So something happened while I was driving today. I warmed up the car for about 5 to 10 minutes before taking the kids to school. Even though it’s about 10° outside right now, the cabin was warm and everything felt fine this morning. Then, about 15 minutes into my drive after dropping the kids off, the car just shut down. A warning light came on, but luckily I was slowing down for a stop sign with no traffic. I managed to turn it off and start it again, but the check engine light was on.
I dropped it off at the local Hyundai dealer, and they told me there’s a $200 diagnostic fee. If it turns out to be an electrical problem, it’s not covered under the powertrain warranty, which seems unreasonable to me.
I replaced the 12-volt battery about four months ago, so I don’t think that’s the issue.
Has anyone here dealt with something similar? It should be covered under warranty since I have 55,000 miles, but I might be out of the 5-year 60,000 coverage since I bought it used in 2022.
I just had this happen at 73K miles on my 2017 Sonata PHEV last month. It turned out to be the engine water pump, and that did generate a code. Mine was fixed under the powertrain warranty for the original owner. Unfortunately, I’m still getting the error about high system temperature and switching to hybrid mode. That popped up two weeks after I got my car back. If you check out the Hyundai owners forums, you’ll see that this leads to a hybrid battery issue that ultimately disables your car. The problem is, it doesn’t generate a code, so the dealer has to keep your car to try to replicate it. Mine has been in the shop for about a week now with the hybrid specialist driving it home each night, but they haven’t seen the error yet. I’m giving them two weeks; if they can’t replicate it, they can’t convince Hyundai to replace the hybrid battery, which is still under warranty. Without a new battery, I won’t feel comfortable driving it, and I won’t be getting another Hyundai.
@Adley
I appreciate you sharing your story, but that really worries me…
I’m thinking about trading mine in. I’m at 112k miles on my 2017 PHEV and I’m starting to think I might be at the end of the line (dealing with the same error/issue).
I usually try to keep my cars until they completely break down. But I bought this car just to get a carpool lane sticker to make my tough Silicon Valley commute easier as a Sales Engineer. Now that the sticker has expired and I’ve retired, there’s no reason to keep the car. In a better world, it should still have plenty of life left; it drives well and has decent tech, especially Car Play. Hyundai knows there are problems with the hybrid batteries, and many people have issues at much lower mileage than we do. Yet they seem willing to lose loyal customers rather than earn our trust. I used to be a Toyota/Lexus fan and I might go back if they don’t step up.
@Adley
I’m kind of in a similar situation. I bought the car when it fit my lifestyle better, but now things have changed. I just bought a new house and my driving needs are different.
I was hoping to keep the car longer since it still gets me to the store and stuff, but spending more on a new vehicle right after buying a house isn’t great.
I know it’s just a small problem compared to bigger issues, but Hyundai isn’t winning my loyalty here. I still haven’t been able to take it to the service center because they’re booked out over a month (I have at least a week to wait). That part isn’t great either.
My '17 PHEV is having the same issues. I’ve got an appointment in about a week. I’m curious to hear any updates you get, and I’ll share my experience as well.
Thanks for the insights. I kind of remember there being a recall or warranty extension related to the pump. Unfortunately, the document is in my car’s glove compartment and I can’t access it, so I’ll have to look through some emails for more information.
