Scotty says Korean cars are terrible but I have a 2009 Hyundai Elantra and put around 124,000 miles on it. So far I have only needed to replace the windshield wiper fluid pump 2 years ago. Other than that it has been the most reliable car I have ever owned no problems at all.
That is good! Keep it up. You can probably find examples from every make and model that go past 100,000+ miles, even 200,000+ miles. Several years ago a woman got over 1 million miles on her Hyundai Elantra. So it’s possible, esp. with good maintenance. But those are more the exception than the norm. In general, Toyota’s/Honda’s have the highest/best chance to make it well past 100,000 miles and you’ll often see more of their vehicles make it beyond that than any other automaker. With the others it’s more a gamble. If quality/durability/reliability is not engineered/designed in from the beginning, it is less likely to last a long time over many miles. But I am happy you got that far, and continue being on top of the maintenance.
yeah I love it when people have owned one car, and they say "See! You were wrong." Meanwhile Scotty test drive's his 438,135th car.
Or the other way: they have problems with their Toyota/Lexus vehicle and lash out against the automaker saying their reliability is terrible.
Even worse, there are people who buy a Toyota/Lexus vehicle with a salvage title and lash out against the automaker when it fails prematurely.
My parents have a 2009 Kia Sportage (based on the Elantra) and back then they were pretty well made.
Made in Korea, Naturally Aspirated engine, 4 speed automatic...
Korean cars before 2005ish and after 2010 are horrible. That generation your talking about is pretty reliable. You can see them with over 200k miles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbDXy8mObRA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEQuVhZjFjY
It seems that Hyundai went through a period in the mid-2000s into the early 2010s when they were reasonably reliable. Not Toyota or Honda level, but decent. I have several friends with Hyundais of that vintage that have had no serious problems with them. (For example, the owner of a 2004 Santa Fe I know recently had to have a rusted brake line replaced but it otherwise has provided reliable service for 17 years now.)
On the other hand the early Hyundais, 1980s-1990s models, were junk and recent models have suffered from serious engine problems and other nasty quality issues.
You got lucky, picked the right year, and drove your car a low amount of miles for a 2009. But for their most recent models, Scotty is 100% correct.
The settlement benefits individuals who bought or leased any of the following vehicles: 2011-2018 and certain 2019 Hyundai Sonata, 2013–2018 and certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and 2014–2015, 2018, and certain 2019 Hyundai Tucson vehicles.
Class vehicles must have been equipped with or replaced with a genuine Theta II 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection engine within OEM specifications. The noted 2019 model year vehicles are eligible if they were manufactured before the Knock Sensor Detection System technology was incorporated into production.
According to the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, some Hyundai vehicles are prone to engine problems due to a defect. Allegedly, the Hyundai engine problems can include engine seizure, stalling, engine failure and engine fire.
The defect involves the connecting rod bearings in the gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. According to the complaint, these connecting rod bearings can fracture and release metal debris into the engine oil. The oil filter is unable to filter everything out, meaning the contaminated oil is circulated through the engine, causing damage to components until the engine fails unexpectedly.
As the connecting rod bearings continue to fracture, the class action lawsuit claimed, “the acceptable tolerances between the bearings, the connecting rod, and the crankshaft rapidly deteriorate,” eventually leading to a “‘knocking’ sound.” In some cases, the piston can allegedly break through the engine block and other engine components can be damaged.
Unfortunately, the plaintiffs claim these incidents have been routinely denied coverage under Hyundai warranties. As a result, plaintiffs and other vehicle owners have allegedly been financially injured by the issue.
Definitely! Each year is different, Do! Your! Research! before buying a car!
Hyundai definitely cheapend out when production moved to the states.
Congrats, stick with it....
Hate to be that guy, but the only car I have ever owned 2 cars that have had any problems before the 150K mark, and they were Notourious: my 15 Focus with the HORRIBLE recalled transmission and a Dodge Neon that blew its head every 50K or so.
Glad to hear you like your car and it is lasting you, but I believe most cars should get you over the 150K threshold without any issues.
Good luck with your car!
As always, it heavily depends on a lot of things that could differ for every single car/owner: where the car is used, when (and where) was it manufactured, how does the owner drive it, etc. US-made H/K cars are notorious for having engine problems, while Korean and European ones are not. Also, some problems can happen because of a particular engine model (e.g. turboed 2.0 or 2.4L Theta II popular in the US but rare in Europe).
