[Secretariat]

Sad to hear of continuous problems with your car. I knew you were dissatisfied with Hyundai earlier and the issues seem to continue unfortunately.

I have exactly the same car as yours , bought at the same time, but its usage is different - much more highway driving. I have taken the car to all but 4 states in India and after 150,000 kms, I continue to be a happy Xcent owner. My experience of mechanical issues has been the exact opposite of yours - lucky me ! Its "drivability" can only be appreciated on an incredibly narrow lane with a 20% gradient in either McLeodganj or Aizawl !

The AC issue is well known, and years ago I basically gave up that it can be solved. I can manage to live with the awful AC , as in Bangalore the summer is not so bad and my really long drives tend to be in autumn or winter. I noticed the oddly speced tyres within 6 months of purchase and simply changed to a standard spec tyre since then.

Intending to keep the car for more years and hoping to ride the luck. Wishing your luck turns.

[motorlover]

Really sad to hear these problems. I too own an xcent completing 8 yrs. AC has been the only issue. Otherwise it has been such a lovely hassle free car. Plan to keep it for another 2 years atleast.

[vishy76]

It's sad to see such reliability standards being set by a manufacturer like Hyundai. Globally, their overall QC and engineering finesse is actually improving, but it seems to be the opposite here in India.

Coming to the issue with your TC, a friend of mine had similar symptoms on his Grand i10 TC. His car was also a similar specimen with low odo reading. His mechanic advised a change of ATF which solved the issue. The old ATF was in very bad shape.

I would suggest a change of ATF first and foremost. Going after the ECM seems to be a hit and trial method to me atleast and I am not sure how it's going to solve the issue. The ATF used in these cars is MX4 (blue in colour IIRC). It is expensive, but definitely not as expensive as a new ECM.

Cheers,
Vishy

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Might be a good idea to replace the AT transmission fluid as well if the last replacement was done more than 5 years ago.

Originally Posted by vishy76

I would suggest a change of ATF first and foremost. Going after the ECM seems to be a hit and trial method to me atleast and I am not sure how it's going to solve the issue. The ATF used in these cars is MX4 (blue in colour IIRC). It is expensive, but definitely not as expensive as a new ECM.

Thanks guys. Had a discussion with the SA on this and they claim to be 100% sure that the ATF is not causing the issue. That said, I have requested them to change it anyways.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

While I agree that Hyundais have the best in class features across the board, ease of driving is a bit more subjective. I'll agree that the santro and i10 grand are easier to drive than their maruti counterparts, my dad in law had an i20 Elite petrol that was a pain to drive.

I was speaking about my Xcent AT. It's like a WagonR with a boot and coupled to the automatic - a breeze for parents to drive.

The Hyundai manuals do have a difficult, yet light clutch - and if not careful - very easy to wear them out prematurely. So many such examples in the forum.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

I have exactly the same car as yours , bought at the same time, but its usage is different - much more highway driving. I have taken the car to all but 4 states in India and after 150,000 kms, I continue to be a happy Xcent owner.

Originally Posted by motorlover

Really sad to hear these problems. I too own an xcent completing 8 yrs. AC has been the only issue. Otherwise it has been such a lovely hassle free car. Plan to keep it for another 2 years atleast.

Good to hear of happy ownership experiences. :thumbsup We love it whenever it is not giving headaches though - such a perfect car for our use case.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Update

• Two weeks later - the car is still at the Hyundai Service centre.
  
• If that sounds bad, the car was unusable for 47 days from 18th April to 5th June 2020 too - with the crankshaft bolt failure issue. However, the duration was longer back then, also thanks to the lockdowns.
  
• I visited the place yesterday, and thankfully, it is still inside the centre next to the diagnostics machines and not left out in the open. The car is still in good condition.

• Transmission fluid was verified and found to be good.
  
• It is not an isolated issue at this particular centre either. They have another Grand i10 that came in last week with the same complaint and is stuck waiting for the same diagnosis.
  
• They claim to have received a Nios yesterday morning with the same symptoms, but are not very sure if it's the same issue as the scans were yet to be done. I personally doubt it because the Nios comes with an AMT instead of the 4-speed TC.

• With two cars off the road - the issue is escalated and is now waiting for a spare ECM to arrive from the parts centre in Kochi. Will be tested with this ECM before ensuring that is the part to be ordered.
  
• If I'm not happy with ordering the expensive ECM post the diagnosis - they have given the option to try it out my way afterwards - be it just testing out with just the new transmission fluid, or to try and repair the ECM.
  
• CATCON issue is much simpler and nothing to be done than just ordering it. However, they are waiting on this diagnosis to order both parts together.
  
• Once the diagnosis is done once the part is procured from Kochi, I can take the car back (with the issue unresolved of course) and return later once the spares arrive.

Quick search shows this has been a very common issue with the Hyundai 4-speed TC and unfortunately - most cases seem to have ended with expensive fixes (and other cases are in languages I can't understand!). Yet another Hyundai issue that is commonly known globally - but isn't resolved properly by the manufacturer!

https://www.hyundaiforum.com/forum/h...ar-6123/page2/

https://www.hyundaiforum.com/forum/h...3rd-gear-6637/

https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threa...d-gear.658316/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3vYm2vcUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7HinoJKhLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOdKBY5nS70

[Voodooblaster]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Never knew about this Pothens - Kulathunkal connection.

Linked Business:

Perfect Honda (They had a falling out with Honda) -opp Lulu Mall, Tvm
Harry Ford (operated out of the ex Kulathunkal Showroom in Kuravankonam)
Pothen Wheels (MG)
Pothen Autos (Mahindra Kollam)

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Update

Two weeks later - the car is still at the Hyundai Service centre.

Just checking - It's been another two weeks - Any Update?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Just checking - It's been another two weeks - Any Update?

Sitting at the workshop waiting for the ECM to arrive. It's been 41 days since I dropped off the car.

Apparently, the unit will arrive in 2 more days.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Sitting at the workshop waiting for the ECM to arrive. It's been 41 days since I dropped off the car.

Apparently, the unit will arrive in 2 more days.

So they have confirmed that it is an ECM problem ? Did they tell you about the cost ? Is there a goodwill warranty? An ECM failing on its own is very rare. It has to be a manufacturing defect.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

So they have confirmed that it is an ECM problem ? Did they tell you about the cost ? Is there a goodwill warranty? An ECM failing on its own is very rare. It has to be a manufacturing defect.

Yes. The tests were done with a replacement ECM sourced from the regional parts centre in Kochi. Post which ECM was sent for repair twice and both times it came back without any good news. That effort has been scrapped.

New ECM is currently available at Chennai and the order has been placed. Catcon is on backorder, so the ordeal could last another week more easily.

Even the Catcon is nothing but a manufacturing defect - result of parts built to last the warranty period and not much more.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Just realised while replying on another thread -

My Xcent is sitting in the service centre since 53 days! It earlier had another break down that resulted in 47 days of the car being off the road, including 10 days at the service center.

That's a combined 100 days off the road in 30k kms of ownership!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Back home after 69 days!!!

So the Xcent was finally delivered today, after 69 days with partial work completed. This was after I lost patience and told the service manager how hard I plan to escalate the situation. That said - the issue was with Hyundai more than the service centre itself. The A.S.S and the SA in particular have been very helpful and responsive.

Why partial work? Because the catcon is still in backorder. I don't understand why a company like Hyundai can't arrange for a part in as many days!

The issue:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Yet another reliability issue

In the first week of March, started noticing that the car has become sluggish and on one particular occasion - I felt it almost barely made its way up an incline! Could not narrow down the issue at first, but after a couple of drives - realised that the transmission is getting stuck in 3rd gear, and the small engine is just not able to make up for this!

There was also a major jerk in the cabin while shifting to reverse.

Here is a short video that I made to explain it to the SA -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F72rTAmsBjg

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Having been fed up with Popular Hyundai, I took the car to Pothens Hyundai this time around. On the initial scans, they found two errors of which the ECM one seemed more culpable. Anyways, they informed me about the errors, erased them, test drove the car for a few kilometres and asked me to get back to them in case the issue re-occurs, because in that scenario - they would need some time to investigate further detail. No charge for the service provided.

And yet, yet another reliability issue

-

On the 25th, the car was back again at Pothens Hyundai for a different issue, very rough noise from the silencer, experienced only when revving the motor.

Turns out the CATCON was in this state inside, crumbled up like cookies!



Pothens Hyundai provided excellent service once again, cleared the debris properly - ensured there are no error codes recorded due to this and sent me home without any charge levied. However, they also informed that any error codes could cause the engine to go into limp-mode and would require a major expense (and lost time) for sourcing a non-moving part such as the catalytic converter.

The return of both issues!

-

On the 31st, while parking the car after a short drive - both issues returned together to haunt - Reverse suddenly engaged with a big jerk, and the check-engine light came on as well!

Returned the car back to the service center on the 1st.

Work done:

Below is the sequence of events since the car was taken in for the transmission issue:

1. Car was first taken in on the 10th of March. They investigated the error code, removed it and asked to return it if it re-occurs.
2. Then on the 25th of March for the catcon issue.
3. Car was returned to them on the 1st of April 2022 after both issues reoccured.
4. They tried to remove the possibility of the gearbox being the culprit before finally deciding to check the ECM.
5. A spare unit was requested from an old test drive car. Never arrived.
6. After two weeks - a spare ECM was sourced from the Cochin hub and the car was tested to be fine with the spare ECM. The issue was narrowed down to ECM only now.
7. ECM was sent for repair and twice it came back without any luck. An order was placed for a new one.
8. The new ECM arrived and was tested. The gearbox shifting complaint seems to be resolved.
9. But the catcon was still giving continuous CEL and warnings and was also
to be replaced. Both parts were ordered together, but the catcon took a week more to arrive.
10. Catcon finally arrived but in the wrong spec somehow - the unit was not a fit for my Hyundai Xcent. The order had to be placed again and now once again in backorder.

Service Costs:

Short TD impressions post service:

Although too early to tell, at least for now, it looks like the gearbox is shifting without issues. The car was returned washed and vaccumed and almost with the same full tank of fuel that I had given them. But - no amount of vacuum cleaning can hide the damage done - evident with the soiled fabric on the seats!

Looks filthy and needs proper detailing:

My Hyundai dilemma! Why not move on?

With the car stuck at the service station, friends and family have been asking why not dispose of this Hyundai and move on to something else! That reasoning is not without its own logic too!

1. Two mega breakdowns:

Two years (Covid first season) before - it had another break down that resulted in 47 days of the car being off the road, including 10 days at the service center. To be fair to Hyundai though - restricted movement during lockdowns contributed majorly towards the delays back then.

However - including the current issue - that's a total of 116 days off the road in 31k kms of ownership!

The Root Cause: Poor manufacturing quality for long-term use. Failure of critical, but non-wear items like crankshaft bolt, ECM, catcon, etc. And then some nagging quality issues like a weak a/c compressor that requires regular attention, repeated ABS sensor failures etc.

2. The spiralling service costs:

How much does it cost to maintain a Hyundai small car for 31k kms? Apparently ~1.33 lakhs, or Rs 4.14/km, excluding the catcon which is supposed to be another 20k worth of upcoming expense.

Strangely enough - maintaining a diesel Punto for 2L+ kms cost me Rs 3.06L or Rs 1.5/km.

3. The tin-can safety:

The car was bought prior to GNCAP days, hoping the top variant would provide adequate safety with all those features. Now we all know the truth behind that! Hyundai in fact is even worse than Maruti in almost all the segments tested.

Thankfully, the car is barely used on highways. In fact, it is barely used and is primarily used by parents for their hospital visits and city runs.

4. The pathetic FE:

For a small 1.2 petrol - the city FE is just about two-digit figures at best!

The dilemma: Reasons to retain the car

The obvious way out is to change the car. However, the problem is that a change doesn't make any sense - given the very low usage at hand and the steep price increases over the recent years.

1. Low usage:

The car has averaged ~3750kms/year and that figure is only likely to reduce further. Mostly used by parents for mom's hospital visits, and even that is a losing battle against Uber these days due to parking constraints at the hospital. Plus I'm at hometown in the present scenario and the Compass is around as the primary vehicle.

2. Perfect use case.

With all of its defects, the Xcent is still an excellent city (automatic) car - equipped with a smooth 4-speed torque converter transmission, light controls, small size, slab-sided panels and good visibility.

In fact, when we bought the car - it was almost like made to order for our requirements and still continues to be so, except for the reliability aspect.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

1. Had to be an automatic transmission - Father had developed knee issues recently and even the light clutch of our good old WagonR used to give him problems.
2. Should be a newer model in the market - If all goes well, this car might be retained for a very long time.

3. Should feel like an upgrade from our old WagonR VXi.
4. Wait, not just an upgrade, but a sedan this time - Mom only had this one requirement.
5. Sedan? But it should be a sub-4m car with a good turning radius, otherwise U_turn into our garage could becoming a tricky affair on a daily basis - Father's only requirement. Automatic transmission was my requirement for him, he was never convinced of the need for it.

6. Reversing sensor / Camera - This U_turn into our garage is going to be a very tight one, and any electronic assistance would be great. Not a must_have feature since these can be had after_market as well.
7. ABS and airbags - While we are on the topic of must_have features!

8. Quality & Feel good factor - Wife only had this one requirement! The car should feel nice enough for us to use when we visit hometown.
9. Good looks - And I had this one additional requirement over and above the feel good factor - After all it would need to share the space with a FIAT Punto whenever we visit hometown.

10 Good service network - Parents read this as Maruti Swift DZire, however there was no ZXi AT on offer, and I doubt Maruti service centers are equipped to handle automatic transmission cars, in smaller cities like Trivandrum.



Automatic transmission, new model, spacious sedan, but sub-4m/ having tight turning radius, with a good quality feel and looks, and backed up with a good service network -

A small list of big requirements, and thus began the search for our new car - A search for the best compromise that finally ended up with a car that asked for no compromises.

3. The planet of the AMTs:

Very difficult to get a proper automatic these days, with most of the entry-level options being AMT.

We can't go any wider (parking issues with the Compass too at home) and hence some of the options like Jazz CVT, the new Amaze CVT, Kiger/Magnite CVTs etc are not feasible. And also expensive for the use case scenario!

4. Steep Prices

Exchanging to an entry-level SPresso AMT would require another 2-2.5 lakhs. Which sounds ridiculous considering the minimal use of the car.

5. EV prospects

Entry-level EVs are there, but not there yet! The only cheap replacement would be a Tigor EV, which requires an additional 10L for even the base variant. Again, not worth the investment for the limited usage.

The best option forward:

I will hang on for a few more years and wait for the onslaught of the more affordable EVs from either Maruti Suzuki or TATA. With the ECM and Catcon fixed, hopefully, it should buy me a few thousand more kilometres before another major issue.

Fingers crossed!

All said and done - No more Hyundai/Kia long-term ownership for me. There are cars which are a delight to own for the short term, but end up being a pain afterwards - and unfortunately, that summarises my Hyundai experience. Best to sell these off when the warranty period expires.

Tech gets outdated pretty past and what we are left with - is a car with compromised mechanicals underneath - be it in terms of engineering, safety, quality or reliability.

[Rocketscience]

Your ownership experience has been extremely sad and tedious and you clearly have had to go through a lot, is this a one off case of this particular unit being lemon or is this the new norm with the i10 and its derivatives?
In my eyes and experience (after having owned 2 Hyundais in the past and Creta presently) Hyundai has always been almost as reliable and cheap to maintain as the Japanese with great service experience to back it all up but your case suggests its polar opposite.

There are some Hyundai cars in consideration for my wife's next car, 2 of those come with the same engines as yours (Venue and i20), since even the mileage is this dismal and we have plenty of other options to choose from, we can safely drop them from our list now, not that they were ever on top of the list.

[ashenoy]

I too own a white 2015 Xcent SX(O) AT and my experience with Hyundai service in recent years has been similar. Routine service costs are high at around Rs 7 - 8k and replacement part take forever to arrive. At the moment the car is awaiting replacement of a part for the rear door for 3 weeks now. No sign of the part showing up yet.

The second car at home is a 2016 Ford Figo 1.5 DCT, and routine service costs have never gone past Rs. 4k to date.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Your thread highlights the major quality lapse in Hyundais. Availability of spares is always questionable. Sorry to hear about your troubles, it's sad when you have to face such issues with "supposedly" simple cars. This also highlights an important aspect on how Hyundai has managed the media or suppressed voices questioning their quality. Almost everyone who has owned hyundai cars has faced issues around the steering rack, cooling coil, clutch and brake cylinders.etc. These are common across all models. Right from the santro to the Tucson. Unfortunately, the owners of these cars are made to beleive that it's an issue specific to their car.