Hyundai Problems

Check with the state registration people who should be able to tell you the date the car was registered. It should be the date the registration falls due each year. Once you have established the date you can move forward with some certainty.

Was the paint protection you bought provided by Hyundai, or was it, as I suspect, a product provided by the dealer and not the car company itself? You first need to identify who supplied the protection product, because that will determine whom you need to approach about sorting the problem. If it was a product supplied by the dealer then it's the dealer and the company that provided the protection product that you need to be dealing with. There should be a warranty that came with the protection product, so check that as well to see what it and what isn't covered.

It's probably easier to eliminate those that don't stack up, those being the VW Golf, Holden Cruze and Ford Focus.

All have transmission questions over them.

The best options would be the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai i30.

There is an update that's only a week or so away. All we have been told is that it will have some very minor spec changes.

The Focus is a good car with a serious flaw; it has a dual-clutch automatic transmission that gives trouble. I would happily have a 2012 Focus with a manual gearbox, but I wouldn't buy one with a dual-clutch auto. I'd be looking at a Japanese or Korean brand and going for something like a Mazda 3, Honda Civic or Accord, Hyundai Elantra with a good record of reliability.

Your car is still under warranty, so take it back to your dealer and request that they investigate the cause of the surge and rectify it.

It seems you have been, and continue to be treated appallingly.

I cannot believe that the problem hasn't been sorted. If it is beyond the dealer, and Hyundai in Australia, to fix it they should fly a technician out from Korea to fix it.

We have contacted Hyundai to seek help in sorting the problem.

UPDATE - 22/03/2017

As a result of our contacting Hyundai we understand you have been offered two free services as a gesture of goodwill and that you are "delighted" with the outcome.

For reliability and no-fuss driving it's best to go for an Asian brand rather than a European one. Euros can be expensive, particularly when they get older. I would suggest a 2013 Kia Rio or Hyundai i30, both are good cars, both have electronic stability control and fit within your budget.