[Abhinav667]

We own a 2016 Hyundai Creta Petrol Automatic that we bought new, which has just touched 40,000 kms on the clock. The car is sparsely used for inter city highway trips for the most part and has been diligently maintained at the local authorized Hyundai service centre in Rishikesh. When we bought the car, we went for a Hyundai with a torque converter automatic + a naturally aspirated engine, hoping for solid reliability compared to something like a turbo + DSG combo from other brands that we preferred more. We also picked Hyundai, assuming a lower cost of ownership over the long term, as we like to usually keep our cars for a very long time. However, our Creta has been anything but reliable to own and the out of warranty repair costs are quickly starting to get silly.

Although we love our car and my local service centre support is superb, the reliability with the car over the last year has been atrocious, needing repeated visits to the service centre, and resulting in enormous repair bills.

ISSUE #1

At around 35,000 kms last year, the air conditioner conked off on a highway drive from Rishikesh to Delhi on a hot summer day in May. The car was handed immediately to a Hyundai dealer in Delhi, who diagnosed it as a compressor failure. They changed the compressor, along with all the other components in the AC system, such as the cooling coil, and the total bill came up to Rs. 41,000/-. This already seemed ridiculous on a car with such low mileage, but I have seen countless Grand i10s/Xcents/MK1 Cretas with their dashboards out at Hyundai service centres over the years with this exact issue. So I almost feel like this failure was inevitable – Hyundais of this era are extremely prone to AC issues.

ISSUE #2

Following this, the car had a full service just 900-odd kms later back home in Rishikesh at 36,000 kms on the clock. This was however 3 months after the AC repair and we noticed the exhaust had developed a giant rust hole at the back – another common issue with Petrol Cretas of this era. Replacing the rusted section of the exhaust was suggested by the Hyundai service staff, and it was another 5-figure part replacement that was quoted. The replacement exhaust section was however not available at any of the Hyundai service centres or warehouses nearby, and we were not keen on driving around the car with a boomy exhaust for too long. So we eventually got the rust spot welded by a local repair shop, and then had the exhaust painted in an anti-rust coating from the Hyundai service centre.

ISSUE #3 - The Big One

These niggles on a car with such low mileage were already quite frustrating, but sadly that’s not the end of it. The final gut-punch was delivered to us recently at the 39,500 mark with a head-gasket failure. The Hyundai service staff says this will require opening up the engine to fix it. The repair job was quoted to us at roughly Rs.60,000, as a lot of the components will be replaced in the engine and the head too will require skimming. How an engine at just 40,000 kms requires such an extensive repair is simply incomprehensible to us, and it just shows that the quality of components being used by Hyundai are extremely poor.

The car is driving normally and we haven’t had any overheating whatsoever from the engine – the temperature gauge is something I constantly keep an eye on. However, there are some tell-tale signs of an issue in the cooling system. For example:

1) The radiator tends to go completely dry randomly, despite there being plenty of coolant in the reservoir. If we top-up the radiator, it pushes the coolant back to the expansion tank upon running the engine and eventually goes dry again. This leads to the reservoir being overfilled and it slowly spits all the excess coolant out. The local Hyundai service centre has topped up the radiator twice, only for it to be bone dry again the next day.

2) Even upon parking the car aside for a couple of days after driving, if you open the radiator cap on a cold engine, it burps out air, and spits out coolant from the expansion tank.

3) During cold starts, there is a sound of water gushing out from behind the dashboard. This was the first sign that we picked on. I took the car to the Hyundai service centre immediately, and they just topped up the radiator and sent me on my way again.

4) There was an odd smell from the heater and air-conditioner the first time the radiator went dry.

The local Hyundai dealer kept the car with them for a full diagnosis, checking for error codes and such from the OBD port, and monitoring the thermostat and fan operation, but found nothing wrong there. They eventually got back to us and diagnosed it as a head-gasket failure.

The service staff in Rishikesh also suggested that the AC repair done in Delhi last year may have been the culprit for this failure. They suggested that while disassembling the dashboard and the AC components for the repair, the coolant from the hoses must have leaked out while they were disconnected, which was not re-filled. This would’ve caused the engine to run with no or low coolant, resulting in it to overheat, and eventually cracking the head-gasket.

I called the Hyundai service centre in Delhi to re-verify whether the coolant was topped up after the AC repair, and they said it wasn not. The repair invoice doesn’t mention it either. The service manager justified it by saying the coolant lines have nothing to do with the AC repair, and therefore there was no need to top up the coolant, which is why it was never done. Besides the car was serviced shortly after in Rishikesh, during which they should have checked the coolant levels according to him. He also said the car would’ve never made it back to Rishikesh if there was low coolant.

For a second opinion, we also took the car to another Hyundai service centre in Dehradun and told them about the issues we were having. They said the car was perfectly fine, and only needed a new radiator cap, which was faulty and was causing the issues we noticed. The new radiator cap temporarily fixed the issues, but the signs mentioned above have slowly crept back again, pointing to it indeed being a head-gasket failure.

What should be the next step here? Spending 60k on an engine repair on such a low-mileage car seems ridiculous. If you combine the cost of the AC repair done in May last year with the repair suggested here by Hyundai, that’s over Rs. 1 lakh worth of repairs in a span of a year, on a car that’s clocked just 40,000 kms. Besides, if it’s the negligence of the Hyundai service centre during the AC repair job that has caused this failure, shouldn’t Hyundai fix this under a goodwill warranty? What good is getting my car serviced and repaired through the official outlets if the quality of work undertaken is this negligent?

Besides, even if we shell out for the repair, what’s the guarantee the car will continue to be reliable post this? Is owning a Hyundai just an endless money pit? We have been considering adding another Creta to the family, however this has seriously soured our experience of owning a Hyundai and is making us seriously re-consider our decision.

[promit]

I too had faced the the same - Issue #1 and #2 in our 2016 Creta AT during the 6/7th year. Similar AC issues cropped up in a Grand i10 I had earlier during the 6/7th year as well. Both were cooling coil + condensor issues with full dashboard out jobs.

Issue #3 is bad. Worth involving higher ups from Hyundai and escalating. Especially since all repairs/services are document at Hyundai service centres.

In terms of Hyundai service - they are okay with regular service. Anything out of ordinary I have my reservations. Perhaps due to the sheer volume of cars that come in everyday. That being said I have now found a good HASS in Gurgaon and am comfortable with the level of service now. I felt confident to buy a Hyundai again.

[IshaanIan]

I think Hyundai is often misinterpreted as being a brand that offers reliable cars. They offer good service support and cars loaded to the gills with features but they are simply not as reliable as a Japanese brand’s vehicles and it is sad to see many unassuming customers fall into the trap of thinking Hyundai is a “sensible” choice at the end of the day I wish people would understand the strengths and weaknesses of each brand. If you go for a Hyundai you value features and interior quality along with decent after sales support but that’s about it.

If you drive any na Hyundai petrol motor you would see that they don’t operate as freely as a Japanese engine they feel somewhat uncomfortable at higher rpms unlike a Japanese motor that will allow you to park the tachometer needle as high up in the rev band as you wish all day long.

[RaSing]

Just came back yesterday after a cooling coil replacement and getting the dashboard opened for my Creta 2017 Diesel. Yes, i agree, that the AC is an issue after a couple of years on this one. I paid 11000 for the whole job, including parts and gas of around 5000 and 5000+ for the labour. I saw a couple of more cars coming in for the AC issue.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

1) The radiator tends to go completely dry randomly, despite there being plenty of coolant in the reservoir. If we top-up the radiator, it pushes the coolant back to the expansion tank upon running the engine and eventually goes dry again. This leads to the reservoir being overfilled and it slowly spits all the excess coolant out. The local Hyundai service centre has topped up the radiator twice, only for it to be bone dry again the next day.

2) Even upon parking the car aside for a couple of days after driving, if you open the radiator cap on a cold engine, it burps out air, and spits out coolant from the expansion tank.

3) During cold starts, there is a sound of water gushing out from behind the dashboard. This was the first sign that we picked on. I took the car to the Hyundai service centre immediately, and they just topped up the radiator and sent me on my way again.

4) There was an odd smell from the heater and air-conditioner the first time the radiator went dry.

Mostly, these symptoms are not related to the head gasket issue. If the head gasket leaks, coolant will seep into the combustion chamber which are right next to the coolant channels. The coolant liquid will be burned along with petrol. This will create a white or gray smoke that comes from the tail-pipe constantly. Keep your car running idle for 10 mins or so (Throttle up and release intermittently), if there's no white/greyish smoke from the tailpipe, you don't have to worry about the blown head gasket. Check your engine oil too for any discoloration to rule this out.

To me it mostly appears like, your cooling system needs to be looked into details. Probably a minor leak in hose/radiator/connections/joints, which isn't noticeable, since you are saying smell in the cabin, I would look into the heater core cooling loop first.

[Jeroen]

The only way to diagnose this problem properly is to perform a pressure test. I am surprised they have not done this yet. Takes no time at all, but you do need the correct tool for it.

Good luck

Jeroen

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

The only way to diagnose this problem properly is to perform a pressure test. I am surprised they have not done this yet. Takes no time at all, but you do need the correct tool for it.

Good luck

Jeroen

None of the service centers here have the coolant system pressure test tool!

[motorguy]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

None of the service centers here have the coolant system pressure test tool!

To my knowledge Trident Hyundai has the AC pressure testing tool. Please send me a PM and I can give the manager Venkatesh's number to you. Call him and discuss - he is a very nice person and do I dont have a Hyundai anymore, he has taken care of my previous Elite i20 and older i10 and I havent had any issues with them

[vaibhavyagnik]

You need a combustion gas in coolant tester. You can find one on amazon. However, it is too costly and I do not recommend getting one. A good garage might have one. If the tester says that exhaust gases are leaking in to the coolant, then getting the head gasket replaced is the way.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by motorguy

To my knowledge Trident Hyundai has the AC pressure testing tool. Please send me a PM and I can give the manager Venkatesh's number to you. Call him and discuss - he is a very nice person and do I dont have a Hyundai anymore, he has taken care of my previous Elite i20 and older i10 and I havent had any issues with them

AC pressure testing tool is different from coolant system pressure testing tool. What the latter does is creates pressure in the cooling system by screwing onto the radiator cap or the expansion tank cap. If there is any leak in the cooling system, it will show up with leaking coolant without the need for the engine to be heated up and running. If there is coolant leaking into the cylinder, then a borescope camera can be inserted after the coolant pressure test to check the presence of coolant inside the cylinders. This will indicate if the head gasket is compromised.

Only with major head gasket leak will one get the splash back from the open radiator or expansion tank when the car is cranked. When the leak is minor, there is no splash back.

[Maverick Avi]

A tell tale sign of head gasket leak is greyish precipitate or emulsion on the cap of oil filling chamber. The signs you have mentioned does indicate a head gasket issue indeed. It can be fixed by a good FNG as well and is definitely not worth a 60K job.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

For a second opinion, we also took the car to another Hyundai service centre in Dehradun and told them about the issues we were having. They said the car was perfectly fine, and only needed a new radiator cap, which was faulty and was causing the issues we noticed. The new radiator cap temporarily fixed the issues, but the signs mentioned above have slowly crept back again, pointing to it indeed being a head-gasket failure.

First you need to confirm if it is a faulty head gasket that is causing the coolant level to go down. On a cold engine with the radiator cap open, crank the engine. Does the coolant spray out? If yes, definite head gasket leak

With the engine running, do you see smoke/steam from the radiator cap? Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlY402PECyA

This also means the head gasket is shot.

A shot head gasket, although needs the cylinder head to be opened, does not need the head to be skimmed, unless the car overheated and warped the head. In this scenario you are looking at a much higher bill. Else, cleaning the contact surface with scotch brite and detergent is sufficient before putting in a new head gasket.

A white smoke from the exhaust when the engine is running also means a faulty head gasket with coolant getting burnt.

[Mortis]

Ideally if the coolant was getting into the combustion chamber, you would definitely see white smoke.
If it's somehow bypassing this and getting into the oil, then the oil volume would be above normal for sure judging by the volume of coolant disappearing you mentioned and also the old would look like a cream.
I also suspect a coolant leak from somewhere, maybe around the heater core or water pump elbow.

You would need to do some testing, both for yourself and for us so that we can help you out.

1) First check the oil level and consistency.
2) Top up the water and run the engine and once it's warm, increase the revs and check for white smoke.
3) Turn of the engine and check for puddles of water underneath. If there is any then you have a leak that isn't in the head gasket.

4) If there is indeed a head gasket leak, you can try a coolant leak stop type additive product. Some of them work pretty decently and are worth a shot for a couple of thousand rupees.
It will give you time to find a good FNG to carry out the gasket replacement. If nothing else has been damaged, it definitely won't cost you Rs 60k just to replace the head gasket.

[Abhinav667]

Thank you for your replies everyone. The car has been driven for a couple of hundred kilometres since the diagnosis and it continues to drive like normal. There is no white smoke from the exhaust, the oil seems to be consistent with no milky texture, but the coolant in the radiator does bubble if you run the engine with the radiator cap open - as was tested in front of me by the Hyundai mechanics.

The other symptoms that I had previously reported - like the water sloshing sound from behind the dashboard on a cold start also persists. Also, the coolant sprays out from the reservoir tank even if you open the radiator cap with a cold engine, so there is definitely some air trapped in there. Unfortunately none of the garages and Hyundai service centres near by have a coolant system pressure testing tool to confirm the head gasket failure. Based on the symptoms, I believe it's a very minor head gasket crack that will likely worsen over time.

We could get the car repaired from an FNG, but Rishikesh doesn't exactly have the best options around and we don't trust any non-authorised repairs. The local Hyundai service centre insists that it is definitely a head gasket failure. According to them a lot of the parts that are replaced - like the pistons - are more of a preventative replacement, as in the case of a head gasket failure, they are likely to be warped. Even if the parts have developed a minor intolerance and they are not replaced, there is a risk of an engine failure down the line. What should I do in this case? Should I just keep driving the car till it gives up, post which I will have to shell out for repairs anyway?

My main concern here is if this whole issue was caused due to the negligence of the Hyundai service centre in Delhi during the AC repair by not topping-up the coolant, which was drained when they disconnected the hoses, shouldn't Hyundai step in and fix this? I had not even thought of this possibility, until my local Hyundai service centre brought it up.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

, I believe it's a very minor head gasket crack that will likely worsen over time.

Very likely. It will definitely get worse over time. These small head gasket leaks often behave a little unpredictably. They might not leak with the engine warmed up or vice versa.

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

We could get the rcar repaired from an FNG, but Rishikesh doesn't exactly have the best options around and we don't trust any non-authorised repairs. The local Hyundai service centre insists that it is definitely a head gasket failure. According to them a lot of the parts that are replaced - like the pistons - are more of a preventative replacement, as in the case of a head gasket failure, they are likely to be warped. Even if the parts have developed a minor intolerance and they are not replaced, there is a risk of an engine failure down the line. What should I do in this case? Should I just keep driving the car till it gives up, post which I will have to shell out for repairs anyway?

It is highly unlikely that with such a small leak anything other than the head gasket needs replacing. Even with a full blown head gasket failure damage to other parts is minimal as long as your engine doesn’t overheat for too long. If it does, the cilinderhead might be warped and wil need skimming.

The small crack will develop in a full blown crack over time. So the earlier you get it fixed, the less likely it is to have any other components and or parts damaged.

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

My main concern here is if this whole issue was caused due to the negligence of the Hyundai service centre in Delhi during the AC repair by not topping-up the coolant, which was drained when they disconnected the hoses, shouldn't Hyundai step in and fix this? I had not even thought of this possibility, until my local Hyundai service centre brought it up.

A head gasket crack doesn’t develop by itself. At least not at this sort of mileage. But it is almost always a result of overheating. If they did not fill the cooling system properly you would have noticed the engine overheating.

So to be blunt, if they did not fill the system properly, it is likely you might not have noticed the engine overheating.

So best to see if you can agree some middle ground, maybe they are willing to help out.
Good luck
Jeroen