2005 Hyundai Trajet Reviews

Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.  It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs.Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers.Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best.Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars.Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity.The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor.They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars.The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models.Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia.The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency.A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power.This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve.The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in.The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run.Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan.Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models.Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up.PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km.This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night.PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted.Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete.Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors.PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency.Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X.Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally.They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way.The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only.REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km.Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms.Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.

If you’re an EV buyer in 2026, you need to know about this. The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has revealed the state of play for electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Australia in 2026. This is the 10th year of the ‘State of EVs’ report as more buyers bought EVs than ever before Down Under. The report analysed the 2025-26 financial year, and how buyer trends and infrastructure, among other things, have changed in that time. It called for several policy reforms, including targeted equity-based policy to assist economically-disadvantaged Aussies reap the benefits of EV driving.Australia’s charging landscape is diverse, it is also complex and fragmented and needs major investment, according to the report. In June 2026, there were 4268 public charging locations, which is 235 per cent more than June 2025There were 11,602 public charge points in June 2026, up 175 per cent compared to June 2025The EVC said there needs to be more research into how owners charge EVs and where they need them most. “Australia still needs substantial public charging investment, but the task is not as simple as just installing more fast chargers,” the report reads.  “Most charging happens where vehicles already park—at homes, apartment buildings, workplaces, destinations, kerbsides and depots.”The report calls for a nationally-coordinated charging roadmap and scaled infrastructure deployment.This news comes after NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury told CarsGuide in December 2025 Australia’s charging infrastructure was lagging behind. “We’re nowhere near. We’ve got nowhere near enough public charging,” NRMA spokesperson Khoury said. “There are lots of areas that don’t have energy that comes from outside the energy grid so you’ve got to create energy sources at those locations.”The EVC is calling for the government to implement a range of new rules in Australia. It wants a targeted equity-based policy to help all Australians use EVs and take advantage of the cost savings with EV adoption.The report states that EVs have lower running costs than petrol- and diesel-powered cars, with less maintenance, seeing a typical driver saving roughly $3000 per year. The EVC said this figure did not include the substantial increases to fuel prices in 2026, with savings calculated today even higher. It said the federal government needs to implement an updated New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) for cars sold beyond 2029 to align with 2035 emissions reduction targets. NVES is a set of emissions rules that imposes fines on cars sold that emit high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere. Developing a car takes a brand several years to complete, meaning carmakers need to know the rules these models will need to follow.It also said there should be a national road-user charge that does not deter EV uptake.This would differ from the current system proposed by the New South Wales government from 2027 that the EVC said would slow EV sales.The New South Wales government wants a road user charge to make up for lost fuel excise revenue and ensure all road users contribute to maintenance. The EVC found a fully-electric or PHEV car was bought every 100 seconds on average in the first half of 2026, with one in four new car sales using an electric powertrain.The report reads cost-of-living pressures, soaring fuel prices and greater EV choice has contributed to a sharp increase in electric car uptake in 2026. Fully-electric and PHEV sales accounted for 25.8 per cent of new car sales up to June 2026, increasing from 12.1 per cent up to June 2025There are 196 combined full EV and PHEV models on sale, compared to 153 models in 2025There were 157,957 electric and PHEV sales in H1 2026, up 177 per cent from H1 2025Australia’s EV uptake is now in line with the global average, according to the International Energy Agency“So, at a time when fuel prices are fluctuating and cost-of-living continues to bite, it’s no surprise that EVs have become a popular choice,” the report states. “As of June 2026, drivers have never had a greater choice of EVs in Australia.”Australia recently got its new cheapest electric car in the BYD Atto 1 that is being offered from $19,990 (drive-away) until December, 15 2026.

Hyundai let CarsGuide in on why its Australian division gets special attention from its South Korean parent company.“We’re quite a small percentage of global volume but the level of support we get from Korea is always higher,” said Bill Thomas, Hyundai Australia’s GM of Corporate Communications.“Australia is a hugely competitive market and if you’re doing well here, you will, in theory, do well in a number of different markets which are less competitive.“Also, in terms of customer sentiment, there’s a mixture of European and American buying behaviour.”“So there’s interest from in the makeup of the market, both the competitor set and the customer demand for various types of vehicles.”Globally, Hyundai’s Australian arm outperforms compared to other markets where the South Korean giant plays.“If you look at our market share compared to some of the markets across the world, you’d find that we’re certainly up there amongst the better performing markets,” said Hyundai Australia's General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam.Australia is not just important to the company as a vector for high sales either. Our market has seen the introduction of right-hand drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade large SUV, or the last-generation Veloster hatchback.There are new factors drawing Korea’s attention to Australia. Our market has become one of the most competitive in the world off the back of Chinese automakers using Australia as a stepping stone to Europe.It presents an opportunity both ways, as Hyundai has a chance to compete with these new brands often before they debut in larger markets.“The competitiveness of this market means that, yes, we are getting a lot of focus from headquarters,” continued Lam.“So that does actually make our job a bit easier, but at the same time it’s not like we can just ask for something and get it.“We have to make a strong case for every product. Head office won’t accept just anything, we have to be very detailed and structured in terms of the business case.”Lam said that the explosive amount of competition in Australia wasn’t boxing Hyundai into particular price points or segments for its range.“It’s not necessarily just the number of competitors here or how cheap they are” he said.“You could have a segment with fifty competitors, but it’s more to do with which are the ones actually selling in volume.”“We feel our pricing is competitive. Obviously there are competitors which will be cheaper, and there will be some which are more expensive, but I think for us it’s never just pricing which is what is driving market share or sales. Actually if it was just about pricing that would make my job a bit easier.”Lam said "intangible benefits" of the Hyundai brand, whether it was buyer familiarity, dealer and service network, or vehicle design and quality, are helping the company keep close to the front of the pack despite the ambition of new brands in the top-10 rankings.Lam said there were even products in Hyundai’s portfolio which didn’t have to sell in the kinds of volumes which rivals, Chinese or otherwise, might be aiming for.He conceded the Palisade XRT Pro, as a monocoque adventure-focused large SUV was a “quite niche” offering intended to make up around 10 per cent of the model’s volume.Even the Hyundai Inster city-sized electric hatch, which is priced significantly higher than something like the BYD Atto 1, was something the brand was keen to keep around as an alternative for buyers.“Niche products have their place in our portfolio. It’s not a car which is going to appeal to all consumers, but it has a very specific buyer subset who still really likes that car.”

Hyundai's flagship family electric SUV is under investigation for a safety concern in Australia, following similar reports overseas. The South Korean brand is looking into an issue on its Ioniq 9 in Australia over a potentially dangerous problem with the second-row power-folding seats.It relates to the seat assemblies failing to detect passengers or objects on the seats and continuing to close even when using excessive force.This can lead to the seats squashing occupants and cause serious injury or worse.The Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s most expensive car on sale, and is its biggest electric SUV offering Down Under.Virtually every Ioniq 9 sold in Australia could be affected by the issue, with more than 100 vehicles being looked into.The issue is expected to be able to be fixed with an over-the-air software update like in other markets, or owners can option to have it resolved at a Hyundai dealer.Owners should take extra care during the folding of seats in the meantime, according to the brand. In the United States, 5360 Ioniq 9 examples have been recalled, according to reports.The brand said all vehicles recalled have the fault. It’s not just the Ioniq 9 impacted in the United States, with it also linked to power-folding seats in the Palisade and the Telluride SUVs. At this stage, only the Ioniq 9 is under investigation in Australia.

Just days after Hyundai unveiled the next generation Tucson, details of the mid-size SUV have been confirmed for the South Korean market.Giving us a glimpse at what we might expect from the 2027 Hyundai Tucson when it lands here next year, drivetrains, design elements and features of the SUV have been outlined for its home market.Already known was the new styling and design language, which Hyundai calls ‘art of steel’. The mid-size SUV adopts the ‘H-shape’ lights, which are becoming more common on Hyundai’s new models, with the Tucson overall more upright and squared-off.At 4700mm long, 1905mm wide and 1685mm tall, the length, width, and wheelbase increased by 60mm, 40mm and 30mm, respectively for more interior space, with 1031mm of second-row headroom.Along with being overall bigger and more spacious, the Tuscon takes on a tougher look, with an XRT grade available from launch, with a unique front grille, wheel arch and skid plate for extra protection if off-roading.The biggest confirmation from South Korea is a choice of two powertrains, both with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine but one with hybrid assistance.In Australia, hybrids are becoming increasingly important for the brand, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Tucson go hybrid-only. If that’s the case, a 180kW total output from the engine and electric motor is the international specification as is a 5.7L/100km combined fuel consumption rate, though those could be slightly adjusted for Australia.Hyundai also says despite the overall larger SUV, the drag coefficient has been lowered from 0.33Cd to 0.30Cd, achieved through active air flaps.Hyundai has also confirmed its AI assistance program called ‘Gleo AI’, described as “an integrated agent powered by a large language model”, will understand “natural, continuous conversation” rather than only simple commands as has been the case with automotive voice controls.New safety features like a redundancy system for the door locks to allow escape and rescue of occupants in emergency situations or a system to brake if the driver mistakenly presses the accelerator should be appealing to the ANCAP-types, while a ‘Memory Reverse Assist’ remembers the vehicle's trajectory during manoeuvres to assist in tricky parking situations.The 2027 Hyundai Tucson is set to be globally revealed in the USA before the end of the year, at which point we expect to learn more information about its Australian arrival.

Forget what you think you know.

Hyundai’s Australian arm expressed cautious optimism about the company’s range of new ladder-frame 4WD products, despite the announcement at the brand’s recent investor day that they would be designed and built in the USA.Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the Palisade XRT Pro, Hyundai Australia General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam said he wasn’t concerned about the CEO’s announcement for what could be a key new product for the brand.“The way we typically approach it is that we don’t worry too much about sourcing first, we worry about the product first," he said.“What head office does is they look at, okay, what does Australia want, what does Europe want, what does America want and so on.“They put all of that together and take a look. Where do the major markets have overlaps? If we distil one product into two or three projects or even a singular project that’s flexible enough to adapt to these markets around the world, then what would that look like?“Then, based on where the project is going they decide where it should be built in our many factories around the world.“So sourcing isn’t the be all and end all of it, it’s almost really the last step.“Think of it from a different perspective. Even in our current portfolio, there are cars that are built in multiple plants all across the world. So say, Santa Fe, we take it from the Korean plant, but they also manufacture them in America so just because it’s out in public that a certain model might be being designed and manufactured in America, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically off-limits for the rest of the world.”The upcoming family of ladder-frame products from Hyundai has been teased by the Boulder and Crater 4WD concepts.The new frame architecture they use will sit above the brand’s current matrix of H platform city cars (Venue, Inster), K platform small cars (Kona, i30), N platform mid-sizers (Tucson, Santa Fe), and e-GMP platform EVs (Ioniq 3 to Ioniq 9).The company’s global President and CEO Jose Munoz said recently the upcoming frame family, which is also expected to spawn a ute, will account for 50 per cent of the company’s growth aspirations until 2030.The new 4WDs are all expected to use new range-extender hybrid powertrains. The first implementation of this system will be on the updated Santa Fe early next year.While Lam couldn’t comment further on the future 4WD products for Australia, including what they might be or when we might see them, General Manager for Corporate Communications, Bill Thomas, added that Australia in particular gets a helping hand from South Korea.“Over the years, I’m always surprised by the high level of support we get from head office. In theory we’re such a small percentage of global volume, but the level of support we get is always higher.”On the topic of sourcing for Hyundai, when asked if the brand was more open to more vehicles manufactured in China, like the recently launched Elexio mid-size EV, Lam said many factories around the world still had potential to serve right-hand-drive cars to Australia.“We’re not averse to sourcing cars from other countries outside of just South Korea. It’s a big proportion of our current sourcing, but we’re open to sourcing cars from China, Czech Republic, Türkiye.“What’s more important is whether the product is right for our market and whether there’s a financial case to be made for it.”While Hyundai Australia has been lucky to secure some right-hand-drive exclusives, like the first-generation Palisade and the second-generation Veloster hatchback, it has also been forced to make some tough decisions.Recently, this included culling the well-received i30 hatchback from the line-up, as the cost of sourcing the latest version from Europe, where it is built, became prohibitively expensive.Now stripped down to only the go-fast N hatch and sedan range sourced from South Korea, this looks set to continue into the future, with the next-generation sedan already having been spied testing in Australia.Next for Hyundai will be the introduction of the Ioniq 3 electric crossover, next-generation i30 Sedan, and next-generation Tucson mid-sizer, all of which are expected in Australia in the first half of 2027.

Hyundai’s new electric van has landed. The Hyundai Staria Load Electric has become the latest in a growing list of electric van choices for buyers. It starts from $70,990, making it cheaper than the smaller Ford Transit Custom Electric ($77,890), but it will also tackle its mechanical sibling the Kia PV7 due in Australia before the end of 2027. This equates to a more than $20,000 jump on the base diesel grade, and more than $9000 extra compared to previous range-topping hybrid. The Staria Load Electric will make its Australian debut at the Everything Electric event in Sydney that starts from 18 September, 2026. The brand has already confirmed a people mover variant of the Staria Electric is not under consideration at this stage. The Staria Load Electric is powered by a single electric motor, producing 160kW and 350Nm.Diesel variants produce 130kW/430Nm, while hybrid variants produce 180 kW/304NmThe van is equipped with an 84kWh battery, offering a total driving range of 450km, according to WLTP standards. It consumes 20.7kWh of power for every 100km driven, according to the brand. Riding on Hyundai’s 800-volt E-GMP platform it can DC fast charge at up to 350kW, meaning a 20-80 per cent juice up takes 20 minutes. The Staria Load Electric has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg (500kg less than diesel variants), and a 1005kg payload. The van’s cargo capacity is 4935L, but it also has a 23.9L front storage area. It can also use its battery via vehicle-to-load to power tools and other devices directly with a standard three-pin electrical outlet. The Staria Load electric only comes in a two-seat configuration. Elsewhere in the cabin, there is a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 12.3-inch central touchscreen as well as a wireless phone charger. It has a leather steering wheel, while seats are wrapped in a black cloth material.The van boasts keyless entry and a push-button start. Buyers can choose from either liftback or twin outward-swinging rear doors at no extra cost for added practicality. The Staria Load Electric has a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre manufacturer's warranty as well as an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the high-voltage battery. The van is available with a capped-priced servicing deal, with servicing occurring every two years or 30,000km. 

Hyundai has entered a new era, with the debut of its off-road focused XRT Pro sub-brand to live alongside its already-successful N performance arm.Despite many of Australia’s off-road and towing-focused buyers considering diesel a non-negotiable, Hyundai says choosing to leave the fuel type behind won’t cost it sales.Hyundai Australia's General Manager of Product Planning Jonathan Lam said diesel was never part of the next-gen Palisade’s design from the beginning, despite acknowledging diesel power made up the lion's share of the previous-generation's sales.“I don’t think this generation Palisade was ever designed with a diesel engine available,” he said.“We think that that was more due to the 2WD being available with petrol and the all-wheel drive only being available with diesel,” he said.“Now that we have all-wheel drive petrol, all-wheel drive hybrid, based on consumer sentiment I think that is working well for our market.”“If you look at why customers are purchasing diesel, it’s mainly about low-end torque, fuel consumption, overall cost of fuel and so forth, but we also think that we can tick a lot of those boxes with hybrids," Lam continued.“So with hybrid available across more of the models in our range, instead of offering diesel as a powertrain or in some cases even as the default powertrain, we’re aiming to switch those buyers over to hybrid.“I’d say it’s working. Our hybrid mix is growing year after year.”The brand said its latest hybrid mix had grown to a whopping 57 per cent across its line-up, meaning Hyundai Australia is already almost achieving the company’s global aspiration to be 60 per cent electrified by the end of this decade.Australia’s recently-introduced New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which introduced penalties for high-emitting engines, are one of a similar array of laws across the globe that have caused Hyundai to stop development on new diesel powertrains into the future.Lam said the band wasn't hearing from dealers that customers were missing a diesel option.“For cars where we’ve switched diesel out, we haven’t seen that we’re actually missing out on a big part of the market,” he said.The brand admitted there are a few unknowns for the XRT Pro, and it was yet to be seen how such a unique vehicle would be received in the market.Lam expects roughly 10 per cent of Palisade sales to be toward the $79,900 (before on-roads) XRT Pro, which sits in the middle of the large SUV's range.The monocoque-based XRT Pro is playing at a similar price to popular diesel ladder frame SUVs, while offering turbo petrol power and less towing capacity, with at least some off-roading capabilities thanks to lifted suspension, a more rugged bodykit, all-terrain tyres, new drive modes and an electronic rear differential lock.While the brand boosted towing capacity for this variant specifically, it is only by 200kg, bringing the total to 2200kg, significantly short of the industry 3500kg benchmark for most large SUVs.The upgrade, Hyundai said, was largely in the combination of the turbocharged petrol engine and eight-speed automatic transmission in place of a de-tuned turbo engine and gearbox-mounted electric motor for the rest of the Palisade range.Yet, the towing uptake is said to be “considerably high” across the existing Palisade range, so the brand considered it important to bring it up to the “maximum we can achieve on this platform,” suggesting these limitations wouldn’t be helped along by the inclusion of a diesel powertrain anyway.Hyundai's representatives also added that the carryover 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6, which is still an option for the Palisade in the USA, was never made available in right-hand drive format.Hyundai’s representatives explained that the brand is “certainly looking at other powertrain options for XRT Pro” in the future, although they weren’t prepared to elaborate further.A fair assumption is future XRT Pro models may use the much-touted range-extender hybrid technology, which Hyundai has globally said will be its next chapter, and will debut on an updated Santa Fe overseas imminently.The range-extender system will also be the primary powertrain for its upcoming larger ladder-frame products.The ladder-frame project, expected to be built in- and serve the American market primarily, will spawn various vehicles previewed by the Boulder and Crater concepts. It will also spawn a pick-up model.The brand said at its recent investor day the ladder-frame vehicles would account for 50 per cent of Hyundai’s sales growth, cashing in on the boxy off-road trend.As for more XRT Pro variants locally, Lam said it would be “fair to assume” the next logical step would be a properly toughed-up Santa Fe, so keep an eye out for that in the near future.

We’re not sure exactly what was going on in Hyundai’s marketing department at the end of the first decade of this century, but somebody was definitely having two bob each way.Up until 2010, the Tucson had been Hyundai’s mid-sized SUV entrant, but that badge disappeared the same year as the ix35 hit showrooms as the Tucson’s replacement. But after just five years on sale, the ix35 was itself replaced by none other than the Tucson.Confused? Us too, but to keep it simple, if you’re shopping for a Hyundai-made mid-sized SUV built between 2010 and 2015, the ix35 is the badge you need to look for.Meantime, leaving nomenclature out of it, the LM (as it was known internally) ix35 was a bread-and-butter kind of family SUV with familiar overall proportions and nothing too confronting mechanically.It could be had in three trim levels (Active, Elite and Highlander, in that order) and with a range of driveline options. There was a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 122kW, a 2.4-litre petrol with 130kW and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with 135kW and lots more torque than the petrol variants.The 2.0 petrol was available with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission and was front-drive only. The 2.4 petrol and the turbo-diesel were fitted exclusively with the six-speed automatic and were all-wheel drive, although they used on-demand AWD, and operated as front-drivers in most conditions.Conventional wisdom says late-model Hyundais are pretty stout things, even if they don’t offer much in the way of driving excitement. The ix35 makes sense if all you want is a roomy (for its size) box with which to move people and their belongings. But even then, there are some reliability problems to note, and driveability was never anything better than average.Overall, there are better, more entertaining choices in a second-hand SUV of this type.Again, it goes against the mood for this brand, but the ix35 did have some serious reliability issues that, even though they didn’t affect every example, should make you weigh things up carefully before making a purchasing decision.Something very wrong was going on in Hyundai’s engine department at this point in history. All three of the ix35’s engines suffered (to some extent) with some serious issues that saw Hyundai replacing entire engines under warranty in an attempt to stay in favour with its customers.The problems mainly centred around engines that consumed excess oil (to the point where some owners were caught out with empty sumps between services) and rattling engines that were signalling their death knock.The consensus is these problems were caused by poor manufacturing accuracy, leading to cylinder scoring, at which point the engines became noisy (particularly when cold) and started to burn oil. The fix was to either rebuild the engine with a new crankcase or, more commonly, replace the whole engine.Other issues reported over the years have been interior trim peeling (most notably steering wheel covers) and flaking paint caused by a bad batch of paint that affected other carmakers (including Toyota) and was traced to the top coat not adhering properly to the undercoat at the factory.This model Hyundai has had its share of recall notices over the years, some of them more serious than others, but a couple posing a definite safety risk. They include a recall to check the seat belt tensioning system, and a driver’s airbag that could have been assembled incorrectly and not deploy as it was designed to.Leaks were another ix35 recall theme, with oil leaks from the sump, fuel leaks and transmission fluid leaks all creating recall notices. There was also a recall to check some cars for a brake system that could allow brake fluid to contaminate the ABS module, leading to braking problems.You can check out the full details including what batches of cars were affected at: https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/If you’re buying a petrol ix35, the ones to avoid on the basis of the engine problems and oil burning were the ones from the first generation built between 2010 and 2013. If, however, you’re after a diesel version, the post-facelift cars (2013 to 2015) seem to be the problematic ones.Either way, you’d want to know the service history of any second-hand ix35 and be prepared to shell out for a pre-purchase inspection which would include a compression test and perhaps even a bore-scope examination of the engine.The number of ix35s still floating around with 250,000km on board, or even more, suggests the engine problems were a bit random and clearly didn’t affect every car.We’d still be a lot happier, though, with an example with less than 160,000km on its odometer, along with an up-to-date and complete service history as some proof of it having a chance at going the distance. A car with a factory replacement engine (and documentation to support this) would also be preferable to one with no history.The turbo-diesel ix35 was always the better one to actually drive thanks to its beefier power and torque delivery. The added safety of all-wheel drive only reinforces this view. The petrol versions do the job, but they can feel breathless and stretched a bit tight at freeway speeds when fully loaded.Right now, you’ll find sellers with early-built, high-mileage examples of the ix35 with an asking price of about $5000 or even less. But these are best left to speculators. Better value is to be found in the $8000 to $10,000 price range where you start to find diesel examples with much more moderate mileage showing. Don’t forget that service history.Hyundai is a big brand not just in Australia, but globally. So, spare parts are not hard to find. Neither is a workshop that can navigate what is, fundamentally, a pretty straightforward vehicle.There’s a huge online market for parts to suit cars like this one, but be wary of online sellers you haven’t used before. Don’t rule out parts recycling yards for spares like body panels and some mechanical parts.Despite the problems some owners experienced with this car, Hyundai managed to sell plenty of them here, with sales peaking at about 18,000 per year at one point. That gave it a huge chunk of the market in its segment, but those mechanical problems took their toll, leading to the badge being replaced by the revived Tucson model in 2015.Some owners were forced to walk away from their ix35s when the cost of repairs became more than the value of the car itself. But the sheer sales figures when things were looking good mean there are at least a couple of hundred ix35s for sale on the bigger online sites.