Hyundai "build quality"

Gnome

Gnome

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So I recently had to swerve off the road to avoid some crazy b#tch in a Volvo. Hit a drain curb (the kind with the water drainage point and steel reinforced cement) at about 50km/h with my Hyundai i20. The rim bent and the tire burst and it really didn't sound good from inside the car (or feel good for that matter)

Anyway I put the spare tire on and drove on, car didn't pull to any side and it drove as it always had. After going for 2 separate inspections (Tiger wheel and Hyundai), both say the wheel alignment is still 100% and both checked the bottom of the car from the pit and say that it looks brand new and perfect condition.

Now I hear about someone I know that they hit a curb (a normal sized curb as seen in most of Gauteng) with a Toyota Yaris and the suspension was badly damaged and needed to be replaced. Truthfully such a straight forward comparison isn't so simple, but still:

Why is it again that Hyundai/Kia are getting a bad rap for build quality and reliability?
 
Gnome said:
So I recently had to swerve off the road to avoid some crazy b#tch in a Volvo. Hit a drain curb (the kind with the water drainage point and steel reinforced cement) at about 50km/h with my Hyundai i20. The rim bent and the tire burst and it really didn't sound good from inside the car (or feel good for that matter)

Anyway I put the spare tire on and drove on, car didn't pull to any side and it drove as it always had. After going for 2 separate inspections (Tiger wheel and Hyundai), both say the wheel alignment is still 100% and both checked the bottom of the car from the pit and say that it looks brand new and perfect condition.

Now I hear about someone I know that they hit a curb (a normal sized curb as seen in most of Gauteng) with a Toyota Yaris and the suspension was badly damaged and needed to be replaced. Truthfully such a straight forward comparison isn't so simple, but still:

Why is it again that Hyundai/Kia are getting a bad rap for build quality and reliability?
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Historical problem - they used to have a sub-standard build quality. They have really, really improved over the last decade. Seriously upped their game.
 
I accidently landed up in the bus lane (mycity in milnerton) and got such a fright (cause I'm a gurrrlll) and swerved out of it, not realising there is a huge curb, my car went straight over...it sounded terrible! Checked the car out...nothing wrong. I drive a elantra though.
 
you must be lying - only VW and Subarus are built decently:o
 
My 1999 Accent went over an island in the middle of the road over decorative rocks, through a garden bed, more rocks and out the other side.
Nothing wrong with it after that, few scratches and a small dent on the undercarriage.

I totaled it (speeding adt car hit me as I was turning on the back wheel) 4 people in the car, I was the only one hurt (only one wearing a seat belt, broke my collar bone).

My sister took it over after the repairs (R25K).
A month later a truck hit her, also totaled, she had no damage, my brother hit the windscreen with his head (no seatbelt, also no damage to him).

Eish, they are built just fine :)
 
My wife used to drive a Hyundai Getz for little over 3 years and 150 000kms. That car didn;t give us one day's worth of hassles. Solid little runaround, and i will recommend it in a heartbeat.

Can't comment on the other/newer ones though.
 
My 2005 Hyundai Getz (+- 90000KM) has also never given me a days problems (touch wood). I also think in the past they had bad reps for Korean cars, but their build, design and service quality has improved a thousand fold! My next car will probably be a Kia, seeing as how well the Korean Hyundai treated me :)
 
Fudzy said:
Well there was that funny story about the VW boss who got irate at a car show because the steering wheel height adjustment lever didn't.

http://jalopnik.com/5844809/watch-volkswagens-ceo-complain-about-hyundais-superior-interior

I sold my i20 with no regrets, even seeing it on the dealership's site with a R10k markup on what I got for it didn't phase me. It was fine while I was living 2km from home but moving further out, the soulless drive killed it for me.
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Admittedly, the i20 is probably the one Hyundai I will not buy.
 
Hyndai is a good drive, my girl friends drives a getz, and truth the told to / from work i preffer to my 320d. maybe my next car will be the Sonata
 
Drive a 2004 Getz, No hassles really and do put the poor thing through a lot. Cambelt even snapped once and engine is still fine.
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with the build quality. I also owned an i20 for a few years. The thing that people are talking about these days is "perceived build quality", which is more about materials used, panel gaps etc. Apparently the perceived built quality on the new i30 is very good. Should be here soon. Now they must just improve their engines and handling a little bit... I know there is a 1.6 turbo in development.
 
Used to drive an old Hyundai Accent 1997, My wife had a head on crash with a drunken driver with only about 20 000km on the clock. I thought that is it for the car and gonna have to get rid of it. It got fixed and I drove it around for another 6 years clocking up an extra 150 000 km's on the clock and never had one ounce of trouble.

Currently driving a Hyundai I30 and loving it, must say that not only build quality improvement from Hyundai but the looks of their cars are awesome as well!!
 
AstroTurf said:
My 1999 Accent went over an island in the middle of the road over decorative rocks, through a garden bed, more rocks and out the other side.
Nothing wrong with it after that, few scratches and a small dent on the undercarriage.

I totaled it (speeding adt car hit me as I was turning on the back wheel) 4 people in the car, I was the only one hurt (only one wearing a seat belt, broke my collar bone).

My sister took it over after the repairs (R25K).
A month later a truck hit her, also totaled, she had no damage, my brother hit the windscreen with his head (no seatbelt, also no damage to him).

Eish, they are built just fine :)
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that cars name wasn't Christine was it? damn. hope you don't have it in your family anymore!
 
MickeyD said:
The ones built here in Uitenhage??????
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Those are built to international standards as they are exported all over the world. So yes. Also from personal experiences I have a polo and live a piece of land with a long rocky dirt road to my house which I have to drive on everyday to and from my house and my polo has had no problems, even though I'v driven it like a rally car a few times.

EDIT: My polo is a 2005 model and I'v been driving that road for 4 years.
 
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Girlfriend just got an i20. It's nice, but some internals feel a bit flimsy. Also, the starter motor sounds like it's being raped every time you start the car. Other than that, very nice ride.
 
Starter motors do sound different when they are brand new. I've had 2 new cars and both sounded strange in the beginning.

That or something is wrong, mine does sound perfectly normal.

As to the flimsiness:
I haven't really noticed anything that seemed flimsy, but I am drawing from my dad's previous generation Toyota Corolla (gen. just before the current). Compared to the that Corolla the Hyundai is in a totally different quality category, that car is just terrible. Rattles badly and the gearbox is incredibly rough and noisy (notches and difficult to shift compared to i20 which is like a knife through butter). Clutch is hard, brakes are less effective than i20. I thought it was just his car but this is his second Toyota Corolla of that year model. The first was written off, both had those same issues which really irks me...
 
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