03 Elantra A/C

Hello everyone,

My uncle's A/C on his 2003 Hyundai Elantra has not been working lately so he brought it today to LIA Hyundai of Hartford, CT. Before he called the dealer and asked if the A/C is covered under the warranty and the rep said "yes". My uncle has about 20,000 miles on his car so its is fair new. Well he brought it today only to find out that it is not covered due tot the fact that there is a hole in the condenser. The rep said that a rock must of hit the condenser and put a hole in it therefore leaking out the freon. Total estimate from dealer is 350.00 for the condenser and 500.00 for installation. Like many, he is on a fixed budget(retired) and does not have the money to get it fixed. He did have to pay a lousy 79.00 diagnostic fee because the problem with his a/c was not covered. I myself have had the worse luck with Hyundai's warranty coverage. My uncle and I both bought are cars the same day mines a sonata which I do liver very much but I have a few complaints with the things breaking down for example the passenger side door opener knob (the metallic piece) is warped and flaking of the handle. That is not covered because the knob needs to be totally broken. There are a few more negative things that I encountered but I won't get into it right now. I was wondering if someone could give me an alternative as to how I can get my uncle's car fixed at a cheaper price (I am going to pay it for him). He really needs the a/c (Heart Disease). If anyone is living in New England right now you know what I am talking about this HUMID weather we are having. Thanks group.

Reply to
sonata32
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For your uncle's a/c, I'd do the following:

  1. If he has comprehensive insurance, contact his insurance company. They should cover the damage less his deductible.
  2. Shop around for price. Call a few places in the area that do a/c or radiator work. Since the problem has already been diagnosed, you'll already know what it needs for them to price it for you.

For your Sonata-- no, it doesn't have to be broken to be covered. Factory warranty covers your vehicle against defect in material and workmanship. If the dealer refuses to repair the vehicle, call Hyundai Customer Assistance and make a complaint. The peeling chrome is a well-known issue to Hyundai. To my knowledge, we've never had a claim refused on this item, and I've replaced several handles for this very reason. Not only is it annoying, it can injure you-- the peeling chrome is SHARP!

While the dealer is most likely correct about the A/C condensor, they're feeding you pure B.S. on the door handle. If they refuse to give you proper warranty service, don't give them any service work you'll need to pay for, either.

Reply to
hyundaitech

If someone is unhappy with customer service. Can they walk out of the dealership without paying the diagnostic fee first?

In some places it's permissable to do this at restaurants. If customers are unhappy(fly in soup) and the workers will not fix it for them, they have the right to leave without paying.

Reply to
eastwardbound2003

This is worth a try : Get some JB WELD (original version) from the hardware store . It has been tested to withstand 4000 psi pressure and has sealed exhaust manifolds permanently. They have a website you can go to. Just make sure the area where the hole is , is very clean before you apply the JB WELD ; id allow it to set up for 24 hours then apply a second coat and wait another 24 hours before preparing the A/C system .

Reply to
Dave in Lake Villa

Dave has quite a history of giving out piss poor advice in both the repair and HVAC fields....the guys in alt.HVAC consider him quite the professional hack

If you're gonna fix something, do it right And I'd advice NOT to use AC stop leak compound for AC leaks as repair shops won't service your auto system if they find that you're used it..(it screws up their equipment)

Reply to
Flakey714

The dealer did diagnose the A/C problem and is most likely correct about the cause, so they're entitled to the diagnostic fee. It's not an uncommon occurance and some Elantra owners have taken to installing black plastic mesh behind the grill to prevent this type of problem. I'll be doing it to mine as soon as I can find the right mesh, which is supposedly available at Lowes (it's used as rain gutter cover material).

Reply to
Brian Nystrom

Brian Nystrom wrote: > The dealer did diagnose the A/C problem and is most likely correct about

I installed the mesh a couple days ago. The product is called "Gutter Guard" and it's easily installed using cable ties and a few adhesive mounts where there aren't any handy holes or frame members to use. I probably spent a couple of hours doing the job. There is a DIY on the Elantra GT club website and I've sent them another one with more detail.

Reply to
Brian Nystrom

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