[rustynutz]

Noticed the other day that the drivers side door seal on my i30 is stuffed....this on a 6 month old car!
Off I trotted to my nearest dealer only to be told that it's not covered by warranty.
He said that it's a result of my "body" rubbing against it as I get in and out of the car so is not a design fault.
I argued the point to no avail.
I'm fairly tall and consequently have the seat pushed right back to give me enough leg room which brings the seat back alongside the door pillar. There is no way I can get in and out of the car without rubbing against the door pillar and the door seal. Am I wrong in expecting this to be replaced under warranty?

Any suggestions?

[agentr31]

i tend to agree with the dealer here... BUT still they should have given you a new one for the sake of keeping you happy! i mean it is 6 months old, you wouldnt expect it to flog out for a few years...

[2i30s]

what is the dealer you've  been using, rustynutz?

[Dazzler]

The way I see it you have two choices.... cut 2" off your legs or write an email to Hyundai Australia asking them for a ruling.. (I which one i'd rather do)

Well actually I would try another dealership first.. or wait until a few more have posted the general concensus that it SHOULD be fixed for free as a goodwill gesture if nothing else.. Then give them a link to this topic 

Surferdude is 6"2" and several other members are that tall or taller so it will be interesting to see their feedback about similar wear and tear  

[2i30s]

I'm tall like surferdude. i sit on the drivers seat and swing my legs in,i do the opposite to get back out.i swing my legs out the door and stand up,i bang my head on the roof if i do it any other way. 

[agentr31]

im curious to see if anyone else has this problem!

[eye30]

Strange reply from dealer.

Do they not expect you to catch parts of the car when you enter and exit.

Warranty - I wouls say yes.   
The part is not fulfilling its function

I'll add an opinion. Your fault, no warranty.

The problem you have is that it's most unlikely your dealer will bear the cost when Hy will not agree to replace under warranty. Would you?

[Lorian]

I forget who, but someone else had the same problem on a nearly new motor, reported about 4 or 5 months ago.

I just checked mine and there is not even a mark on it - and I'm 6' and regular build (this is my polite way of saying not overweight).

[rustynutz]

Thanks all for your replies.....

The dealership I saw was Leongatha Hyundai.
My next option will be to contact the dealer I purchased the car from (Wights in Traralgon).
I'd actually contacted them first by phone, and at their suggestion due to the distance they're away, I then took it to Leongatha. The fella I spoke to did also say to let him know if I didn't have any joy.

As can be seen in the photo, the seal hasn't been cut or anything like that, it just appears to have worn through....which, for it to wear that quickly doesn't say much for the longitivity of the rubber used, bearing in mind I don't drive my car every day and I've only got 8500k's on the clock.

Interestingly the the bloke I saw at Leongatha told me he had been caught out with this same problem on another Hyundai model......he went ahead and replaced the seal only to have Hyundai refuse to cover it.

[Shambles]

Unless you're lucky and catch Wights in a good mood, I can't see you getting any 'free' joy, judging from that pic. Looks to me like it's being brushed/rubbed each time you get in, slowly but surely tearing it away from its base.

I forget who, but someone else had the same problem on a nearly new motor, reported about 4 or 5 months ago.

Nick Riffed reported this but didn't say what the result was...

https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5331.msg57567.html#msg57567

[eye30]

I disagree with all those negatives.

I personally would argue that the rubber wasn't up to HY's usual standard.

Don't forget if the rubber had "dried or cured" or whatever the technical term is, then when it is compressed it will split.

I wonder if it is a cheap and cheerful batch and other who have a Hy car of around the date yours was manufactured are having similar issues?

[Shambles]

Interesting to see that our resident 007 warns of this in another post...

...
remove the door rubber gently from the top of the a pillar to the scuff plate ***be careful door rubbers are easily damaged***
...

[eye30]

Mine is 3 years and 13 days old and my seals are A OK

ps mine is Korean built

[Lorian]

I think this is more to do with driver size than a faulty batch, of rubber as Nick has a Czech car and presumably  RustyNutz has a Korean car as I can't even pronounce the dealer names/locations 

[Dazzler]

Thanks for the picture Rusty (really does help in these situations)

I note a little bit of wear on the seat bolster as well..

Hopefully you can get the seal problem sorted by your original dealer, but in the mean time it might be worth modifying your entry and exit procedure to that used by 2i30's which will avoid a reoccurence and protect the seat as well..

[Mutley]

I'm 6' and I don't rub against anything getting in and out...

[agentr31]

good quoting skills shabmles! thats superb! it is true they do break EVERY easy!

mutley, ill be the judge of that when you come on the cruise next weekend...

*looks at attenedes in thread*

OHH... you wont be there FAIL

[Mutley]

too busy dude....

[agentr31]

yer broham thats ok! i was only kidding aye!

[Surferdude]

IMO that rubber should not be cracking like that in such a short time.
I'll be checking mine tomorrow but I haven't noticed it.
However, if the seat can travel back far enough to allow a person's body to rub on it hen accessing the car then the rubber should be of a standard to stand up to that.

C'mon guys, what would you expect say from a car company if the floor carpet wore through from a driver's high heels?  Seen it, my view, user problem.

Same here; it's a door seal, not a "bum buffer".

I would see it differently if the rubber was paper thin or some other specification that indicated it was of poor quality... otherwise it's just one of those things you have to accept as "your problem".

Jees, ya can't go 'em for everything.  

I see the warranty for engine, suspension, electronic failures etc., not minor rattles or general wear.

What if the sill got scrached from dragging your shoe across it every time you got in? Surely not warrranty? Hell, the paint was too thin!

[rustynutz]

Well I took the car back to the original dealer and got the same response....Not covered by warranty....Hyundai will not cover any door seal if there's the slightest sign of wear.
The fella did suggest I contact Hyundai privately to see if they'll consider it so I guess that's my next plan of attack.

C'mon guys, what would you expect say from a car company if the floor carpet wore through from a driver's high heels?  Seen it, my view, user problem.

Same here; it's a door seal, not a "bum buffer".

I would see it differently if the rubber was paper thin or some other specification that indicated it was of poor quality... otherwise it's just one of those things you have to accept as "your problem".

Jees, ya can't go 'em for everything.  

I see the warranty for engine, suspension, electronic failures etc., not minor rattles or general wear.

What if the sill got scrached from dragging your shoe across it every time you got in? Surely not warrranty? Hell, the paint was too thin!

Pip, I guess I'll have to agree to disagree with what you're saying.....Unlike if it was high heels, I'm unable to remove my "bum" or in this case my hip. I may be on the larger side but I still think it must be poor quality and thin rubber for it to wear through in such a short length of time. I had a Holden Barina for just on 20 years and never had an issue with the seals and the Barina was a much smaller car than the i30.

IMO that rubber should not be cracking like that in such a short time.
I'll be checking mine tomorrow but I haven't noticed it.
However, if the seat can travel back far enough to allow a person's body to rub on it hen accessing the car then the rubber should be of a standard to stand up to that.

I couldn't agree more....The back of the seat is in line with the pillar....If I pivot on the seat and swing my legs out, my hip and arm are against the pillar.
I'm no spring chicken and like many my age, have back problems. I physically can't twist myself in to knots to get out of the vehicle without touching the pillar. Frankly, I reckon it's bloody ridiculous and totally unreasonable to expect anyone to do it....

Well I took the car back to the original dealer and got the same response....Not covered by warranty....Hyundai will not cover any door seal if there's the slightest sign of wear.
The fella did suggest I contact Hyundai privately to see if they'll consider it so I guess that's my next plan of attack.

C'mon guys, what would you expect say from a car company if the floor carpet wore through from a driver's high heels?  Seen it, my view, user problem.

Same here; it's a door seal, not a "bum buffer".

I would see it differently if the rubber was paper thin or some other specification that indicated it was of poor quality... otherwise it's just one of those things you have to accept as "your problem".

Jees, ya can't go 'em for everything.  

I see the warranty for engine, suspension, electronic failures etc., not minor rattles or general wear.

What if the sill got scrached from dragging your shoe across it every time you got in? Surely not warrranty? Hell, the paint was too thin!

Pip, I guess I'll have to agree to disagree with what you're saying.....Unlike if it was high heels, I'm unable to remove my "bum" or in this case my hip. I may be on the larger side but I still think it must be poor quality and thin rubber for it to wear through in such a short length of time. I had a Holden Barina for just on 20 years and never had an issue with the seals and the Barina was a much smaller car than the i30.

IMO that rubber should not be cracking like that in such a short time.
I'll be checking mine tomorrow but I haven't noticed it.
However, if the seat can travel back far enough to allow a person's body to rub on it hen accessing the car then the rubber should be of a standard to stand up to that.

I couldn't agree more....The back of the seat is in line with the pillar....If I pivot on the seat and swing my legs out, my hip and arm are against the pillar.
I'm no spring chicken and like many my age, have back problems. I physically can't twist myself in to knots to get out of the vehicle without touching the pillar. Frankly, I reckon it's bloody ridiculous and totally unreasonable to expect anyone to do it....

Maybe my high heels analogy was a bit way out but I maintain you are not likely to win here and how "rediculous and unreasonable" it seems "to expect anyone to get in and out without touching the pillar" I think you are in the minority - at least on this forum as noone else has found the same problem.

Hey, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'd be pissed-off too but I just reckon you have to wear this one.

[bumpkin]

I tend to agree with the wear and tear thinking, we have not had another complaint like this on here and whilst 6 months is a short time, I suspect that you will get nowhere with a warranty claim.

Given your mobility issues, how about trying a different tack with the dealer?  Ask them is they can recommend any other way for a person with mobility difficulties to enter and exit the car without causing such damage and if they think that there is, request a replacement door seal at maybe 50/50 split in the cost for you to verify the advice..................

BTW, I don't know if these work but for the folks talking about swinging their giraffe like limbs in and out causing them problems, perhaps one of these would help
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deluxe-Swivel-Car-Seat-Mobsoleteility/dp/B000WOEQGI

or even on fleabay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROTATING-REVOLVING-CAR-PADDED-SWIVEL-SEAT-MOBILITY-AID_W0QQitemZ170523870941QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=146224742320&query={query}&fitem=170523870941&linkin_id=8057410&mt_id=635&kw={query}

[Dazzler]

What a pain in the a$$... I can see both points of view but really feel for you Rusty.. I wouldn't want to be forking out for a new door seal every 6 months... 

Maybe it would be worth trying those swivel seats (I've seen them advertised quite a bit but never tried one) I'm a bit young 

I tend to think that the door seal would be of the same quality as the one in the Barina must be just a design quirk of the i30 (although not a common complaint)...That is what makes the whole issue so frustrating

[rustynutz]

Sorry for venting my frustration on here. 

The actual problem isn't the pivoting on the seat, I can do that easily (thanks for the suggestions and links anyhow).
The problem is the seat position in relation to the pillar which in itself isn't any real problem other than the obviously delicate seal.

Anyhow, I've waffled on long enough on this subject, so I'll pull the pin for now and once I've written a letter and hopefully received an answer back, I'll fill you in.....

Oh, nearly forgot...bumpkin & Pip, going by the link supplied earlier is this thread, there does appear to have been someone else with the same issue......
https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5331.msg57567.html#msg57567
Shame he didn't let us know how it all ended up....

Cheers 

[Shambles]

Oh, nearly forgot...bumpkin & Pip, going by the link supplied earlier is this thread, there does appear to have been someone else with the same issue......
http://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5331.msg57567.html#msg57567
Shame he didn't let us know how it all ended up....

Wish I'd said that

[bumpkin]

Sorry for venting my frustration on here. 

Don't be , that is what we are here for

The actual problem isn't the pivoting on the seat, I can do that easily (thanks for the suggestions and links anyhow).
The problem is the seat position in relation to the pillar which in itself isn't any real problem other than the obviously delicate seal.

Anyhow, I've waffled on long enough on this subject, so I'll pull the pin for now and once I've written a letter and hopefully received an answer back, I'll fill you in.....

Oh, nearly forgot...bumpkin & Pip, going by the link supplied earlier is this thread, there does appear to have been someone else with the same issue......
https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5331.msg57567.html#msg57567
Shame he didn't let us know how it all ended up....

Cheers 

OK, but that is still only two members out of us all with the issue, I think that market research for Hyundai would not throw the issue up prior to design of the vehicle, for what it's worth the i30 has more front door entry/exit space than my Subaru's had and the quality of rubber appears to be the same.

I suspect that your Barina just had a slightly different configuration of entry/exit which was enough to negate or indeed eradicate such an issue with that car...........

[agentr31]

have you actually priced a new one? i bet its only like $50 ~ $80... wont be that expensive...