Brand new less than a year old 2020 Hyundai Accent SEL with IVT. Was driving and BAM, transmission failed completely. Sadly I was 400 miles from home.

With my dead car, I got it into the nearest Dealership, while I stayed at a hotel nearby waiting for them to give me a verdict. After two days in the hotel, they said Hyundai had authorized a replacement transmission, but they'd have to give me a loaner car (which is NOT the car I want) for the two week period it took them to get the transmission in and do the replacement. So I took the loaner car and drove the 400 miles home, knowing I'd have to go back to retrieve my car.

A week passes by and the day I expected to go back and pick up my car, the dealership called and said due to widespread transmission issues, the transmission is backordered, and it'll be 1-2 MONTHS before the backorder is cleared and they get my transmission in. Obviously this is not good, and unacceptable.

So I'm supposed to go 2 months in a loaner car that I didn't want, spend 2x in gas what my car would get, keep paying for my payment and insurance and radio, not have access to my belongings in my car, have to drive 400 miles 4 times, and I'm supposed to be ok with that?

This is not the first issue I've had with my year old car. In March, the car was shutting down on start up and they found that the cabling that connects the battery to the car has a manufacturing flaw that the road vibration causes it to slip off. This caused the issue and when I took it in they all scratched their heads and couldn't figure it out and jury rigged a solution to get it to stay on.

What gives, Hyundai? I'm apprehensive about buying another Hyundai after all these issues.

 

Could you supply a little more info,
How many miles are on the vehicle?
What maintenance was performed on your vehicle and by whom?
These questions may help explain some things, although we don't know for sure.
Sometimes a phone call everyday to the servicing agency helps speed up things.
Polite persistence does do some amazing things.
Service managers don't need addl phone calls to answer painful questions, and having been one , we do what we can to remove unneeded calls and get the customer on their way. .You will probably be on a first name basis and believe it or not, bella, it matters and helps more than you think.

 

Believe me, having worked in customer-facing positions in the past, I try as best I can to stay factual and understand that the people I interface with are just the person standing in front of me doing their best to represent the brand. With that said, they do represent the brand, and sometimes their role is to be there to listen to customers vent. I have not yet vented. :-)

I absolutely understand cars are like computers, air conditioners, and other mechanical products which fail. Mine failed at a point extremely unusual (or else Hyundai wouldn't be in business LOL)

The vehicle has 37500 miles. The services have 100% done per the manual and factory schedule. It's never been to anywhere but the dealership in which I bought the vehicle for its services until this incident with the transmission. Sadly the vehicle is 400 miles from the dealership, so couldn't really put it in my suitcase and bring it back home to my home dealership.

The individual in the Service department where it's sitting (and will be sitting for some time) has done everything he can to accommodate a crappy situation. He was told by the warehouse they get their dealer parts from that they'd be able to get the transmission, but he was given bad information. It frustrates me that it took a week to get to that point of realizing there wouldn't be a transmission until 1-2 months later (at least that's now what I'm told). I'll call and check in on it today.

I guess what frustrates me, is when a car is a year old, and two major components have failed, at which point does the Hyundai USA step in and get involved from the perspective of compensation. When you buy a brand new car, you expect the components to last for the bumper to bumper at minimum. While replacement parts are the norm, you don't expect a car to need a new engine or new transmission within that new-car period. Once you have non-factory environments where entire overhauls are being done (the engine and transmission are the two components where I believe it becomes an overhaul), the car's "new car" value is diminished. I'm not taking a dig at anyone who doesn't work inside a Hyundai Factory Assembly Line, I'm just saying once you replace a major component inside any product outside a clean factory environment, there IS some level of reduction in value (be it actual or perceived) that occurs. That's where I'm at now.

Believe me, the Service Advisor\Manager and even Dealership Manager and I are on a first name basis at this point. I definitely have not been a pain in the butt, internet forums were designed to take the frustrations out which used to be pointed at a customer service rep. :-)

 

Have you had an opportunity to stop by your dealer where you purchased your vehicle and always had it serviced ?
Dealership to Dealership communication can sometimes be quite beneficial. I would take every opportunity to keep your local dealership SERVICE AND DEALERSHIP MANAGER IN THE LOOP and hopefully they can pull some strings on your behalf.

As you know dealership owners/managers are in business to sell vehicles and unhappy customers are not what they want.

 

Yeah. I agree. I've opened a case with Hyundai Consumer Affairs so they can assist in bringing everyone involved into the loop. I worked with them ten years ago on a car I had and they're really good about looping everyone into a case so everyone can work together to a resolution. I definitely don't hold my sales Dealership responsible. As they say sh#% happens. LOL. I don't have a different opinion of Hyundai than I did before. I think they are a brand with outstanding quality and reputation, and they tend to stand behind the product. I'm on my 5th or so Hyundai and never had major problems. Like any mechanical and technological device, fails happen. Hopefully Consumer Relations can assist me with resolving my current vehicle situation.. likely will trade it after it comes out of the shop anyhow. Kinda want to go back to Elantra or go to a Kona.

 

You are one of the few that understands how to get things done.
I believe if you give that call every day you will DRIVE the point home and they will most likely do what they can to accommodate you.
Please , if you would, kinda keep us informed on how you make out with this, thanks.

 

Screaming at someone who only exists to assist does no good. I'll keep ya posted. I should know more in the next couple weeks. With the vehicle shortage, I think I'll at least wait to get my car back before making a major trade\sale decision. Biggest ear is mid\end of June they call and say it'll be weeks\months longer. More to come...

 

Service advisor called today. They warehouse is telling the dealership they'll have a replacement transmission for my car in the ware house on June 18, then it'll take 3-4 days to get it to the dealership, then 3-4 days to install in my car. So realistically looking at July 1 in a best case.

Wondering if a transmission (obviously a major car service) tends to solve problems or create more. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of keeping or selling the car at this point once I have it back.

 

If you like the car and are happy with it otherwise, it's so sweet of you to give this vehicle to someone else now that you went thru all the trouble to get the bugs out,

 

Is a transmission something that once replace, one generally doesn't have issues? I've heard both sides. I've never had a car long enough to need a transmission (who'd have known a 2020 with less than 40k miles would be my first lol). Is a transmission the sort of thing that tends to spread to other problems, or does it tend to be a one and done replacement\repair? Sorry if it's a stupid question, my car knowledge is very limited as to how major components work together.