Hyundai Problems

Whenever you see a bunch of problems all occurring at once, the car’s body computer becomes a prime suspect. This computer is what controls functions such as door locking, power mirrors and windows, the anti-theft measures, cruise-control, lighting, wipers, powered seats, the dashboard and much, much more. All these functions can go haywire or stop working altogether (and all at once) when the body computer says it’s had enough.

Since your car has electrically controlled steering, the body computer will have a say in that as well, which could explain the weird noises. But either way, you shouldn’t drive the vehicle any farther. Any noises or strange symptoms in a car’s steering could mean a sudden loss of control at the worst possible moment.

What has happened is that the gas struts that are designed to help you raise the weight of the tailgate and then hold it in place have lost some of their gas. As such, they’re no longer able to support the weight of the tailgate and that’s why it’s randomly falling to earth, risking trapping your hands or other body parts in the process.

The solution is to replace the struts. These are available from parts stores and plenty of online sellers and shouldn’t cost too much. They're not difficult to fit yourself, but a mechanic wouldn’t charge too much to fit them either. Once they’re fitted, the tailgate should be perfectly safe to use again.

Many cars also use these struts for the bonnet, too, and they’re a common failure. Just make sure you get the precise strut for your make and model as they vary in length and in how much weight they’re designed to support.

If you’re lucky, the problem might be as simple as a blown fuse that controls these circuits. So that’s where to start checking. The instrument panel lights and rear fog lights in the Hyundai are on separate circuits, so you’ll need to locate both fuses. Start with the internal fuse box located low down on the dashboard near the steering column. The inside of the cover will have a map of which fuse does what, but don’t forget there’s also a second fuse box under the bonnet.

If the problem is not a blown fuse, or the fuse blows again once you’ve changed it, you’ll probably need to services of an auto electrician to figure out where the power is going and what’s the cause. A poor earth somewhere on the car or a short circuit are two likely culprits.

CarsGuide tested the Kona Hybrid late last year (you can check out the review and video here) and came to exactly the same conclusion: That the car was great around the city, but lacked a bit of overtaking oomph at highway speeds.

This will not be a problem for many owners who will possibly never need to overtake on a country road, but for those who do, perhaps there are better choices out there.

Your comparison with the petrol Captiva is a valid one, too. On paper, this car had plenty of urge, but the power was all stacked way up in the higher rev ranges and required some forward planning when overtaking.

Glad to hear you've had such a great run with your car. I understand what a great safety device a reverse camera is, and if it was standard fitment in your car when it was new, it could very well be a roadworthy item if it's not working. However, I wouldn't be too worried as the GPS and bluetooth functions should not be related to the reverse camera or the cruise-control.

If the reverse camera screen ever went on the blink, you could fairly cheaply add a replacement aftermarket unit which would also restore your Bluetooth and possibly even your GPS functions.

Glad to hear you've had such a great run with your car. I understand what a great safety device a reverse camera is, and if it was standard fitment in your car when it was new, it could very well be a roadworthy item if it's not working. However, I wouldn't be too worried as the GPS and bluetooth functions should not be related to the reverse camera or the cruise-control.

If the reverse camera screen ever went on the blink, you could fairly cheaply add a replacement aftermarket unit which would also restore your Bluetooth and possibly even your GPS functions.

Hyundai has had a few problems over the years with some of its engines developing piston slap, scoring cylinder bores and consuming excess oil. The later engine fitted to your car should be better, but it seems perhaps the problem is still occurring in some cars.

The reality is that two litres of engine consumed over just 1200km is way beyond the pale. I would be contacting Hyundai Australia's customer service division to see what can be done. The company's response will have a lot to do with how many kilometres the car has covered and whether its service history is complete. But in my experience, Hyundai takes its responsibilities in this area very seriously.

This was a huge problem for manufacturers back when turbo-diesels first started using Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF). The problems started when owners were using their diesel-powered vehicles just as they had their previous petrol cars. That is, for short, urban journeys where the exhaust system never got hot enough to perform a DPF regeneration (which is critical to the way these filters reduce tailpipe emissions).

To counter that, some manufacturers programmed the engine to dump extra fuel into the exhaust to get it hot enough for a DPF regeneration. Inevitably, however, sometimes some of that extra fuel found its way past the piston rings and into the engine's sump. And suddenly, there was more oil in the sump one day than had been there the previous day.

The problem there was that the diesel now in the sump was actually diluting the engine's lubricating oil, and that could lead to accelerated engine wear and bearing failure. The best solution – then and now – is to make sure you drive the vehicle at freeway speeds for at least an hour every three or four weeks. That will get things hot enough for the DPF to regenerate if it has to, and not rely on the extra diesel the computer will pour into the engine.

You could be looking at a specific DPF problem or maybe a software glitch that is messing up the regeneration, but if the level on the dipstick is rising, then I'd say that's your problem.

The engine in a modern car has inbuilt protection where it won't rev beyond what is safe for it. So you needn't worry about that. But a vehicle that wants to hold gears too long can become tiring to drive, as well as using more fuel than it might if its shifted gears at lower engine speeds.

Your car has what are called drive modes which tailor the aggressiveness of the throttle and alter gearshift points to tailor the car's behaviour in different conditions. My suspicion is that your car is set on Sport which is what's making it feel a bit hyperactive. There's a switch on the centre console which will allow you to change the Drive mode to Comfort or Normal. Try that to see if it tames the gearbox's behaviour.

The engine in a modern car has inbuilt protection where it won't rev beyond what is safe for it. So you needn't worry about that. But a vehicle that wants to hold gears too long can become tiring to drive, as well as using more fuel than it might if its shifted gears at lower engine speeds.

Your car has what are called drive modes which tailor the aggressiveness of the throttle and alter gearshift points to tailor the car's behaviour in different conditions. My suspicion is that your car is set on Sport which is what's making it feel a bit hyperactive. There's a switch on the centre console which will allow you to change the Drive mode to Comfort or Normal. Try that to see if it tames the gearbox's behaviour.