1997 Hyundai Lantra GL 1.6 Wagon 1.6 DOHC petrol

Summary:

You always get what you pay for so beware

Faults:

Nothing yet however since owning it for a few weeks I expect to have ongoing problems.

The exhaust emission has a strong petrol type smell and is blowing white smoke a long time after it has warmed up which may mean water leaking in the engine.

The radio loses its memory stations intermittently.

General Comments:

The number one biggest problem with this car is the excessive tyre road noise which is likely to be worst in New Zealand because of our coarse chip roads.

I have fitted TZ100 firehawks as the dealer suggested and tried acoustic foam sound proofing in the rear, but still no improvement.

The road noise is very annoying and drives me mad.

I bought this car because it looks very modern inside and out and it does drive well other than the noise problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th November, 2002

1st Jan 2003, 21:51

My son-in-law has had a Hyundai Lantra sportswagon SE 1997 from new and we are impressed how good it's been in 70,000plus km, he has just bought 1 new battery and had a new muffler plus tyres, it's far exceeded our expectations of such a 'cheap' car and the reliability has been excellent, which is essential as we are country dwellers in OZ. I am planning to buy a Hyundai myself as I am so impressed by his.

2nd Apr 2005, 23:33

I have a 1997 lantra wagon that I bought two years ago. In 40,000 kms of driving (now has 150,000kms) I've had to replace brake drums, front wheel bearings and battery.

The worst problem is that it developed an electrical fault at speeds of 100kmphr which meant it starts misfiring. As I say, intermittent, and no mechanics have been able to diagnose it. So far the distributor cap, leads, and plugs have been replaced and it still has the problem.

Two weeks ago it developed a strange noise from the front. Can't seem to get to the bottom of this either. The other problem with this car is the trim seems to be low quality - door handles and electric mirrors are starting to break, and the central locking is faulty.

I wouldn't recommend this car as I don't think it will last as well as another make might.

1997 Hyundai Lantra GLS 1.8L DOHC

Summary:

Low buy price and impressive at first, but watch expensive parts and long term performance

Faults:

Automatic transmission began to drop out of gear at around 45,000. This was never repaired by the dealer. At 130,000 an auto transmission specialist found fault with the torque converter.

Internal engine fault at 65,000. Noisy HLAs (hydraulic lash adjusters) - repaired by dealer.

Faulty rear hatch lifters at 80,000. Replaced by the dealer.

Suspension has been noisy since 80,000 and gets noisier over time. Ride is no longer smooth.

HLAs are noisier over time. Must change the oil regularly or they get very noisy.

Car wears quickly after the warranty expires.

General Comments:

The buy price of the Hyundai is low, but the parts prices are astronomical. The equivalent Mitsubishi parts (if available) are half the Hyundai prices.

Hyundai Australia have little interest in providing service. They never bothered to follow up on a complaint regarding the auto transmission.

The car was impressive for the first 100,000km, but has gone downhill quickly since then. The warranty expires at 100,000.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th January, 2002

3rd Jan 2009, 04:17

Could all the trouble you have had been the fact that you did around 50,000kms a year in this car? That's almost double the average person.

15th Aug 2010, 06:01

I don't think your comment is valued by him... but I thank you. This review almost put me off. Didn't realize he done 50,000km pr/yr.

Wyatt.