2004 Tiburon - Trans. Problems

About a month ago I wrote about my daughters 2004 Tib. She was having
trouble when downshifting. Shifter would hang up and it was not possible to
free it without muscling it out of gear. Much advice and comments were
offered, including watch the build up of the floor mats that might prevent
full depression of the clutch (five speed trans.). Bleeding the clutch
master cylinder did not help, adjust the linkage did not help. Three trips
to the dealer did not solve the problem, "We can't get it to do it," was
typical. No one at the dealership seemed to be familiar with the problem.

Last Thursday my daughter took her Tib in again. Service writer was not
helpful at all. Car was acting up badly (usually had to be driven in heavy
traffic before problem would show up). No one was available to ride with my
daughter so she could demonstrate the problem. She was getting very
frustrated with Hyundai in general and the dealership in particular.
Service writer finally asked a mechanic if he could possible take a ride.

"What's the problem?" he asked. My daughter started to describe it and he
stopped her in mid-sentence. "Oh, that's the flywheel. Have had others."
Dealership had to order the parts in. Should (hopefully) be in this week.
Time will tell if the problem is solved.

In spite of Hyundai's warranty the dealership has already advised my
daughter those parts that may have to be replaced that are clutch (not
warrantied) related will be her expense. All in all this purchase has not
been a postive event for her.

 

Don't accept that unless they can clearly show that the clutch has been
abused. If they won't cover it, complain to Hyundai. For that matter, I
would contact Hyundai now, so they can contact the dealer and tell them
to cover it if there is no evidence of abuse.

On the other hand, if they can show you that she "cooked" or wore out
the clutch due to poor technique or abuse (such as slipping the clutch
when stopped on hills, rather than using the brake), she deserves to pay
for it.

 

Oh, woman driver alert!!! Translate that as "dumb ass woman driver," and
that is the general attitude of the dealership. Daughter has been driving
standard shift autos since she was 16. She is 40 now. She has driven
jeeps, high performance hopped up Chevy's, pickup trucks, and a Honda Del
Sol (she put 135,000 miles on it) and has NEVER had a clutch problem. But,
unfortunately, that is our word against Hyundai and the dealership.

Watch this space for future developments and rants.

Super Glide

 

Clutch warranty against wear: 1 yr/12k miles
Clutch warranty against defect: 10 yrs/100k miles for original owner, 5
yrs/60k miles subsequent owners.
Off the top of my head, I don't know whether the flywheel is considered
part of the powertrain, but there is no issue with wear if the flywheel is
the causal part, because the flywheel isn't a wear component. It'll be
covered against defect for the appropriate 5/60 or 10/100 period. Of
course, if the clutch was worn out and that caused the flywheel to
overheat, that's warrantable only within the 1/12 clutch wear warranty
period (because the clutch is the failed component).

The problem you describe doesn't sound like a wear issue-- wear would
cause slipping, not inability to shift out of gear. Once they remove the
clutch, it should be obvious whether it's worn.

 

Thanks HT (I think). Parts will not be in until sometimes this week (via
slow boat from Korea). Will post again as soon as get the dealerships
report and or bill.

Thanks again.

SuperGlide

 

My intent was not to insinuate anything of the kind, but I had no idea
if she was an adult or a new teenage driver. Besides, guys are probably
much more likely to abuse a car then women are.

Then the problem should be due to a defect rather than abuse. That's a
GOOD thing.

Don't sell Hyundai short so quickly. They may turn out to be your best
friend. I've found them very easy to deal with if you're polite and
insistent. Try to keep your sense of humor and it will go a long way
when dealing with customer service personnel. They're used to dealing
with cranky people all day and will often bend over backwards for
someone that treats them with respect, courtesy and gives them something
to chuckle about. I've been on both ends of the phone, so I know of what
I speak.

Hopefully, there'll be good news.

I still suggest contacting Hyundai proactively, as it may avoid a
confrontation at the dealership that would be a lose-lose situation for
everyone involved. Explain your daughter's situation and driving
experience to them and see if they'll contact the dealer and authorize
warranty repair unless there's some unusual discovery when they do the
work. Actually, your daughter should contact them herself, since she has
firsthand knowledge of the vehicle and women are generally more
diplomatic than we guys are. ;-)