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-   -   Hyundai i20 1.2 Asta - A rattled up year of ownership- UPDATE: rack replaced (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/89706-hyundai-i20-1-2-asta-rattled-up-year-ownership-update-rack-replaced-11.html)

Some quick queries for wildon.

1. Where exactly are the rear AC vents located. I've seen your images and have tried frantically to search the same in my sportz variant.

2. The car does not auto lock at all after I remove the keys and step out. I've tried waiting for 2 minutes actually! Does this also have to be activated at the service center via GScan?

3. I'm planning an upgrade to the headlamps. I am assuming that this will not void any warranty but does it have to be done at the service center itself? Can't I get this done at an outside workshop?

Yes, adjusting the steering wheel for rake & reach was tried as well. I tried driving the car one the same roads with the steering wheel at different positions.This was discussed thoroughly by various members in CW forums.

It seemed to work and rattle was not there for a while but the rattling started again soon. Changed the position, again seemed to work and then it started again. This feedback was provided to the Junagadh workshop, don't know if they ever passed it on to the company.

Whatever false assurances and misleading fixes that Hyundai gave, the bottom line is that there is a design defect in the steering system of the car.

Under the front seats

There is no auto lock feature after "you step out of the car" available at all.

Here are the photographs showing rust formation near the rear glass on the hatch door.

I will have to get this repaired ASAP, It is clear the rear glass will have to be opened up again to repair these rust spots:Frustrati

The last picture is of our old Swift ZXi's hatch door, which had to be changed after and accident. There was not even a single rust spot on the old door nor was there any rust formation on the new door on which the glass was fitted.

Drive to Rajkot today on a very foggy morning- visibility was less than 3 meters at some places.

Got a nice looking Hyundai keychain from E-bay:)

After many attempts of making a video clip of the steering rattle, I was able able to get the steering rattle sound in a video clip using my mobile phone.My earlier attempts at recording the same using my digital camera weren't successful.

I kept my mobile phone on my lap near the steering column and it was able to register the rattle sound coming from the steering column/rack. The audio quality is surprisingly very clear and the steering rattle (Kat kat kat sound)can be clearly heard.

Now, the trouble is, it is in 3gp video format and nearly 65 MB in size. It is almost impossible for me to upload it on youtube as it is thanks to my wretched internet connection. I will try again to make a new recording, keeping the video resolution low, that should help in keeping the video clip file size down.

Does anyone know of any video compression software? The compression must not cause any loss in audio quality, video quality loss is acceptable. Any help is highly appreciated.

Why not make a audio clip.Since the sound is important and not the video,rip the audio from the video using software like "total video converter".It will allow you to create a mp3 audio file from a video clip.Even after the conversion if the audio file size is large then use any mp3 cutter to clip the audio to the required length,ie,the section of the audio where the rattling sound is present

Due to lack of time & busy work schedule, I could not upload this video earlier to Youtube. Anyway, here's the video recording of the steering rattle in my i20, in which you can clearly hear the steering rattle.

YouTube - Hyundai i20 steering rattle

Turn up your speakers to hear the rattle sound, which actually is much louder than recorded in the video. The rattle can be prominently heard between the following time periods in the video:
1. 10 seconds to 16 seconds.
2. 21 seconds to 26 seconds

I was forced to record this as proof of existence of steering rattle after the company simply refused to acknowledge the presence of steering rattle in my car, instead I was being referred to as jhik jhik wala and that I "hear" things.

I did send this video to the RO. Their only reply was that there is some rattle present and that it needs to be checked at the workshop. It is the same rattle for which I have been breaking my head with Hyundai for the past year. For the same rattle, the car underwent so many replacements and experiments.

Anyway, due to the lack of free time, I am unable to take the car to the workshop. Once I take the car to the workshop for this, I know I will be in for the same old circus of replacements and tightening of things, only for the rattle to re-appear:Frustrati

About 15 days ago, my Father bought a silver 1.2L i20 asta for my Mother. Even after constant urging from my side , not to buy this car, my Father still bought it for my Mother. About 2 months ago, we're test driving various hatchbacks in the market, me and my Mother choose the VW polo. Yet, my Father and my younger brother somehow overturned my Mother and my chosen car, and persuaded my Mother to buy a Hyundai i20 1.2L asta!. My younger brother drives Hyundai Verna and since my Father 2 liked that car, a lot. He was inclined to buy a Hyundai hatch.

The fact, is after driving i20 asta 1.2l for 600 km-- mostly driven by me and my younger brother-- both concur that that this cars suspension and steering would begin rattle quite early, my brother tentatively says after 10000 k.m mileage!. My brother, now feels that he made a stupid mistake in advising along with my Father to buy this car!. As for me, i wont worry a lot since one had forewarned them before, about these issues, as you had highlighted in your post.

What I want to ask is: Unlike our Hyundai Verna, in which when we lock the car using the knob for central locking on driver side, before closing the door. The car gets locked without using the romote key for locking.
But, the same thing doesnt happen in i20. Why?

I have tried so many times, pressing the central lock knob on driving side when door is open and the moment i shut the door the car isnt locked. I have to use the remote key to lock the car.

skanchan95 your report hasn't gone unheard. It has already cost Hyundai 2 customers (me and my friend). My friend is also in market to buy new car, I will forward him this thread and your video. Btw, does this sound also comes on smooth roads or only on rough road?

edit: you can download media converter software (open source and free) from http://media-converter.sourceforge.net/ to convert your videos. I think Hyundai corporate knows about this problem but they are avoiding it just to save their money and image. Recently Honda recalled its car to fix the problem and so that tata, i would rather buy car from these manufacturers as they have courage to acknowledge and fix the problem where as Hyundai is hiding and running away from the manufacturing / design flaws in their car which they sold you.

I also feel terrible about your experience at Hyundai dealers service center and how they ignored you.

You can even use the 'windows movie maker' which comes with windows to edit & change file size of videos.

The sound is there only on rough roads.

But now another issue has started with the steering. Sometimes the steering makes a loud click sound if I turn the steering slightly to the left or right( not full lock) - This happens when the car is in motion at slow speeds. When this sound comes, it feels as if something is very loose inside the steering column.

All these issues that I am facing are long term effects of the steering rattle. Again, if I tell Hyundai this, they will not believe it and I will be required to make a video of it for "proof":Frustrati because believe me, they have asked for it before.

I am planning to take the car to the workshop early next month to get all the issues addressed and "checked".

Meanwhile, I recieved many e-mails regarding the steering rattle video I uploaded to youtube and the video I e-mailed to fellow i10/i20 owners who are troubled by this steering rattle issue. Whoever responded concurred that it is the same rattle noise that they hear from their i10s and i20s. Even they are sick & tired of Hyundai's non-response and inability to fix the issue. They don't know what to do. A couple of them probably did the wise thing and sold off their cars after they lost hope that there will ever be a fix for this steering issue.

I don't know what shockingly low price awaits us as and when we decide to sell this car. The second hand car market knows of the steering issues in i20 and from what I have come to know, the price for a second hand i20 is not that encouraging.

Yeah well, the RO in Ahmedabad and the company too are to be blamed for this. They are defending an incompetent WM and workshop in general and they fully well know that their "authorised" workshop in Junagadh does not deserve to be called a authorised service station.

They believe that I am a 'paagal' & 'jhik jhik waala'. Some of the e-mails I sent to them were being deleted directly without being read and I found it deeply disgusting and disturbing. Below is the copy of "not read receipt" I received( after I asked for a read receipt in my e-mail using my e-mail client). If someone reads the message and you have requested a read receipt, you get a return e-mail automatically with a "Read" in the subject line. In this case, my e-mail was deleted without being read and the person who did this may not even have realised that he sent a "not read" receipt back. I would not like to name the person from HMIL who did this very "noble" act.

See this:

When these people who are sitting in "responsible" positions in HMIL start doing this, where else does one turn to give complaints?

Update:

Got the car back yesterday after servicing and resolving other issues. I am afraid the steering rattle issue still persists.

On Friday last week(06 May 2011), we left the car at Shreenath Hyundai, Rajkot( which is around 180 kms drive from Veraval) for servicing and to address some issues(as mentioned below)

1. Servicing - The servicing work, as on the previous occasion with Shreenath, was superb. All the pedals have a crisper feel to it. Engine has become much more smoother and responsive. Full marks to them.

2. Steering Rattle - I am afraid the rattle has reduced but is still audible. They have worked on it and have tried their best, but the rattle still persists - clearly indicating there is something horrible wrong in the system itself.Took two TDs with the mechanics. I made sure that the exact rattle is made clear to them. They admitted that they could hear the rattle as well. They were quite frank and polite when the gave the answer to it. They said they can't really do anything else. They said, for making me happy, they said they could tighten it but the rattle will start again. What else could I say to them? Deja Vu!!!!!

Though they did not admit it, their helplessness in getting rid of the rattle clearly indicates there is a manufacturing defect and/or design fault in the steering system. I also told them that this rattle only gets worse with time, to which they simply nodded.

Then a little birdie told me that the new Verna too may have the same rattle sooner or later as it has a similar steering unit as in the i20s.

So as of today, the situation remains as it was before, though the rattle has reduced. Only days later, I am sure it will back at its loudest.

3. Dust accumulation inside the speedometer - Speedometer was opened and cleaned.

4. New Tyres - Four new Bridgestone B250 185/65R14 tyres installed(Rs 3900 per tyre)

5. Loose Alloy wheel hub cap - New hub cap - Rs 508

6. Replacement of dashboard central console - The whole plastic console ( which, as reported earlier, was damaged by the great men at Om Hyundai, Junagadh) has been ordered and will soon be arriving at the workshop after which it will be replaced. Although many may question this, but the ugliness of the dashboard console and the passenger airbag display unit really bugs and pains me. Hence the decision to get the plastics & passenger airbag display unit replaced.

7. Rusting on the hatch door - Painted without opening the rear glass.

8. Driver's Side Fog lamp not working - Fixed

9. Noise from the rear wiper while operating - The blade has worn out and has to be replaced. Was advised to get it changed during monsoons.


Conclusion -

1. The servicing work on the car by them was impeccable. There was a significant change in the way the car was behaving after service. The less I say about previous services at Om Hyundai, Junagadh, the better:Frustrati. During a service, the only things that those highly "qualified" engineers at Om Hyundai, Junagadh were doing was to change the fluids. They never checked the pedal settings or the engine, to which I should probably be thanking the heavens!!!

2. Steering Rattle issue not solved. I don't think it ever will. Only way to end this misery is probably getting rid of the car. Till then, this vicious circle will continue. I don't think the Hyundai "higher ups" will ever take this complaint seriously enough to solve it nor do have the guts to stand up to their Korean bosses over this very shameful issue. Loose talk like " next time steering rattle crops up, we will come to your residence to solve it" didn't make us happy either. For get the rattle, when the EPS malfunctioned and the car lay stranded at home for nearly a month, there was no help whatsoever from Hyundai.

It is now proved that car's steering rattles and not that I "hear" things or cause "jhik jhik". The car had this rattle from the beginning itself. IT UNDERWENT STEERING RACK CHANGE TWICE, STEERING COLUMN CHANGE ONCE AND UNDERWENT COUNTLESS NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTS & OPERATIONS. In between, as per the WM in Junagadh, the rattle sound magically kept on changing from steering noise to suspension noise to dashboard noise. All stupid & lame excuses!!!!

Six and half lakh rupees wasted on a car that rattles this bad!!!!! It was a serious blunder to let go of our Old Swift and instead buy this uber rattler i20. The way certain individuals in Hyundai behaved didn't help things either.

It pains me to say that resolution of an issue with car just makes me feel relieved rather than happy, such has been the frequency at which issues kept on cropping up with the car and the way I was treated by Hyundai over the past year.

Sorry no pictures. Haven't really had the time to click pics. I am flying off to Mangalore tomorrow. Shall be able to report on other aspects of the car later after driving the car thoroughly.

After listening to the audio, I was wondering if there is something similar on Hyundai ?

1. Steering bush - which is there is Maruti 800s and other cars.

If you could see if that can be replaced ? Its is not a very simple bush but something similar to ones on suspension mountings.

Well, they had replaced the entire steering rack assembly twice( including tie rods), steering column once and did all sort of circus with the car to get rid of the rattle. But the rattle kept on coming back. So I feel there is design/manufacturing defect that it causing this rattle to keep coming back like a khota sikka.

In the absence of any new "fix" , I assume they have given up on the issue and have let it remain as it is.

Anyway, I have just wasted too much of time, money and patience with Hyundai. We will see what happens in the court. Those Hyundai people had told us that they would come back again to see the car if the rattle crops up again. Since then there has been nothing but silence from them inspite of the issue being made clear to them so many times. It is foolish to expect anything from Hyundai :Frustrati

am just an i10 owner with the same chronic EPS problem. This EPS issue will be their firestone and typical korean method of service and product quality will be showcased.

Well the honeymoon is over, Sadly, this is my first car and it has been terrible with the V3 hyundai guys, just got off the phone with their service manager and still the issue exists, with him saying its not a problem when the steering is d**n hard! what cheek!

They will get their own just reward someday screwing customers like this. For now, i cannot in good conscience ever recommend Hyundai or this V3 Hyundai dealer to anyone in Chennai.