QuestionQUESTION: Hi. I am hoping you can give me some idea what may be wrong. Yesterday while driving, with no noise or other indication of a problem, my 2002 Sonata just shut off. It would make a sound like it wanted to start, but it wouldn't. There was some corrosion on the battery (which is only a year and a half old) so we cleaned and tried to jump it. Nope. No improvement. Then after waiting and trying again to jump then letting the car sit, not even the lights would turn on. So, we tried replacing the battery. Nope... no improvement. It did act like it wanted to start again, but it wouldn't. Had it towed. Mechanic is sure taking a long time (been looking at it for four hours). What could be wrong? What things are covered under my warranty (I am the original owner)? What would I have to show/prove to Hyundai to get them to do warranty work?
Thanks for your help.
ANSWER: Since the lamps wouldn't turn on, it sounds like an electrical problem, so I'd suspect the alternator.
If your car is less than five years old and has less than 60,000 miles, most things other than the battery will be covered by your warranty. If you're within this period, you won't need to show anything to the dealer for warranty coverage.
If your 5 year/60,000 mile warranty has expired, the only items covered under the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty are those in your powertrain. This includes the engine, transmission, and their internal components, as well as a few other odds and ends. Since I believe you have an electrical problem, the chances of this repair being covered by the 10/100 warranty are very low. If you need warranty service under the 10/100 powertrain warranty, you'll need to tell the dealer who you are and provide a current registration (for them to copy) showing that you're the registered owner of the vehicle. The dealer can check who you are against the registered original owner in Hyundai's database to verify you're the original owner.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you very much for your quick answer. I just talked to the mechanic about my 2002 Sonata. He said my timing belt broke. He is checking now to see if anything's bent... he said, if so, I will need a new motor. He said best case I'm looking at $750, worst case could be a couple thousand. Is this covered under warranty at all? I bought it in July 2002 and it has less than 60K mileage. I may as well scrap this car, even though I still owe on it.
AnswerSince you're over the four year maintenance interval on the timing belt, it won't be covered by your warranty. Hyundai may consider offering goodwill assistance, however. This may include part or all of the repair costs. If you'd like to pursue this avenue, you should check with your local dealer. Of course, if they say it's covered, you should jump on that right away.
Very rarely do vehicles need new motors when the timing belt breaks. In your case, engine damage is likely, but most of the time, the damage is limited to the valves and cylinder head. Even so, this can be quite an expensive undertaking to repair.
