Hyundai Problems

The press preview drive is April 9, so it will be soon after that.

Assuming it's done by a diff specialist there's no reason to think it won't be long lasting. If you're not sure ask your dealer to explain to you why it needs to be rebuilt as such low kilometres of what appears to be light duty use.

The Mazda CX-5 is my top pick and I also like the Hyundai ix35 for value, the Honda CR-V as a city runabout, and the base-model Subaru Forester as a family car.

I'd go for a Kia Sportage or a Hyundai ix35. They are essentially the same under the skin, and both get The Tick, so it comes down to the deal.

Using oil is not necessarily a problem, it depends on how much oil it is using. Likewise the colour is not necessarily indicative of a problem; oil usually goes black after it's been run through the engine for a short period of time. If it is using a lot of oil take it to a Hyundai dealer and have it checked. There is nothing inherently wrong with Hyundai engines, and at 88,000 km and four years old it should be covered by the warranty.

Reputation is one thing, reality is another. There was a time when Toyota stood alone but those days are gone and you pay too much for a T badge on the bonnet, although it still has easily the best aircon in the business. For me, Hyundai and Kia match Toyota in almost every area, plus they have a far better value package.

If the increase in running temperature is only small and there is no loss of coolant there is probably nothing to be worried about. It could be a slight blockage in the radiator that’s affecting the coolant flow, a sticking thermostat, or something like that. You could flush the cooling system, check the thermostat and replace the coolant. If you replace the coolant make sure you use the correct coolant, which will be a mix of water and glycol.

Problems with clutches are cropping up on a regular basis these days, certainly more than they did a few years ago. It's hard to say how long a clutch should last today, in the past I would have said that 36,000km is too low, but it's now not unusual to hear of clutches needing replacement at relatively low kays. As yours is still not worn out it might not actually need replacing until 50,000km or more and that would be within the acceptable range. The only way to determine if the wear is abnormal is to inspect it.

The Kia Carnival gets The Tick, every time, in that price range. And with four kids you will find that a proper people-mover gives far more flexibility than an SUV or even a converted van.

It would seem that a part of a spark plug has dropped down into the engine and caused it to be damaged. If that's the case the only way to repair it is to take the head off and check to see what damage has been done. Once that has been established, and a cause worked out, you can then go forward with a plan to repair and negotiate with Hyundai about who pays the bill. I wouldn't recommend running the engine until the head comes off; if there are bits of a plug floating around inside the engine running it could cause more damage.