The dealer is correct. Bulbs are not covered beyond 1 year/12k miles,
except your headlamp bulbs which are covered for 5/60.

In all sincerity, everyone should read the warranty section of their
owner's materials. First, it'll help you know whether you wish to take
the car to the dealer, take it somewhere else, or even attempt repairs
yourself. Second, you'll be able to know the veracity/correctness when
the dealer says items are/are not covered by your warranty.

Many dealers will replace bulbs for the cost of the part when not covered
by warranty as a courtesy, but nothing requires them to do so. They have
every right to charge labor for everything their technicians spend time
doing. I typically install bulbs at no labor charge unless especially
difficult or I feel the customer is taking advantage.

Don't worry about the small stuff. I just found out today that you
need to replace the timing belt at 60,000 and that if you don't, it is
likely to ruin the engine if it breaks. I was quoted $800 for parts
and labor for my 2002 XG350L..

I checked around and found I could get the work done in another city
for less than $500.

It's still a shock to have a service item cost that kind of money.

I've bought my last Hyundai.

How about timing belt? Today, I was quoted $800 to do the 60,000
replacement service on my 2002 XG350L.

That was a total surprise. I found the same thing for $399 about 2
hours away.

Most vehicles on the market today have timing belts and require regular
changes over the life of the vehicle.

OTOH, my Astro's 4.3 V6 and my wife's Malibu 3.1 V6 both have timing
chains. This advantage is unfortunately offset by the suckey
transmissions Chevy makes.

--

'While you can quibble about whether bulbs should be covered under
warranty (they're supposed to be for the first 12 months), if you can't
****be bothered to change your own bulbs, you deserve to get
soaked for $21.
'

REPLY: I would have replaced the bulbs myself, EXCEPT the Service
Advisor at the Dealership said 'it was covered' ; so, i took it in only
for the Service Manager to tell me it wasnt. By then, they had changed
the light bulb and i had to part with $21 . Of course the next time one
goes , i will do it myself. I just think that saying a car is 'bumper
to bumper' waranteed , is a little misleading. I expect to pay for oil ,
filters, etc...but not light bulbs ...especially 2 within 3 months just
over 12 k. miles.

I've owned GM's for decades before recently buying a 2004 Sonata and I've
never had to replace a timing belt as a matter of routine maintenance. I've
changed them because I was in there for something else, but that was totally
discretionary. My cars typically go for around 250,000 miles and they're
still running on the factory timing belt. As you say below, some aren't
belts, some are chains, but those that are belts have not required changing
at 60,000.

So- in all of my research prior to buying this Sonata I had not discovered
that they require a timing belt every 60,000 miles. Does this apply to all
Hyundai's or only to certain motors?


Hey - that tranny isn't sucky. We had a Malibu that the Hyundai replaced as
my wife's car, and the Malibu is now my daughter's car. It was a
disappointing car in a lot of respects and I'd never buy another Malibu, but
I certainly wouldn't complain about the tranny. It's crisp and it runs
trouble free forever as long as you never let it get thirsty for ATF. GM
trannies get pretty upset over not having enough ATF. Easy to lose the pump
and then the clutches.

Now wheel bearings on the other hand... that's another story...

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net

Make sure they use a Hyundai timing belt or you'll void the warranty.

It sounds like you screwed yourself. If you were told that it was
covered, you should have refused to pay the $21. You DON'T have to
accept that kind of treatment! I suggest you go back and demand a
refund. Threatening to take your business elsewhere should be enough
leverage to get them to capitulate. If it's not, you shouldn't be
dealing with them anyway, as they're dishonest.

The warranty ('04 at least) clearly states that "belts, brake pads and
linings, clutch linings, filters, wiper blades and bulbs" are covered
for 12 months/12K miles "only when the replacement is the result of a
defect in material or factory workmanship". The dealer was not obligated
to replace the bulbs under warranty, but for a $2 part, one would think
they might accommodate you as a good will gesture, especially if you
bought the car from them and/or had them service it regularly. However,
it's not their fault that you didn't read the warranty info completely.
It's not like it's hidden, either. It's right on Hyundai's web site, so
anyone can check it before buying a car.

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/global/warranty/warranty.aspx

Before you condemn Hyundai, check around to see what that same service
costs on other cars. You'll probably find that it's just as much on any
comparable vehicle. You could always buy all the necessary tools and a
service manual (or use the FREE online manual that Hyundai provides), do
the work yourself and save a bundle. If you're not willing to do that,
you have to pay someone to do it for you, plain and simple.

I'll bet that none of these vehicles had a 100,000 mile drivetrain
warranty either, did they?

Hyundai requires that you change the timing belt in order to maintain
the warranty. That's the price you pay for the extended warranty
coverage. That doesn't mean that the timing belt is going to wear out in
60K, 80K or even 100K miles, but Hyundai is not willing to take that
chance, since they're the one's that will be paying for the engine
damage if it does fail. If you want the coverage, you agree to the
terms. If you don't care about the warranty, you don't have to change
the timing belt. Your call.


All of them that I know of. FWIW, when I replaced the timing belt on my
old Excel @64K miles, it was nearly indistiguishable from the new belt I
installed. The replacement was still in the car when I sold it, 112K
miles later. I'm not suggesting that anyone take the risk of not
changing a timing belt, but they can last a long time.

The only timing belt failure I've experienced was in a car with a
leaking main seal that coated the timing belt with oil for ~20K+ miles
until it finally shed a couple of teeth. However, it was not a Hyundai
and I have no idea how durable the timing belts in the current Hyundai
models typically are. When my Elantra hits 60K miles, I'll change the
timing belt myself to keep Hyundai happy, as I did with the Excel.