Hyundai tends to score average or better in most independent studies, even with some engine issues they’ve had. This suggests that most Hyundai owners find their cars to be reliable.
The few who experienced engine problems might make it seem worse than it really is.
@Mary
That’s what I found too. I added a disclaimer because I received some negative comments on my post the day I bought the car. Some people told me to enjoy it until I needed a new engine in six months or that I wasted my money. I don’t respond to such comments anymore. I feel sorry for those who go on this forum just to leave negative remarks. It’s just sad.
@SonataSavvyOwner
For your question about auto-locking doors, it looks like there’s no way to do that when you walk away.
Does yours have HDA or just lane keeping assist? I found HDA to be reliable on highways that have been mapped. LKA can vary based on how well the lines are painted.
@Mary
I checked and it does have HDA. I wasn’t sure what that was before. I’m also reading that it’s meant for highways and not for winding roads, which explains why it turns on and off. Thanks for your input!
@SonataSavvyOwner
Highway driving assist is an extra feature beyond lane keeping assist. It works best on mapped highways, making it more accurate. It doesn’t rely solely on the camera to keep the car between the lines, so it won’t nag you as much unless the car is unsure. However, it won’t work on unmarked country roads. You should see an HDA icon on your dashboard near the cruise control when it’s active.
@Mary
Don’t they usually rely on expected reliability in those extended studies instead of actual years on the road?
I wouldn’t say the group that won a major class action is a minority; it’s a huge case affecting about 10 million vehicles, from what I know.
@Leeland
Only one study uses expected reliability. The others often look at actual repairs or average repair costs. Hyundai doesn’t score poorly in any of them.
Every brand faces class action lawsuits. Toyota has had several in the last decade. That doesn’t really mean much. There’s a new one in 2024 for defective hybrid powertrains. A decade ago, they faced issues with the gas pedal and had cases about their AC systems being a health hazard. VW settled for around 10 billion dollars over electric failures. The list goes on.
Every brand has class action lawsuits in the past decade. The difference is that people seem to pay attention to Hyundai lawsuits while ignoring those for Toyota, Honda, VW, etc.
Despite the lawsuits and the theta 2 engine, Hyundai’s average reliability remains high, meaning most owners don’t experience engine failures. Even if half of their cars faced issues, their reliability ratings wouldn’t suffer.
@Mary
I’ve sold a lot of Hyundais and noticed their owners are often very detail-oriented. I’m talking about older folks who keep track of everything in little notebooks.
I believe they keep up with the maintenance on their 2021-2023 Santa Fe models, which they cherish and feel they got the best deals on.
I have a 24 sel convenience package with 13,000 miles and I really love it. My main issues are having to switch away from the home screen at startup. I wish it would go back to the last used screen. Also, they changed the volume button style for the 25 s model, which I preferred.
I hope you enjoy yours for many miles.
@Gerald
The volume control on the steering wheel is a roll type, but there’s a regular knob for volume and scrolling on the dashboard. There’s also an old-style controller for scrolling on the steering wheel. My dad has the roll volume on the dashboard, and it would definitely take some time to adjust to that. He has the 24, but it’s a basic Tucson.
I just got a 2023 Tucson hybrid yesterday, trading in my Jeep Compass that I really disliked. So far, I love my new Tucson after just 24 hours! It’s the same trim as yours, and even though our dashboards are different because mine is the older style, I’m impressed by the number of safety features and how smoothly it drives. There have been some complaints about MPG with the hybrid, but I haven’t finished my first tank yet, so I can’t comment on that yet.
@Brown
Make sure to check your oil pan at oil changes. I’ve seen some Tucson hybrids leak oil as early as their first oil change, but it’s usually an easy fix covered under warranty. They’re great cars otherwise.
@Sadie
Thanks for the heads up. Is that similar to an oil consumption issue? I only ask because my husband just bought a 2023 Sonata N-Line, and he sent me an article about Hyundai having problems with that. There was no recall on my model, but yes, we bought two Hyundais within two days. I just want to make sure I don’t need to get it checked since I just got mine yesterday.
@Brown
The oil pan leak is usually a small one near the drain plug and shouldn’t cause much oil loss between changes. You should be fine until your next oil change, and if the tech spots an issue, they’ll reseal it then, depending on how busy the shop is. If it does leak, it should take about an hour to fix, and it seems to be a factory issue. It’s not something to worry too much about. I’ve mainly seen it in Tucson hybrids and Venues.
@Sadie
I appreciate this information.
I wish my 2023 Sportage Hybrid SXP had the ambient lighting that your car has. It looks so nice. I’m not sure why Kia decided to leave that out.
Not showing the song is the most frustrating small detail. My Kona…