First oil change on Hyundai Sonata 2.5L SmartStream

It's not just hyundai.
Google honda 3.5 v6 vcm issues.
On the odyssey forum I belong to every week 2-3 new people are coming in to Express their frustration about the very expensive honda engine crapping out and needing new rings.
Honda does nothing for them.
At least hyundai is doing the right thing.
On our santa fe forum, I have seen 2 posts over trashed engines over 4 years.
And lets not forget Hondas notorious transmission fiasco in the 00 model years.
 
Folks, let’s not forget that Hyundai had a massive class action lawsuit brought against them a few years ago, and was finalized in 2021. HYUNDAI started becoming very lenient years ago with replacing Theta II engines after the warranty. Mind you that Hyundai already extended the engine warranty up to 120,000 miles for many model year Theta II’s. Hyundai isn’t and wasn’t replacing these engines out of the goodness of their heart. They were already in deep legal trouble that started around 2016 and they knew they would eventually have to come up with a solution. They did everything they possibly could to cover it up, but they got caught and now they have to pay the consequences. If there wasn’t a class action lawsuit, Hyundai wouldn’t be doing jack squat for people with defective engines.
I’ll drop this link for you to check out.


And regarding the Honda engine issue. Yes, it sucks having a vehicle that is prone to known mechanical failure. It would be nice for Honda to do something about it honestly. But the Honda engine problems are different than the Hyundai engine problems. Are Hondas catching on fire sporadically at a higher rate. Hyundais are, and that is the difference. When an engine fails it sucks don’t get me wrong, if it’s a widespread engine defect then the manufacturer should want to replace the engines to help build customer brand perception. When the Hyundai engines fail it becomes a matter of life or death. They have a tendency to shoot a rod through the block and hot oil gets on the exhaust components and starts a fire. They also catch fire for a multitude of other issues. So, while I’m sorry that people with Hondas are experiencing engine failure, it doesn’t pose a safety risk the way Hyundai engine failures do.

It does not matter why Hyundai is doing something. ...the point is moot.
Honda is not.........that's my point.
A failed engine during a passing maneuver on a two lane road is just as dangerous as an engine fire.
Something is being done......Honda owners are paying 4k for a problem that WILL come back again no matter what they do.
You can muzzle the system with aftermarket, but you hold not need to.
It's a big joke.
 
It does not matter why Hyundai is doing something. ...the point is moot.
Honda is not.........that's my point.
A failed engine during a passing maneuver on a two lane road is just as dangerous as an engine fire.
Something is being done......Honda owners are paying 4k for a problem that WILL come back again no matter what they do.
You can muzzle the system with aftermarket, but you hold not need to.
It's a big joke.
It’s not a moot point though. The Hyundai vs Honda engine failures are two very different situations. We can go on and on about other manufacturer issues such as the Ford Powerstroke and Ford Powershift tranny issues and countless other manufacturers problems across the automotive industry. But many people have died in the Hyundai engine issues, your example of passing a vehicle on a two lane highway and the engine fails is a very, very one off situation and it could happen to any vehicle on the planet. At what point are manufacturers responsible and when are they not? Things wear out and break, that doesn’t make it a crime. It’s a capitalistic economy and sometimes the best thing you can do is just not buy any product from a manufacturer who has given you issues. I’m sorry you’re upset.
 
Performed the first oil change on my '22 Sonata with the NA 2.5L at 1,500 miles. I used Kirkland 5W20 oil and a KIA filter. Coming from a 2018 sonata there are a few differences, first, the under carriage panels are a little better, but still not great for removing. Also, this model has a cannister filter with a built in drain and a cable dipstick. Interestingly, when refilled with the specified quantity of oil, the dipstick reads right between L and F.

I plan to do the next oil change at 4K, then replace every 4K thereafter using Kirkland and factory filter.


Back to the OP, the cable dipstick is something I haven’t seen before. I wonder if Hyundai is the only ones using that?
 
Back to the OP, the cable dipstick is something I haven’t seen before. I wonder if Hyundai is the only ones using that?
Been around few decades. Common in German vehicles. Many manufacturers use it. It looks like braided cable.
 


This video explains why they upped capacity, among other things about the smartstream. Dont worry it has good subtitles, very well done video wre they tear down entire engines with less than 10k miles
Many of them seem to burn oil straight from the factory. Upping the capacity in the manual is a trick they pulled. Ironically it seems like it increases blow by and makes the problem worse.

BTW the gentleman in this video revealed the theta II problems much earlier than when it became common knowledge.
 
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But many people have died in the Hyundai engine issues. . .

How many people died from the Hyundai engine issues? I seem to have read an article early on in the Hyundai litigation that indicated that there "may" have been a few deaths directly related to engine failures and related fires, but as I recall it was a very small number. Do you have a credible (not Scotty Kilmer) source for this claim? I'm not being argumentative, I'd really like to know that number. --Rob
 
How many people died from the Hyundai engine issues? I seem to have read an article early on in the Hyundai litigation that indicated that there "may" have been a few deaths directly related to engine failures and related fires, but as I recall it was a very small number. Do you have a credible (not Scotty Kilmer) source for this claim? I'm not being argumentative, I'd really like to know that number. --Rob
Nah man, sorry. You’re perfectly capable of finding it yourself. There are countless news stories you can find on YouTube about people being burned and dying. You will also find a plethora of info regarding the engine fires. You can also check the NHTSA website and find reported fires as well. Good luck.
 
Is “smart stream” the name of the engine line? What does that even refer to? The engine streams the web? WAT
 
Is “smart stream” the name of the engine line? What does that even refer to? The engine streams the web? WAT
I believe it's used to describe the combination GDI and Port injection.
 
It’s not a moot point though. The Hyundai vs Honda engine failures are two very different situations. We can go on and on about other manufacturer issues such as the Ford Powerstroke and Ford Powershift tranny issues and countless other manufacturers problems across the automotive industry. But many people have died in the Hyundai engine issues, your example of passing a vehicle on a two lane highway and the engine fails is a very, very one off situation and it could happen to any vehicle on the planet. At what point are manufacturers responsible and when are they not? Things wear out and break, that doesn’t make it a crime. It’s a capitalistic economy and sometimes the best thing you can do is just not buy any product from a manufacturer who has given you issues. I’m sorry you’re upset.

So, this is one of the most recent articles ( https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-705d7bf5065681089208841c2ea64d55 ) I was able to find about Hyundai / KIA fire incidents (from the Associated Press, dated 12/27/21). According to the NHTSA:

"The agency says THREE people have reported eye and burn injuries that did not require medical treatment." (No deaths mentioned).

And from the Center for Auto Safety (Same story):

"Data collected by the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety show 31 U.S. fire and engine-related recalls from Hyundai and Kia since 2015. The recalls involve more than 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years totaling over 8.4 million vehicles."

From an ABCNews story: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-steps-probe-hyundai-kia-engine-failures-fires-81954665

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a new engineering analysis investigation covers more than 3 million vehicles from the 2011 through 2016 model years. The agency has received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled."

So. . . . 8.4 million vehicles, 161 reported incidents, injuring a total of 3 people (and they didn't require medical treatment), no deaths indicated. That is an infinitesimally small percentage of incidents and an even smaller percentage of injuries. I didn't cherry-pick these news stories--they were the most recent and seemingly would have the latest statistical data about the incidents.

The data doesn't support the statement that "many" people have died due to engine fires in H/K vehicles; in fact the data doesn't indicate that there are ANY deaths associated with engine fires in H/K vehicles. I've done my best to get factual information on this. If I'm in error, let me know. --Rob
 
Hyundai/Kia is still plagued by engine problems. New class action lawsuit affecting 20 models was just announced. This goes far beyond Theta Ii. Nu, Gamma, Theta, Lambda and Kappa are on the list. I, for one, am glad I didn't buy the new Sonata. Sadly, the issues are deep rooted.

 
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I absolutely love the drivetrain in this car. The 2.5L is much smother and seems to have more power and torque at lower RPMs. The 8 speed AT is also fantastic in this car, in normal driving, the AT is shifting around 2500 RPMs and cruised at 80 MPH at around 1800 RPMs.
I couldn't agree more on the 2.5L. Of note, my Owners Manual states 6.1quarts for MY 2023. I completed the first oil change today at 450 miles.
 
Performed the first oil change on my '22 Sonata with the NA 2.5L at 1,500 miles. I used Kirkland 5W20 oil and a KIA filter. Coming from a 2018 sonata there are a few differences, first, the under carriage panels are a little better, but still not great for removing. Also, this model has a cannister filter with a built in drain and a cable dipstick. Interestingly, when refilled with the specified quantity of oil, the dipstick reads right between L and F.

I plan to do the next oil change at 4K, then replace every 4K thereafter using Kirkland and factory filter.
4K OCI is all that’s needed to make a motor happy
 
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