New Elantra... Bad Rotors

Picked up a new 05 Elantra GT last night. Drove it straight home on
secondary roads as it was late and needed to get a late dinner going. This
morning I got it out on the parkway....After the morning rush thinned out I
finally was up at 60mph.....Needed to stop firmly <not panic or even Hard>
And the Damn brake pedal starts pulsing and I get a bit of front end
shudder, which continues till I drop below 35mph. Freaking annoying as at
this point car has 100 miles total on it.
Took it back to the dealer and told them I needed new rotors.....The
symptoms were pretty obvious. Three hours later I got the car back with new
rotors and took it on the highway to test it...So far so good.

But what is a possible reason for rotors to be bad on a brand new car? Is
there a problem within a related system that would cause this that I need to
watch for?

Through-out this I surprised myself by staying calm and not trying to rip
off some heads.

Andy C

 

Most likely, the pulsation was caused by rust buildup from the car not
being driven between the time it arrived at the dealer and when it was
delivered to you. The rust doesn't necessarily wear off evenly, and can
thus cause vibration.

Although less likely, it is also possible that the rotors were mismachined
or didn't have the proper material composition.

Brake vibration doesn't seem to be any more an issue on the Elantra than
the average vehicle. I do notice that those people who do city driving
tend to experience this problem more frequently, however. You shouldn't
expect this to be a continuing issue, and your dealer probably did more
than was allowed by Hyundai because they wanted you to be happy with your
car. If they were able to resurface the rotors, that was what they were
supposed to do.

 

It's possible that it sat a bit ... Manufacture date was Sep 25 04
So 5 months might have caused a issue. What is up with the EGT's
The dealer took my first offer and ran.
About $350 under invoice.
Electric red, Base GT 05 Hatchback

Repair order said 2 new rotors.. But as I was polite, but forceful they may
have felt a need to keep me happy. That and since I'd bought my Blue 04 EGT
hatch 11 months ago at same dealer.
And sending my mom, brother and uncle their way in the last year (2-Elantra
GLS & Sonota V6 GL).

 

I don't know whether you got a good deal or not, but if you did I suppose it
could be for any number of supply/demand related reasons. Just for interest
where I live in Northern Virginia, the majority of Elantras I see are GLS
Sedans, followed by GT Hatches, and then GT Sedans. I've yet to see a GLS
Hatch, but wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't available.

Is the electric red noticeably different from the rally red?

 

Yep.. It quite a bit DARKER with a bit of a magenta cast to the color......
How they name these colors is beyond me.

Here in NYC There are lots of GLS sedans... Few GT Hatchbacks ....Very few
GT sedans.....and I've seen < 1 > GLS Hatchback

Local Dealer had 2 GLS hatchbacks on their in-stock board......
I got the feeling Cars just ain't been selling this month....This might be a
very good weekend to bargain at almost any car dealer.

 

What kind of radio does it have?

I recall 2004 GT models were shipping with a Kenwood CD/MP3 player, but the
new ones list AM/FM/CD as the only choice. Have they (Hyundai) really
witched back to the generic radios?

-Ig.

[snip]

 

Standard Generic Hyundai AM/FM/CD
There are other minor differances also...Rocker switches are a bit better
with raised edges
Steering wheel is a bit thinner, etc...

 

Ah, too bad. I suppose it is priced low enough to leave money for a new
radio if your ears so desire. I replaced the radio and the speakers in my
2002 GT, and the difference is huge. Not sure what (the radio or the
speakers) contributed the most to the improvement, but the entire setup cost
me $350 to buy plus half a day to install, so I'm still well in the money
compared to Honda or Toyota.

Enjoy your new Elantra!

 

That's interesting that they should make the wheel thinner. Is it still
leather-wrapped? A lot of owners on the Elantra GT Club forum felt the
wheel was slippery, and recommended a cover. I suppose if the wheel is now
thinner, adding a cover won't make it feel too chunky. Personally I love
the wheel, and find a little slipperiness helps in exiting corners and
letting the wheel slide through your fingers.

 

I haven't measured it but it feels slimmer, Compared to our '04 GT.
Still leather wrapped, though it doesn't seem as slippery as the '04 was
new.
the 04 wheel is ok now, just as long as I don't use leather conditioner on
it...That was a mistake when I tried it. Felt like trying to hold onto an
eel.

 

eel.... hehe ;-) I suspect the oils in your hands are enough to keep the
leather on the wheel from cracking. How are the seat bolsters holding up on
your 04? I'm hoping that as they're not leather, they won't crack and wear
as quickly as, say, the recaros in an E30 BMW. Now if I can just get my
wife to climb in an out of the seat without leaning on the bolster... they
are creased on the outside on both driver and passenger seats already (20k
miles and counting).

 

So far so good at 14K / 12 months

 

Speaking of leather conditioners, what's a good one for my '04 Sonata seats?