Overview & Reviews

A relative newcomer to the American marketplace, Hyundai is a Korean automaker with a product line that has improved greatly over the past decade. Hyundai cars and SUVs provide a high level of content for an affordable price, and are currently backed by one of the industry's longest warranties.

In 1947, Chung Ju Yung founded the Hyundai Civil Engineering Company. Mere months later, the outfit was bombed in the Korean War. However, the company regained its footing to distinguish itself as one of Korea's leading construction enterprises during the 1950s.

By the late 1960s, Chung had turned his attention to the automobile industry. The Korean government at that time believed that it made more sense to import vehicles than produce them domestically, and had made its opinion known. Still, Chung opted to follow his own convictions, and in 1967, he founded the Hyundai Motor Company.

The company quickly established an alliance with one of the industry's oldest automakers, signing a two-year contract with Ford in 1968 to share assembly technology. Hyundai's first car, the Cortina, was created from that partnership. The manufacturer's first car to be designed and built in Korea was the compact Pony (although the car was based on Japanese technology courtesy of Mitsubishi). The vehicle made its debut in 1974, and the following year Hyundai began exporting it to overseas markets.

Hyundai entered the U.S. market in 1986 with the introduction of its subcompact Excel. The car was an immediate hit, with its supreme affordability being a primary selling point. More than 100,000 Excels were sold stateside in the first seven months. By 1988, Hyundai had begun to produce cars using its own technology. The midsize Sonata was the first fruit borne of this endeavor.

Unfortunately, Hyundai's nascent image was soon tarnished by the poor durability and reliability of its vehicles. Sales tanked. However, rather than abandon the American market in the '90s, Hyundai chose to invest heavily in new product designs and improvements in overall quality and reliability. In 1998, Hyundai also purchased Kia, another Korean automaker, to expand its business and economies of scale.

It all started to pay off by the start of the new millennium, with the 2001 Elantra in particular showing massive improvements in overall quality, reliability and performance. Other models followed suit and the desirability of Hyundai cars increased sharply. Providing an extraordinarily long warranty period didn't hurt either.

Today's lineup is indicative of Hyundai's complete turnaround. Hyundai has a vehicle for nearly every segment, including the economical Accent subcompact, the popular Elantra compact, the midsize Sonata sedan (also available as a hybrid), sporty Genesis and Veloster coupes and a couple of stylish SUVs. Hyundai has also expanded into the entry-level and premium-level luxury sedan markets with its Genesis and Equus sedans. Having gone from being the butt of late-night TV jokes in the 1980s to a well-respected manufacturer of quality vehicles, Hyundai has created a very inspiring rags-to-riches story.

User Reviews:

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  very POOR engineering on steering - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chris - May 18 - 9:50 pm

  BEWARE...Sonatas have BAD and DANGEROUS problems with steering going out...after only 29,000 miles and TWO MONTHS out of "warranty" I was forced to spend $1,200 to REPLACE the entire steering column due to failure. NEVER will buy a crap Hyundai again. Selling this ASAP and back to Ford where I should have stayed.

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  Keep away......here my warnings - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By E A Ford - April 20 - 1:23 pm

  This car is the MOST UNreliable car Ive owned in over 40 years!!! This thing has standed me hundreds of miles from home TWICE in two years!! First, Fayetteville NC...fuel injectors...gone! A twenty something kid b/sing me ..."oh yeah parts are on the way ..tomorrow ...NOT!! 5 lovely days ....hotel meals and lots of $$$$. Hyundai did reimbursed me $290.. Out of the $700+ it cost me to interrupt my trip......THIS time Im in Boston 1500 miles from home and the crank shaft seal goes...oil all over!!! I thought Fayetteville was bad! Boston IS very expensive to have to stay around! $$$$$. Parts to fix the car.?...Im 7 days into this...."MAYBE end of the week...MAYBE first of next week!!!! Im sure Hyundai will reimburse me their standard $300 for 3 days! Im into this problem over a grand now...and theyre fixing the car for free!! What a piece of JUNK!!!

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  Terrible Car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By cory - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Terrible Car, Terrible Warranty. Do not buy this car because of its warranty. The car breaks down on a daily basis and the warranty covers a very small amount of the cost to repair. I will never buy any hyundai again!

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  Dont buy it - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Dr.Phil - March 14 - 5:50 am

  At any milage this car can fail to start after a stop including while waiting to make a left turn into traffic. You will be told it isnt broken so it cant be fixed, they never heard of this issue before, you are not driving properly. Hyundai knows about this issue, many "tickets" have been opened ,they are "stonewalling". Check out other blogs, so far I have counted 90 people who have had this transmission issue and I suspect that is a fraction of what the total will be.

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  Our Tuscon is a Lemon! - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Cathy S - March 4 - 1:27 pm

  Purchased the 2016 Tuscon Limited with all the bells and whistles of a luxurious car. Had a 2013 we traded and loved that car! Daughter has a Hyundai as well. We have never taken a vehicle in except for routine maintenance until this car. There was the delay with the double clutch but there was something more. At 5000 miles, called the dealer for the routine maintenance and told them about this new stalling that had began. Had probably happened 2-3 times at that point. It would act like I was pushing a clutch (that wasnt there) and the accelerator at the same time so the vehicle would start to stop/stall. This wasnt the delay but a complete stall. On March 11, it stalled going across 4 lanes of traffic and I was happy to get to the other side once the transmission started working again. At that point, started feeling like the car was unsafe. Was only a mile from home and the car stalled several times before I could get home. Ended up calling Hyundai Roadside Service and having the car towed because it was not drivable. Was put in a rental car for less than a week and was told it was a recall. Was thrilled to hear this because we really loved the car and was hopeful this was the issue. Never got the car home, which was about 25 miles, before the stalls were worse than before. Took the car back that night and got the rental back. Dealer called March 15 and it was the control actuary assembly for the transmission and the part wouldnt be in for about 12 more days but I had the good ole rental! I asked (after consulting with a professional with credentials as in a crew chief for NASCAR) for a new transmission because it could have caused damage to the other parts of the transmission like the clutches, etc and they never listened to me of course. Got the car back on March 26th and on March 30, called about more issues. the wiper in the back wouldnt turn off when the front were on, then the car started stalling again and this time with a loud noise. Each and every time it happened, I thought I had been hit by another car. I have been completely stopped on the interstate as well as other roads. Called the dealer and here I go in again. Got me another rental and they couldnt duplicate the issue so I had to come and get my unsafe car. On my next commute to work I decided to turn my video on my phone on. The car stalled and you could hear the noise so I have the tape. Took the car in with the audio and they had no idea. 4/18/2016 Was called back to the dealer to put a monitor on my car so I could push a button when this happened and it would record a minute before and a minute after. Within 4 days, I had MULTIPLE recordings. 4/21/2016 On my way to the dealer on the interstate the car stalled and this was yet a different stall. This time I was accelerating and the RPMs was stuck and the car wouldnt go over 50mph unless I floored it all the way. Called the dealer in tears and was given a loaner car that evening for ONE day. The following day with the monitor in hand, received a call from dealer stating it would be the following Tuesday before the engineer from Hyundai would know what was wrong and I needed to come and get my UNSAFE car. I refused and told them I didnt want the UNSAFE vehicle and they could have their loaner. On my lunch break while I was away, they came with my car (I didnt know they were coming)to my job to trade vehicles with me and put me back in the UNSAFE car. Since I wasnt at my office, they had to go back to the dealer and while on their way back, the car stalled and did its thing twice (5 miles away). They called and said I could now get ANOTHER rental since they had heard and felt what was going on in my car. REALLY HYUNDAI????? TALKING ABOUT ADDING INSULT TO INJURY??????? BTW, at this point the computers have went out twice and been reset as well so been driving with no radio, media, phone, phone chargers, bluetooth, navigation, etc. I had been to the dealer 4 times in one week!!!! Yesterday I got a call from the dealer and got the same call from supposed to be the engineer about their next move and that is to replace the transmission and the complete computer on the dash. Its April 27th, and the parts will be in May 19th. Really????????? My car qualifies as a lemon under the lemon law and Ive asked for another car. Who would put their family in this car at this point? Im scared to get in it and have 2 daughters who drive that I will never allow to drive the car. I have also been hit by another vehicle because the car stalled. Hyundai do you have anything to say for yourself? Help me understand why you would put the safety of my family in jeopardy for weeks knowing there were transmission issues with the vehicle I have purchased from you. UPDATE: Transmission and computer replaced but its still not always engaging in a gear. It was towed back to the dealer again tonight. I have a case with Hyundai and engineer coming Thursday

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  Loved. Bought. Now regret. - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By John - February 14 - 7:36 pm

  I have a 2013 VT. If I knew then I would be financing a problem, I would have settled for some other hatch with decent MPG. 1st, the car rattles and creaks like its not screwed, glued or assembled properly. Get used to it. The rear hatch rattle is MOST LIKELY the rear spoiler nuts coming loose. Put some locktite on them and it should work. 2nd, be prepared to return the car MANY times for the factory stereo having issues. The paper speakers will tear, the dust cap (silver center) will come unglued, and the dealership will only glue it back together. Be ready for that. 3rd, expect the transmission to give you some times when it decides to do what it wants to do. Sometimes shift smoothly, sometimes shift abruptly. Dealership says its normal, and theres no issues. 4th, A/C control switch has issues. Mine at about 12,000 miles would not work on #2. Fine on #1 and #3, but to get #2 to work you had to hold it in between #2 and #3 position. Had it changed twice before 50,000 miles. 5th, My turbo went out at 64,500 miles. With cruise control set at 70mph on the interstate my turbo went out. Bearings started to make howling noises and the car had NO power. Took the car to a Hyundai dealer in Baton Rouge (on Hwy 61) and I was told "Its over-filled with oil, just drain a little, and it will be fine". Ha Ha Ha! Really? Took it to another dealership and they said the car has issues and they diagnosed it to be the turbo had a cracked shaft and bad bearings. Now, I am under 72,000 miles and the bearings are starting to make the noise again. Dont do regular maintenance on this car. Do PREVENTATIVE maintenance as well. I doubt I will make it to 100k on this car. I was informed its because it is a 2013 and that it has been straightened out by Hyundai for the later years. Good thing this is my last Hyundai, I wouldnt want to spend the time and money to test that theory. *IF* this car had those issues above fixed, Id say this car is worth each and every penny spent. Its quick, nimble, and a fun car to drive. Especially quick....FOR A HYUNDAI! I LOVE the sound systems audible performance. This is one of the best factory sound systems I have heard yet, better than the Bose in my Escalade. If you want one, buy used. I cant even trade this car in, they only offer HALF of what I owe. Ive seen some 13s for under $10k. Do yourself a favor, buy used or get a different hatch.

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  My wonderful piece of CRAP!!! - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jeremy - February 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is THE WORST car I have EVER owned. I WOULD NOT recommend that ANYONE would buy a piece of crap like this. Ive had it into the dealer many times to get it fixed, and they cant fix the problem. The car has NOT worked right since the day we drove it off the lot. Im ready to take the car back to the dealer, with only about 6500 miles on it. If you are thinking of buying one. DONT!!!!

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  Brake problems plague Sonata - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Marie - January 20 - 2:00 am

  I thought the sonata would be a great investment - I thought more bang for the buck. I was wrong. I am having consistent problems with the brakes on this car. The brake pedal locks up and renders brakes unusable. After numerous visits to the dealership - it is still not fixed. This car is not reliable, defective and unsafe. Engine is noisy overall, as well. My advice? Get a Toyota!

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  crap - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By bquimbey - January 16 - 2:00 am

  worst vehicle ever. I filed it as a lemon and had to fight for a year to get anything done. Dealership refused to service my vehicle for a SAFETY recall. would never buy a hyundai again, EVER!

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  would not buy another one - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By tony - January 15 - 6:40 pm

  poor milage, tires worn out at 20000 mi has been in the shop for over 2 weeks now needs a new transmission an absolute piece of garbage.