Hey everyone, I wanted to find out if anyone else is experiencing any of the issues I am having.

After leasing my 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited (with Nav) in late August of 2010 I have had numerous issues with the vehicle.

Within the first week of having the Hyundai I noticed three things. First, the fuel door would not open without repeatedly pressing the button to release it. Second, if I searched for a name in the contacts the the car displayed symbols and numbers (boxes, underscores, etc.). Third, the voice activation for calling over Bluetooth didn’t work as advertised (as shown in manual and online). In order to make a call I have to 1) Say “call name” 2) wait for prompt 3) Say the name, but last name then first name, i.e. “Smith, John” 4) wait for prompt 5) Say “yes.” All the documentation I have seen says I should be able to just say “Call John Smith.”

In the weeks that followed other issues began popping up. The driver window would get stuck down. When connecting my iPhone to play music (use it as an iPod) it would freeze after 30 or so seconds of playing. Buttons would sometimes just not work until the car was turned off and then back on. Everyday I was dealing (and still deal) with some issue. I began taking videos as the issues occurred to document them.

Recently another issue has me fairly concerned. My wife pointed it out first, but after she mentioned it I realized it has pretty much been there all along. The car has a gas/exhaust odor which when idling (i.e. stopped at a red light) gets very strong. So much so that it gives my wife headaches if she rides in the car.

Here is a video compilation of some of the issues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ceAyjkSwM

Thanks,
Jim

 

Much too long;
way too much unnecessary detail (Toyotas, Hondas, expecting new baby, blah, blah).
Seriously, dude, make your main points in the first couple of sentences or the reader just looses interest. You're not blogging or writing your diary, are you?

But where you really lost me was your claim that the main reason for choosing this car was so that you could just say "call John Smith" instead of first saying "call Name" and THEN giving the contact's name.
I mean ... come-on !!!

If these "issues" distract you from spending all possible time with your new son, you need to re-prioritize.

"Tons of Bugs" you called your post? bit of an exaggeration I'd say; more like a few minor annoyances that certainly wouldn't cause "... patience wearing thin ..." for most people.

Mountain out of a molehill, Jim.

Mountain out of a molehill, Jim.

 

I simply wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing any of the issues stated. I will edit the post to only include the issues at hand, this was the letter to the dealership (thought that was clear).

One of the options I was looking for in a car was an easy way to dial out. I travel quite a bit locally and try to be efficient in making work calls while in between appointments. When something doesn't work as expected, especially something you relied on working a certain way, it is frustrating. This car is not inexpensive. If the lights in your house flickered sometimes or randomly worked, wouldn't you call the electric company and complain? Even if it was only once or twice a day?

Your comment on this issues distracting me from my son is ridiculous. The only thing I stated was that if dangerous levels of carbon monoxide or gasoline fumes are entering the cabin, I will not drive a child around in it. If they are high levels, I shouldn't even be in it! AGAIN, wanted to see if others had these issues.

I'm finding it hard to believe that you see my post as, from what I can gather, a hyperbolic reaction to a few little things that I should just be quiet about. Again, as my post started out - " I wanted to find out if anyone else is experiencing any of the issues I am." Do you own a Sonata?

-jim

 

First, Jim, I agree with your second post. Frankly, I would recommend simply ignoring Bigmutt.

As to your original post, I purchased a 2011 Sonata Limited with Nav Package in mid December. So far, I have had none of the issues you have mentioned except the "Call Name" problem. I find that extremely annoying as well, but I don't think it's unique to us or the Sonata. I purchased an Elantra Limited in December as well with the same Nav Package (hated the seats, so I upgraded to the Sonata), and it works the same annoying way. It could be a code change or possibly a bug in all Nav systems within a certain date of manufacturing.

I also have other issues with the Nav system, which you and others may find of value to be aware of.

(1) Though I don't get the symbols, the Nav system does not recognize or display all downloaded contacts correctly. For instance, I have 8 family members with the same last name. If I do nothing but say the last name, 3 of the 8 family members come up. I've tried different takes on this ideology and get similar results, regardless of how simple or complex the name is.

(2) The options in Route selection don't seem to work well. I have third party Nav systems and a new 2011 Toyota Sienna Nav system to compare against. When I select the option to use or limit use of Highways and Tolls, ALL other Nav systems behave as expected. The Sonata Nav system does not. Different routes now have been very frustrating and I've resorted to using my iPhone Maps because it works better (which is a pathetic thing to have to say when comparing to a "professional" Nav system). It's almost like they've used older technology because the Sonata Nav behaves like third party Nav systems used to in many respects.

All in all, I don't like the Nav system and I don't like a couple of the Bluetooth options. But, the touch display and everything else that comes with purchasing the Nav package (how it affects the radio, rear view camera and other items people don't normally associate with a Nav package) was worth the extra cost in my opinion.

I hope that is helpful.

 

Good for you Jim. You have the right to submit any associated topic here that you wish. The purpose of a forum is to exchange ideas from others who may be experiencing similar problems. If some readers are bored with your post that's their problem, not yours. Perhaps they're juist not getting enough sleep. As for me, I would expect the Bluetooth features on a $30K automobile to work as advertised. I would also expect the gas cap cover to open, the trunk lid to fully open, the lights to illuminate the road and the steering to track in a straight line. But maybe I'm just fickle.

 

First, I would like to say, before you purchase a big ticket item, one should test out all the features on the product before buying it, to see if it meets your expectations. That includes climate control, navigation systems, bluetooth connectivity, ect. Would you buy a car without driving it first? For example, my aunt traded in her '08 Highlander for a '11 Highlander. She hates where Toyota moved the navigation buttons, and a few other quirks with the revised dash, but she was aware of that before she bought it, and decided she could live with the few glitches. I will admit, I've found a number of typos in my Accent's owners manual, and some instructions are rather vague, probably due to being translated into 5 or more different languages. I don't even have navi, or power windows for that matter.

About your concern about exhaust entering the cabin: you say you can smell it when your stopped, such as at a traffic light. Keep in mind that fresh air enters the cabin via a vent opening under the windshield, in the cowl. If there's a vehicle in front of you at the light, the fumes from that vehicle can enter via the fresh air intake, esp during the cold winter months, when engines are cold they run more rich fuel mixtures. If you can smell exhaust when there isn't another vehicle in front of you, have the dealer check the exhaust system for leaks. I'm sorry your having all these issues, that is why I would never buy the first model year of a major redesign.