[RahulNagaraj]

Thanks to Santanu Kumar for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Has anyone faced an engine failure on your New Hyundai I20 (2021 model)?

My new I20's Engine has failed due to a manufacturing defect. It has done just 1400kms on the odometer.

[Needs an Engine Replacement Now]

Model: All-new (2021) Hyundai I20 IVT (Sportz 1.2 Petrol)
Manufacturing Year: 2021
Date of delivery: March 11, 2021
Km Driven to date: 1400kms
Purchased from: Advaith Hyundai, Residency Road, Bangalore.

Just being a couple of months old and driven for hardly 1400 km, on 15th July 2021 (Thursday) this brand new car of ours refused to start.

We called Hyundai support, and on the next day, a Hyundai technician arrived at our location to diagnose the issue.

He checked the below parameters:

1. Battery (it was good)
2. Starter motor was good as the car was cranking (all good)
3. All fuses and relays including the fuel pump’s relay (all good)
4. Fuel pressure intake into the engine (all good)
5. Blockage for air intake and exhaust pipe (all good)
6. Sparking of all 4 spark plugs (all good)
7. Any physical wire cuts (all good)
8. Checked the grounding on the engine (all good)

After checking all these parameters, the technician finally said,

“Sir, everything looks absolutely perfect, even I am surprised why the car is unable to start, It could be a manufacturing defect, which is in fact very surprising, especially on the i20. However, you will have to get the car towed to the Hyundai Authorized service centre", and he charged Rs 400 for this.

We called the Hyundai RSA, They did send a towing vehicle.

That was the next surprise from Hyundai showing their pseudo concern towards their own customer.

The towing vehicle which was supposed to take a brand new vehicle ideally is a flatbed vehicle on which the car would be carried, but the towing vehicle which came to tow our brand new car was the one that didn’t have a flatbed. Instead, it is the one that lifts the front axle and pulls the rest of the car on the road, just like how the traffic police forcefully pull an offensively parked car (I am sure you would have seen those).

When we had newly bought the car, I remember people from our street was looking out in joy and happiness, and when being towed away like this (as if the bank is ceasing our car forcefully), it was such a moment of shame and insult to our family. We were unable to face our neighbours after that. Embarrassing!

Once the car reached the ASC (Blue Hyundai, Hesarghatta Road, Bangalore), that’s when I observed that the towing vehicle didn’t have a proper mudguard / flap on their vehicle which resulted in throwing all the mud slush on our white car’s bonnet and front bumper. Painful isn’t it?

A day later, I received a call from the service advisor (Blue Hyundai, Hesarghatta Road, Bangalore), stating the engine of my brand new has a manufacturing defect and will need a replacement, which could take at least a month's time.

We were completely shocked on hearing this, after boasting ourselves around the reliability of the Hyundai cars.

Below are the points, which I kept in front of Hyundai:

1. Replacement of the engine should happen under warranty.

2. While replacing the engine with a new one, I would strongly recommend you maintain the engine number as similar as the old one. Else, the vehicle is absolutely illegal on road with a different engine number on the RC (Registration Certificate)

3. If you are not able to produce a new engine with the same engine number, do replace the car with a new one, where the customer shall not bear even a single penny on its registration, insurance and any other value-added packages.

4. Do not repair the same old engine and send it back to us.

5. Do replace the jack lift of my car with a new one, which was damaged during your towing process.

6. The replacement of the engine and service history records related to this job should be removed from Hyundai’s centralized service history database after the replacement, as it will reduce the resale value of my car, for the mistake done by the manufacturer.

7. Do come out with compensation from the manufacturer for pushing us onto the edge of nightmare, insult & embarrassment and also factor that we cannot be using our own new car for a month's time.

Why should the customer suffer for the mistake done by the Manufacturer!!!

Sorry to say this, after this experience of mine, I lost hope in Hyundai.

Source: Hyundai India i20 Owners Club

[abhishek46]

This 1.2L Petrol lump is known to be a fairly reliable lump.
My erstwhile i10 had the first generation of this lump, and it ran absolutely fine for 10years, before it was sold.
It's shocking to see it fail, that too in ~1000 odd Kms.

Nevertheless, In all likelihood, Hyundai may replace the Engine in entirety.
However, the engine number would definitely be different.

[praveen789]

It is definitely bad luck to get such a major problem within 1 month of ownership but I think Hyundai is handling it well by replacing the engine and not doing a repair job.

I feel the owner is blowing it out of proportion with such statements:

"and when being towed away like this (as if the bank is ceasing our car forcefully), it was such a moment of shame and insult to our family. We were unable to face our neighbours after that. Embarrassing!"

-- really? technical issues do not happen? what is to be embarrassed about that?

"Instead, it is the one that lifts the front axle and pulls the rest of the car on the road, just like how the traffic police forcefully pull an offensively parked car"

-- most of the towing vans are such. Unless you want a flat bed for a rear wheel drive, normal towing vans are totally ok for a front wheel drive for short distances.

"which resulted in throwing all the mud slush on our white car’s bonnet and front bumper. Painful isn’t it?"

-- see the pictures. More muck flies on the vehicle when driving behind a truck or a bigger vehicle. Nothing that a simple wash cannot clean.

"While replacing the engine with a new one, I would strongly recommend you maintain the engine number as similar as the old one."

-- what does this request even mean? It is not a PAN card that a new one will be issued with the same number

[gkveda]

I suggest, as a proactive measure, write a strong mail to Hyundai and ensure they are completely involved in providing a resolution to this problem.

Dealer is not solely responsible for this issue. Hyundai has to own it and solve. Also, they need to be transparent right from identification of issue till resolution.

In my view, if car is less than 2000 kms old, engine should be replaced fully with out utter of a single word. And Hyundai has to own the cost of RTO for engine number change etc. Customer should not be charged even one single paisa.

Thirdly, ask for a stand-by car till repair is complete. Don't agree for your insurance claim.

[nitkel]

This is one of the many posts I have seen here where a brand new Hyundai has suffered an engine failure! I believe that all Team-BHP reviews of Hyundai cars should have a note about possible engine failures/reliability issues in the "Cons" section, just like we do for DSG equipped cars. Hyundai has been given too much of a slack here, I feel!

[svsantosh]

Looking at the soot on the piston head I wish i could say they mated a diesel block with a petrol head! I dont think any petrol combustion chamber will go that sooty in a 1000Kms.

[Loba_Andrade]

Am I the only one who feels that the carbon deposits on the piston head are off the charts for a 4 month old car with hardly 1500 kilometers on the odometer?
Also, the deposits look soft and wet to me so part of the reason could be faulty piston rings but faulty piston rings on all 4 pistons is highly unlikely IMO. Eagerly waiting for Hyundai's diagnosis on this one.

[sumeethaldankar]

Sorry to read about this. Ask for Hyundai the below.
1. A courtesy car till they get your car back. They are entitled to give you one till they fix the issue.
2. Extended warranty without additional cost.

I doubt Hyundai will agree to the second one, but do push hard for same.

Good luck.

[Nanolover]

Don't know for sure, but looking at the soot in the engine head, by any chance was diesel filled instead of petrol? I am no expert, but gasket looks alright to me, so does prima facie - the engine manufacturing, in the sense no visible defects metallurgy wise..

[vrprabhu]

Is there something here more than what meets the eye?

'Engine failure' seems to be a vague / broad description - shouldn't there be some reason stating exactly which caused the engine failure?

What was the driving experience prior to this? Were the tell tale / warning lights functioning normally? Any inputs would be appreciated.

Besides, I haven't yet come across a situation where the technician says 'engine breakdown' - they usually tell that the fault can be diagnosed only after the vehicle is taken to the workshop.

Last, but not the least, the whole engine seems to have been taken apart - which is usually the last resort when nothing else is pinpointed; OR, the engine (cylinders) is seized - which would have been apparent on opening the head.

As somebody mentioned, wrong fuel used??

[vinair]

Looks like the owner or someone who's driven the vehicle has chosen the wrong fuel. Looking at the piston head, I strongly speculate this to be the root cause. Hope I am wrong and the owner gets to know the actual issue here.

I am sure Hyundai will never own the issue (if it's indeed a manufacturing defect). It will surely make the customer the scapegoat here. For PR reasons, may provide a replacement or free repair and make it look like it's all the owner's fault and Hyundai played an angel!!

Hyundai dealerships in Bangalore are notoriously known for fleecing their customers!

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

Thanks to Santanu Kumar for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

hyundaii20enginefailure1.jpg

hyundaii20enginefailure19.jpg
(tow truck photos above)

A very pitiable and sad predicament for the owner to have innocently landed in this quagmire, courtesy a Hyundai triggered manufacturing defect !

It is shocking to see the Hyundai dealer using a most likely, hired mini-truck of the Tata Ace class to tow the i 20. And the towing truck has a crude cast iron linkage to be fixed to the jack lift of the car with the potential to cause damage.

Company officials regularly visit their dealerships and authorised service centres for inspections to check if the desired standards are being met and the specified procedures for sales/ service are being followed or not. Every dealer must be compulsorily required to acquire a new flatbed with company certified specifications for ferrying defective cars of the brand from other locations to the dealer.

For instance, my friend who owns a Hyundai authorised service station is paid visits by company officials periodically, who certify that the requisite conditions are being adhered to. The same workshop was repairing other makes of new generation cars, till it got this "authorised service centre" status. Some cars of "non Hyundai" makes were parked in the initial years (old customers) and the Hyundai officials issued warnings that this would not be tolerated.

Hence, the company enforces such standards on its dealers and authorised service centres, but for towing we see crude mini trucks that are meant to transport goods, vegetables and animals.

At the same time, the owner needs to issue a legal notice through a lawyer listing all the only reasonable requirements to be met by the company/dealer with the demand for a new engine and that the company has let the owner down for no fault of his, after the car has been carefully driven with utmost precautions to be observed during the initial running-in period.

Lastly, please let the lawyer say them in clear terms that in case the requirements as listed above in this legal notice are not complied with (within the time frame - set a reasonable time frame), the owner will be compelled to seek adequate compensation in a competent court of law for the torment, agony, inconvenience and total dislocation of schedules due to the car getting fully grounded with a manufacturing defect and also claim the cost price of the car w.e.f the date of payment for the purchase with a penal interest of 12 % till the date of repayment.

[Raghu M]

Sad to hear. Feel sorry for you. That car looks great but having a weak or broken heart is totally surprising. While it's good that Hyundai has acknowledged the problem and agreed to fix it, I don't think you will get the replacement engine with the same no. They will most likely not do it. So, please don't get pushy on that. The request can take months altogether to go to Hyundai and you will be left with no car until then before they finally disagree to your demand. I think through a broker, you can get that done in RTO.

You need your car back and the sooner the better. It is very likely that the assembly of the engine was not done in the right way (like other Bhpians pointed out). Keep a close watch on how they proceed with the fix. Insist to be present when the new engine is mounted. This is not a good experience at all but keep calm, stuff like this happens and it will surely end well. Good luck.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by nitkel

This is one of the many posts I have seen here where a brand new Hyundai has suffered an engine failure!

The owner has requested examples of others having faced this issue.

Are there other such cases? Do share the other posts of brand new Hyundai suffering an engine failure - good to call it out if we have even a few more cases.

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

The owner has requested examples of others having faced this issue.

Are there other such cases? Do share the other posts of brand new Hyundai suffering an engine failure - good to call it out if we have even a few more cases.

Though not specific to the new i20, here are some of the reported cases I could find:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...s-new-car.html (Defective new Verna 1.6 AT - Hyundai wants to change engine, owner wants a new car)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-replaced.html (Yet another defective Hyundai Verna requiring an engine replacement. EDIT: Car replaced!)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...hin-month.html (Hyundai Verna develops faults, replaced with new car within a month)

Curiously, a ditto case reported on a 2011 i20 by bhpian maverick145!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...-1500-kms.html (New Hyundai I20 Petrol - Engine + ECU trouble - Car breaks down 1500 KMS)