2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS review from North America

I had owned the car for less than a week when the "Check Engine" light came on. Apparently this is not unusual, but it was still a pain. I took it back to the dealer and they fixed it, no problem.

My real problem is with the clutch. My car has under 36,000 miles on it, and the clutch is slipping and will need to be replaced. This is going to cost me roughly $1000. The dealer tells me this is not covered under the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty, which I guess I can understand, given that the clutch IS a wear item.

However, based on what I'm finding out there on the Net, Hyundai clutches "wear" VERY quickly. And apparently, other Hyundai vehicles have had clutch problems in the past (there is a class-action suit pending regarding the clutch in late-model Tiburons-- LOOK IT UP!). YET, the dealer wants to foist the clutch problems on me. And it's not like I can stop them-- I commute to work and I NEED a drivable car. Color me pissed.

I'm convinced the clutch failure is not my fault. I have been driving for 13 years, save for a 5-year period in college when I did not have a car. I have driven manual transmissions (VW Rabbit and Fox) that entire time, and I have never had a clutch fail. Not once. Not even on a car that was 10 years old when I got it.

My advice? Get a VW. Sure, the electrical system will have problems, but it'll be covered, and at least they'll own up and honor their warranty.

Meanwhile, I'll keep my receipt and my CC bill, and Google "class action suit hyundai elantra clutch" every so often. Just in case.

Except for the clutch problems, I like the car fine. It handles well and it's comfortable. The dashboard design is intuitive and attractive.