01-01-0001:
One report of early failure of 4-speed automatic transmission. Mileage 25,080 over 11 months, mostly motorway. Failed 800 miles after 25,000 service (done at 24,300 approx). Not used for towing or for heavy loads. Normally only driver with a few light tools and equipment. Car purchased Nov 2007. Symptoms: Heavy judder and power loss in D (4th at the time, speed 50, gentle acceleration attempt up a slight incline). Pulled over immediately, found car would drive normally in 1, 2, 3 settings. No reverse gear. In reverse the transmission seemed locked solid. Engine would only rev to 2000 rpm. Park OK. Neutral OK. Car with dealer December 2008.
15-02-2011:
Problems reported with electronic throttle, ISG system, ESP and of folding key shafts crumbling and breaking.
31-07-2011:
Folding key failures becoming increasingly common
14-12-2011:
Complaint about vibration from 1.6CRDI diesel engine at around 2,200rpm. Possibly engine mountings. Possibly an imbalance somewhere. Possibly DMF.
06-01-2012:
Report of PAS failing and ESP light coming on in 2010 i30 1.4 Comfort. Dealer replaced wiring loom, but it happened again. Radio also losing presets.
13-07-2012:
September 2011 model i30 SW bought in February 2012. Laquer on roof rails had to be reapplied. Rubber peeled off gear stick and steering wheel, fixed under warranty. For the last 4 weeks had a problem with the revs not going past 3,000 rpm and car running juddery. Dealers deceided needs new EGR valve at 15,500 miles.
01-11-2012:
Complaints of interior mirror dropping off 3x and also clutch failure on 1.4i, but this may simply have been due to the fact the engine is so quiet it is difficult to instinctively feel the revs at which to engage the clutch.
07-03-2013:
Reader had a surprising series of problems with a pre-DPF 2010 i30 1.6CRDI: " After just 500 miles when starting car, there was more white smoke than the red arrows, took 10 dealer visits to sort, which was the glow plugs (obviously). Since then car has had the following work: peeling steering wheel replaced, 2 more glow plugs, rattling interior mirror, new speedo head and recently 4 corroded alloys replaced." Same reader's family had another i30, this 2010 60 reg 1.6CRDI, with DPF. This needed replacement steering column, three wiper arms, windscreen washer pump, interior mirror and waiting for replacements for 4 corroded alloys.
30-03-2013:
A few cases of the electric power steering motor on the column locking solid, thought to be due to miscommunication between steering angle sensor and the microchip in the column itself. Requires a new steering column.
03-06-2013:
Seems to be an acknowledged clutch problem that Hyundai has put a 3 year, 9,000 mile limit on for repeat replacements. This may simply be from drivers failing to hear the unusually quiet petrol engines before engageing the clutches.
27-08-2013:
On a 35k mile 2007/57 2.0CRDI auto, a torque converter drive plate fixing bolt came off, dropping into casting and locking the drivetrain.
08-10-2013:
Report of manual gearbox bearing failure on a 2009 i30.
27-10-2013:
Report of failed instrument display being replaced under warranty on 2010 i30 1.6CRDI.
07-11-2013:
Report of 2008 1.6CRDI being driven at 50-60mph sometimes slipping into limp home mode, maximum speed 40mph. (Suggested trying Shell V-Power.)
18-11-2013:
Valve based TPMS system fitted to Hyundai i30s is prone to failure through corrosion. Once out of warranty, Hyundai dealers want £235 per valve to replace them, but KwikFit will do the job for £100 per valve.
30-11-2013:
Another TPMS valve failure, this on a 2007. Hyundai dealer quoted a more friendly £128.00 plus labour and VAT.
24-04-2014:
31k miles 2011 Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI reported as suffering DPF 'hiccoughs' soon after start up.
07-09-2015:
Failed a/c condenser reported on out of warranty Hyundai i30 (age of car not mentioned).
01-02-2016:
Electric power steering seized up on 2009 Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI. Driver's manual suggested vigorously wiggling the steering wheel to free off the problem, which worked temporarily. Hyundai dealers warned not to drive the car and quoted significant amounts of money to fix it. Hyundai refused to supply the parts to a local garage because it is investigating the root cause of the problem. Supplied a courtesy car in the meantime.
18-02-2016:
Glowplugs of 2010 Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI failed at 57k miles and were replaced by the dealer under warranty. 10 months and 5,000 miles later, they appeared to fail again. It appears that one or more may have snapped when the originals were removed, so dealer was quoting up to £1,500 in case one of the glowplugs snapped again. Advised to check all other reasons for glowplugs not lighting up before commissioning this work.
16-03-2016:
Report of catastrophic failure of timing chain of 2010 Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI at 13,650 miles, probably due to oil contamination as a result of the low mileage use of the car.
21-04-2016:
Trouble reported with 2008 Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI. Fuel tank sender pump replaced. Then needed crankshaft sensor replaced. Then fuel gauge failed, probably because tank sensor was damaged when the sender pump was replaced.
19-05-2016:
Doorlocks of 2011 Hyundai i30 not opening to the fob first thing in the morning. Suspect moisture ingress to the driver's door lock servo.
15-03-2017:
Report of turbo pipe blowing on 2008 Hyundai 2.0CRDI. Quoted £200 to fix.
21-06-2017:
Report of various things going wrong on 2008 Hyundai i30 2.0CRDI: over the last 2 yrs the fuel pump failed, then the turbo and now the air con condenser at approx £250 to replace.
30-08-2018:
Report of 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission of 2010 Hyundai i30 failing at 84,000 miles.
06-02-2019:
Report of EPS and ABS warning lights come on in a 2009 Hyundai i30 Premium 1.6 Petrol at speeds over 45mph. They are extinguished after a shutdown and restart, staying off at low speeds. May be the ATE Teves Mk60 brake pressure sensor problem recommended a word with http://www.ecutesting.com
March 2007
Hyundai i30 launched
Goes on sale in the UK in September 2007. Designed specifically for the European C-segment, the i30 came with a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines, combined with manual or automatic transmission. Early models were initially available as a 5-door hatchback and later as an estate car.
Design touches include projection headlamps, a USB port for connecting portable music players, a smart folding key system for convenient access to the vehicle, a built-in roof rack for maximum cargo-carrying utility and repeater lamps built into the side view mirror housings.
FWD 1.6-litre DOHC Gamma inline 4-cylinder petrol or 1.6-litre CRDi with Variable Geometry Turbo. 4-speed automatic available with 115PS 1.6 diesel. 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel all quiet, smooth chain cam engines. Good car. 1.4 petrol particularly impressive. 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.
September 2007
UK prices announced
i30 1.4 petrol Comfort 5-dr £10,995
i30 1.4 petrol Style 5-dr £12,545
i30 1.6 petrol Comfort 5-dr £12,295
i30 1.6 petrol Comfort 5-dr auto £13,295
i30 1.6 petrol Style 5-dr £13,295
i30 1.6 petrol Premium 5-dr £14,895
i30 1.6 petrol Premium 5-dr auto £15,895
i30 1.6 CRDI Comfort 5-dr £12,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Comfort 5-dr auto £13,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Style 5-dr £13,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Premium 5-dr £15,595
i30 1.6 CRDI Premium 5-dr auto £16,595
i30 2.0 CRDI Premium 5-dr £14,995
i30 2.0 CRDI Premium 5-dr auto £16,595
October 2007
Hyundai i30 90PS 1.6 diesel announced. The ‘green’ i30 also features a diesel particulate filter to remove ‘soot’ from the exhaust gases. Unlike some rivals, the i30’s design means there has been no need to resort to skinny tyres, expensive stop-start systems, long gearing or lowered suspension to achieve the low CO2 figure. This ensures that the i30’s road holding, drivability, ride and equipment levels are unaffected. The new model remains affordable too, with prices starting below £13,000 despite an equipment list that includes ESP, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard on all versions.
July 2008
SE based on 1.4 Comfort announced priced at £11,845. Unusually, has a factory-fitted electric sunroof, while 16-inch alloy wheels and electric folding door mirrors with side repeater indicators. As with all i30s, the SE is also equipped with ESP, air conditioning, four electric windows, integrated steering wheel audio controls, six airbags, trip computer, iPod/USB integration and active headrests.
There is also the reassurance of Hyundai’s famous Five Year, Unlimited Mileage Warranty. Three eye-catching new colours - Crystal White, Ember Red and Indigo Blue. Efficient and frugal 1.4-litre, 107bhp petrol engine which returns 46.3 mpg and produces just 145g/km of CO2 – making it one of the lowest emitting petrol-powered C-segment vehicles available. Just 700 of the i30 SEs will be available, priced at £11,845, with mica paint costing an additional £390.
August 2008
i-Blue i30, revealed at British Motor Show, with 1.6-litre CRDi engine emitting under 120g/km and prices starting at £13,155.
The i30’s advanced engine design means there has been no need to resort to measures such as skinny tyres, expensive stop-start systems or lowered suspension to achieve the low CO2 figure. All that was needed to achieve the 6g/km drop over the existing model was a minor change to the gear ratios. As the revisions are so minor, the i30’s acclaimed roadholding, drivability, ride and equipment levels are unaffected.
VED Group B so £35 2008/09; £30 2009/10. Company car tax band for diesels producing less than 120g/km has dropped from 18 to 13 percent, saving higher rate tax payers hundreds every year. Equipment list that includes ESP, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard on all versions. As with all new Hyundai models, the i30 is also covered by a five year, unlimited mileage warranty.
February 2009
i30 Blue introduced
Demonstrating the company’s commitment to lowering vehicle CO2 emissions and reducing costs for consumers, Hyundai is bringing ISG (Idle Stop and Go) technology to one of its production cars for the first time. Ideal for city driving, the i30 blue will automatically switch the car’s engine off when stationary. The ISG system uses an advanced starter motor connected to the ECU, which monitors the car’s status at all times.
Applied to Hyundai’s 1.6-litre petrol engine this technology reduces fuel consumption by 7 per cent on the official combined cycle, while achieving a lower CO2 rating of 142g/km, compared to 152g/km on the regular i30 1.6. Available in UK showrooms by the autumn, the i30 blue will come in both five-door hatchback and estate body styles and with a choice of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. Other i30 engine derivatives will progressively be offered with ISG technology, followed by more models in the Hyundai range.
Reworked Hyundai i30 1.6 U2 diesel engine with stop/start and Bosch regenerative battery management system now up to 127PS and 260Nm torque, but, more importantly, down to 119g/km and 62.78mpg, and EU5.
December 2009
2010 model year upgrades announced A new model in the range – named Classic – will be the new entry level i30, available with the popular 1.4-litre petrol engine and a new 1.6-litre CRDi diesel with 90PS. Both have an impressive specification including ESP, air conditioning and electric front windows. The Classic 1.4 costs £12,000 (at the new higher 17.5 per cent VAT rate) while the Classic 1.6 CRDi costs £12,950, reducing the price of the cheapest i30 diesel by £1140.
The new Comfort model costs just £700 more than the Classic and adds electric rear windows, steering wheel audio controls and – new for 2010 – a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear knob plus 16-inch alloy wheels. The Comfort is expected to be the biggest seller in the i30 range and is available with 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 115PS 1.6-litre diesel. Both 1.6-litre engines are also available with an automatic gearbox.
The price of the range-topping Premium has been realigned, making it up to £1200 cheaper than its predecessor. Now available from £14,750, the Premium package still features a high specification such as 17-inch alloy wheels, reversing sensors and climate control. The full leather upholstery of the 2009 model year car is replaced by half leather trim, although full leather is still a £650 option – which still makes a 2010 Premium with full leather over £500 cheaper than before.
These prices mean obvious savings for private buyers – the i30 1.6 petrol Comfort is a massive £4670 cheaper than the entry-level 1.6 Ford Focus. But company car drivers will also find they can save hundreds in tax by choosing an i30 over rival hatchbacks thanks to lower list prices and emissions levels.
For those wanting even bigger savings, Intelligent Stop & Go technology (ISG) has also been introduced as a £200 option on all i30 models with manual transmission for the first time, giving improvements in fuel economy of up to 10 percent on the hatchback and 14 per cent on the Estate.
Adding ISG drops CO2 emissions of the new Classic 1.6 CRDi 90PS from 115 to 110 g/km, allowing businesses to write down 100 percent of their capital write-down allowance in the first year. For drivers wanting more carrying capacity, the CO2 emissions of the Comfort 1.6 CRDi 115PS Estate shrink from 124 to 119 g/km, saving customers £85 per year in road tax and dropping company car drivers from 18 per cent to 13 per cent benefit-in-kind.
March 2010
Facelift i30 announced
Redesigned radiator grille and air intakes bring the i30 in line with Hyundai’s new-style corporate identity, epitomised by the hexagonal frontal form. A reshaped, lower bumper and more angular fog light recesses continue the visual enhancement around the front end. The redesigned chrome garnish housing the Hyundai logo completes the more dynamic new look. The refresh carries on into the flanks, where extended side skirts and rear bumper add a sense of strength to the car’s contemporary profile.
To complete the upgrade, the new i30 comes with Hyundai’s ‘Triple5’ package, including an enhanced five-year warranty with five year’s roadside recovery. The i30 blue uses the U2 1.6-litre engine, which produces 90PS at 4.000 rpm, while generating 240 Nm of torque. CO2 emissions of just 98g/km and 99 g/km for the hatchback and estate models, respectively, will save customers tax and fuel. Production commences in 2011 at the Nosovice plant in Czech.
March 2015
Report from reader that rear brake discs and pads and front pads of Hyundai i30 1.4 lasted 80,000 miles before needing replacement. Original front discs still good.