[iron]

Hi, did Hyundai issue any recall for the steering issue in the 2012 Elantra sold in india??
There was a recall in US and Canada for the same.
I ask because I have come across a October 2012 mfg 1.8 AT Elantra with low kms on the odo.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by iron

Hi, did Hyundai issue any recall for the steering issue in the 2012 Elantra sold in india??

I have a 2013 Elantra . As far as I am aware there has been no recall.They once called me in for a brake pad replacement as there was a grinding sound every time the brake was applied. This was a known issue with the early models of the Neo Elantra.

[Locomotive]

Actually I am not sure if this should be in the long term ownership section or somewhere else.

I have a 2013 Fluidic Hyundai Elantra SX Diesel. It is the top end model with all bells and whistles, including 6 airbags, electric seats, auto headlights, auto dimming mirrors and many other features which, at the time of buying, had really impressed me. The Elantra was however a bit of an arranged marriage for me, a practical mind over heart decision. After my child was born I actually sold off my remapped Linea TJet and bought this as a practical family car/barge. Heck I even employed a driver for a couple of months before I could tolerate the back seat no more. I had to reclaim the driver’s seat to preserve my sanity. But over the years and about 1.06 lakh kms later I have developed a soft corner for this car and really love it for what it is, a reliable, luxurious family car. Overall I have been extremely pleased with the following things,

1. Refined diesel – when it was new, I could barely make out that there was a diesel under the hood. This has deteriorated somewhat but I have to say that it is still more refined than my friends VW diesel. This is one attribute that I really value
2. Very well build interiors. Even after 8 years of almost continuous use, there is not a single rattle inside the car. Yes the doors do not have that German thud but frankly it is way better than what the Korean brand is made out to be. Also the dashboard has genuinely soft touch material on top and has aged rather well. Of course I have never really fancied the fluidic waterfall design language but I have gotten used to it and appreciate the solid quality materials used.
3. The music system is awesome. No there is no subwoofer but in terms of balance the sound is genuinely Hi-fi
4. The engine is quite efficient. I still get about 14kmph on my daily Navi Mumbai to BKC commute. Even with the worst that our city’s traffic could throw at us I have never got below 10kmph.
5. Hyundai’s superb service facilities. No complaints except for the fact that they don’t believe in repairing anything and always insist on eye wateringly expensive replacements. But to be fair to them they have never insisted on an unnecessary replacement.
6. The car still has a good road presence and, while the fluidic design is a bit long in the tooth, the car still comes across as fairly well proportioned. Personally I belong to the understated design school and prefer clean lines but the Elantra has just grown on me. The average person who sees the car however still finds it attractive.
7. The ride is soft and very pliant. However this is also a bit of a problem.

Not so good points

1. The car is softly sprung. Highway mannerisms are not very confidence inspiring. And God forbid if I hit a patch of undulated roads at a good speed, it never fails to extract an endless barrage of profanities from the significant half even after we stop bouncing!! God how I miss my Linea TJet on the highways.
2. In the past 8 years I have had 3 clutch overhauls. This does not speak very highly of my own driving credentials but I can assure you I am not that bad. Might be a case of bad luck as the last one done at about 70,000km has held up fine so far. Fingers crossed..
3. The touch points in the car, i.e. gear knob, steering wheel and driver’s seat are showing visible signs of abuse. The leather steering cover is torn at the point where my right hand holds the steering. Of course I do not hold it against the car itself but I am unable to get them repaired / replaced.

So you can see I do not really have too many problems with the car. It has proved to be the type of car which you do not really notice when it is there but do miss it when it is not. That brings me to the real reason for this ramble. Recently I was considering buying a new car. With that came the prospect of selling the Elantra. But the current market value of this vehicle (5lakhs -6lakhs) got me thinking whether it was worth selling it at all. My family could easily use a 2nd car and no new car in the price range would come close to what the Elantra offers.

However I do realize that it is an old car (that too diesel) and higher maintenance cost would be inevitable. So I want to bounce off the idea that can I do some preemptive maintenance on the car with the aim of extending its life and driveability for another say 75,000 - 100,000 kms. Some things that came to my mind are the following,

1. Improve NHV (get back that original refinement) – perhaps change engine mounts. But what else can I do?
2. Change / Upgrade suspension – I really want to do this. The suspension has gone a bit soft and the car no longer feels as ‘tight’ as it used to.
3. Do something to improve the performance and life of the Engine.

It is in this respect that I would seek the advice of the gurus here. My budget would be about a lakh (say). I do wish to take my Elantra from being loved to being worshipped.

All suggestions are welcome.