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Hyundai Sonata Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • rustygutterrustygutter Member Posts: 3
    Silver. And FWIW, the paint is only coming off on the plastic parts -- it's fine on the metal body.
  • rustygutterrustygutter Member Posts: 3
    How long would I have like the warranty to last? Five years would have been nice. As in the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty is 5 years. But honestly it's not just warranty length that bothers me. It's the fact that now I have an expensive repair and that neither the dealer nor Hyundai was willing to give in the slightest. I've had plenty of cars longer than 3 years -- and none of them started peeling like the Hyundai. And to top it off, I've treated the car really well. So is the peeling paint common for Hyundai, or did I just get lucky?

    And to reply to your little dig about it being my own fault for not noticing that the paint didn't fall under the bumper-to-bumper warranty -- you're right. It's a mistake I won't make again. And thanks so much for rubbing my nose in it!
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Regarding the peeling paint. Plastic trim such as your door handles, side door moldings and the outside rear view mirrors to name a few are prone to paint peeling. I think because the plastic is non friendly and non adherent to paint and primer, especially the new EPA mandated non volatile water based paints now required. It isn't such a big or expensive job to have these repainted. Just do it.! Silver has traditionally had peeling problems for decades and not only restricted to plastic parts but large sheets of paint disappear from horizontal surfaces such as hood trunk and roof.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    My point is this: if your timing belt broke at 45,000 miles as you state then the engine would most likely have had major damage at that time and you would not have been able to drive it further until repaired. Why? because all Hyundai engines available at that time (and before you say ahha most manufacturers are the same) were "interference" engines. What that means is that the complicated dance between valves and pistons is coordinated by the timing belt. Further, there is insufficient clearance between open valves and pistons at the top of their stroke so the result of a broken timing belt is bent valves..damaged pistons and bent connecting rods when they collide at 3,000 RPM. Your engine would very likely NOT have survived the belt breaking at 45,000 miles and if you were still driving it at 80,000 miles either one of two things happened
    1. you were very very lucky and the engine survived with minimal damage (which eventually destroyed it later) This possibility is a "slim to none" in my opinion.
    2. You had it (the engine) replaced or repaired at 45,000 miles after the belt break.
    With regard to the engine "blowing" at 80,000 miles...most of the rockers blew off??? How was that explained? The rocker arms are less than likely to cause an engine to "blow" What other damage was incurred?
    3. OK three then because you say your father-in-law repaired it at that time maybe he repaired the mechanical damage as well as replacing the belt. If so maybe the "blown" engine could have been as a result of his repair (as opposed to official Hyundai parts and service)??
    As I said " you pays your money and takes your chance"...that your Escort didn't break a timing belt or have an alternator fail is pure good luck on your part and has nothing what so ever to do with Ford or "Quality is job 1" It could have happened to it just as easily. And since we are talking about a 7 year old 80+ thousand mile car anyhow give me a break about failures and repairs. It happens on machinery. As a counterpoint about Hyundai quality. I bought our son a used 2000 Elantra the day after Christmas in 2003. It had 64,000 miles at the time. It currently has 180,000 miles and he uses it on a 100 mile per day commute so the miles are piling up fast. What went wrong? Since we owned it it has had as normal maintainence replacement..2 sets of spark plugs, one set of plug wires, 2 sets of 4 tires, several front brake rotors (I'll admit, the Hyundai parts didn't last too long so I bought Bendix), several sets of front pads, two timing belt replacements and water pumps at the same time as a matter of prudence, new rear wheel brake wheel cylinders, 1 set of rear wheel brake shoes, various tail/brake/and headlight bulb replacements.Oh, the automatic transmission was flushed and refilled. Other than maintainace replacements/ failures: the alternator failed @ 160,000+/- miles and the original battery that was ruined by the failed alternator. Two exhaust manifold/cat. converter combinations under the extended emission warranty. There was a cracking problem on the original design that was redesigned and we have had no problem since. This car continues to run strong and get over 30 mpg on his commute so you see that the name Hyundai doesn't necessarily mean.. :lemon:
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    My wife drives an 04 Sonata LX in powder pearl white. And other than the typical chips from the salt and cinders they use on our roads in the winter here in south-central PA, we have had no problems with the paint. I am really sorry to hear of your problems, but as has been mentioned, waiting to bring this up to your dealer until after your paint warranty expired was not your best choice. I would definitely try getting in touch with the higher-ups at Hyundai's corporate HQ and plead your case, but they would be within their rights to just re-affirm the decision already made. But you never know until you try.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I had no intention of "rubbing your nose" in anything and I'm sorry you feel that way. I just feel that it's too common for car owners (and I include myself here) to make a mistake in the upkeep of our cars, then expect the manufacturer to come to our rescue. I've seen that kind of thing all the time in Town Hall.

    I had a '01 Elantra (no paint issues, even on the door handles, after 7-1/2 years of ownership by me and now my sister) on which the clutch plate "broke" after about five years (a little over five years). I went into the dealer "expecting" Hyundai to cover it through the powertrain warranty. Turned out the clutch had been abused--often--by my son and my wife. The dealer looked for signs of a defect but could only see that it had been abused, so they said they couldn't report it as a warranty claim. Although I really hated paying that repair bill ($1300), I had to agree with them. Would I have loved it if Hyundai has said, "You know, even though the clutch was abused a lot, so technically the warranty doesn't cover it, we'll cover it or pay half or whatever because we value you as a customer." (I owned two Hyundais at the time.) Sure. But I can't fault them for not doing that.

    Have you had the paint repair on the door handles estimated? I would think it would be a fairly easy, spot-painting kind of repair. Might even be possible for a do-it-yourselfer who is pretty good with a spray paint can/gun; factory-matched paint for all cars is available on the Web for a nominal price.
  • neworder8neworder8 Member Posts: 3
    I just rolled over the 60,000 mile marker and it's time for a new timing belt (among other things). My Hyundai service tech quoted a price of around $450.00 for this. I looked up the part and it runs between $60-100. I've always had excellent service from my guys, but if I can get this done for less at a chain or small service place I'd like to. What have you folks experienced with this?

    Also, I'm planning on a transmission flush at the same time. The shifting is a bit rough these days, will the flush help. Just curious.

    Thanks in advance!
  • patrickjk2patrickjk2 Member Posts: 2
    neworder8,

    I have a 03 Sonata with a v6 and I just had my belt replaced for my 60k. I can't really afford to have a dealer work on my car every time i need something done. So I have a small shop I know and trust for work such as brakes, tires, oil etc. When I asked them about changing the timing belt, they recommended I take it to the dealer. However, they did say if it was a 4cyl they would have done it. But apparently the v6 timing belt job is a bit more complicated.
    I live in a fairly big city ( st. louis) so I had the benefit of getting quotes from 6 or 7 dealers: All of them quoted me above $500 except for two, both of which quoted the job at $370, and one of those two said it was a 'special'.
    I chose the dealer whose price was $370 and who did not mention it being a special price. They had their most experienced tech do the job and he did it in 2.5 hrs which from what I gather is not bad.
    Anyway, the way I see it, it's a big job and you really want to put your best foot forward for the work, so the dealer is worth the extra dough. Call other dealers though, if i got my v6 done for $370 you should be able to get your 4cyl done for that much or less at least.
    The dealer recommended I got my power steering, brake, and trans flushed. But I declined - I wanted to but I didnt have the money, plus it seemed to me like a job for my small shop guys where I could save. Really though, I'm just unsure of what a flush accomplishes? What really is a flush? Do they just swap the old fluid for new and call it a flush? Is there a machine involved? Does everyone use this machine? My sonata could shift better too, it's especially noticeable when the car is very cold - it waits too long to upshift when i accelerate. And so I have the same question - will flushing fix this? Can someone give a flush 101?
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I can give you a basic primer on why "flushing" various things automotive (automatic transmission, power steering pump, radiator ) is generally a good thing. As use and mileage accumulate on your car clutch packs which are friction materials...metal gears and the like wear. These minute particles of metal shavings, friction bits and pieces circulate in the transmission fluid (some are caught in the filter) therefore accelerating wear which generates MORE bits and pieces. Eventually the filter clogs and bypasses more of those bits than it catches. Additionally, the detergents and additives in the fluid are depleted over time and the transmission suffers in the end. The same scenario applies for the power steering pump but the radiator suffers the loss of anti-corrosion additives over time and therefore engine metal can corrode (many are aluminum these days). Additionally gasket meterial can circulate also. Depending on the mileage of your car and the condition of its transmission fluid a flush COULD make a difference in its operation assuming there isn't a mechanical problem. Yes, these days many shops use a machine (think of a total blood transfusion) that forces out the old fluid along with the fragments in it and replaces it with new clean fluid. This is much better than just opening a drain plug if the car has one, or dropping the transmission pan to drain it because it has been estimated that if it is done this way as much as 50% of the old dirty fluid remains in the torque converter and interior valve bodies etc. A new filter should be installed also. I hope this helps and if you can swing financially it flushes are a good thing
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    We had the timing belt changed at the dealer (twice) on our son's 2000 Elantra (180,000 miles) and we used service dept. specials (coupons) that greatly reduced the price of this service or added things like the transmission flush that should be done anyway. So, while the average corner garage CAN do this, many times they defer to the dealer because it can be (is) time consuming and sometimes complicated. As a general note to all: if you intend to change your timing belt it would be a good idea to change your water pump...belt idler pulleys and anything else exposed when the engine is partially disassembled, well not really disassembled but in most cases the AC compressor, power steering pump, alternator, serpentine belts and various other items need removed or temporarily relocated to access the timing belt. So, since the belt itself isn't that expensive (neither is the water pump) it is the labor that drives up the price for this service and since you are paying the labor once why hope your water pump will last because if it doesn't you pay all that labor again... maybe a week later.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Unless something has recently changed this is true. And my research indicates that if one were to use something else transmission problems in the form of improper operation would occur so it isn't just a matter Hyundai using a phony warning so that only their transmission fluid is used. This is only available at Hyundai dealers naturally but worth the effort to seek it out.
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    I'll add to this. A friend who has an 06 Sonata used Castrol Import Multi Vehicle fluid which meets or exceeds OEM fluid. His trans is shifting better than new. His 1st to 2nd lag is gone too. I am looking into this for my upcoming flush. ;)

    I might also add if this is the first change of fluid at 60K on the other poster a flush may not be right for you. If the fluid is black or smells funny a change rather than a flush may be in order.
  • patrickjk2patrickjk2 Member Posts: 2
    targettuning,

    thanks very much for your input. very helpful.
    Do these machines have a name? I don't want to sound like an idiot when I try and find out if the shop has one...I would assume a dealership would definitely have one?
    Also, which items to be flushed have filters? Is it just the trans that has a filter? Or do the power steering and brake fluid systems have filters? Radiator?
  • rdillierrdillier Member Posts: 71
    If I recall, Hyundai uses a propriatary transmission fluid (Made by Mitsubishi???) that most independent shops don't have. Another reason to use the dealer for that service, or at least buy the fluid & filter there. Bob D.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I don't know if a power type fluid change qualifies as a flush, it probably does, but I feel that even if the fluid is colorful (red) and not black or dark and doesn't smell burned a power flush/change is preferable to just dropping the pan or opening a drain plug because there is still a certain amount of "contaminated" fluid within the torque converter and it will never drain on its own. It just seems a waste of $$$ and effort if you cannot remove the maximum amount of "old" fluid when one decides to change it.
    As I said things may have changed concerning other manufacturers developing transmission fluid that is equal to or better than Hyundai's and maybe someone (Castrol)has but will Hyundai buy a warranty claim if theirs isn't used?? They seem pretty unyielding about what can and cannot be used at least in their service literature.
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    I read in my owners manual yesterday that as long as it is an approved fluid they are ok with it. We'll see. I will do a little more digging before I take the plunge.

    Our service dept uses the BG machine and I am told it removes 98% of the old fluid.
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    I pulled the trigger on the Castrol today. Called the local Hyundai parts guy and he said as long as it was an SPIII fluid I was ok. Had a heck of a time finding a parts store in town that could get/find the fluid for me. Had to have it ordered. Seems the local guys have converted to Valvoline fluids. Must be a good salesman calling on these places. I'll post results in a week or two, when I get the flush, about the "new" fluid and my trans performance. I'm looking forward to it. :D

    To the poster questioning filters,
    The only fluid filters you should worry about are oil, transmission and fuel. On our cars you can't get to the trans filter, as far as I know. A trans flush will scim the top of the filter and make it "somewhat" new again.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Beyond the generic "power flush" name I would imagine that they are called something like "super change 2000" (this is a fictional name so don't ask for it at your dealer) or some specific name by their manufacturer but I don't know what that might be. I think simply asking the service advisor whether or not they use a "power flush" type transmission fluid change machine should get the answer you desire..either they do or they don't but I suspect many/most dealers now use them.
  • macakavamacakava Member Posts: 775
    Like I have been doing for my Honda Odyssey, I will be changing the tranny oil on my 07 Sonata V6 Ltd in the same fashion every 20K miles. It has only 4500 miles at present.

    I simply drain the 3 - 4 qts from the transmission, refill it up, drive the car for a week, then drain again and refill it up. The second drain will serve to dilute and get most of the oil in the converter out. At 20K, the tranny oil is still very clean - so there is minimal risk of "junk" in there. Also I am making sure that I am using SP111 for the Hyundai and ATF-Z1 for the Honda, instead of some other cheaper substitute (like Dexron) that many garages are tempted to use to cut cost.

    I have heard that flushes can move around "junk" stuff in the tranny and cause it to operate erratically afterwards. I have been maintaining my cars for the past 4 decades and have never had tranny or engine problems due to lack of PM.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I won't try you convince you otherwise since you seem dedicated to this maintainence schedule and convinced that it has worked for you but changing (even partially) your transmission fluid at 20 K intervals is totally unecessary not to mention labor intensive and environmentally wasteful. In my experience transmission fluid will look clean and clear far into the middle to upper thousands of miles (60-80 K) and probably won't need a flush until around 100K assuming there is no internal physical problems. Think of the many new car drivers who never change their tranmission fluid during their ownership, trade it at 65,000 or so miles. A second owner may not change it either until well after 100,000 miles if then. Considering that most modern cars/vans/SUV's can easily do this without transmission failure your schedule seems obsesive to me. I guess if it makes you feel good go for it but it is wasteful in my opinion.
    The power flush does not merely move "junk" around but does indeed "flush" it out. That statement has been proven to be mostly untrue over time and experience. In fact before my first powerflush a couple of years ago I voiced that same concern and I was told that it was "non" concern with newer equipment. The only time this may be true is if the transmission is mechanically on its last legs with excessive clutch pack friction material and other debris floating around. If this were true then no flush will help it anyhow. I had my transmission power flushed and I have experienced no ill effects...the car has 201,211 miles currently.
  • macakavamacakava Member Posts: 775
    Your right.

    Engine oil/filter changes at 3months or 3K miles; tranny oil changes at 20K miles. Engine Oil and fliter cost about $6 for the Honda and $11 for the Sonata. ATF-Z1 and SP111 each cost under $6 /qt for a DIY job. It takes about 1/2hr to change each in our home garage with a 6-pack at my side and the stereo blasting. Cheap insurance.

    Those who don't change their fluids are significantly increasing their chances of failure, especially tranny at 100K miles - the oil must be like molasses quality/viscosity then.

    This PM worked for 4 decades with no failures. Yes I am an engineer & mechanically inclined and have been doing my own maintenance since the mid 60's. So you can imagine the $$$ saved over that time.

    I keep my cars at least 10 yrs. Last trade-in was a 13 yr old Conti for the 2007 Sonata. We have 4 cars in the cars now.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    I'm one of those people that gets the transmission fluid changed in an I4 Accord and V6 Odyssey approximately every 30K. I don't do it myself. I may try next time as I already get under them both to do my own oil and filter changes...

    I definitely notice improvement in shift quality. That's enough for me to keep doing it on that schedule.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Yes, although I personally think that a transmission fluid change every 30K miles is somewhat obsessive (unless you happen to drive a taxi in the city of New York) I was mostly replying to the proceedure performed by the poster who drains a portion of his transmission fluid (3-4 qts. by his estimate) every 20K miles refills it then drives the vehicle a couple of weeks. After driving the vehicle a short time drains off a few quarts more and refills it once again. I maintain this, while fulfilling a longtime habit with no transmission failure, is mostly unecessary, time consuming, and environmentally wasteful. I am also heavily into preventative maintaintance but early and frequent transmission fluid changes is something I don't do for better or worse. I tend to buy a lot of high mileage used cars for work and keep them beyond what most would consider prudent. I have had one partial and one complete transmission failure over 7 or 8 of these high mileage cars. One 1987 Taurus completely grenaded its transmission but it occurred at around 186,000 miles and more recently our 95 Stratus had a partial transmission failure despite several fluid changes. We are the second owners and bought it @ 95,000 miles. It also occurred at 186,000 miles and I made it home due to the "limp home" function. The fluid was red and smelled fine at that time. A cluster gear broke and I lost 3rd-4th gears. It simply wore out.
  • macakavamacakava Member Posts: 775
    Good PM practice!

    Tranny oil changes in the Honda are easy as the tranny has a drain plug similar to that in the engine oil pan. A 3/8" hex nut driver fits nicely into the tranny drain plug of my Ody. Simply drain the oil, measure the qty that flows out, and refill with ATF-Z1. I refill through the tranny dipstick (with a long tapered funnel) instead of the refill hole for convenience. Takes about 3.5qts. It is a piece of cake!

    Frequent oil changes are key to longevity - no failures in engines and trannies in my 40 years of car ownership are testament to it. I do not like to be inconvenienced and/or aggravated by a failure that I could have prevented.

    The Ody built to 12/2003 had recalls for past tranny problems (oil jet kit installed was the fix) - so that makes a more compelling case for frequent oil changes.
  • southhavenjensouthhavenjen Member Posts: 22
    I'm a new Sonata owner and I'm a bit peeved at the schedule for changing transmission fluid for "severe service". I live in Michigan so supposedly that's severe service with our low temps, salt use, etc.

    My booklet says 30,000 miles or 24 months, whichever comes first. I only put about 10,000 miles per year on a car, so if I follow the rules, I will be doing transmission fluid changes every 20,000 miles. That seems quite excessive to me. But I guess I really don't have a choice if I want to keep my warranty.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I would read that severe use definition again. Salt should have nothing to do with it. I think the type of driving ie. short trips(not warming up completely), a lot of dusty or gravel road driving etc. IMO, very few overall driving situations should throw one into the severe category.
  • southhavenjensouthhavenjen Member Posts: 22
    OK, here are the severe driving conditions on page 5-6 of my 2008 Sonata manual that apply to me with my short explanations:

    A. Repeatedly driving short distances of less than 5 miles in normal temperature or less than 10 miles in freezing temperature.

    (for 5-6 months out of the year we have freezing temps and most of my driving is under 10 miles per trip. Distance to work is 7 miles, I run to the store, etc.)

    C. Driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, graveled or salt-spread roads.

    (For 4-5 months out of the year we experience snow and have salt on the roads)
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Grew up in SW Mich so know of which you speak if that is the South Haven in your display name. Anyway, it's the short trips I was referring to that may throw you into that catergory. If 90% of all your trips are in that less then 5-10 category, then you probably do fall in the severe category. I guess getting the tranny fluid changed every two years is not out of the question. Depending on how long you keep the car, it's probably only a couple of extra changes during your ownership which doesn't sound so bad and maybe cheap insurance.
  • wanna_azzywanna_azzy Member Posts: 41
    Being retired and owning other vehicles, I only put on about 5000 miles per year. During the winter the car sits in the garage most of the time. I think it is foolish to change oil with less than 1000 miles just because 3 months have passed. That also means at 24 months, I will be expected to change trans fluid, probably with less than 15,000 miles. Am I to believe that if I have a failure when fluids have been changed at the proper mileage times, not the calendar times, that Hyundai will disallow warranty repairs if, for instance, the failure is at 20,000 miles and 4 years? Why would I be expected to change the oil when the car has not been driven, just because 90 days have gone by? This makes no environmental, economical, or common sense. :confuse:
  • southhavenjensouthhavenjen Member Posts: 22
    Yep, South Haven, MI it is! :) Howdy!

    Thanks for your thoughts. I definitely don't want to invalidate the warranty. We plan on keeping the car at least 10 years. I guess I will be getting that tranny fluid changed every 2 years.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I agree on the most part. However, the situation we were addressing related specifically to someone that uses the car everyday of the year basically and just about ALL trips were less than 5-10 miles and under salty, freezing conditions for a good portion of the year. In this case the severe schedule applies.

    Most new car manuals say, under normal driving conditions, you can go between 5,000/7500 miles and 4-6 months between oil changes. No new car manual that I know addresses the type of non-use you mention. I don't think changing the oil a couple of times a year hurts the environment that much and probably will do the car some good. How it would affect your warranty exactly I guess you'd have to ask Hyundai.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Hi back to you. If it makes you feel any better there was a poster over on mid-size cars that is swears that changing your tranny fluid every 20,000 is the best thing since sliced bread. I think that is way overkill.
  • rajibdrajibd Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have just bought a Hyundai Sonata 2001 from the first owner - It has ran for 71 K miles .
    I would appreciate advice and recomendations for the preventive maintenance so that I do not shell out much money for repair

    Thanks
    Rajib
  • zoomzoom13zoomzoom13 Member Posts: 2
    Timing belt change is due if it hasn't been done already. If you hear any noise going down the road, Front and rear wheel bearings are also something to check out. Other than the starter and a output transmission sensor, this has been a great car. 140,000 miles.
  • sonata01sonata01 Member Posts: 21
    to ZOOMZOOM13 - I have a 2001 Sonata with approx. 120,000 miles. I haven't changed my timing belt yet, but am seriously considering it before.....
    Also, I'm having trouble with trans shifting, which I think, from reading the forum, is related to the output trans sensor. I've heard that replacement of this sensor at a Hyundai dealer is really expensive; I would appreciate any suggestions.
    Thanks, Tom
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    If you haven't changed the timing belt in 120,000 miles, have you also skipped flushing the transmission fliud?
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    You should be doing more than just considering changing your timing belt at this point. You should be on your way to your mechanic/dealer as we speak. When that belt breaks there will be absolutely no warning....the car will simply shut off...there may be some mechanical engine noise as it destroys itself...you will coast to the side of the road...and you will have some quiet time to ponder repair costs as you wait for the "hook".
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I'm curious to see what Hyundai recommends/requires for scheduled maintenance on 4 cylinder models.
    Do they have a "maintenance minder" that adjusts to your driving habits (like Hondas) or is it on a hard mileage interval?

    I noticed someone posting that their manual stated that they are required to change the oil at 3,000 miles for schedule "B" and I find that surprising. Most modern cars nowadays have longer oil change interval requirements than that even on their most "severe" manufacturer's required schedule.

    I know many people like to change their oil every 3,000 miles because that's what they've always done and their ancestors have passed this down to them for generations and the dealer service departments and oil change shops also recommend this, but I haven't seen this frequent oil change schedule coming from the actual car manufactures lately.

    Is the complete maintenance schedule posted online anywhere (not just the oil changes)?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I found a web site that had the oil change interval and the Sonata seems to be one of the few new cars that still have maintenance requirements with oil changes as often as every 3000 miles.

    http://www.3000milemyth.org/

    That will be a hassle for anyone who drives high mileage. 4 times a year even if you only drive 12K miles a year. With a Honda Accord, the oil change requirements on the same site were listed as roughly 1 per per year.

    I'm still curious to see the full maintenance schedule so I can see if the rest of the required maintenance (transmission fluid/coolant changes, belt and hose changes, tune-ups etc. are also frequently required.

    The Sonata could be an expensive car to keep maintained over several years.
    The cost of this is not just the price of the actual oil changes, but the cost of the hassle and your time required for all the additional trips and waits for all these oil changes over the years you own the car.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You don't have to go that far away. :P

    Maintenance Schedules, Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins

    Also, some may be interested in this feature as well:

    True Cost to Own (TCO)
  • tomk17tomk17 Member Posts: 135
    My V6 LX seems to shift into 5th gear quickly and stay there a little longer than it should. Do I recall a TSB about shift pattern changes? I know most cars now are geared to get into 4th or 5th ASAP to improve mileage but I tend to get a slight shimmy when the car gets into 5th and the speed does not warrant it. Any advice appreciated.
  • hdsithdsit Member Posts: 58
    As far as i know - there is no TSB that take care of this - only one for 2 to 3 shift flare.
    Eventually se:
    hdsit, "Hyundai Sonata Transmission Questions" #19, 4 Jan 2008 11:47 pm!keywords=
    or this:
    http://www.hyundai-forums.com/t21620-45mph-vibrations-and-torque-converter.htm
    As far as i can read from your post - it seems similar to my complaints with this model.
    Have talked to a technician from Hyundai in Denmark, who for the time being is testing the 09-model, before it goes public here in Denmark.
    He says the problem is NOT soleved in the 2009 model - too bad - i really have hopes so...
    Think i'm going to test it for my self in the next week.
  • azeradaveazeradave Member Posts: 42
    I have a 2007 Sonata V6. The emergency brake became stuck this morning. I cannot release the lever from the upright position. It is cold outside, but no water is in the area. Any suggestions? Thanks. :confuse:
  • lightfootfllightfootfl Member Posts: 442
    My 2006 LX changes into 5th at about 40mph and kicks out at about 35... personally because I am on basically flat area, in NW Florida, I would have preferred it to go into 5th at about 35.... but.... that's life... I haven't had any problems with its operation however, but am very interested in whatever you find out.
    van
  • jlindhjlindh Member Posts: 282
    You may be on the right track. When you say there is no water in the area, what area do you mean? Could there be frozen slush in the area if the parking brake lever on the rear drum? The parking brake works on a small drum which is part of the rear rotor, I believe.
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    I trust "old" style intervals of 3000 miles. If you do it yourself the cost is minimal. I would not trust an "indicator" telling me how much life is left in my oil. I've done 5000 intervals and had to pay for that. I'd rather go with what I trust. :)

    If you are curious about the maintenance recommendations you should refer to your owners manual. ;)
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I don't have the car or owners manual and I do not want to wait until after purchasing to find out these things.

    Different cars models require different amounts of maintenance.
    3,000 mile intervals is way overkill and is a waste of time, money and oil for the cars that don't require that schedule.
    I think that the Sonata might be one the car models that do require more maintenance than average and I will weigh that extra cost and inconvenience when comparing it to other cars.
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    According to Hyundai's owner's web page, the recommended oil change interval is every 7500 miles/6 months unless it falls into one of the below categories:

    A - Repeated short distance driving
    B - Extensive idling
    C - Driving in dusty, rough roads
    D - Driving in areas using salt or other corrosive materials or in very cold weather
    E - Driving in sandy areas
    F - More than 50% Driving in heavy city traffic during hot weather above 90oF (32oC)
    G - Driving in mountainous areas
    H - Driving as a patrol car, taxi, or other commercial use
    I - Driving over 100 MPH (170 KM/H)

    We own two Hyundais and I get the oil changed every 5K to 7.5K miles and we live in south-central PA. Our driving patterns and environment would seem to dictate we should follow the severe schedule but when I asked our dealer's service manager said we would be OK with the schedule we use. YMMV. ;)
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I would want the dealers OK for that maint schedule in writing. I would say that at times nearly every driver in the country could fall into the severe schedule by that criteria. Anybody living in the northern states during the the winter would fall into this. Anybody living in a major city or in mountain areas. It would be nice if it said the MAJORITY of driving in one of the catergories but apparently it doesn't. For a lot of people afraid of voiding their warranty a dealers "oh, you should be ok" doesn't really hack it.
    I know this might sound a little anal but over on the Mazda6 board there was someone who had their oil changed at a jiffy oil change place and kept the receipts. He was denied warranty engine repair because the reciepts didn't have the vehicle VIN printed on them. Who does that?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    The dealer does not set the schedule. The manufacturer does. The dealers very often recommend extra services not required by the manufacturer.
    If you are going to ask anyone, you should ask Hyundai to clarify what "repeated" and "extensive" means.

    It does say "More than 50%" of your driving in heavy traffic while temps are over 90 degrees.

    I don't do any of the things on the list regularly and many of those things never.
    There was probably something more to the Mazda5 story. Most work orders will at least have the license plate number and mileage. It may have been a 3rd party extended warranty company that was just making up excuses to deny claims. They would have to put that in their contract to enforce it. The person posting may have also just been lying about the whole incident.

    You can also send an oil sample to be analyzed at 3,000 miles to see how much longer you would be able to go based to your actual driving.

    http://www.blackstone-labs.com/gas_engines.html
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