‘Boy we sure do see a lot of these’: Customer brings 2015 Hyundai into the shop. Then it starts making this disturbing sound

Buying a car is never an easy decision and drivers often spend countless hours researching and test driving cars. 

Luckily for us, mechanics have taken to social media to give us their unfiltered opinions. These reviews showcase the good, bad, and the ugly, helping buyers make the right decision.

So what do mechanics think of Hyundai cars? It's one of the most popular brands in the U.S. But it's also one of the most debated because they are relatively new to American consumers compared to Japanese and domestic stalwarts such as Chevy and Toyota.

In a TikTok, with more than 786,000 views, the expert mechanics at Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice) review why Hyundais are on their do not purchase list.

Why do they believe you should avoid Hyundai cars?

In the video, the car featured was a 2015 Hyundai Tucson with 11,800 miles on it. The two mechanics listen to a disturbing sound from the engine. After starting up the car, the engine made a loud rattling noise leaving the mechanics in concern.

“People wonder why I don’t recommend Hyundais,” one of the mechanics says. 

This engine noise is quite distributing despite the vehicle only being 10 years old with 118,000 miles. The mechanic did confirm: “It’s full of oil.” The disapproval from the mechanics grew the more they listened to the disturbing engine noise. 

The initial reason for the car coming into the shop was the Hyundai kept going into limp mode.

What is limp mode on Hyundai cars?

When a car goes into limp mode, it’s the car's way of alerting the driver of a severe problem that needs to get addressed immediately. 

According to JD Power, limp mode will deactivate non-driving essentials including radio, air-conditioning, and screens to ensure the driver can safely get off the roads. 

Limp mode reduces the power and speed of the vehicle so you can limp your way to a safe location to address the issue.

Do Hyundais have engine problems?

Some models were recalled in 2021 because of a defect on the engine wherein piston oil rings were not properly treated. This led to engine damage as some Hyundais were susceptible to lifespan-shortening wear-and-tear. If you have a Hyundai from the past decade with the 2.0L Nu MPI engine, getting it inspected at your local dealership is a good idea.

In 2024, Ford and Chrysler had the most recalls, 51 apiece. Mazda had the fewest with 4. Hyundai had 20, less than Mercedes and BMW.

Were the mechanics able to fix this Hyundai engine?

In a follow-up TikTok, Royalty Auto Service shared that this Hyundai Tucson isn't under warranty. The engine repair request was declined due to the car having over 100,000 miles. 

To replace the entire engine would be costly and oftentimes isn’t worth the cost. 

According to AutoZone, 2015 Hyundai Tucson engines cost around $5,000 to replace. KBB currently reports the resale value for the 2015 Hyundai Tucson to be $5,702. So replacing an engine for the price for the current resale value typically isn’t the best option.

Since the engine wasn’t covered by the warranty, the car was towed away from Royalty Auto Service.

@royaltyautoservice We aren’t the surprised… #hyundai #mechanic #mechaniclife #cartok #automotive #diy #fyp #foryou #viral #duet #stitch #engine ♬ Pop beat BGM / long version(1283324) - nightbird_bgm

What did the viewers think about Hyundai cars?

“No car depreciates more than a Hyundai. This is why,” one commented. 

“Yet people still buy them and confidently believe their reliability is better than our just as good as Japanese cars,“ one commented.

“I would never buy a Hyundai,” one insisted.

“We see a lot of bad engines,” another mechanic commented.

This TikTok has more than 24,800 likes.

We've contacted @royaltyautoservice and Hyundai for comment.

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The post ‘Boy we sure do see a lot of these’: Customer brings 2015 Hyundai into the shop. Then it starts making this disturbing sound appeared first on The Daily Dot.