Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

2008 Hyundai Elantra

1246711

Comments

  • inkycatinkycat Member Posts: 9
    Follow up... Another call to the dealer, and they won't come down off of sticker! They want $17,900 OTD, including the $1500 off, for an Elantra SE automatic. Said thanks but no thanks. Guess I'll wait for the 2009 model this fall...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    It is hard to take, this new world in which an Elantra is considered a Rare and Desirable car, isn't it? :sick:

    For many years, I and others have benefitted from low prices on Elantras because not many people realized what a good car they are. Now the word is out, thanks to CR et. al., plus anything that gets good FE is in high demand. Plus the reports on the safety value of ESC and the fact that the Elantra SE is the only car in its class that offers it standard isn't helping availability.

    My local dealer had one new Elantra of any kind as of this weekend. So I thnk you are right that it might be necessary to wait until the '09s are in good supply to get a good deal, unless there's some dealer somewhere with lots of '08s. GLSes are more plentiful so deals are still to be had on those, e.g. Towne's standard Internet offer of $1500 off invoice before rebates.
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    Here in Roseville N. Ca. The dealer has 98 2008 Elantras on his lot. A few days it was 123 I think, so they are selling fast. Still any word on the 2009 sedan??
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I haven't seen anything official. I guess CA (aka Japanese Car Country) is the place to go for Elantras!
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    They have tons of Elantras, but they usually have 96 GLS and 2 SEs.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    it depends on what's included on the OTD price. if your taxes are $1500+, then maybe that's a good deal; if taxes are $500, maybe not that good.

    i think it's easier to compare prices before TTL, but just make sure there are no extra "fees" included like delivery, admin, etc.

    my before TTL for a 2008 SE AT with cargo net, wheel locks, and floor mats was $14,700. tey tried to add $150 for admin costs or something like that, but i said if they add that, no deal.

    people are right about SEs being a rare find. obviously, some dealers have them, but they are going fast- especially with the July CR article. in the chicago suburbs (where i am), i only found 4 or 5 SEs out of 8 or 9 dealers- that was 2 weeks ago. i'm sure most are gone now.

    may be worth it to wait for the 2009s; however, i wonder how flexible they'll be with pricing.

    good luck and let us know what you decide.
    eric
  • inkycatinkycat Member Posts: 9
    So the guy calls back last night while I'm at work. Says he pestered his boss on his day off, while he's got his kids with him, blah blah blah (cue violins). They'll come down $500 on the sticker. Woo.

    As of now, they're offering $16,100 +TTL + $189 "documentation fee." As if the guy who works in finance isn't on the payroll, and only gets paid when poor schlubs like me pay the fee. So $16,289 for the car, basically. He says he has two left; they're the only ones within hundreds of miles of Kansas City as far as I can tell. The dealers on the Kansas side said they couldn't buy one if they wanted to.

    Anyway, I told him if we can do less than $17,400 out the door, we have a deal. We'll see what other BS he comes up with this afternoon after he "runs the numbers."
  • nareknarek Member Posts: 37
    I just picked up my Carbon Gray '08 Elantra SE from Fitzgerald in Clearwater FL this week. With sunroof + leather package, rear spoiler and carpet mats it was $17,135 plus TTL and transport. I started my search about a month ago. I could not find ANY SE's with leather in Central Florida. I contacted every dealer I could and none could find any in the state at all. (I know they tried because they knew I would walk if they couldn't find one) I found mine on Fitzmall's website at their Maryland store and had it shipped to the Clearwater FL store for $350 where I picked it up.

    That same car (same set up, in another color) is on Fitzmall's site now for $360 more than what I paid. I'm sure that's due to demand for the Elantra SE going up and supply of '08 SE's being low. The April and July issues of Consumer Reports is helping to drive demand. Considering that, you may not get a much better deal than you have on the table right now, assuming you can even find another SE. The dealers don't need to give these cars away right now and they know it. If you walk, someone else will buy it.

    I also pondered waiting on the '09's, but in the end I decided that not knowing what the price of the 09's would be, what if any rebates might apply or if demand would continue to drive up OTD prices, it was worth the $350 I paid to have my '08 shipped to FL and buy now rather than later. Only time will tell if I made the right decision. For now I'm convinced it was right.

    I LOVE my car. :)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Congrats on the new Elantra! That is exactly the color/model I am eyeing, although I don't need the moonroof or leather (wouldn't mind the roof though) and I would get the AT (you didn't say whether yours is a stick or AT). Black or grey interior?

    Prices on Elantras especially the SE are creeping up, but that should help resale and also consider that a Civic EX without leather goes for over $20k + T&L these days, plus you got ESC and heated leather seats on the Elantra. :)
  • nareknarek Member Posts: 37
    Yep, it's an AT. Forgot to mention that part. Gray interior. Black in Florida is killer in the summer! Ouch!

    I didn't need the leather either originally. I had a GLS with cloth interior for a weekend a few weeks ago and was unimpressed with the cloth seats. The fabric just seemed a little too "thin" and not sturdy enough to hold up. That, and it seemed to pick up dirt really easily. After that I decided to go with leather.

    When I started car shopping I thought was going to get an '09 Sonata. After looking at and test driving the Elantra, I found it suitable for my needs, and with better gas mileage than the Sonata. Since it also costs less I could afford to get more options. It's too hot here now to enjoy the sunroof, but the Florida winters are perfect for it. :)

    My husband is impressed with all the options and the warranty for the price. I've been nice and let him drive it a few times. ;)
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    that's a tough call on $16100+TTL+doc fee. i would think they could come down more; however, they don't need to sell you the car since the SEs are a hard find and i'm sure someone else will pick it up. that's what my dealer told me when i was haggling. even though i think i didn't let him see me feel this way; however, i think he's right. there just aren't many SEs left. usually this is a good time to buy a new car (when the newer year is coming out), but not as much with this car- they are in higher demand even over the past few weeks.

    not sure how much bs this is or not, but when i went into the dealer where i bought my car, they said they arae told now to not go below $500 or $600 under sticker. he said since he already quoted me something, he'll honor that price. could be bs, but i've seen more and more dealers do this.

    even though i feel i got a good deal on my SE, i still hoped for more (doesn't everyone?). maybe they can throw in the extended bump-to-bump for $200 or $300. they usually ask for about $1000 for it. or maybe you can get 10 free oil changes or something like that? doesn't hurt to ask.

    oh yeah- for sure at least have them take the $189 off for the doc fee. that's a bunch of crap. mine was $150 and i asked what it was for and he said, "to pay the girls upstairs for everything they do." i told him i don't want to pay it and they're response was, "by law in il we have to charge it. every dealer will, blah blah blah..." then i said still have the $150 on the books, but take it off the main price. how frustrating. with more haggling and bringing the "sales manager" over (funny how they have 3 or 4 sales managers in a dealer like that) they finally lowered the price. i still wish i would have asked for something more though. i guess i'm always like that now.

    good luck with your decision. whatever you do, if you buy the car (for whatever price), don't keep on thinking about what a better deal you could have gotten. learn from it and move on.

    later.
    eric
  • mike91326mike91326 Member Posts: 251
    You can thank CR. :P I was at my dealer this Saturday for an oil change and they did not have a single SE. The sales manager told me that they sell almost as fast as they come off the truck. He did have a number of GLS's and he told me he would give me a good price on a GLS. Since I have a 07 SE, I said no thanks.
  • pgudurupguduru Member Posts: 4
    I agree. They are in demand and the dealers are asking for more as more people walking for a couple of SEs in stock.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    wow. glad i got mine when i did (june 2)- sounds like it was right before the less flexibility on prices.

    i'm traveling on business now and haven't driven my new car for over 2 weeks now- looking forward to heading home.

    i now looked at all the dealers inventory online in the chicagoland area and only a couple SEs left- that's out of 6 or 6 big dealers, too.

    side note: wonder how the 2009s will sell. i'm sure well if the price is about the same; however, thinking they may move it up since demand is so high.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Maybe, but they will probably also shift production to much more SEs for 2009 if they have GLSs sitting unsold while people hold out for SEs.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    makes sense about focusing on the SE a bit more. i still can't believe how many GLSs are at some dealers and no SEs at all. i guess that tells me hyundai did things right with the option on the SE. every car i've looked at seemed to have options i wasn't interested in when you look at various packages- with the elantra, it was perfect for me- steering wheel controls, alloy rims, all the safety features, xm- perfect!

    i sometimes think about if i would be interested in the 2009 version- especially the touring, but i don't know. obviously i don't want any buyer's remorse- especially since i think i got a good deal. i just have to think hyundai will increase their price. or if they don't do that, the dealers won't go down as much- especially if they know the SEs are going to sell.

    time will tell.

    later.
    eric
  • marlenelinmarlenelin Member Posts: 87
    I'm in NJ and just last week purchased a 2008 SE with spoiler, door moldings, and mats, out the door for $16,000. Marlene
  • marlenelinmarlenelin Member Posts: 87
    I noticed that my 2008 Elantra SE does not make a sound when someone is in a seat without a seat belt on. Does the SE not have that feature, or is something wrong with my vehicle? Thanks Marlene
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    congrats! sounds like a pretty good deal- depending of course how much the taxes are in NJ of course. good to hear you got door moldings- i didn't know that was an option.

    regarding the indicator if someone is in the passenger seat without a seat belt on, i haven't noticed it and i know my wife was in the seat without the seat belt since she was tending to our little guy in the back. interesting. maybe someone else can test theirs to see if it's supposed to. i'm away on business right now or i would.

    enjoy the car- it's fun!
    eric
  • minksjdminksjd Member Posts: 1
    You have a valid concern about your Elantra!!! I purchased my 2008 Elantra 2 months ago. The fuel pump has been replaced after only 5 weeks and now I have found out that the water pump is going bad and has to be replaced. I know things can go wrong even on a new car but this is getting ridiculous.
    One of the worst things about Hyundai is that they don't have a rental car program for cars being repaired. Not only am I having to take off work to have the repairs done, I also have to wait around until they are completed. Also, do not believe that Hyundais Roadside Assistance Program is good. They will pick up your car and take it and you to the nearest dealer, but after that you are on your own. It is your responsibility to find your own way home. You purchase a new car so you don't have to go through these repairs.
    As my husband keeps repeating "We should have bought a Toyota."
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Some dealers do offer free service loaners. If you have other dealers in your area you might check to see if any of them do that. In my area some do, some don't. The one I frequent for my Elantra gives me a lift home if my car has to be there for more than something really quick.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    my dealer offers loaners as well. makes life convenient. even though i haven't needed my car serviced yet. i hope they aren't just blowing smoke. we'll see eventually.

    too bad there are multiple issues with your new car. that's just unfortunate. hindsight is always 20/20; however, many people haven't had issues with their hyundais (i know this doesn't make your situation any better). just think, you could have bought a toyota and also had issues- you will never know so don't beat yourself up over it. i'm sure someone is over on a toyota forum saying they should have bought a different car. unfortunately its luck of the draw sometimes- now the next step is how well you're treated during the repair process.

    good luck!
    ez
  • dovid2dovid2 Member Posts: 90
    Sorry about the problems with your Elantra.

    My wife and I have had Elantras since 2000, an '00 and two '04's, and while there were a few warranty issues, over 178,000 miles total I have only paid for one unscheduled repair. When we got the '00, I thought it would never outlive the loan, but we gave it to my stepdaughter at 80,000 and it continues to run.

    As for loaners, my dealer does have them, and once I got a brand new XG350 with four miles on the odometer!
  • gburgrunrgburgrunr Member Posts: 5
    I recently purchased a 2008 model and have already had it towed twice because of an issue with it. What happens is that when I am going up slight inclines, the car starts to have a problem accelerating/shifting into the next gear to do so. All the lights on the dashboard, EPS, oil check engine all turn on and then I have to stop because the car will not work. The dealer told me the first time there was a fuel injector "misfire" that caused the computer to malfunction. They reset it and told me problem solved. Now it is in the shop again for the same situation that took place on I-95. Anyone else have any problems like this with their car? :mad:
  • gomst1gomst1 Member Posts: 58
    I have a customer experience this symptom on a Mazda MPV not Elantra. After climbing an incline the vehicle stalls. Problem was a defective MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor. This is basically altitude info for the vehicles computer. It affects fuel delivery to the engine.
  • big_mike1big_mike1 Member Posts: 4
    We're looking to downsize from our '98 Expedition into something more fuel efficient and smaller. The Expedition has been great (173,000 mostly trouble free miles) so the only American car I'd consider would be a Ford.

    That being said, I think we're lookng at the Ford Focus and Elantra. I'd like to keep it under $15k out the door, but with the minimum options we require (auto trans, Sync and Sirius in the Focus, ABS), I think our goal is $16k. Still much less than either a Corolla or Civic, and a bigger, better equipped vehicle than the Fit/Versa/Yaris, without a huge reduction in mileage..

    The car will be driven 15-18k/year for at least the next two years, but may go to college with my daughter in two years. We'll have to see, but safety and reliability are up there with price as concerns.

    Did anyone evaluate these two cars when buying their Elantra? I'm a little concerned about availability, as both are selling real well right now since they're a great valuecompared to the Toyotas and Hondas
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Many years ago the Focus was one of the best cars in its class, although it had several problems when first introduced. But IMO the current Focus is no longer competitive with the best in class. The handling has been softened for 2008; before, the Focus had a real good balance of ride and handling. I don't like the interior at all; to me it seems cheap. I prefer the back seat of the Elantra. A key thing for me is that the Elantra (SE) comes with ESC, which is not even available on the Focus until the 2009 models.

    One thing to consider is that since you are down-sizing from an SUV, you might find a wagon to fit your needs better. It would also come in real handy at college. The Elantra Touring wagon is coming this fall, and is equipped similarly to the SE sedan, including standard ESC, but also has a USB port that the Elantra sedan lacks today. Hard to tell if it will be available for $15k OTD, at least right away. It might be a very popular car. Under $16k OTD should be doable though.

    If safety is a concern, then if I were you I'd look for something with ESC, like the Elantra SE or Touring, or wait for the 2009 Focus that is supposed to have it as an option.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    it was between the focus and elantra for me. what did it for me was the SE and the options included on the elantra- everything i wanted was included. the focus would have been more expensive with all of the options. my 08 SE now has 1200 miles on it (had it since 6/2) and i love it. we just got back from a small roadtrip (400 miles round trip) and it was great- even with my 6'2 brother in law sitting in back next to a car seat. he needed to sit behind my wife since i'm 6'4 and he wouldn't have too much room behind me- still impressive though.

    i was thinking about waiting for the 09s since i didn't need a car now, but i didn't have any idea about the 09 prices. also, the hyundai's warranty appealed to me a lot!

    i think you are right on with being concerned about the availability- especially the elantras. the ford dealer by me has a lot of focuses but all the hyundai dealers only have a few GLSs left for the elantra.

    take them both for a nice test drive and see what you think. for me, it was a lot about buying the more inexpensive car with the options i wanted- that was the SE for me.

    good luck and enjoy!
    ez
  • hyundaiowner1hyundaiowner1 Member Posts: 1
    I'm going through the same experience with my 2008 Elantra. My car started sputtering half way to work and could only go about 10 miles an hour. Roadside Assistance towed my car for free to the dealer. Come to find out the fuel pump needs to be replaced. I bought the car 6 weeks ago and it now has about 3,000 miles on it. The gentleman that I dealt with in the service dept told me that this has happened on a few of new Elantra's already. He was concerned because he just purchased one himself and it has 500 miles on it. He said he is afraid that he is going to run into the same issue. They were kind enough to give me a brand new Sonata with 400 miles on it as a loaner.
  • chico7chico7 Member Posts: 3
    Our Elantra fuel pump went bad in less than two weeks. My wife just took our brand new Elantra on a road trip from Washington to SanFrancisco and had to be towed to the Hyundai dealer in Chico when the car sputtered and stopped on the freeway. This looks like a problem worthy of a recall!
  • jack_djack_d Member Posts: 6
    Two weeks ago, I purchased an SE with manual transmission, and from the first day driving it, the car has trouble downshifting from 3rd to 2nd gear. 60% of the time, it will not go into second at all, even trying until the car coasts to a stop (not very safe); 20%, it is a kludge to get it in; and 20% of the time it is fine. This makes the car pretty unsafe to drive, particularly on city streets and making turns.

    After two days with the car, I took it to the dealer to have the problem serviced. They now tell me (ten days later) that the replacement part it needs (some sort of fitting, I can't remember the name), is on backorder from Korea, and will not arrive until August 10 (one month from now). In other words, the new car will be undriveable for the first 45 days of ownership, which strikes me as pretty incredible.

    My understanding of the lemon law in our state (NC) is that if the car cannot be repaired for 15 business days, it can be refunded. But before I wash my hands of this car, which I otherwise like, I would like to hear if there other experiences with repairs that mitigate this, or if there is another way I should proceed.

    Do repairs commonly wait for weeks for parts?

    Does anyone have a contact for a Hyundai Regional Service Manager, especially for the southeast?

    I thought I would try a Hyundai given all of the good reviews, but this is preposterous. Even my old Saab didn't have these kinds of problems.

    JD

    http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/- emotorcons/emo_sick.gif
  • chico7chico7 Member Posts: 3
    My wife is stuck in Chico (probably for two days) with the same problem. The car has just over 1000 miles on it and sputtered, stopped, started, sputtered until she pulled off the road and had it towed to the dealer. They don't have any fuel pumps in stock in Chico so she had to check into a hotel until one arrives from Sacramento. We live in Washington so this is a serious hardship.
    Hyundai should recall every 2008 Elantra and fix the problem before anyone else gets stranded.
  • marlenelinmarlenelin Member Posts: 87
    Do you know where I could purchase seat covers for my new Elantra 2008 SE? I tried three different sets from Pep Boys and none of them worked. Also, emailed some internet sites, but was told they don't carry them for the Elantra. I have an 18 year old swimmer/artist/slob who will be taking the car to college eventually, and want to keep the light gray seats clean. Thanks Marlene
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    Try this company

    Cover King
  • mkepanthermkepanther Member Posts: 4
    I bought my new 2008 Hyundai Elantra 48 hours ago. After having my car for 24 hours, my car also "misfired" and died in the middle of an intersection. I was making a left turn out of a parking lot into the street going about 5 miles an hour when my car lost all power, the warning lights came on, and the car died right there. I put it in park and started it again (thank goodness there weren't any cars coming down the road otherwise I could have been hit!). I got home, called Hyundai road side service and was irritated to hear that I'd have to wait until the morning to have it towed to the dealership. If the car was stuck in the middle of the road, I would have had to use a different towing service and charge my credit card for the tow! Instead, my husband drove the car to the nearest dealer (I drove my trusty Camry to the dealer). The dealer assured me they'd look at my brand-new Elantra first thing in the morning (by the time we waited on the Roadside assistance then drove to the service department, it was 9PM and the dealer was closing). They said to expect a call at 8AM (Day 2 of owning my new Elantra).

    Day 2 of owning my Elantra: I waited for the call from the dealer and didn't hear anything by 9:30 AM. I called the dealer and spoke with the Service Manager. He was quite a donkey if you get my drift. He told me that I'd "have to wait until the other cars ahead of me are looked at first. Your car won't be looked at until the at least the afternoon". He didn't care that I had bought my car hardly even 2 days ago. It didn't seem to phase him. I then called the dealer that I bought the car from (40 minutes away). The sales manager of the car dealership I bought the car from said I was "overdramatizing" the situation. The sales manager didn't believe anything I was saying...he treated me like he didn't believe ANYTHING I was telling him (about the car dying in the middle of the intersection, that there was a "wait list" for service at the other dealership, that my car wouldn't be looked at until the afternoon...basically the sales manager told me point blank that he would call the other dealership and verify that I was telling the truth!) The dealer I bought the car from then VERIFIED that I was telling him the truth that the repair dealership placed me at the bottom of the list. The sales manager then called me back about 10 minutes later and apologized (he sounded like someone was FORCING him to apologize to me. He was really eating crow!).

    By the end of day 2, I find out that my car had "misfired" and they waited to hear from the Hyundai tech line. Hyundai tech people said to run "numerous tests" on the car. They are keeping the car until at least the end of DAY 3 of owning my new car. They said if they can't replicate the problem and if the tests don't show anything else wrong, that they'll release the car back to me. That's nice! I really hope my car konks out in the middle of an intersection...hopefully with traffic coming at me! (I'm being sarcastic).

    Now it is the end of day 2 and I won't have an answer to my car's problem until the end of tomorrow. What a great way to start out my new car ownership. I have had a cruddy 1999 Chevy Lumina (the starter died at 12 months and was replaced, 18 months and was replaced, and at 24 months. I traded in the Lumina at this point since Chevy wouldn't do anything about the problem and I kept getting stranded when the starter died). Then my next new car was a Jeep Cherokee (2001) that was in the shop for MAJOR repairs 5 different times between month 24 - 36 of ownership. I've had my 2004 Toyota Camry for 4 years and 87K miles so far without ANY problems. Now my Elantra is spending DAY 2 and 3 in the shop for a dangerous issue (car dying in the middle of the intersection). What a mistake. I almost bought a Corolla and am now really regretting my decision, especially since both dealerships (the one I bought the Elantra from and the one that is "repairing" it) are full of jerk-wads. I feel like I'm living through the same problems I had with the Lumina and the Cherokee. I should have stuck with Toyota. :mad: :(:cry:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Did you ask about a free loaner, since they can't tell you how long your car will be out of service?
  • chico7chico7 Member Posts: 3
    I wold like to know what the dealer eventually does to fix your car. My guess is that it is a problem with the fuel pump. From reading posts from owners off new 2008 Elantras, it appears that the fuel pumps often fail after 100 miles or less.
    Can't Hyundai identify all of their cars shipped with these defective parts (fuel pumps) and notify the owners of these cars that they need to have the part replaced?
  • ycr1ycr1 Member Posts: 18
    Those of you that are having problems with your Elantra, do you have an SE or GLS or is the problem occurring on both models? My daugher is seriously considering purchasing an Elantra GLS and I'm concerned about what I'm reading here regarding problems. Thanks.
  • mareanmarean Member Posts: 2
    YCR1,
    My wife and I own two 2008 Elantra GLSs. One now has 37,000 miles and the other has nearly 10,000 miles. We have had no issues yet with either. One minor thing did occur with the airbag light; however, that was just taken care of in about 5 minutes at the dealership...

    I think that they're great cars and have everything that we need!
  • mkepanthermkepanther Member Posts: 4
    I own a GLS, and my car has spent day 2, 3, 4 of my ownership at the dealer getting repaired. Due to the weekend, the earliest I would get my car back is day 6 or 7 of ownership...if they even figure out what is wrong with the car. The dealer that I brought it to for repairs said there was a "misfire code" that appeared when they hooked up the car to the computer. However, after running numerous tests and driving it for several miles (Hyundai tech line told the dealer to do these tests), they could not replicate the problem. They still don't know what needs to be fixed on the car to resolve the "misfire" issue.

    Today (Saturday, day 4 of ownership), the dealer I purchased it from had a car porter drive to the Hyundai dealership where my new Elantra is getting repaired. They drove the car 45 minutes back to the their shop (the dealer where I purchased the car) to do their own investigating. After speaking with the Hyundai customer complaint center, I was promised that if the original dealer I bought the car from can not find the source of the problem and repair it, then the next step would be to replace the car with a different new Elantra. We'll see what happens. I am afraid they will simply turn this malfunctioning Elantra back over to me and the "misfire" will happen again in a more dangerous situation.

    As a response to the individual who asked if they offered a loaner car from the dealer who was originally "repairing" my vehicle...yes, they did offer a loaner car. HOWEVER...I would have had to leave work early in order to get to the dealer in time. I had already left work early to buy the car on Tuesday night. I could not leave work early again on Friday to get a loaner car. The dealer goes through a local car rental place that I've never heard of before. I would have to get to the dealer before 5PM in order to have the rental place pick me up from there, then fill out paperwork for the free rental. It would have been a total inconvenience to me on top of this fiasco I'm already dealing with. I turned down their offer for the "free loaner" as it made no sense to risk my job to take advantage of their poor offer of a loaner car. Normally, dealers have loaner cars on their lots. You simply sign a short agreement that you'll bring back the car with a full gas tank, and that you won't do X,Y,Z with their loaner car. You are on your way in minutes. That wasn't the case at this place! Luckily I still have my 2004 Toyota Camry (my trusty car that has never caused me any issues). Thank goodness I didn't trade it in when I bought the Elantra, otherwise I would have been in trouble without a reliable car to use. I'm not going to ask for a loaner from the repair dealer or the dealer I bought it from, seeing as I am completely upset, irritated and outraged at this whole disaster. I only had my new car for 24 hours and now it's been in the shop the rest of the week. I don't want to talk with these dealers any more than I have to!

    Yes...I do realize that sometimes things go wrong with cars. However, a brand-new car that is only 24 hours old should never completely die in the middle of an intersection after making a left-hand turn. And to have a brand new car spend the entire first week of ownership in the shop is unacceptable. If this car was 2 or 3 years old (or older)...I could understand. But 24 hours old??!?!?!? Come on! :mad:
  • wobbly_earswobbly_ears Member Posts: 160
    Sorry to hear about your troubles with your car. Whether it is new or old, such sudden shutdowns are extremely dangerous & I certainly see why you would be very upset. I would be extremely upset if it happened to me.

    Reading around this forum, I see that many 2008 Elantra owners seem to be facing a fuel pump failure in their new cars.

    I urge you & all other owners who have faced such issues in their new cars to file a complaint with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration- a Government entity, like FDA or FAA). The process can be done online & is very user friendly. Once you log a complaint, depending on the severity & the number of complaints, NHTSA has legal authority to force a carmaker to issue a TSB.

    The place to file online complaint is
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

    By doing so, not only would you be be helping your case, you would be helping other owners & future owners not face the same problems. Also, it helps the Car manufacturer as well since they get data as well to avoid future issues. Please do your responsible part.

    Btw, the car I currently drive is a 2007 Hyundai Azera & absolutely love it. This is my 3rd Hyundai/Kia product & I have to say that I have never faced any major issues with any of them. I do believe that they are very well designed & have equal or better quality than Toyota or Honda in recent years.

    But please, if you have faced some catastrophic issues such as being discussed in the last few days, file a complaint with NHTSA & do your duty.
  • mpg3mpg3 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I am really sorry to hear of your experience. I had a similar experience with my Ford Explorer Ltd. I had to pay $50 each time they tried to figure out what was wrong. They do have a rental place on site so yes, that does make a big difference. I have driven my Explorer since 2002 and put about 140,000 miles on it so far. It's still going strong with its V8 BUT at $85 fill ups, I needed an alternative. :D

    I can say that I have known people who have driven Hyundai's for years and have heard nothing but good, seriously. I recently purchased an Elantra and we are really pleased with our purchase. :)

    I have not done the comparison, but I will say this, during all my research of safety of cars, no car could compare with the Hyundai for safety, warranty, price, etc.

    Around here, the Toyota Yaris and Corolla's are all the rage, but looking at them safety wise, I would not spend my money on either.

    As a side note, I researched the heck out of cars looking for one that had higher MPG 26 and low cost, but had high safety. In my travels, I encountered many crazy salespeople, seriously, but I did encounter many professionals. They are out there, but there is always going to be that 10% and in car salesman, I found it to be about a 20% rule. :(

    From what I understand, and I could be sooo very wrong, when the car is going through it's "breaking in" time frame, many things can happen.

    I can see how it may not be replicated. Also, I had problems with the Explorer and it was simply as I was not "giving it full gas" as in pressing down fully so it cut off. I don't recall how they fixed it though, sorry. I want to say that it also had something to do with the battery or EGR but I don't remember as it has been quite awhile since I've had to have repairs.

    I say all that to say this, these things happen sometimes in life and it is up to us how we react, we can be bitter or better. I really do hope it all works out for you.

    Take care and I hope they solve this for you. :D:)
  • kravonkravon Member Posts: 30
    Too much negative here. I just traded a 2001 Elantra for a 2008 that I gleefully put 115k miles on. Other than routine maintenance, the only thing that went bad was a control module?, if thats what its called. Hyundai is selling more cars now than they ever have in their history, so chances are there will be more reports of issues, but I wouldnt hesitate for a minute in considering purchasing the vehicle.
  • gomst1gomst1 Member Posts: 58
    I wonder how many miles is your Elantra? I am asking this because the PDI (predelivery inspection) may have not been done properly on your vehicle. On some vehicles, it may need to be driven a certain number of miles in order for the KAM (keep alive memory) to learn the idle profile of the vehicle such as when you turn on the loads on the vehicle i.e. a/c, lights & turning the steering wheel. If idle profile is not learned yet, vehicle could stall anytime when certain loads is applied to the engine. I work for a Japanese car dealer so I do not know the requirements for the Elantra but I am just giving you a heads-up so that you don't get upset if they just return your vehicle after extensive driving and the car has learned the idle profile. Good luck.
  • schukanuosladyschukanuoslady Member Posts: 118
    Please, please do go to this website that was posted earlier.
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

    I did and we already had an email from an investigator.

    My husband's 20008 Elantra stopped on the highway in NJ and he was in the left hand lane. All the cars went around him for a few minutes and then someone not paying attention saw him disabled at the last minute and when they swerved to avoid him they were rear-ended by an SUV and thrown into the cab of an 18 wheeler. My husband could have been killed. This was on July 2, 2008. He and I both bought 2008 Elantra GLS PZEV engines the same day in the first week of June. This being that I lost my Toyota Tacoma due to rust problems and when Toyota bought it back from me I needed a new vehicle and I liked the Elantra and when my husband saw the good deal I got he bought one too. He only drives 1 roundtrip a week to Newark NJ from where we live in NY state. He owns his own 18 Wheeler and keeps it in NJ. So he was on his 2nd trip to NJ with less than 350 miles on the Elantra when this happened.

    I now have 459 miles on mine and I am afraid every day what is going to happen.

    My husband's Elantra was towed to Jersey City, NJ. When they found out it was the fuel pump Hyundai paid Roadside Assisstance to tow our car back 80 miles to our dealership. There was a complaint filed and they followed up telling us there are defective fuel pumps in the cars and our dealer told us they had no way of getting a fuel pump before July 17 if they were lucky. Then when I told the service manager what Hyundai told us on Sat, all of a sudden this Monday morning my husband's car was ready. But it contradicted the fact that there was no fuel pump available. I think they took one out of the cars they are selling because if you look in your warranty book it states the first 90 days of use, if your car sits in the dealer for 21 days for a problem then the dealer has to give you a new car. I pointed that out to the service manager on Sat too and Monday the car was fixed all of a sudden.

    Anyone who is having a fuel pump prolbem please go and fill out the form to the link supplied. My husband could have been killed and thank god he wasn't.

    And Hyundai has admitted that over in Korea they are re-designing the fuel pump for the Elantras and all the ones sitting at the dealerships get the new fuel pumps first before letters start going out that you need to bring your vehicle in for service.

    This is an accident waiting to happen. And our service manager told us the pumps are going anywheres from 5 miles to 1,500 miles. And to boot Hyundai knows the fuel pumps are no good and they said point blank that they have to wait for a shipment to come over from Korea with the correct fuel pumps.
  • schukanuosladyschukanuoslady Member Posts: 118
    please read my post I just posted with what happened to us
  • schukanuosladyschukanuoslady Member Posts: 118
    Read your owner's warranty and see my post about what happened to us with the fuel pump. The warranty states that if your car is out of service for 21 days the first 90 days you own it the dealer HAS TO GIVE you a new car. After 90 days of owning it, it has to be out of service 30 days before they HAVE to give you a new car. And it has nothing to do with the lemon law. The lemon law does not count in this issue. If what you are saying is true, make sure you tell the service dept. manager where your car is you know they have to give you a new car if it is not fixed before 21 days. I have a contact number but was already told by the forum managers telephone numbers are not allowed to be put here. Call your dealer and tell them you want the main number for Hyundai and tell them you need to check out something. I cannot give you the number because of the policy on the board. But all you have to do is get that number and call and hit the button for recalls and tell them what is wrong and they will switch you to the correct dept as they will tell you there is no recall and all you have to do is say what you posted here and you will see how fast you get thru to someone. Make sure you have your VIN# ready to give them. And then also make sure the service manager knows you know if your car is not fixed in 21 days they have to give you a new one. And read my post I put up and see what happened to us.
  • wobbly_earswobbly_ears Member Posts: 160
    Wow! Just thank your stars that nothing happened to your husband!

    I again urge ALL of you who have had fuel pumps fail in their new Elantras to report to NHTSA. You owe it to your friends here & everywhere who have bought an Elantra so that something like this doesn't happen to them. PLEASE!

    Whether Hyundai knows about it or whether they are designing a solution or just stonewalling is unimportant at this time. If there's good statistical data, NHTSA can force a manufacturer to take remedial measures IMMEDIATELY. If this is a somewhat common occurence, then Hyundai should stop selling new Elantras until the solution has been found/rectified & also to immediately inform the owners so that nothing dangerous happens. Trust me, 99% owners would appreciate it greatly if the manufacturer is proactive w.r.t. custoemr safety. (I know I would)

    Friends, a fuel pump failing is a very serious & dangerous matter. It isn't some dash trim or Audio system not working. It is a basic safety issue. Go ahead & be proactive & complain to NHTSA.

    And before anyone accuses me of having an anti-Hyudai bias; read all my posts. I have a 2007 Azera & I absolutely love it!! This is my 3rd Hyundai/Kia product. I want this issue with Elantra resolved as we may be buying an Elantra for my wife later this year.
  • schukanuosladyschukanuoslady Member Posts: 118
    Thanks for reading and giving the great encouragement to others to report this. I filed my report online over the weekend and did get an email today.

    I filed as an electrical problem and other both. And then explained what the other was. My husband talked on the phone to the investigator too. He told my husband all complaints should come to him and yes my husband was very lucky.

    I just hope Hyundai does take care of the problem. And the dealers are giving loaner cars too, but they don't supply one of their cars from what we were told.

    They are using Enterprise. So you won't be without a car while waiting for the fuel pump to get fixed, you will just wait for your car to be fixed.

    I love my Elantra GLS. I am not knocking them. This is my first Hyundai, and the last car I owned was a Chevy Corsica LT which they no longer even make. And then the Toyota Tacoma. This Elantra by far surpasses both vehicles. I don't want a different kind of car.

    Fix the darn pump as I love the mileage I get on it and the comfort and roominess in it. I went from a Toyota Tacoma to this car after my Toyota Tacoma was bought back from me due to safety reasons. And when I found this forum on Toyotas, it was a yr after the reports were being filed. I wish I had found this car forum a lot sooner.
  • wobbly_earswobbly_ears Member Posts: 160
    I'm really glad that you are following it up with NHTSA & Hyundai. Hopefully this matter would be resolved sooner & effectively and no one has to undergo what you & others on this forum have undergone with their fuel pumps failing.

    I have been on these forums a long long time & this is the FIRST time I have heard anything seriously wrong with Hyundais (notwithstanding silly/minor issues like dash trim or low mileage). Compared to other manufacturer's like Toyota (engine sludge) and Honda (VCM issues), most of the issues with Hyundais since 2000-2001 have been quite minor (comparitively).

    I'm an engineer by training & I'm very impressed by Hyundai's attention to details & pure common sense in designing their cars & components. Hence I'm kinda surprised that a critical component like a fuel pump has either bad quality control or bad design.

    A reason why I'm encouraging people to be proactive is that sometimes heightened consumer complaint would force a manufacturer to allocate more resources/money to expedite a solution to a problem to avoid bad press.

    All I can say at this time is that it is quite unfortunate that you & others have to deal with this dangerous nonsense. However, as a somewhat longtime Hyundai customer, I can say that their cars are as good as anyone elses's (yes, even including Honda & Toyota).

    Good luck & keep us posted on how this matter proceeds...
Sign In or Register to comment.