2013 Hyundai Elantra started jerking hard while shifting from 1st to 2nd gear on cold shift. This problem started at about 45,000 miles and the transmission was finally replaced at 58,000 miles. The technician said the transmission fluid was a quart low and smelled burnt. He also said it wasn’t leaking it so there wasn’t enough transmission fluid put in at the factory. This is just inexcusable that Hyundai has such a bad quality control, they can’t even put enough transmission fluid in their cars at the factory.

I took it to the dealer at Bob Bell in Glen Burnie Md. They explained there was no transmission problem. So I continued to drive it. Now today I took it to an independent auto mechanic shop in 2018. Of course I am not under warranty and the problem has gotten noticeably worse. I felt that they over looked me because it was a problem that they could avoid fixing. My new mechanic suggested I look on the internet for recalls. I am alarmed to see that it is a major complaint with many others. I am frustrated with Hyundai and with the dealership. I feel that I was taken advantage of. My new mechanic had concerns about the calipers on the brakes as well.

My check engine light came on. Next I noticed that my car was struggling while switching gears which happened mostly at stop and go situations (lights or stop signs). It was definitely noticeable and I was thinking that maybe this is just a fluke with the cooler mornings in the changing seasons so I didn't think much of it. Later that afternoon It was worse driving home. The next morning it was even worse going back to work. I work 2.2 miles away in the city of Newark, NJ.

I then scheduled an appointment on Lynnes Hyundai on Bloomfield Ave, in Bloomfield NJ for a 9:15 am appointment. I arrived at 9:00 am and had a text message on my phone notifying me of my scheduled appointment in 15 minutes. I spoke with the representative at the service counter where he first asked me what my issue was. When I informed him I believe the transmission is slipping he responded with I'm not scheduled for the day and I would have to come back a few days later. I explained I scheduled an appointment on his website and that the schedule was half empty for the day. He responded with the computer scheduling doesn't work and they are doing away with it. I told him he was a con artist and he was trying to avoid covering warranty issues.

I then went to another Hyundai dealership, Wayne's Mazda/Hyundai on route 23. My check engine light was on up to the point I pulled into their service garage bay. Megan from the service desk approached me an hour later and asked me what was wrong with my car again. I then told her the transmission is slipping. Her response was, "no there is nothing wrong". She tried to convince me my eco button defaults on and that her car does the same thing. I refused to accept this and demanded to speak with the manager. He came out for a test drive with me. Of course in that 2 mile drive the car didn't slip. I noticed the check engine light was off and asked if their mechanic turned it off. He responded with saying the check engine light wasn't on when they received it. This was a complete utter lie. I had to then make a scene in front of the waiting room of customers in order to get more attention from the service manager. He tried to convince me that my personal mechanic turned off the engine light before I brought it to their service center which was also false. I even called my mechanic to appease him on speaker phone. After an hour of arguing we went for another test drive and while it was idoling it started to shake and flutter. The manager noticed it and said that felt like a transmission coil. The check engine light was still off, but after driving with him he said the third coil seems to be a common coil that has been replaced in my car. Back at the shop he had their mechanics replace the third and fourth transmission coil.

A few days later my check engine light came on AGAIN. This time when I brought it back to the shop on route 23 they diagnosed it as some fuel sensors that needed replacement which was a warranty item. It seemed like the problem was solved UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER, the check engine light came on again. With that the same violent jerky slipping sensation is back at the stop and go scenarios as the car is changing gears. I have not been able to take it to the dealership as of yet, but when I do I will update this posting.

As I was waiting for my car to be diagnosed and services I heard a few other complaints about their Hyundai Elantras and their transmissions slipping or jerking. It seems to be a common problem for these vehicles and in my opinion there is a recall that needs to happen. If it's the transmission that needs to be replaced they are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent this since that's 20 - 25% of the car's sale price to replace.