[VinceMD]

Hi everybody

I just got a i30 diesel wagon and picked it up yesterday morning.
I'm very happy to be the owner of this new car and I'm glad I found this forum.

Unfortunately I noticed something annoying with my car. It keeps pulling to left, even if the road is flat.
Last time I experienced this, it was on a very old renault car.
Pulling is strong and could make me hit the curve at 30km/h within 40m distance (rough estimation). After 30 driving on the first day, my arm was sore.
I'm trying to get hold of the service department of the dealer. I had planned a 6 hours one way trip this weekend. And I'm feeling very concerned. They look busy although the sales rep gave me direct phone number, etc

As anyone experiences this on a brand new car and what advise would you have to help me sort this out ?

Thanks a lot

[Phil №❶]

Welcome to this forum VinceMD,

Hope you enjoy your experience here.


As the car is so new, it must go back to the dealer for adjustment. I assume the car did not do this when you took delivery. The salesman who sold the car, should make the arrangements for you. He is on site and it is his responsibility IMO.

[Doggie 1]

Welcome to the forum
I'd be straight back to the dealership too.

Did you check tyre pressures?

[Surferdude]

Vince, go back to the dealership BEFORE your trip. If as I suspect, the alignment is out and you have to brake hard or take evasive action on your trip, despite all the electronic aids on the car, its reaction can't be predicted.

[Dazzler]

Vince, go back to the dealership BEFORE your trip. If as I suspect, the alignment is out and you have to brake hard or take evasive action on your trip, despite all the electronic aids on the car, its reaction can't be predicted.

 

If they can't fit you in before your trip ask if they will cover the cost of having it checked by a tyre specialist (it is a safety issue) 

[eye30]

Try this BUT only on a clear road.

Drive along the road, left side, as normal and if the car pull to the left check for the road camber or is it flat.

Stop and turn around.
Drive back along the road, left side, and in the area the car was pulling to the left see how it now drives.
Is it pulling to the left here or to the right or indeed going in a straight line?

Next go back to where you turned around.
Drive the car back and in the same area it pulled to the left move the car over to the right, wrong, side of the road and see how the pull is.
If there is nothing wrong with the car, the theory is the car should pull to the right as the road camber takes effect.
If there is an issue with the steering then it should drive in a straight'ish line, i.e the pull of the steering to the left is countered by say the road camber to the right.
Hovever, if it is the camber of the road and there is nothing a miss with the car, then it will pull to the right.

And finally try this.
Drive the same road but now drive down the centre, i.e. straddle the crown of the road.
If car Ok then it should go in a straight line............

[Just Rick]

Vince
Welcome to the forum,clearly the dealership did not do a proper pre delivery service and check,just what you have discribed unless you have a almost flat tyre on the left hand side, you have a serious wheel alignment issue,this as others have said is a serious safety issue and should be fixed straight away.

[VinceMD]

thanks to all of you for the advices. PS: I had checked the tyre pressure.

I obtained from the dealer an appointment before my trip (so many phone calls and emails...).
They did fix it and said they had to re calibrate the alignement, etc. They also swapped the front wheels . It was obvious to them that something was wrong.

So I went to my trip. The car was driving straight. So much better. However I noticed that driving straight, my right hand would always be higher than my left hand. In other words the car goes straight but steering wheel is not!

By that time I had reached 1400kms. I went for first service. Told them about the steering issue.
They looked at it and re-aligned two wheels (again!??).

Went away for the weekend. The cars drive straights. BUT now my left hand is higher than my right hand!
I'm gonna get another appointment with the service and show them the issue.

I'm concerned this is never going to end. The steering wheel not being straight is serious issue on highway. It feels totally awkward even if it's hard to notice at first.
What do you think is the right way to proceed so that they fix this issue. Should I go see another mechanic and ask for an inspection and his recommendation ? How I can make some pressure on the car dealer (colcrawford in brookvale).

[Surferdude]

It should be a simple fix Vince.
I'd take it back but insist on test driving it with one of their staff on board when you next pick it up.
You shouldn't have to go too far to get a good bit of road and reasonable speed limit. Head back up towards the Spit Bridge. Between Brookie and the top of the hill should do it.

[Dazzler]

What more can we say.. Spot on as usual Trev 

[Just Rick]

Vince
I'm just gob smacked,they've had three goes at the cherry and cocked it up every time,this goes back to a few comments I made in another threads on here,most dealerships (NOT ALL) are incapable of fixing the simplest of issues, they are supposed to be the experts with these vehicles, it makes me wonder how well they actually sevrice a vehicle for the money they charge.

Oh well as I always say, I'm not an expert of anything because an ex spert is just a drip under pressure 

[plasticphyte]

I don't trust dealers to manage wheel alignments and balances. My last experience with a dealer left one wheel out of balance by 90g and quite an awful wobble in it at anything past 80kph. They had two goes at getting it right and failed both times. Let alone they could never get the steering wheel back to dead centre (how b****y hard is that?).

[Just Rick]

I don't trust dealers to manage wheel alignments and balances. My last experience with a dealer left one wheel out of balance by 90g and quite an awful wobble in it at anything past 80kph. They had two goes at getting it right and failed both times. Let alone they could never get the steering wheel back to dead centre (how b****y hard is that?).

Obviously by yours and Vinces experience, pretty B****y hard 

[eye30]

OK while out today I checked my steering.

Depending on the road i travelled along I had:

slight pull to left, slight pull to right and a fairly straight ahead.

My conclusion is the steering is set right and the slight pull is due to the way the road covering has been laid and the road camber.

Don't forget here in UK we need a camber to allow the rain to drain off otherwise we may as well buy a boat!!!

[Just Rick]

eye30 you are eaxctly right,we have some fairly dramatic chamber sets on our roads here and like you say SLIGHT pull to the left,I've never come across a road with a right hand chamber when I'm travelling on the right side of the road,but yes know what your saying,but what Vince was saying was just plain wrong,hopefully he'll be able to get it sorted,we had a similar problem with Bruce but not as bad as Vince's,I just told HYundai they would be getting the bill for the repairs froma reputable trye centre,mind you took me a couple of months to get my money

[eye30]

I've never come across a road with a right hand chamber when I'm travelling on the right side of the road,

I take it the right is the left which is right.   

This particular road is a country lane and has fields on each side. 

The road has a right camber due to the height of the field on the left which allows any water flowing off that field to drain away.

[VinceMD]

So after the 3 appointment:

they fixed it! They re-aligned 3 wheels ...

The receptionist didn't know what to say and couldn't explain why I had to come back 3 times.
Those mechanics look pretty young and very amateur. Although I haven't talked to any of them.

What amazes me is that nobody is trying to make it up. They should give me a service for free or something.
 Nor the dealer reacted at all!

I have a form to fill and say whether I was satisfy with the experience of buying a car at this car dealer. I'd like to explain what happen and also send a letter.
I'm also going to write a bad review on google map just in case someone search for their details. Don't know if I can do more than this. I'd like them to understand that they shouldn't get away with this, without compensation.

Thanks all for your help. If you want to help me write that complain letter, please be my guess ;P

[AlanHo]

My advice is that you should write a polite letter to the dealer principal which simply sets out the history of the problem and points out the inconvenience and expenses caused you. You should say that you were disappointed that the car had obviously not been properly prepared before delivery and that their subsequent failed attempts to correct such an obvious fault had rather shaken your confidence in placing future servicing work with them or having the confidence to recommend them to colleagues.

Don't indulge in any implied threats - simply ask why the problems occurred and whether they would consider carrying out the next service free of labour charge as compensation for the inconvenience caused you.

In my experience it is better to be factual and polite when first making a complaint. Full frontal attacks or threats might make some people feel better - but they rarely produce a good response.

Don't write the Google thing at this stage - the company deserves a chance to right a wrong.

[Dazzler]

My advice is that you should write a polite letter to the dealer principal which simply sets out the history of the problem and points out the inconvenience and expenses caused you. You should say that you were disappointed that the car had obviously not been properly prepared before delivery and that their subsequent failed attempts to correct such an obvious fault had rather shaken your confidence in placing future servicing work with them or having the confidence to recommend them to colleagues.

Don't indulge in any implied threats - simply ask why the problems occurred and whether they would consider carrying out the next service free of labour charge as compensation for the inconvenience caused you.

In my experience it is better to be factual and polite when first making a complaint. Full frontal attacks or threats might make some people feel better - but they rarely produce a good response.

Don't write the Google thing at this stage - the company deserves a chance to right a wrong.

  Alan and I could be twins except he is older than me and has better legs..

I would have said almost exactly the same thing (+ probably supply a copy of your letter to the Service Manager as well)

I always start off such letters with some positive..

"I was recently thrilled to collect my new i30. While generally pleased with the car, I cant say the same for the service received so far by your service department.

Three visits to fix a wheel alignment issue which should have been picked up at the predelivery have been both inconvenient and costly."

Then document the dates and outcomes.

"This has made it difficult to recommend your dealership to any of my friends and family who may be considering the vehicles that you sell.

I was further surprised to barely receive an apology let alone any goodwill"

Blah Blah Blah (something like that)

Address it to the Dealer Principal in person (Try and get his name)

Hope that helps ...

[Doggie 1]

  &

That makes three of us more senior gentlemen (  ) who agree. 

[Just Rick]

Vince I am with the other three, but one other suggestion, is with your questionaire, put your exact feelings of your experience with the dealership ,but like Dazz said put in the positives first,this is how Hyundai hopefully improves their service, once you have drafted your letter for the dealer principal,also send the same letter to Hyundai head office and inform the dealer that you have done so, putting in the reasons why you would recommend their product just not this particular dealership, due to the reasons you have listed.

Beleive me Hyundai will contact you,we had a similar story (but different issue)with Cyril our first I30, we no longer deal with that dealershipor get any work done throught them, we bought Bruce a few months later through another dealership,I know the dealer principal, anything I am unhappy with if I do not think it is an is Hyundai itself needs to know about, I talk to him,if I have a bigger issue I just tell him he will be getting an official complaint letter and one will also be going to Hyundai head office,which Wade accepts, as he also does not like to provide shoddy service,since we been going their he has had two service managers leave and at least that amount of Mech's.

Only thing I haven't been able to get him to move on is the exorbitant servicing charges they get.

[Doggie 1]

That sounds like Nthm. 

I'd like to put another slant on this thread.

When a wheel alignment is done (and this is from personal observation), the steering wheel should be aligned and held in place with a clamp while the wheel alignment is done.  This is to ensure that the steering wheel is correctly aligned.  If this procedure is not done, it is likely that the steering wheel will not be aligned correctly.  This is not to say that all other aspects of the wheel alignment are not correct.

To say that the vehicle pulls to the left or right because of a steering wheel alignment error in these circumstances is not accurate. What is in fact the problem is that the spokes of the steering wheel are not aligned correctly.  This in itself is not a real issue other than it being an annoyance, although you could argue that when the vehicle is stationary, the driver may think that he has the wheels straight when they are not.

It is sloppy for the mechanic not to follow the procedure of correctly aligning the steering wheel, but it will not cause the vehicle to be pulled left or right on the road.  I've had ouri30 steering wheel incorrectly aligned once.  I waited until another tyre check to have the steering wheel, realigned.  I am OCD to a fair degree and it did not concern me greatly and did not cause tyre wear or steering issues.

Just my thoughts.

[Dazzler]

I must be more OCD than you Bob (it would annoy me) 

I must be more OCD than you Bob (it would annoy me) 

Did annoy me but understood what had gone wrong and that it wasn't a problem.  It would be great if you could undo a nut, pull the steering wheel off the spline and shove it back on straight.

Incidentally, I fitted new tyres to the old i30 today.  The tyre service I used got the steering wheel aligned perfectly.  This tyre service happens to do all pre delivery alignments for the local Hyundai dealer - the dealer doesn't do there own.  The bad alignment of the steering wheel was at a tyre supplier I refuse to use now as they were rude and arrogant to my wife on one occasion.

[Dazzler]

I must be more OCD than you Bob (it would annoy me) 

Did annoy me but understood what had gone wrong and that it wasn't a problem.  It would be great if you could undo a nut, pull the steering wheel off the spline and shove it back on straight.

Incidentally, I fitted new tyres to the old i30 today.  The tyre service I used got the steering wheel aligned perfectly.  This tyre service happens to do all pre delivery alignments for the local Hyundai dealer - the dealer doesn't do there own.  The bad alignment of the steering wheel was at a tyre supplier I refuse to use now as they were rude and arrogant to my wife on one occasion.

What tyres did you go for Bob?

I remember undoing a bolt and swapping the steering wheel in my 1978 Renault Virage to a SAAS Goldfinger one with Gold Chrome Spokes and thick Tan Leather Rim (was a lovely wheel that) 

[Doggie 1]

Ah, those were the days (no air bags).

[The Gonz]

... my 1978 Renault Virage ...

Another old AussieFrogger 

[Doggie 1]

... my 1978 Renault Virage ...

Another old AussieFrogger 

Just like a Poogot, but different.