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Is Hyundai supporting the Azera?
There are some of us who feel that Hyundai's lack of advertising for the Azera, in many localities and slow or no response to those who have a noisy suspension, might have a negative effect on the value of our cars. On the "other board" many have taken to contacting Hyundai and the following is what I have recently sent to them via email. One of our fellow Azera owners did get an acknowledgement.
here is my email letter to Hyundai which I just sent.
Don
Dear Hyundai Consumer Affairs,
I am the owner of a 2006 Sonata LX6 and a 2006 Azera Limited. I want you to
know that I am mostly thrilled with both cars. I am a senior citizen (early
70's) with a very strong interest in "cars". We are a 2 car family and
formerly leased our cars for many years. I most recently had leased 6 Acura
TL's (most recently two 03 TL's) and it was with great trepidation that I
switched over to Hyundai. I purchased my 06 Sonata 1 year ago. The purchase
experience was so pleasing(great dealership/Hyundai of Westchester) and so
when my 2nd Acura TL came off lease I bought the Azera which my wife drives
and we use it as the "family" car. We love the Azera but as a very active
participant on the Hyundai Forums.com internet board as well as Edmund's I
have the opportunity to exchange information with other Hyundai enthusiasts.
I must comment on what appears to be a total lack of advertising activity
and public support for the Azera in recent months. In addition many Azera
owners have been disturbed by the noisy suspension on this supposed entry
level luxury car. I am on very good terms with the sales manager at Hyundai
of Westchester and commented that they rarely have an Azera on the showroom
floor. I have even offered to support the car in dealing with potential
customers by speaking with them as a very satisfied customer.
I should think that all of us who own Azeras, and took a chance on a new
model, based on automobile tests and our perceptions, deserve more than a
somewhat silent response from Hyundai. I can very well afford to be in an
Acura and or a Lexus or an Avalon, but instead chose the Azera because the
car is really first rate and the sales and service at my dealership is first
rate. I echo the concerns of the many participants on the internet boards
regarding the Azera's lack of support and the "thunking" suspension. The
suspension of the Sonata LX6 is also somewhat noisy but thus far I had the
rear suspension shocks and struts replaced and that was a major step forward
in your support.
If you will take the time to monitor the internet boards, which is populated
with real car enthusiasts, you can get a feel for the disappointment on the
part of many Azera owners. We love the car but want to feel that Hyundai is
not going to let the model disappear. We would also like to have some sign
that Hyundai is aware of the concerns that many owners have regarding the
noisy suspension. This should not be an issue in a car with a cost of over
$30,000. This shouldn't even be an issue with a low end model. I hope you
realize that many , indeed most of us, are strong supporters of Hyundai,
enjoy our cars and want to see some sign that Hyundai hears what its'
customers are saying and thinking.
Looking forward to a response from you.
Sincerely
here is my email letter to Hyundai which I just sent.
Don
Dear Hyundai Consumer Affairs,
I am the owner of a 2006 Sonata LX6 and a 2006 Azera Limited. I want you to
know that I am mostly thrilled with both cars. I am a senior citizen (early
70's) with a very strong interest in "cars". We are a 2 car family and
formerly leased our cars for many years. I most recently had leased 6 Acura
TL's (most recently two 03 TL's) and it was with great trepidation that I
switched over to Hyundai. I purchased my 06 Sonata 1 year ago. The purchase
experience was so pleasing(great dealership/Hyundai of Westchester) and so
when my 2nd Acura TL came off lease I bought the Azera which my wife drives
and we use it as the "family" car. We love the Azera but as a very active
participant on the Hyundai Forums.com internet board as well as Edmund's I
have the opportunity to exchange information with other Hyundai enthusiasts.
I must comment on what appears to be a total lack of advertising activity
and public support for the Azera in recent months. In addition many Azera
owners have been disturbed by the noisy suspension on this supposed entry
level luxury car. I am on very good terms with the sales manager at Hyundai
of Westchester and commented that they rarely have an Azera on the showroom
floor. I have even offered to support the car in dealing with potential
customers by speaking with them as a very satisfied customer.
I should think that all of us who own Azeras, and took a chance on a new
model, based on automobile tests and our perceptions, deserve more than a
somewhat silent response from Hyundai. I can very well afford to be in an
Acura and or a Lexus or an Avalon, but instead chose the Azera because the
car is really first rate and the sales and service at my dealership is first
rate. I echo the concerns of the many participants on the internet boards
regarding the Azera's lack of support and the "thunking" suspension. The
suspension of the Sonata LX6 is also somewhat noisy but thus far I had the
rear suspension shocks and struts replaced and that was a major step forward
in your support.
If you will take the time to monitor the internet boards, which is populated
with real car enthusiasts, you can get a feel for the disappointment on the
part of many Azera owners. We love the car but want to feel that Hyundai is
not going to let the model disappear. We would also like to have some sign
that Hyundai is aware of the concerns that many owners have regarding the
noisy suspension. This should not be an issue in a car with a cost of over
$30,000. This shouldn't even be an issue with a low end model. I hope you
realize that many , indeed most of us, are strong supporters of Hyundai,
enjoy our cars and want to see some sign that Hyundai hears what its'
customers are saying and thinking.
Looking forward to a response from you.
Sincerely
Tagged:
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
consumeraffairs@hmausa.com.
Don
Don
Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America.
Congratulations on your purchase of the 2006 Hyundai Azera and 2006 Hyundai Sonata! We would like to welcome you to the Hyundai family!
We are delighted to hear of your overall satisfaction with your 2006 Azera, and are pleased that you took the time to contact us. We are also very pleased to hear about your pleasant experience with Hyundai of Westchester, and that the sales manager has exceeded your expectation for quality customer service. Please know that we have documented your positive feedback and will be forwarding it on to the appropriate personnel for review and consideration.
We have documented your comments and concerns in your file on your behalf. For your reference, your file number is 1010452.
We would like to review your concern regarding the concerns you have with the "thunking" noise you are experiencing with your vehicle as well as document your suggestions on the advertising of the Azera.
So that we may better assist you, please call our toll-free customer service number at 1-800-633-5151, Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Time. Please be prepared to provide your file number when speaking with a Hyundai Consumer Affairs case manager over the phone.
I am only including the customer service telephone number, which is universally available to everyone. We have apparently gotten Hyundai's attention.
Don
I very much appreciate your writing Hyundai and expressing your thoughts on your new Hyundais. I down loaded your email to Hyundai and read it last night.
If more owners would do as you have done I feel we would have better cars to drive. As long as the auto manufactures would be as responsive as Hyundai seems to be.
Good Job!
I believe that I covered all the concerns that have been expressed on the board and others have to follow so it doesn't appear to be an "isolated" complaint.
Don
Been there, done that!
I have had my Azera for over one year and have had many conversations with Consumer Affairs regarding several issues.
I have never received a reply that was meaningful.
If you ask them a technical question they are instructed to get their answers from the Service Department of you local dealership.
They have no communications with the corporate technical or engineering staff. They claim to pass on the information that you give to them, but I have never been contacted by anyone other than the Consumer Affairs department.
If anyone has had other results, kindly post the name of the "technical" person to whom you spoke.
Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy your Azzy's, it's still a "neat" car.
Don
As you know, once you contact Consumer Affairs you are assigned a file number. Every contact that you make in the future is posted under that file number. Any representitive can pull up all of your prior contacts, concerns as well as their responses to your concerns or questions. The names of all of your prior contacts is part of the information stored under that file number.
Don
Engine, or transmission problems and it will be traded in .Hyundai has come a long way , but they still have a long way to go. There techs have no training on any of the new cars. There tech. department is clueless,the sales people have no product knowlege at all . Maybe in another 10years Hyundai will be where they need to be on these issues. Time will tell.
Not all purchasers of cars participate in forums. My guess is that we represent a very small percentage. I would assume that many other owners have concerns similar to ours.
Some accept the deficiencies and make no mention of them to the dealers and certainly not to the Consumer Affairs department.
I am sorry to say that I believe the representative of Hyundai will tell you that he is aware of no similar problems with similar vehicles.
Maybe a am too much of a cynic, but you may also be slightly naive. The Azera has been on the market for over one year. The company should have already responded to the problems.
Chalk it up to a series of bad luck
Tell you what, where are you located? I might be able to arrange and have someone within Hyundai to have a look at your cars...
Lastly, few things to clear up:
1) Azera Limited does not sell for 30 plus, not anywhere in the US
2) What's a sonota?
The Hyundai Azera Limited, Ultimate sells for about $30,500 in South Florida plus dealer charges and sales tax.
Various discounts can be negotiated from dealer to dealer but they are not indicated on the MSRP.
I ordered my Limited in Nov 2005 and took delivery begining of Jan. 2006. When I placed my order, dealers were asking $1500.00 ABOVE MSRP in this area. At the time I ordered mine , I was happy to have paid $500 under sticker.
I would not make such a deal today.
The folks at consumer affairs while nice, are for the most part, completely unable to get anything done on our behalf. I have talked to Consumer Affairs no less than 10 times. They arranged for a meeting with the district parts and service manager and that meeting was a joke. The district parts and service manager said "there is nothing wrong with your car" and of course we all know that is a bunch of crap.
I told Consumer Affairs repeatedly that there is something wrong with my Azera suspension. I cited 2 legitimate reasons: 1) it does not occur on all Azeras and 2) an Azera was repaired in Springfield, IL. I once again told them that a Hyundai representative (an engineer) happened to be at Green Hyundai during which time technishawn had his car there. And I told them the rest of the story - most all of us have read the post in "Front Suspension Problems". Now, I have repeatedly (at least 5 times) asked them to answer two questions: 1) Is Hyundai - more specifically engineering - aware of the issue and 2) if so, would someone acknowledge this so that I don't have to call over and over again.
THEY NEVER ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS.
I finally received another letter from them and it said:
Please consider this Hyndai Motor America's response to your recent phone call to our National Counsumer Affairs Office. Hundai Motor America prides itself on superior customer satisfaction and strives to reach a mutually statisfying resolution in every situation.
We understadnd that you have delivered your 2006 Azera to North Freeway Hyundai for inspection of an undesired sound in the suspension system. This concern has been carefully reviewed by our District Parts & Service Manager, (name withheld), our Field Service Engineer, (name withheld) and (name withheld) Service Manager at North Freeway Hyundai. We understand that you attended a meeting with our DPSM and the dealership Service Manager and were asked to demonstrate the undesired sound that you were describing. Our DPSM road tested your vehicle, driving it 13 miles over 30 minutes and no abnormal sounds could be heard (other than normal mechanical sounds). Following this road test our DPSM demonstrated a similar sound coming from an Azera off of the dealer's new vehicle sales lot. HMA believes that the condition you've described is a normal mechanical sound and is characteristic on the 2006 Azera, and is not a defect in material and/or workmanship.
I will not type the rest of the letter.
First, I never heard of or met the Field Service Engineer and two, yes the car never made a sound while driving around the dealership (because there were no bumps to be found) but when the DPSM came to my office where there are small bumps everywhere he heard everything, absolutely everything. Further, he said the same thing I have heard over and over again . . . the clunk is consistent with the car. Once again I asked the same old question "how can you say that when not every car has the clunk?" The DPSM was unresponsive.
I am tired of the BS I have received but I will gladly continue to carry the torch with everyone. I hope that you all have a more meaningfull response from Consumer Affairs than I have had.
Oh, I too have a file number.
JMJK
If nothing else, I'm sure most agree that Hyundai has and continues to do a poor public relations job regarding the Azera.
My local dealership seems cooperative but equally frustrated by the lack of corporate support.
I have been relatively pleased with my car and I am fortunate enough to have had the suspension noise go away on it's own.
I hope that the company begins to realize that if consumers are willing to pay more for the so called luxury models, that they also have higher expectations for the product that they receive.
However, the post from JMJK in particular, taken in combination with the others on this and other similar threads, give me serious pause. I can forgive that a new model has "bugs," i.e., unresolved engineering issues that didn't show up during pre-production testing. But the old "this is normal" soft-shoe doesn't cut it. Not in the near-luxury segment, not in the subcompact segment, not with a new toaster. And what's most dispiriting of all is to hear it's coming, not from a few renegade dealers, but from an official of the zone office-- which means Hyundai USA approves of it.
This is exactly the kind of willful customer abuse that drove me away permanently from VW some 20 years ago. I won't start in with someone who's widely reported to be doing it now. Until the changeover in 8 months, Accord SE V6's come standard with stability control at attractive discounts. And the suspensions work, as do the dealer zone offices. Those who want to feel comfortable with their investment, be advised.
I am not a Hyundai stockholder, but I think it unfair to condemn the company particularly when they have been getting rave reviews for initial quality and my cars have been exceptional and more than match my recent Accura TL's.
I would buy the Hyundai cars again in a minute and I look forward to many years of enjoyable ownership. Remember some people react with greater emotion in certain situations. As a senior citizen I have learned that "patience is a virtue".
I agree that patience is a great virtue, but as another senior citizen it would be nice if the company reacted while we can still see the green side of the grass.
My problems have been minor and most have been resolved,but no new car buyer should be required to wait for over one year to have their issues resolved.
The service departments at the dealership level need more corporate technical support.
The recall by Toyota showed a companies response to a problem.
Hyundai as a manufacturer does not acknowledge any of the issues that forum participants described.
There is a true lack of communication at the corporate level.
Do you think that possibly some of their lack of response is due to the fact they seem to refuse to accept any "responses" from customers that are not fully to the favorable/high end of the surveys provided? From sales to service, all of the responses they consider seem to be those that are rated to the highest, rather than anything less. In spite of customer "calls, letters, etc" it seems they rely on the "survey results". Maybe they consider these "forums" as being only hearsay comments. :confuse:
Don
Everytime that I have purchased a new car the salesperson and sales manager has begged me to give the highest response to the person calling to conduct the manufacturers survey.
Apparantly, their bonus commission is based upon the results of the survey.
The corporate survey is usually conducted within 2 weeks of the purchase.
Many owners are not aware of any problems within that short period.
As forum participants we may, at times, overstate some of our problems, however much of the information and observations are real and should be acknowledged by the company.
You are exactly right! I was begged by the salesman to give "high grades" in the survey. I detected the clunk the second day of owning the car and had the chance to voice my displeasure to the survey person who called me about 2 weeks after discovery of the clunk - by that time my level of frustration had already begun and was pretty high.
The person listened to me (including the nice things I said about the salesman and the preparation of the car etc. etc.)but I never heard from Hyundai regarding the clunk - she got an earful about that issue.
Interestingly when I asked, she told me that she was not a Hyundai employee . . . so I will never know how much she documented in the way of the survey.
JMJK
They probably out source the survey calls and only record replies to questions asked.
www.Hyundai-Forums.com
some posters there are also here.
THe Consumer Affairs dept. is not outsourced. I mentioned that the survey may very well be outsourced. I also stated that with every car that I have purchased (not only Hyundai), I was begged to give the highest approval rating available when contacted for a survey.
I have been given the name of each person that I spoke with at Consumer Affairs, but unfortunately there was never any positive action taken regarding any of these calls.
Have you had any better luck with the issues that initiated your contact with Consumer Affairs?
I called Consumer Affairs end of last week after receiving an answer to my email. I was basically representing the entire group. I discussed our concerns about support for the Azera, and the noisy suspension. I do not have the "dreaded thunk", only a suspension that is a bit noisy, nothing I can't live with. My perception is if and when there is a response it will come in the form of a TSB just like the Sonata's suspension. I do not expect individualized treatment. As I mentioned in my posting reporting on what took place with Customer Relations, I tried to "extract" from her a mechanism, time frame and scenario as to how they deal with customers complaints, disappointments, etc., and she would only say that it would be passed onto the proper levels. I intend, within a week, to call again and see if I can perceive any "movement". Meanwhile I am going to enjoy my Sonata and Azera.
I hope that you get more positive results than I did.
Don
Don
I compliment you on your patience and loyalty.
Remember though that the Azera was promoted as a luxury model, not a Camry competitor. Hyundai should be attempting to establish itself by better communication with it's Azera owners and dealer network.
I was loyal to the Honda Accord for 29 years, that's two Accords, a new 1977 and a slightly-used 1990, only owned two cars in 29 years but the lack-luster Accord front-end styling for the last several years had me looking around... and the Sonata caught my eye, then the Azera caught my eye and held it...
I agree with you. I perceive that Hyundai has yet to position itself and its dealerships to deal with an upscale, luxury/entry luxury car and their type of customers that this type of car will attract. It's very difficult to sell an Elantra and gear the floor of the dealership to a higher entry level. Even the sales force has to be of a certain mindset. I have actually told this to my sales manager, but they are catering to the bulk of their customer base, and this is not being snobbish. It's a fact of doing business with the various levels of the customer base. I doubt that most of us who have Azeras would be enticed into a dealership by ads proclaiming "poor credit accepted", nor would we be asked to bring in salary stubs for the past 6 months. It's all a mindset.
In my opinion when and if Hyundai comes out with a rear wheel drive luxury car they will think about establishing a new division just like Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti.
Meanwhile my loyalty to Hyundai is not based so much on the 2 cars I own, but on the performance of my dealership and that has been above reproach. Now we will have to wait and see corporate's response.
Don
If the dealership treats you well, you have won half the battle.
Bob
sedan, like the Avalon or Lucerne. After nearly 3 years on the market the Avalon is still plagued by the same problems since it's intro. Initially it was rated by CR as average now it is rated as better than average. The Azera however, was rated as much better than average in it's first year. The Azera's problems have been minimal compared to the new Camry or Avalon, of who's many problems have yet to be acknowledged much less addressed by Toyota.
Two of my friends own 06 Avalon Limiteds. Neither have had any issues with their cars. I'm not aware of the actual numbers, but from what I have seen on the road, Avalon outsells Azera by a tremendous ratio.
The Hyundai dealerships that I have visited all referred to the Azera as Hyundai's entry to the "luxury" market.
I'm not sure that Lexus or Infiniti use the term "Luxury" in their printed matter. Most car buyers do not participate in Forums, therefore it is difficult to determine the satisfaction level of the purchasers of any model.
----------
By reading the financial pages, I learned Hyundai has been in two types of problems, work-related and legal.
The work aspect is that the company has been plagued by multiple stops in the production of their vehicles in South Korea, where the Azera is made, since the very start. Their workers have been on strike for higher wages and better working conditions every year but one since 1987.
Last year was the worst ever in this area, with 17 days of strike causing a production loss of 115000 vehicles. I guess they figure there's no point in advertising if they can't make enough cars to answer the current demand. If they advertise, the car could sell a lot, but people wouldn't be able to get it for months. In Canada, at least in Ontario, the 2007 model is not even arrived yet.
The legal aspect is that their chairman, Chung Mong-koo, has been in trouble for the last few years. Yesterday he was handed a three-year jail term for illegally raising a $110 million (u.s.) slush fund to seek government favors.
Mind you, he appealed the decision and was released on bail so he won't go to prison any time soon. Actually he's been allowed back into the boardroom for the time being. This guy has been there since 1999 and is credited for expanding greatly the Hyundai brand by opening new plants and putting the emphasis on quality. At the same time, he seems to have a confrontational attitude with his workers.
So these two problems probably don't have a big effect on the Sonata and the new Santa Fe because these models are produced at their Alabama plant (opened in 2005), but it's got to cause a big slowdown in South Korea where the Azera is made.
Hyundai is still the largest manufacturer in South Korea, and plans to build over 1.7 vehicles in the South Korea facilities in the year 2007.
I believe that they can build and support any amount of Azera's that the US market can sell.
They may choose not to do so, but not beacause of the legal problems with their chairman.
Is Hyundai USA supporting the Accent?
The Azera has seen its fair share of media attention in the US while it has been slim picking on the Accent. In addition to the regular media outlets, Hyundai was also the sponsor for two big events, the World Cup and the MLB Playoffs, and HMA aired fair amount of Azera ads. On the other hand, I have not seen one stand-alone Accent ad yet, since introduction of the current generation.
The Accent, specifically the 3 door, has enjoyed brisk sales, but the strikes and other events (mainly strikes though) have hampered production in great amount. In my area, every 3 door that has arrived to the dealers are being sold in a short period, I have been told dealers cannot keep them in stock.
I know historically these cars generally do not generate much profit, if any, which may be HMA's approach on advertising budgets and allocations, but...give us one!!!
By the way, I like both the Accent and the Azera, in their own ways
And side note, if the Accent SR becomes production one day, you can add me as a Hyundai owner and I would put my deposit down the day of the announcement
Read the last thread there.