dr. dig said:
I can't believe it. Hyundai used to be a joke.
Doc,
Don't know if you're trolling or not, since this is posted on at least
one other auto group, as well.
But let's say you're not: yes, Hyundai HAS come a long way. Early
examples were horrid, and they're not out of the woods yet. But the
extended warranties can be looked at in a coupla ways, IMO. First is a
marketing ploy, trying to gain/regain customers who've heard bad things
about a marque (VW and Chrysler come to mind.) It seems Korean cars in
general have fallen into this venue--most are getting better, but I
believe all have a history of producing some crappy cars, so they've got
to overcome the bad rep.
The other is a learning tool for the mfrs: by warranting a vehicle
longer than usual, they'll see more of what problems pop up. For
example, the transmission in a friend's 2000 Hyundai Sonata went out a
coupla weeks ago. It was way beyond what would have been the warranty
period on most makes, but still under warranty for her. The miles were
less than what one would normally expect from a trans, though, so
Hyundai gets a better firsthand look at how their product holds up.
Properly handled, it should be a win-win for both the consumer and the
mfrs.
Rick
