Tag: ix35


20 June 2011

Jun 21, 2011 Author Nik

After what feels like a million phonecalls, following up and chasing information and numerous people, it seems the miraculous has happened: the sunroof ordered by Hyundai has been used by National Windscreens to repair my car.

It took more than two weeks to get everyone (my insurance company, the Hyundai dealership, Hyundai Accident Aftercare, the appointed bodyshop, and National Windscreens) reading from the same page, and I was steeling myself for a long wait while National Windscreens ordered in a replacement sunroof – knowing that the only one in the UK was unavailable (having ironically been ordered in by Hyundai for my car).

But it seems I am the (very grateful) beneficiary of a seemingly rare application of common sense between multiple companies.  I will have owned my car for 91 days on Saturday, when I pick it up – and I’ll have been waiting for it to be repaired for 23 of those.  That’s 25% of its registered life.


8 June 2011

Jun 8, 2011 Author Nik

Today my action was required to to get the ball rolling, or at least free it from its current sticky spot, with my insurers and Hyundai.

There seems to have been some confusion… perhaps because there are two Hyundais on the insurance policy, or maybe because nobody knows what type of claim this is, I don’t know.

It’s very frustrating.  I feel the sunroof should be a warranty claim (given the car is only just over 2 months old), Hyundai says it’s a windscreen claim (£70 excess) on my insurance, and my insurers say it’s a full claim (£250 excess) if I want Hyundai to carry out the repair.

To Hyundai’s credit they’ve already offered me a courtesy car; however they told me I’d have to insure it myself.  I think not.  Keep your Honda Jazz, I’ll walk.


6 June 2011

Jun 6, 2011 Author Nik

I was called by the Hyundai dealership today, regarding my sunroof.  They can’t find a problem anywhere, so the cause of the shattering sunroof remains unknown.  They’re also unable to replace the sunroof under warranty because the warranty explicitly excludes scratches to and breakage of glass.

My insurers won’t process the claim as a windscreen claim since they would insist that National Windscreens (and not Hyundai) replaces the sunroof – and I already know that the only ix35 sunroof in the country is currently on its way to be fitted to my car – resulting in a delay of who-knows-how-long.  And I also wouldn’t get a courtesy car while I waited.

I’m having to have the replacement processed as a regular insurance claim (though the very helpful Hyundai Accident Aftercare team), and will have to pay my excess as normal.  I expect my premium will go up on renewal as well – although I do have a guaranteed NCD.  All very annoying.  At least there’s the prospect of getting a courtesy car while I wait for the repair.


2 June 2011

Jun 2, 2011 Author Nik

Having ditched the TD4 Freelander (which cost £1000 per service, was fuel-guzzling, tyre-hungry, and was not far off needing a new IRD, VCU and rear diff) and having replaced it with a car from a manufacturer renowned for reliability, and with a 5-year warranty, I had hoped for more than 1,750 miles of trouble-free motoring. Not so.

Making full use of a late lunch break today, I popped into Reading to pay a visit to Staples. While I managed to find what I was after (and for an ok price, considering it was Staples), the journey home was less than successful. As I joined the A329 from the roundabout on London Road my sunroof shattered.

No apparent reason, it just just shattered. I had only just joined the carriageway so wasn’t travelling more than 50mph, and there was nobody else on the road so I’m positive it wasn’t caused by a foreign object that had been thrown up. For a few seconds just before it shattered, there was a vibrating, buzzing noise coming from the roof – so perhaps a malfunctioning regulator?

Anyway, after carefully driving home and calling Hyundai, I brushed off as much loose glass as I could and took the car in to them – not much fun considering it’s an M3 journey, and even doing 60mph with an ‘open’ sunroof is what you might call blustery!

It was a good chance to see how the car’s fuel economy fared, with cruise control and ActiveEco engaged, at a steady 55-60mph behind a large truck. The fuel economy gauge on the dash rarely dipped below the max/50mpg mark and never below 40mpg!

Two hurdles are ahead. The first is to get hold of a replacement sunroof – the ix35 is a rare beast to say the least, and being such a new model there’s no telling how long spare parts might take to come through. The second hurdle will be getting Hyundai to admit this is a warranty repair…


26 March 2011

Mar 26, 2011 Author Nik

I’ve got it! I really didn’t think it would happen, given the supply problems, but I’ve got it! I didn’t dare let myself get excited until I saw it, sitting at the showroom, registered, valeted and waiting for me.

I’m the very happy and very proud owner of a Hyundai ix35. And holy s**t does it fly?! It’s a 2-litre diesel, which is the engine I took for a test drive last year – but whereas the manual has 134PS, the automatic has 181PS! It also has an genuinely mind-boggling array of buttons and controls; so many functions and so much equipment it will take weeks to get my head around it all.

I can’t thank Ken of Alan Gibson Hyundai enough for being so accommodating and patient with us, and making the whole purchasing experience a joy.

There’s a very small scrape in the paintwork (to the primer) on the driver’s door sill, spotted by my eagle-eyed wife during handover, but nothing half an hour with Hyundai won’t fix.

The navigation seems to work very well, the gearbox is as sooth as silk, there’s a storage compartment in the centre arm-rest, and the trip computer shows a plethora of information. Oh, and there’s a little concealed holder for sunglasses recessed into the roof space.

I think I giggled like a little boy all the way home.

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