2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Warranty Complaint
September 5, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Warranty Complaint
Name: Helen Mccready
Car Make: Hyundai
Car Model: Santa Fe
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Warranty Complaint:
This vehicle was serviced as per the service schedule by sunco motors my local hyundai dealer. At the 90000km service in feb 06 both the timing belt and the balance shaft belt were replaced. Car was still under factory warranty. The balance shaft belt snapped in july 07 causing major engine damage to the vehicle.
As the car had done 145000km sunco motors said the car was not covered by warranty. Car was repaired by another mechanic. it was discovered that the balance shaft belt that was replaced by sunco motors was not a genuine hyundai part. Sunco have informed me that the belt had a 12 month 20000 km warranty but the vehicle had done 50,000 since it was replaced.
According to sunco motors they can use non genuine parts any time they like and not void any warranty. It seems that they call most engine parts “consumable” and therefore the only warranty is 12 months.
I have always been under the impression that to keep your new car warranty genuine parts had to be used. So why can they get away with using whatever parts they like? If a genuine part was used at the 90000km service i am sure it would not have snapped after 18 months – especially since hyundai say they do not need replacing until 90,000kms.
Print it: 
have you approached hyundai themselves? as most warranty work must have used genuine parts and this would have been of interest to hyundai themselves as outside parts are not condoned until the vehicle is out of warranty that was agreed upon.
having worked at a dealership im of the knowledge that the customer can have the service performed by “jbloggs and co” as long as the customer has the book stamped by a reputable, taxed and licensed, mechanical work shop
but all warranty work is to be performed in house.NOEXCEPTIONS
the parts need to be genuine at time of fitment.
However after the original warranty has expired though whether by time or distance the latent warranty kicks in which is as you described (20000 klms / 12 months)
so given the vitriolic data above you may have a case.
In my experience i’ve found most customers to be of the australian nature: cheapskates and barroom experts when things go well but when things go wrong they get on the warpath .then they take it out on the dealership staff claiming “its ONLY just done xxxx klms so warranty should be extended”
this only seems to suit the customer. but most signed yet not read as per the warranty stipulation of the owner responsibility in that contract,visavie the owners responsiblities on point of sale. conveneiently forgotten when customer is affronted.
also the servicing schedules are not a point of ignorance for customers as they are well documented in the owners manual and yours may have needed replacement on the shorter maintenance schedule. Timing belts need to be used or they will perish as well as run out from over use.
as your vehicle is a My03 model the warranty ,helen would have run out by the time 90000klms came around. and you havent stated what type of driving you do. as you said it was jul 07 the timing belt could have perished
as most two car families the one that is for just for the convenience of dropping off pampered kiddies, dosent get as much use as the other normal family sedan so is contunually short hopping ” when this happens the timing belts and balance shaft belts become brittle and calcified .then “snap” so thus the shortsighted agument for “low klms” when clamity happens
wheras the other end of the scale, is when the car is over used and constantly running causing the belt to wear out.
If the dealer fitted a non-genuine belt to your vehicle that’s not Hyundai’s fault. It’s not a fault with the vehicle, it’s a fault with the tighta$$ dealer not using the right parts, and you need to take it up with them. I am sure Hyundai is giving the dealer a suitably hard time for this though.
We too have had a similar problem 2002 Santa Fe 96K car broke down,sent to local mech,problem =(timming belt.) replaced 07 (timming belt,balance shaft belt,crank angle sensor),some 9 months later) and 20+ KMS not quite 21Kms, balance shaft belt breaks ,this time causing major problems,16 bent valves #2 piston gone,etc etc.
1st mechanic’s insurance investagator suggests I look up this web site and here we stand,some 8 weeks 9 on sunday with out our 2002 (1 owner) Santa Fe,any advice