2.2 CRDi Premium (7 seat) 5dr 4 X 4

Practical if not a write-off after engine failure

In June my 2010 year Hyundai Santa Fe was on a French autoroute, just 9 months outside the 5 year warranty. I had been stranded the previous year with a failed fuel pump, and I did have to have some drive shafts replaced as well during the warranty, but otherwise the car had been OK. The car had been regularly serviced at a Hyundai main dealer, with market value (by an insurance assessor) of £9400. We filled up at a garage, with all OK, but about 25 minutes later, without any warning seen or heard, it slows, and smoke and steam pours out of the bonnet. Catastrophic engine failure. Guess what the quoted new engine replacement cost is? £15,700 from Hyundai main dealer, and even that was not a guaranteed cost, I was told it could be more! New parts alone likely £14,000 – apparently Hyundai parts very expensive. No kidding! Obviously rang Hyundai to see what their view on this was. They said the maximum they might contribute was £2-3000 to a new replacement engine if it could be proved there was a manufacturing fault. I said that would still make the car economically unrepairable. Hyundai asked their engineers to check the car, but they said that damage was such that it would not be possible to determine the cause: might be coolant system catastrophic failure and then engine, or head gasket then engine or other sequence or cause. Therefore, because Hyundai's own mechanics cannot determine the cause, their position is that as the car is outside warranty it is not their problem. New, this is now a £34000+ car. So, to all of you thinking of buying a Hyundai: as soon as that warranty is over, your car at any moment may be almost worthless, as mine is. I may try to get a reconditioned engine, but that would still probably cost close to the value of the car. After being stranded with a group of Scouts, then stranded at the Euros in France inside a year, with a sc*** value car, I will probably just cut my losses. I have learned my lesson and as soon as possible I will have nothing to do with Hyundai again. If you are buying or keeping a Hyundai outside the warranty, then a serious fault may make your car effectively a write off and you won't get any redress from Hyundai. If you buy inside the warranty, ask yourself bearing in mind the above, what may the car be worth at the end of the warranty. Be warned!

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