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2013 GDI Engine Failure

18K views 43 replies 20 participants last post by  barthgimble 
#1 · (Edited)
Story
This past Tuesday, I was on my way to a business meeting in Lake Elsinore from Orange County, CA. I chose to take Ortega Highway because it's a beautiful drive rather than freeway haulin' it. I wasn't driving overly aggressive by most standards especially relative to what myself and the vehicle are capable of. I shortly thereafter came upon a Chevy Impala SS and a compact 5dr. I passed both of them as they were driving rather slow and wouldn't use a turn-out. There's two particular turns on Ortega that are my absolute favorite: It takes you up the front side of the hill and out of the tree lines. Beautiful scenery. I'm trying to embed a google map for those who don't know the road.



The Impala decides that he's going to literally ride my a$$... (I later found out that he's got great tires and he drives the road daily) and I've now decided that after my, so far, leisurely ride, I need to walk away from him up the hill. Mid right hander, I lose a cylinder in what sounds like a compression issue. Turns out to be cylinder 1. I've lost power, but it's not astronomical. I pull off to the first turn-out and pop the hood to check the vitals. Rough idle, oil is slightly low but no contaminants and otherwise fine. Coolant levels are normal, no external indications of anything else. I'm not exactly in the safest of places for a 2hr wait for a tow truck and/or for the tow truck itself so I choose to try to baby it up to another turn out a little further up. About two thirds of the way to the turn-out the motor shuts down entirely. I am able to coast to the beginning of the next turn-out. Panicking as this is happening thinking I'm not going to make it, will be stuck in the middle of the road, and will have to somehow turn the vehicle around to roll down the hill into my previous turn-out location. At this point, I'm stopped, I've called AAA prior to even popping the hood again.. I will have plenty of time to inspect, lol.

AAA shows up with a "kneeling" flat bed in less than 35 minutes. I was blown away. Driver was fantastic and was a wheel guy. Took extreme car to make sure he did everything the right way. The truck didn't even require blocks since it had air suspension that deflated upon arrival. Just low enough for everything to clear without a hitch. Took it back to the shop, removed my wheels and threw the stockers on. Called AAA for the next truck to show up while I was putting the stock wheels back on and they were there in less than 8 minutes with another flatbed. I literally had only removed 1 wheel at that point, lol. He helped with the rest.

Dealership
Vehicle gets dropped off at the dealership and of course I have some reservations as even with just an intake and DP back exhaust, you never know what they're going to try and blame things on. I was already approved for my transmission to be replaced due to the 6th gear grinding issue, so I have at least 1 pre-approval. They know that the motor is seized but haven't taken it apart yet. Fast forward to Thursday. They pull the valve covers and the oil pan. Immediately find that I snapped a rod on Cylinder 1. Haven't been able to provide me with either a reason or images as of yet, but I'm hoping for both. Reason might come shortly... Pictures, I'm waiting for approval but he's doing his best. My service advisor will be receiving a little "bonus" if he comes through. I made sure to not ask about warranty coverage, whether there were any issues, etc. You never want to because it will raise suspicion. I mean, why would I be asking about warranty... I EXPECT it to be covered, right!? Finally got confirmation this morning that the new motor and transmission were ordered and should arrive on Tuesday of next week. I'm assuming that the install should only be a day or two at most followed by a day or two of road testing. Don't know if I'm getting a reman (as I imagine I would be) or if it's a crate long block... guess I'll find out later. If I manage to get images, they'll be going up on our social, so be sure to check 'em out.

TL;DR
Motor failed, turns out to have snapped a rod on Cyl 1. Motor is being replaced under warranty along with transmission due to 6th gear grinding issues. Will post pictures IF I can get my hands on them.


Karbon Koncepts | Instagram

Karbon Koncepts Project Genesis | Instagram


Points still in question
What are the major failures, weakpoints, and issues that 3.8 GDI owners have experienced and or that are known to exist?

I'm looking for serious failures and/or warranty work that's transpired.

Thank you in advance.


 
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#2 ·
How in god's name did you break a connecting rod?
 
#5 · (Edited)
(About me)



Holy crap... That's crazy we were just talking about blowing engines on the other thread. I hope we didn't jynx you. In Louisiana we call that Bad JuJu.
SO IT WAS YOU?




>:D

did you check the oil. buddy spun a bearing when the dealership underfilled the oil (we all know who i am talking about)

idk what else would be weak, he and i both wouldve found the weakpoints on it N/A (turbo guys are still looking for weak points) cuz we beat the piss outta them and they never had any issues
I'll release more details later once I'm told the culprit and what's happening going forward.

Unfortunately, I've gone down this path before... Not my favorite.
 
#4 ·
did you check the oil. buddy spun a bearing when the dealership underfilled the oil (we all know who i am talking about)

idk what else would be weak, he and i both wouldve found the weakpoints on it N/A (turbo guys are still looking for weak points) cuz we beat the piss outta them and they never had any issues
 
#6 ·
im just waiting for this to turn into facebook with all the "sell me your wheels, sell me your taillights" comments

get your spiked bat ready karbon
 
#10 ·
If I were you, I wouldn't worry... I am like no other.

So sorry to hear about this. Had a similar issue on my way to (where else?) a business meeting back in 2013 with about 10k miles on the car. It started overheating so I pulled over to the smell of coolant that drained completely out. Hyundai Service inspected n said they found no coolant or oil in the motor n found metal shavings in the oil pan. They said it was a fluke that happened to 1% of Gen coupes. Long story short, Hyundai shipped a newly assembled motor over n installed while I drove a loaner for a month all under warranty of course. 27000k miles later, I haven't had any issues, but they still haven't told me what caused that failure.
How ironic, lol.

Oh wow, that's kind of crazy. That's almost like someone tried to sabotage you.

Glad to hear it's been running strong ever since.
 
#9 ·
So before I get into details, I blew my motor on Tuesday on the way to a business meeting. (I'll update my OP later on today, hopefully with pictures)

Karbon Koncepts | Instagram

Karbon Koncepts Project Genesis | Instagram

Tried to do some searching and didn't yield much.

What are the major failures, weakpoints, and issues that 3.8 GDI owners have experienced and or that are known to exist?

I'm looking for serious failures and/or warranty work that's transpired.

Thank you in advance.


So sorry to hear about this. Had a similar issue on my way to (where else?) a business meeting back in 2013 with about 10k miles on the car. It started overheating so I pulled over to the smell of coolant that drained completely out. Hyundai Service inspected n said they found no coolant or oil in the motor n found metal shavings in the oil pan. They said it was a fluke that happened to 1% of Gen coupes. Long story short, Hyundai shipped a newly assembled motor over n installed while I drove a loaner for a month all under warranty of course. 27000k miles later, I haven't had any issues, but they still haven't told me what caused that failure.
 
#11 ·
:surprise:See, u got me thinkin now of any possible enemies I may have had back then n didn't know it! I hope it goes well for u 'cause the car is nice n u really can't beat that white. I originally wanted white but had to settle for silver. Please let us know what the diagnosis is when u can.
 
#12 ·


>:D


Thanks! Greatly appreciated.

I was already offered a buyback from Hyundai once, so I have some strength in my corner, but I truly love the car and what I've built. I already know that I'm getting a new transmission (6th gear grind goin down) and just waiting for the confirmation on the motor. I'm truly stressed down to my core while at the same time confident that it will be covered. Hoping for the best regardless.

Will keep everyone as updated as best I can. I'm getting ready to leave for the OC Gen meet tonight and then I'll be running by the dealership tomorrow to see if I can grab some images to share.

As soon as they confirm replacement under warranty (which I'm really not worried about but it's always stressful, right) I will discuss more openly.
 
#14 ·
Lol it sounds like me and karbon have a lot in common.. My brother rode with me in my Genesis when I was trying to feel the difference with my braided brake lines and he said "you are probably the harshest driver of a Hyundai vehicle, idk how it's holding up.." Meanwhile, my nitrous kit is in route for delivery Acheduled for Monday....... The day I fly to NC for work ?
 
#15 ·
Lol it sounds like me and karbon have a lot in common.. My brother rode with me in my Genesis when I was trying to feel the difference with my braided brake lines and he said "you are probably the harshest driver of a Hyundai vehicle, idk how it's holding up.." Meanwhile, my nitrous kit is in route for delivery Acheduled for Monday....... The day I fly to NC for work ��
It's quite likely...

I think the easiest way to explain it to people is this. I come from Sportbikes and as such, there are typical similarities IMO. I'm very much like that.

Always want to be in front.
Always accelerate quickly.
Always move faster than the flow of traffic around you.
Purchase the best equipment that can be afforded in order to make the vehicle handle better, brake faster, accelerate smoother, etc.


Parts arriving as you leave!!?!?!?!?

 
#16 ·
well, when my slave cylinder decided to kill itself, it the clutch blew up, the flywheel broke (the springs in it basically snapped in half), and my transmission got chewed up by chunks of clutch, it took them 3.5 days to pull everything out, replace it, and test it. took them about 2 days to get the parts, so i was out less than a week.

and we learned recently, pulling the motor and trans is about a 30 minute job if you pull off the front of the car (that whole black frame that mounts to the body in the front)
 
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#17 ·
Actually going to pick up my GC in an hour from the dealership. I have a little over 10K miles. There was some squeaking around the front passenger wheel so I assumed it was a suspension issue.

Service came back and said it was flex in my frame and they had to weld a few minor pieces. I asked for more information and they kept saying it was a minor part of the car/frame area and just some metal was rubbing and needed to be (I'm assuming re)welded.

Other than that, the car has been a blast and I certainly get every ounce out of it on the daily. I didn't buy the thing to walk myself into work at a desk 5 days a week for 10 hours a day. No, that thing torpedoes me through Houston to my office and I enjoy the last few minutes before being desk-ridden until I leave downtown for the night.
 
#25 ·
yea, ask mafioso. we pulled the bumper and the whole frame thing(name escapes me, but the the thing the crash bar and head lights bolt to) off, and then undid the transmission brace, and the engine mounts and pulled the whole thing out. 30 minutes may have been exaggerated but it was done before lunch.
 
#19 ·
Quite an active thread. Now I got my answer from another thread. Engine failures are pretty rare, but they do happen. In any mass produced item a small number are going to fail. I have heard similar things from Honda, BMW and Lexus owners so don't blame this on Hyundai. Last year our dealership had a Sonata on the rack. Same thing. The 2.4L Theta had lost a rod too. Brand new engine on its way. The service manager said an engineer was coming out from California to look into this since this represents a QC problem at the manufacturing and inspection level. It happens. You get a new engine and they get to hone their quality processes. It just sucks to be you helping them out like this. The Lambda and Theta are used all over the Hyundai line and they are pretty solid engines.

Enjoy your new engine. I suspect it will last a long time.
 
#24 ·
They should have been able to tell you though...

Their definition to you was just really simple in saying that "it locked up"

Could have been oil, could have been a faulty part. If you pushed enough, they should have told you....
 
#26 ·
Looking forward to picking up my vehicle on Wednesday. However, I learned a few interesting things today that I hope to get more information about when I pick it up.

Apparently, Hyundai was EXTREMELY close to denying my warranty claim based on "knowledge" that they had either been given or learned.

They "implied" about how I drive, the various events that this car has participated in, and after inspecting the underside of the vehicle, were "easily" clued into the fact that the car has been driven "hard".

With that being said.... THIS is why you cover your ass when you take your vehicle in for service, especially a major failure.

Let's look at my modifications for a second so that everyone can be on the same page here.

Injen Intake
Ark Performance GRIP DP, H-Pipe, and Catback
.....
.....
KW Suspension Variant 3 coilovers
HRE 3pc Wheels
Michelin PSS

These modifications combined with what they claim as "hard driving" could have voided my warranty over something that should never have failed, a connecting rod.

I'd like to see some honest, educated opinions as to why and how this failure could have happened. No over revving. No mis-shifts. No rev limiter has ever been hit.

I'm a little frustrated from hearing this but still happy that I'm getting my car back with a new long block, transmission, steering wheel, and LED running lights above the fogs.
 
#28 ·
Got my car back from the dealership today.

New Long Block
New Transmission
New Steering Wheel

They were only able to provide me with two images.

1) Picture of the oil pan with a billion tiny pieces of metal
2) A picture of the cams with the valve cover removed

Anything identifiable? None

Hoping to head back tomorrow in search of details. I have a few "Thank you gifts" in my hands.

:D
 
#34 ·
So glad you got your baby back Karbon! Remember, I had the same problem (they found metal frags in my oil pan), but thank God I hadn't done any mods at the time so they didn't give me any grief over it. It didn't help their cause much when they saw only 10k on the odometer and realized they had just done a complete check-up and some maintenance on the car a month prior. Knowing me, I wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway!

"Unfortunately, they wouldn't show me any of the images other than the head and the oil pan filled with chunks of metal."

Can't stand all the secrecy, but I understand it to a point. Service dept. did the same to me. Let us know how it's runnin' and hopefully this'll be the last of your major problems!
 
#29 ·
Awesome! This whole "you drive too hard" is such bull ****. It's a sports car!!!
 
#31 ·
wonder if the car jumped timing somehow? i mean, from what i read about bending/ snapping a rod, there normally is a mis-timed spark and it sparked on the up motion.

my only other idea, i don't think is feasible, but those two turns you mapped, looks to be a long sweeper and possible oil starvation from the factory oil pan not being baffled?

assumptions, I'm no mechanic.
 
#32 ·
Oil starvation was originally my assumption as well. Combined with my engine being "low" on oil (at the oil change interval)

Unfortunately, they wouldn't show me any of the images other than the head and the oil pan filled with chunks of metal.
@GenCoupeGeek Any thoughts? Pretty sure you're the most seniored here.
 
#33 ·
I know the 3.8 MPIs were notorious for oil starvation at high RPMs and low oil levels followed by rod bearing failure. I personally know two folks who have done just this. The damage was so bad on one engine that the owner ended up buying another engine because it would have cost too much to repair the damage from bearing pieces jamming in the cam gear.
 
#35 ·
I am sure that they just showed you the pics that they sent to Hyundai for the warranty approval. Hyundai now requires prior approval for engine and transmission replacements. Generally Hyundai just wants pics of the valvetrain to make sure there is no sludge from lack of maintenance and the oil pan for evidence of bearing material.

I am sure that they would show you the actual engine if you asked nicely. I know we would.
 
#38 ·
I know this is an old post, but my 2015 3.8 with 5512miles had internal engine failure as described by the local dealership service tech. I received a call yesterday that hyundai will respond in 24hrs whether they will cover it. Im wondering what my rights are, if trying to get a new car is in the picture for me or what?
 
#39 ·
Did you drain the oil and drive it with an aftermarket turbo? No, then they will cover it.
 
#42 ·
When they replaced my car due to the engine failure, I had only had it for 2 weeks. And it was the dealership that replaced it, not Hyundai.

I would think you would have an uphill battle to get them to replace the car.

You could spend $100-$200 or so and talk to an attorney, claiming the value of the car will be less, and see what the attorney thinks.
 
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