My 2005 Hyundai Sonata has been in and out of the dealership since March 2010 for an AC that was not blowing cold, as well as making a hissing noise. Initially they changed the expansion valve, which was covered under warranty.
The problem returned in May, and the dealership said the part was defective, so they changed the expansion valve again.
In June the noise returned, and the car stalled twice while I was driving, and even though the AC was blowing cold, I took the car back to Hyundai. They determined that the hissing noise was normal for a compressor to make, and could not figure out why the car stalled. On that same day, as I drove the car home, the AC was again not blowing cold, so I took the car right back. This time a hose was replaced, again under warranty.
Less than a week later, the AC stopped blowing cold and the hissing noise was back. At this time, the dealership determined that the condenser was cracked and said they would no longer make repairs under warranty, but would pay for the labor if I paid for the condenser. I disputed this offer as the AC has been an issue since the car was under the 100K warranty, but the dealership would not budge. I called the corporate office, but have yet to hear back from them on a decision. In fact, it took them over a week to tell me that they wanted me to pay for the repairs because they would reimburse me if they ended up making a decision in my favor. The condenser repair was made in July.
It is now August, and the car continues to stall while the AC is running. Today it stalled twice, and would not start easily. The second time it stalled I was in a lane that is a freeway-on-ramp-only lane, and ended up blocking traffic. The car would not start, so I had no choice but to call for a tow truck. After spending 10 minutes on the phone with AAA, my car started and ran fine since I did not put the AC back on. I have noticed that in addition to stalling when the AC is running, the car idles rough. Furthermore, the hissing noise can be heard when the AC first turns on, but it goes away.
Needless to say, I am extremely frustrated, and tired of having to go back to the dealership again and again. On top of that, I am annoyed that once the part became expensive, they found a way to deny fixing my car under warranty. They dismissed my concerns about the hissing noise as a sound a compressor makes, when the noise indicates a leak in the line to other mechanics. And then there's the lack of communication from the corporate office. This has not been a good car ownership experience.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My 2005 Hyundai Sonata has been in and out of the dealership since March 2010 for an AC that was not blowing cold, as well as making a hissing noise. Initially they changed the expansion valve, which was covered under warranty.
The problem returned in May, and the dealership said the part was defective, so they changed the expansion valve again.
In June the noise returned, and the car stalled twice while I was driving, and even though the AC was blowing cold, I took the car back to Hyundai. They determined that the hissing noise was normal for a compressor to make, and could not figure out why the car stalled. On that same day, as I drove the car home, the AC was again not blowing cold, so I took the car right back. This time a hose was replaced, again under warranty.
Less than a week later, the AC stopped blowing cold and the hissing noise was back. At this time, the dealership determined that the condenser was cracked and said they would no longer make repairs under warranty, but would pay for the labor if I paid for the condenser. I disputed this offer as the AC has been an issue since the car was under the 100K warranty, but the dealership would not budge. I called the corporate office, but have yet to hear back from them on a decision. In fact, it took them over a week to tell me that they wanted me to pay for the repairs because they would reimburse me if they ended up making a decision in my favor. The condenser repair was made in July.
It is now August, and the car continues to stall while the AC is running. Today it stalled twice, and would not start easily. The second time it stalled I was in a lane that is a freeway-on-ramp-only lane, and ended up blocking traffic. The car would not start, so I had no choice but to call for a tow truck. After spending 10 minutes on the phone with AAA, my car started and ran fine since I did not put the AC back on. I have noticed that in addition to stalling when the AC is running, the car idles rough. Furthermore, the hissing noise can be heard when the AC first turns on, but it goes away.
Needless to say, I am extremely frustrated, and tired of having to go back to the dealership again and again. On top of that, I am annoyed that once the part became expensive, they found a way to deny fixing my car under warranty. They dismissed my concerns about the hissing noise as a sound a compressor makes, when the noise indicates a leak in the line to other mechanics. And then there's the lack of communication from the corporate office. This has not been a good car ownership experience.
- Lee Ann M., Walnut Creek, CA, US