Hyundai/Kia engine failure info from a tech

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Quote from a Kia/Hyundai tech: "in no particular order i will use the just now previous generation of engines that were typicality from 2011 to 2016, there is hundreds of thousands of these types everywhere and they were all updated for the 2017 model year in one way or another, and most of those are too new to know what is going to happen just yet

first i will go over a common issue that is for all of the engines of this period that is typicality due to customer neglect and that is our oil control valves "ocv" for the Variable valve timing, they love to clog up over time if people are going 10-15k on the oil repeatedly over years and years, luckily they are fairly inexpensive and easy to replace

some of the variable valve runner systems on our engines will go out of wack or break, plastic water temperature control assemblies "thermostat housing for non kia people" that will crack, and GDI systems that need to have replacement procedures done perfectly or people might burn to death, but to continue. (insert this note: during engine replacement)

first i will go over our most common complicated engine the 11-16 lambda v6 3.3-3.8 MPI/GDI
note 1: a uncommon issue but noteworthy on some of these is dependent on build date and plant manufacture 2011-13 MPI v6 sorentos, some of the VVT actuators were causing issues with ridiculous start up chatter due to a dry'ish vvt system
note 2: the most common issue on these engines is to have a oil pressure switch "or oil sending unit as non kia people call it" failure, it will function perfectly fine, but the internal seal will fail causing the engine valley to fill up and leak onto the transmission causing one heck of a mess, its a inexpensive part but takes a few hours a labor to get to, typically happens around the 60-90k mark

11-16 gamma I4 1.6L
note 1: purge control solenoid valve failure, the dang things are just for emissions but they are quite common to go bad on any car with a gamma in it, dirt cheap and anyone can replace one
note 2: uncommon but bad cats, perhaps not necessarily the engines direct fault but were ever the kia souls got their cats from some of them will plug, melt or just straight up die, quite a few toyotas from the same era have this same issue and now we both have coming recalls on them so there is that

11-16 Nu I4 1.8L-2L
note 1: truly unforgiving of low oil, this engine only holds 4 US quarts of oil, if you only have 2 in it can hop time, notably on the exhaust cam
note 2: rare, but just enough to note, random timing chain tensioner failure, strangely most of the ones we have seen this happen to have not caused engine destruction despite being a interference engine, it will typically jump time on both cams and throw correlation codes up like mad, this seems to happen on cars that are near or over 100k so we typicality get a new tensioner and reset the timing and all is good again, but then some [engines are] just simply destroyed

The American built 11-16 Theta GDI 2.4L or 2L turbo engine
it only has one issue really, everything else about it is fine, just one flaw ... just ... one, Hyundai plant in Alabama messed up building nearly 2 million of them from 11 to 16 (insert this note: newer versions have the same issues) , The MPI version that is typically the standard engine across the world that is still build and used to this day is great, same thing goes for the Mitsubishi and Chrysler version of the engine, but the GDI version that Hyundai developed after the fall of the Global Engine Alliance was the only version available in the states due to emission and gas mileage regulations on many models

some part of the GDI version has compromised the oiling system, notably taking out rod bearing like crazy, whether it is to much intake valve build up and fuel pressure causing oil dilution due to rich conditions from the GDI or simply bearing clearances being to tight i dont know, but NONE of our other GDI engines have this issue, just this one engine that came out of that god forsaken plant in Alabama, it is not good for us, costing the Group as a whole tens of millions of dollars but luckily its days are now numbered so i will be glad when i will never have to see these dang things ever again

they are investing 388 million in tooling for a new engine
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/05/30/hyundai-388-million-expansion-engine-plant/

in somewhat related news to the above subaru just wrapped up a class action for a similar issue on their flat engines rod bearings from 2012-2017 but with no recall issued, maybe our bearing sources were the same, dont know and almost impossible to figure out since i am not in the know

but there you go that is our most common engine issues, and really ... thats just all we see ... they just work "
 
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It's too bad Hyundai never figured out the underlying issue with the 2.4. Or maybe they did, and they just don't want to implement the fix. Otherwise they seem to be decent cars at a good price, especially used. I had a 2017 as a rental once, and aside from the numb driving experience it was a nice car.
 
I read stories like this and remember that I need to put the summer tires back on my wife's Camry.
grin2.gif
 
It's growing pains. They are growing extremely fast and they are bound to get a few things wrong. Yes it sucks for the owners but it happens and it happens to all OE's.

NO manufacturer is without fault. And yes other manufacturers attempt to sweep things under the carpet or try to fix things on the cheap because it will affect profits otherwise, but we won't mention their names because it's just as bad as the constant harping on Hyundai that goes on here.

It's up to the consumer to do as much research as possible before making a purchase and then luck takes over. I got burned on my Highlander by a new transmission Toyota is using that is awful and it cost me to get rid of the vehicle but I don't hate Toyota and I wouldn't not consider them in future again. I realize it's just a bad design and that they will eventually get it right.

Further I traded that $65K CDN Toyota for a Caravan which when the PentaStar was first used in that vehicle had it's own issues with oil filter housings leaking, cracked heads, bad rockers, oil pumps not putting out enough volume at certain RPM's causing head damage. Yet I still bought one, because they fixed it with revisions as time went on.
 
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Originally Posted by Cujet
Quote from a Kia/Hyundai tech:. . .

Originally Posted by PimTac
Is there a source for all of that or did you hear this in person and are transcribing it for us?
Very important questions.

The typos and grammatical errors in that screed resemble those in spam.

Who, what, where, when and why.
 
Originally Posted by Uphill_Both_Ways
The typos and grammatical errors in that screed resemble those in spam.
An automotive technician isn't typically an English major as well.
 
Originally Posted by Uphill_Both_Ways
Originally Posted by Cujet
Quote from a Kia/Hyundai tech:. . .

Originally Posted by PimTac
Is there a source for all of that or did you hear this in person and are transcribing it for us?
Very important questions.

The typos and grammatical errors in that screed resemble those in spam.

Who, what, where, when and why.
 
Originally Posted by Uphill_Both_Ways
Originally Posted by Cujet
Quote from a Kia/Hyundai tech:. . .

Originally Posted by PimTac
Is there a source for all of that or did you hear this in person and are transcribing it for us?
Very important questions.

The typos and grammatical errors in that screed resemble those in spam.

Who, what, where, when and why.



Google is your friend. The original text is from this thread:
https://www.ar15.com/forums/general...issues-on-Kia-Hyundai-engines/5-2207443/

User "LittlePony" appears to be the Technician in question who authored it.
 
Interesting information...probably less interesting is the predictability that someone will extrapolate whatever they want from that text. In rhetoric terms, you can probably call this tech's info "anecdotal with authority" because we're relying on a description like "quite common to go bad" when you have no idea of the numbers / percentages / comparables to other makes, etc.other than some commentary that hints on that idea..especially when that particular comment refers to an innocuous part in the Gamma II which is in some statistically very high reliability cars. However, you can probably look at this information as filling a gap if it represents reality...but in the realm of 'without data, you ain't got nuthin', you can just wait for the predictable commentary about how much better the 'working man and the country" would benefit if they were UAW-built or somebody's clairvoyant-like ability to understand the numbers.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
... I got burned on my Highlander by a new transmission Toyota is using that is awful and it cost me to get rid of the vehicle but I don't hate Toyota and I wouldn't not consider them in future again. I realize it's just a bad design and that they will eventually get it right.

Further I traded that $65K CDN Toyota for a Caravan which when the PentaStar was first used in that vehicle had it's own issues with oil filter housings leaking, cracked heads, bad rockers, oil pumps not putting out enough volume at certain RPM's causing head damage. Yet I still bought one, because they fixed it with revisions as time went on.



I find this very interesting...yet confusing.

You bought a Toyota Highlander, finding out later having a bad experience with the transmission. Acknowledged it was a bad design which they will correct.....never buy any Toyota again. ?
You bought a Dodge Caravan, knowing it had a number of issues before purchase...knowing they will fix the issues over time...still purchased it anyway...Dodge products ok.

I am not a Toyota fanboy by any stretch (I have only owned a Corolla) but your logic baffles me.
 
No I was saying that doesn't mean I won't consider Toyota again the same as Chrysler had all the problems with the Caravan and I still bought it knowing they have made revisions.
I'm getting at the fact that I didn't write off the OE simply because they had issues up front with something so long as they fix it as time goes on.
 
Originally Posted by Vuflanovsky
Interesting information...probably less interesting is the predictability that someone will extrapolate whatever they want from that text. In rhetoric terms, you can probably call this tech's info "anecdotal with authority" because we're relying on a description like "quite common to go bad" when you have no idea of the numbers / percentages / comparables to other makes, etc.other than some commentary that hints on that idea..especially when that particular comment refers to an innocuous part in the Gamma II which is in some statistically very high reliability cars. However, you can probably look at this information as filling a gap if it represents reality...but in the realm of 'without data, you ain't got nuthin', you can just wait for the predictable commentary about how much better the 'working man and the country" would benefit if they were UAW-built or somebody's clairvoyant-like ability to understand the numbers.



Yea....what he said!
 
Having a NU 2.0 the take away message is check your oil and top it off. Having a Saturn 13 years I already knew that. What is old is NU.
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted by MONKEYMAN
Having a NU 2.0 the take away message is check your oil and top it off. Having a Saturn 13 years I already knew that. What is old is NU.
grin.gif



The Saturn used the same motor as Kia? I just bought a '14 Kia Soul with 2.0...used so no warranty! I'm tracking the oil religiously. Only put 1000 mi on it so far but oil holding steady.
 
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overall todays newest vehicles are a "crap shoot" + even though some things get sorted sooner or LATER when its your $$$$ continuous changes to get better mpg's while keeping the EPA satisfied makes reliability VERY QUESTIONABLE IMO!!
 
So let me say this is why I keep buying GM.
Not because their stuff is better but because every car company has issues. I just know GM stuff and have a ton of GM specific tools.
 
Originally Posted by ls1mike
So let me say this is why I keep buying GM.
Not because their stuff is better but because every car company has issues. I just know GM stuff and have a ton of GM specific tools.

The only thing I dislike about GM is they make stupid mistakes, take forever to fix known issues and make vehicles impossible to work on in most cases because of poor planning, oh and lets not forget letting the bean counters have the final say in what could have been an otherwise excellent vehicle.

I'm not saying the other OE's aren't guilty to some degree of this but GM takes the cake for these issues and has done so for decades. Albeit they are somewhat better than they used to be.
 
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Originally Posted by ls1mike
So let me say this is why I keep buying GM.
Not because their stuff is better but because every car company has issues. I just know GM stuff and have a ton of GM specific tools.

Agreed. Except for me, that brand is Toyota. I also have other reasons for choosing Toyota - they offer special warranty campaigns for many common issues and they also have an amazing parts distribution network (I can get almost every item within 1-2 days, even on 15+ year old vehicles).
 
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