A word about Elantra GT reliability.

tylerpresley · 02-27-2003, 08:00 PM

Well, I just passed the 5000 mile mark in my 02 Elantra GT this week, and I can say that I have a total of ZERO problems with my vehicle (other than the fact that the side window mouldings don't properly wipe the window clean when the window is lowered and raised). Absolutely NO other mechanical or quality issues.

Take note of that J.D.Power and Associates! I bet that even some Hondas and Toyotas have at least one problem within the first 5000 miles!

We'll see how well she holds up as the years go by, but so far so good! Anyone thinking of buying one, I can say I have no reservations about recommending this car.
TYLER

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Kyrol · 02-27-2003, 08:08 PM

I'm almost at 3,000 about 2 days of work and I will be there. No real problems but when I take it from rev to drive once in a blue moon the car stalls. other then that great car so far.

jett8828 · 02-27-2003, 10:24 PM

Well my car has 24,500 miles and the onl problem that I've had with it is that its turned itself into a ding magnet on the sides and it has a front bumber tractor beam on the rear bumper.

Pumbaa · 02-28-2003, 01:42 PM

LOL, ouch, I'll join the Ding Magnet club! I have 2 door dings, one on the drivers door with black paint and one on the passenger side behind the rear tire just above the bumper a dent. I also attract rock while driving at high speeds on freeways with a scratch on the front bumper that is gonna cost $600 to fix. :disappointed:

I just passed 3000 miles and I have only one complaint! The drivers and passenger side door handles leak air. And on a cold day that is bad! I noticed it worse with the sunroof cracked. I'm gonna take it to the dealer and ask about it because I don't think air should leak through the door at all. I think its a faulty weather trim seal.

raZe · 02-28-2003, 02:08 PM

3900 for me, and so far the only complaints I have is the absurd wind sheer I get from anything over 65, the loud sucking noise sucks... and can be heard over everything, even me screaming. The power dip from 4th to 3rd has gotten better, probably due to the engine breaking in.

That aside, I have had no problems. I invested in a hood deflector direct from the factory to hopefully limit the pits I seem to get on my hood from highway use.

irate:

Pacifist · 02-28-2003, 03:06 PM

17000km (about 10000 miles)... car is in great shape, I drive in the cold, mud and snow here (coldest winter in Montreal in 10 years; -40 Celsius a couple weeks ago!) and I don't go easy on it either... I *do* only use synthetic oil though, and let the car warm up for at least 5 minutes in the morning before driving off.

One "problem" I had, that was solved that same day by the dealer: my alternator conked out, leaving the battery light on and with a whirring noise that sounded suspiciously like a turbocharged Buick Regal... went to the dealer and they had it replaced ASAP... all this despite the fact that I'm lowered 2 inches and have a 700w stereo running, which I think may be more than small factors in the alternators' premature death... but the dealer didn't say a word.

I'm extremely pleased with the car in every way, although there are some points that could use improving like the gearshift feel (going from 2nd to first is agonizing sometimes), the interior fit and finish (starting to get some rattles, although again the stereo, lowering spring and exhaust could be an issue) , and fuel economy.

Steve
2002 Hyundai Elantra GTi (Obsidian Black)
17" Rota Sub-Zero (OEM Hyundai Malaysia Rally Spec) with OEM Hyundai Centercaps
2" Apex Sport Springs
Mara straight-though dual-squre-tip muffler
K&N Cone Filter
NGK Wires and Platinum plugs
JVC MP3 Stereo, JVC Composite components, 10" JBL powered sub.
Custom Grill

BlackElantraGT2002 · 03-02-2003, 07:34 AM

My car has about 26,000 miles on it. So far I haven't had any major problems with the car. The biggest problem that I have is that my front passenger side power window will sometimes "stick". That can be fixed by playing with the passenger side switch. The dealer tried to correct this issue by greasing the internal parts, but that didn't do anything.

Another problem that I had was when I rotated/balanced the tires and one of the studs broke off. I don't know if it was the stud itself that was weak or one of the previous mechanics torqued it a bit too much, but that was covered under warranty and was easily fixed.

As some of you have mentioned before, my car is also a ding magnet. It seems like everytime I come home from a shopping center I find a new ding. Oh well, this happens to everyone pretty much.

One big complaint about this car is that I have to keep replacing the damn bulbs. Tonight I had to already replace my tail light bulbs. The headlight bulbs are constantly going out and I've already had to replace the fog lights too. It's an easy fix, but considering the OEM bulb (from any auto parts store) runs between $7.99-$14.99 per bulb, that adds up quickly.

The OEM carpet mats are also of very low quality compared to my other cars. The driver's side mat is worn out so bad where my heel is. There's practically a hole there, but the rubber bottom prevents it from being a complete hole.

For a subcompact, this car gets really crappy gas mileage. Don't buy this car if that's a major issue with you. I drive about 50/50 city/highway, and I only get about 25 mpg. On longer road trips, you may get up to about 33-34 mpg. The engine is not as refined as a Honda/Toyota/Nissan.

Someone had mentioned that it was hard to shift from 2nd to 1st. That's because you're not supposed to be shifting from 2nd to 1st to begin with, not at high speeds at least. That's why you're having trouble shifting . If you try it again next time, shift from 2nd to 1st at a very low speed and you will see what I'm talking about.

If someone wants to buy this car, I would definitely recommend it as far as reliability goes. Even if the car was a dud, you have 10 year/100,000 miles warranty. You can't beat that. I would never have bought a Hyundai if it wasn't for that reason. I think their cars can only improve with time.

For the price of the car, you aren't going to find anything else with all the standard features of the Elantra GT. I also love how no one else has my car, unlike the Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans that are all out there. Once in a blue moon I will see another Elantra GT on the road. Insurance is also higher on this car compared to other cars in the same category. If you don't have much money and are looking for an inexpensive car, the Elantra GT is perfect for you. But, if money is not an issue for you, the other car makers out there make cars that are more fined and have better reliability. Hope this helps.

SuperGLS · 03-02-2003, 07:09 PM

Just hit 10,000 miles last night on my GLS and now complaints at all...

tylerpresley · 03-03-2003, 11:29 AM

Let's be clear about the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. It is actually only a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty. If you want 10 year and 100,000 mile bumper to bumper coverage, you have to pony up abount an extra $1000 for that optional warranty.
TYLER :cry:

raZe · 03-03-2003, 02:38 PM

I said no to that. It's just a kickback for the salesman. In fact, you can get that down the road for 1200 instead of 1000 after 5 years anyway. for 200 bucks, what's the diff.