use a premuim grade, major brand, gasoline in the vehicle as it might help with The dealer has been very helpful so far, and after two changes of the Transmission fluid the condition seems to have been lessened somewhat -- NOT ELIMINATED COMPLETELY !! This is the only fix that has made any difference in operation of the transmission. The use of premium gasoline made no difference other than to relieve me of approximately 20%-25% more money at a time when the oil companies had engaged in their seemingly ritualistic price fixing. Currently the odometer reads a little over 13k miles and while the shuddering is not by any means gone, it has subsided. I hope this helps each of you who have experienced this problem since, if truth be told, we really have not gotten use of the "new" car we thought that we bought and while we "only" paid a little over $23-$25,000 or whatever, that's still one hell of a lot of money. We could have bought a Toyota, Honda or other major, REPUTEDLY MORE RELIABLE brand for that amount of money, but, for whatever reasons, chose to "take a chance on Hyundai." While playing the law of probabilities can be risky, we can increase our odds of being successful if we are persistent and continue to press Hyundai to solve this problem- not continuously apologize for their being underdog. I don't think we would be as kind or forgiving to Toyota or General Motors Corporation.

acco20

Does anyone have any word on the 2002 model. when available in USA? new engine choices? Larger wheels and tires? Etc. thanx.

csandste

I've read in several places (Automobile Magazine new car issue for one-- I think) that it will have a 3.5 liter engine and be the XG350.

If so, the name will change after one year. I don't know about you but I don't like these alphanumeric names, I'd prefer Grandeur for this one. I can't keep all the iterations of Acuras, Lexi, etc. straight. Knew a Acura Integra from a Legend. Now, who knows anything.

hung0820

Here is a good reviews for the XG300:
Motorists Review

mikewesq

I ran across this very positive review from this past July.

http://www.savvymotoring.com/rt_010708.htm

donnaf

Has anyone had a problem with bird droppings burning into or staining the exterior paint of the car? If so, what can be done to alleviate this problem? The color of my XG is Evening Fog. Thanks.

celera1

I am interested in buying one so if anyone could give me the price you paid for that would help me a lot.

Thanks

dst5

$22,123 with 1,000 dealer incentive in May of this year. Bought it online.

astrol

Hello,

First things first: get a good hard wax and apply several coats if bird crap in your area is so strong and/or acidic or you are not driving your car often enough to notice...

Now that's out of the way...

Go to the car care store and get some CLEAR COAT rubbing compound. Follow directions. If after use you find that the etching is down into the paint itself, then only a repainting of the immediate area or section will repair it. Some people work wonders with touch-up paint. The key is always to work slowly---in layers. You can't hurry it. Different problems require different applicators, techniques, etc.

There are many websites, some with useful photos supplying the kind of info you might need. Most of the Auto paint sites are very helpful.

pat

You may also want to look into some of the various exterior care discussions that are under way over on our Maintenance and Repair Board.

Let us know how it works out for you.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

mavric68

When I purchased my Evening Fog XG300L, it already had a burned out spot in the clear coat caused by bird droppings. You can only see it in certain light and I addressed it with the dealer, but have not had the time to have it taken care of because my dealer does not offer loaner cars. I also have "rough" spots high on each fender where a tarp was laid on it supposedly during shipping. They informed me that they would need the car for two days to buff these spots out. Also, the moonroof button does not return to center once it's pressed up and the side mirrors don't always return to center when switching from reverse to drive and the driver's side door arm assembly has popped out around the window controls because my leg naturally rests against it when making right hand turns. I also need the new floor mat clips. All that being said, I haven't regretted my purchase for one day. What a great car for the money!

9296

Also bought in May for $21,200 without $1,000 rebate-took 3.9% financing for three years. Could not take low financing and rebate. Priced via Web-Autobytel. Car bought in New Jersey. Believe you are in Alabama-Seems as some people have done well in Florida.

rhard49

I have been beating up local dealer to see which works out better a 2002 sonata or a 2001 xg300
I have gotten the xg300 to 19500 incl destination they keep the rebate. bet I can get on an 2002 Sonota LX with traction and roof is 1200 off. It looks like you can get a leftover 300 for the sme price as a 2002Sonata

lngtonge18

The XG300 is no more. Now, its called the XG350. C&D says power is around 200 hp. Seeing as that is a small gain in horsepower over the current engine, the new engine's main improvement is in torque. Expect around 218-220 pound feet, compared to the measly 178 of the current engine. This should give the XG a big increase in around town pep. It sure is strange though that they only used the engine for one year! This may make engine parts difficult to find. Makes me wonder why they even bothered offering a unique engine for one year. Anywho, the new engine definitely moves Hyundai a bit more upscale and helps it compete better with the big dogs in this class.

lleroi

block is the same.If indeed there is a torque increase the engine was probably just stroked.

dreamwind

Actually, it has 240 pound feet.. that's it's main strengh, the unusually large torque.

priggly

Interesting news on the HP and torque figures for the 2002 model. Sounds like it will be quite a car.

Any other significant changes for 2002?

lngtonge18

This engine is also used in the Kia Sedona minivan. It only makes 195 hp and 218 lb feet of torque in that application so I doubt the XG350 will be that far off from those numbers.